Sonny's

Our first visit to Sonny's was underwhelming. Despite the very friendly, efficient and welcoming service, I cannot understand who in their right mind would want to spend the sort of money Sonny's charges for its food. I cannot think of another cafe in the Richmond borough which charges £3 for a very small - and not very hot - cappuccino and £8.50 for a duck salad where at first I thought they had forgotten the duck, there was so little of it. Why didn't I complain - normally I certainly would have done but I was lunching wihth an elderly, gentle friend who would have been mortified if I made a fuss. The place has a nice feel but I certainly wouldn't go back when there are places of equal if not better quality with acceptable prices.
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Anne Mills
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Friday, October 28, 2011

Great food . Good atmosphere, we are never disappointed.

The boeuf tartare is delicious, so is beef filet with frites.

We highly recommend
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Sophiet318
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, October 25, 2011

We went to Sonnys after an absence of several years for a family birthday.

The starters were good - great steak tartare.

The main courses were okay - but not partcularly memorable.

The wines were both good especially an excellent Malbec

The thing that lets it down is service and atmosphere.

For a 'village' restaurant the service felt cold and impersonal - it felt like a chain restaurant.

It lacks warmth and personality and desperately needs a 'patron' or great 'maitre d''.

Get this right and it could again be somewhere special.
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5 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 6
Friday, July 15, 2011

This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere. It's modern, romantic and very warm.

We went here with my boyfriend's parents to have dinner. The service was really good. The wine was excellent (a red italian) and the food tasted great (and from a French person that's a compliment !)

Only two negative things: - The meal size was quite small (if you want a big one go for the partridge, not the pork belly) so I consider it a little bit expensive for the price. (The prices would be fine with a little bit more in the plate !)

- the pork belly had about 4/5 of fat and not meat so I didn't eat it. I told the waitress and she said that's what pork belly is. I think pork belly should have fat because this part of pork is like this but it is the job of the resturant to make sure they choose pieces which have a normal amount of fat (less than half)!

I ended up leaving almost all my plate because of this and felt a bit hungry ! The vegetables were really good though. The waitress didn't offer anything to compensate which is a shame... It was probably just one piece of meat that was only fat, as my boyfriend's dad took the same and it looked fine!

But appart from this, it tasted great and I would recommend the place to anyone looking for a nice quiet dinner with your partner or family !
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Jeanne
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Thursday, October 28, 2010

After a disastrous dinner here 5 or 6 years ago, we had steered clear of Sonny's till today, when we thought we'd see how it was under the new chef.

So we went to lunch, and are pleased to say that the 3 course set lunch was really very good, both as to quality and value.

The service was friendly and efficient; the only thing a bit annoying was being asked if we wanted a drink while we were still taking our coats off!

We can really recommend the "new" Sonny's.

Barnes has recently seen the demise of the Worrall Thompson Grill (which was very expensive) and our local Chinese restaurant (very good it was) and now a Lebanese restaurant. What we need is a good brasserie-type place, and a new Chinese restaurant. The local Thai ones are not much good.
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Godwin
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

I think this restaurant is overrated.

Waitresses were loud and coming to our table too often to pour wine which interrupted our conversation, trying to take our plate away which some food were still on.

The food were tasty but average. I wish the kitchen staff learn how to use a dishwasher properly, so that the food would look better on the clean plate. Full of water marks were disgusting.

Nice setting, interior, fresh ingredient, it is shame not to have a proper manager who knows the best in such a nice restaurant.
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sam
6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Saturday, October 23, 2010

All the positive comments from my review in February still stand, but there were some hiccups last week that meant that we had a slightly disappointing (no more than that) evening. However, this remains the best restaurant in the area, and well worth a trip from further afield.
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James - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Friday, May 28, 2010

Having just had a pretty dreadful meal in Kitchen W8 and written a review I thought I should also write something positive about a restaurant I like enormously - ie Sonny's in Barnes.

Been there many times and the food is consistently good, the staff extremely helpful and just generally nice - and the place itself is unpretentious and nice.
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mike - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Sunday, March 21, 2010

It is, in my opinion, the best of the Barnes eateries because it serves its market by providing good quality food in pleasant surroundings, without pretension, in the morning, at lunch time and in the evening. It is well run, with an excellent and experienced owner, and on a cold winter evening last week provided welcome warmth and sustenance for four of us, with its glowing fire at the back of the restaurant and excellent food.

I had to complain because we were charged for two wrong dishes, but this was relatively painlessly resolved, and the rest of the evening was a success. Service is good, the food is simple but well prepared, the room is welcoming and the cost is appropriate.

If Riva is your idea of heaven, then Sonny's may not be your second choice; for me, it is the other way round.
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James - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Went with 3 friends to Sonny's. Not a lot of guests for a saturday evening. Asked for a simple mixed salad as starter. Waitress told me I can only have salads which are on the menu. Not difficult to put some tomatos and salad on a plate. Had to take the Rucola salad with parmesan which was dry. Main was sirlon steak, cold and fatty, ate only a bit and my husbands steak was not better. Complained to the waitress who said sorry. Dessert was not better. After 2 guests of our table ordered coffee - not me - the waitress offered coffee for free for the bad steaks. So we got 2 free coffee for 2 bad steaks which cost nearly 40 pounds. Won't go back, there was a time when Sonny's had good food but for me not any more.
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4 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 1
Monday, January 11, 2010