Bingham Hotel Restaurant & Bar

When Sinatra was singing My Way, could he possibly have imagined that it would get murdered in so many weird and wonderful ways.

Dining at the Bingham with L for an anniversary dinner and as we are enjoying the quietness of the evening (late evening bird song, wind in the leaves etc), we hear the increasing warbled tones of a party boat gliding up the Thames.

We share a giggle, several glasses of wine having been drunk by this stage (but nowhere near the quantity consumed on this boat!!). It occurs to me that when Sinatra sang that tune, he was qualified to, having motored down every metaphorical highway. Wage slaving a 9-5 in a provincial insurance office? Not quite the same thing at all. But of course THAT is why it is sung so often.

Anyway, back to the meal. We are BIG fans of the Bingham. It helps that it is a short cab ride home and we often pass it on wholesome, if precarious, tow path cycle rides with the boys.

The service is excellent. The waitress and somellier are genuinely friendly, attentive, but with no unnecessary formality. The food is pretty faultless - well presented and an interesting menu. And the best bit? Well the setting - right on the banks of the river, a stone's throw from Richmond. It is a bit of a secret, not quite in the centre of town, and if you are lucky enough to be sat at a table on the balcony on a summer's evening, you will struggle to not have a memorable evening.

As guests at a wedding here in the summer, you can wander from the stepped gardens through a hidden gate on the tow path.

L and I retire to the boldly retro bar to have a drink - black wall to wall carpets, extensive use of mirrors - (in this former private house) it feels like we are guests at a 1930's dinner party. Later we wander down through the gardens through a hidden gate (we discovered this as guests at a wedding here) and out onto the tow path for a moonlit walk home, carefully circumnavigating the familiar Friday night piles of vomit.
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Blue Skies - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Sunday, April 13, 2008

I didn't actually stay at the hotel itself but went to the restaurant for me and my boyfriend's anniversary last night. The service is no less that perfect, alongside with the food and drink.

To start off with we were 1 hour late coming from West London, but out of courtesy rang the restaurant to tell them. They confirmed this was no problem but just to get there asap.

When we finally found the place, which was admittedly a bit of a nightmare, Petersham road is like a circle and traffic only flows in one direction, so if you missed the hotel or couldn't find parking like we did, you had to go all the way around again which took about 10 mins and was very frustrating. You might question why we didn't use public transport such as the tube, this was because it was very far from the hotel - I would say about a 25 minute on average walk and the nearest NCP car park was a similar distance away. Eventually we found parking, in a car park owned by the Bingham opposite the hotel (of which we were previously unaware of) which costed £5 for the night. Finding parking was the ONLY hiccup we encountered during our visit.

So when we eventually arrived, we were asked if we'd like any drinks from the bar and the service was flawless. We were seated immediately, given drinks menus and left to choose freely while we gazed in awe of the gorgeous decor by which we were surrounded. Drinks came in at somewhere between £4.50 - £8.50 - I had a cocktail and my partner had Black Sambucca and a whiskey with water/ice - which was about average I thought. Nonetheless, drinks were beautifully presented and there was no pressure to move onto dinner. The relaxed atmosphere was perfect for the occasion.

Whilst being at the bar we were given dinner menus whilst being informed our table was being prepared outside on the terrace. The subtle information alongside the helpfulness (to park in the car park I needed to display a parking permit, our host immediately asked for my keys and did this for me to prevent me leaving my comfortable seat and out of sheer convenience too) worked very well and all added to the great experience.

The food was fantastic - both my partner and I are big eaters and initially the food looked a little on the small side with regards to portions but was just perfect. We were recommended a house red wine which was equally complimenting. Dessert was also a great way to round off the meal. Each course was also well presented and the time between courses was perfect also. The food was faultless although somewhat limited for vegetarians, with only 1 vegetarian dish.

The Bingham's terrace views are also well renowned looking over the Thames and the leafy vistas of Richmond Park and Kew. This again didn't fail to impress and looked EVEN better than the pictures - and THAT is unusal! As the night became a bit more chilly, we went inside into the bar/lounge where we mulled over the wine and sunk into the soft, plush leather sofas surrounded by fluffy suede cushions and a wood fire - a great end to a beautifully peaceful yet vibrant evening.

I'd definitely visit this bar/restaurant again, even just with friends, and I would most definitely recommend it. A great location, great food/drink, good value for money (although tax of £24 was added and £13 service charge (13%) and a great service - what more could you want?
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tara
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Friday, June 08, 2007

Had lunch here sunday with friends. Absolutely lovely, great table on the balcony overlooking the river and the service and food were impeccable. (particularly enjoyed the tempura monkfish) It is not cheap (£80 for 2 people for 3 courses and drinks)but a fantastic spot, very elegant and relaxed...and laid back live jazz playing- what more could you ask for on a summers sunday afternoon!!! A real gem!
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Hannah Maxwell
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, June 25, 2006

had to respond to the lady who preferred the Bingham Hotel to Canyon for a private function.

For the past 3 years we have held our Company Party at Canyon-We usually have a 3 course meal for 120+ people. The food has always been highly original and beautifully prepared and presented. Their pre drinks canapes are outstanding.We have always found the service friendly and very professional...and good value for money.

My wife and I had the unfortunate experience of being invited to a wedding at the Bingham-the service and setting were good but the food was simply appaling-whoever heard of serving chicken wings(undercooked) as a canape?The rest of the food was unimaginative and poorly prepared.Everybody was bitterly disappointed.I notice the lady did not comment on her experiences of the food at the Bingham!
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Steven
Saturday, November 19, 2005