Following a smart redesign and the launch of a new menu earlier this year, Sophie Farrah heads to the The Petersham Hotel’s award-winning restaurant to check out what’s new…
I’d been to The Petersham once before, many years ago, and one thing that really stuck in my mind was the view. Perched proudly on the side of Richmond Hill since 1865, the hotel overlooks the rural-esque Petersham Meadows (complete with resident grazing cows) with the beautiful bend in the Thames beyond. Immortalised by artists such as Sir Joshua Reynolds and of course J. M. W. Turner, this sweeping view remains largely unchanged by time, and I was excited to see it once it again.
Walking into the lobby, the hotel itself exudes Victorian character and nostalgic charm. Although the impressive red brick exterior remains essentially untouched, the hotel’s interiors have been largely remodelled and modernised over the past decade or so, so inside feels fresh, modern and pretty swish.
Earlier this year it was the hotel restaurant’s turn for a redesign, and the results are impressive; a cool and contemporary palette of dark blues and greys offset by crisp white linen, antique-style chandeliers and white panelled ceiling all create a modern, elegant feel, and then of course there is the view. Floor to ceiling, panoramic windows maximise the magnificent vista down the hill and on to the river; it’s breath-taking and gives the restaurant instant wow factor as you walk in. The dining and bar areas are cleverly divided by a long (and very comfortable) grey velvet banquette, and the use of large mirrors creates a feeling of space whilst providing glimpses of the glorious view from every angle.
Head chef Adebola Adeshina
It’s definitely a ‘special occasion’ kind of place – my fellow diners are smartly dressed, the service is immediately slick and the menu is pitched at fine dining level. To complement the restaurant’s snazzy redesign, accomplished head chef Adebola Adeshina has also created a brand new ‘modern British’ menu to match, and with an A la Carte starter costing an average of £15 and a main around twice that – my expectations were high.
We started with a cold, crisp glass of Petersham’s very own champagne which was absolutely delicious, and then came the first course; a tale of two extremes. The Steamed Lasagne of Cornish Crab was my ideal starter – light, delicate, and wonderfully buttery, it was packed with sweet, succulent crabmeat and topped with delightfully salty lilliput capers. The Wye Valley Asparagus, however, was disappointing. Five thin, shrivelled spears arrived stringy and overcooked, covered in a thin hollandaise and confused by the addition of pine nuts, pomegranate and a balsamic drizzle. The duck egg, however, was well poached – but for £14, I was expecting more.
Thankfully we had better luck with our mains; after being expertly carved at the table the Grilled Whole Dover Sole was delicious, as was the accompanying heritage potatoes and dangerously moreish brown butter sauce. I opted for the slightly more experimental Roast Cornish Cod with romano beans, mousserons, shrimp, lavender (yes, lavender…), and nantais sauce. The fish was perfectly cooked and the bed of beans, mushrooms and little shrimps was satisfyingly meaty, whilst the lavender gave it a strangely pleasant fresh, floral, herby-ness. There was plenty of rich, flavoursome sauce and the delicious piece of cod was so big I could barely finish it.
The restaurant manager (Andrew) was the epitome of professionalism throughout the evening and recommended a half bottle of Chablis that matched our menu choices perfectly, and slipped down a treat.
We paused to admire the marvellous view again before moving on to dessert, which much like the starters was a mixed bag. The Dark Chocolate Three Way (mousse, brownie and truffle) arrived looking like a well-designed Michelin-star dish, but was ironically lacking in actual chocolate flavour. There was some tasty honeycomb on the plate and the brownie had a nice texture…but there was no sign of the rich, dark chocolate hit that had been promised.
Chocolate three ways
The Lemon Curd Macaron, however, was terrific. The macarons were delightfully crispy-chewy, the lemon curd was that wonderful, mouth-watering balance of sweet and sour, and the pretty plate was dotted with small, indulgent dollops of creamy white chocolate and a quenelle of beautiful raspberry sorbet. I loved every mouthful. A further treat was a glass of delicious Californian Black Muscat, which was again a delicious result of Andrew’s expertise.
Overall, the service was superb, as was the wine, the opulent décor and that magnificent view, which all contributed to a truly enjoyable meal. The food was also good on the whole, but I am not entirely convinced that the quality always corresponded to the quite considerable price tag. Having said that, in addition to the A la Carte offering there’s also an incredibly reasonable Fixed Price menu; at £22.95 for two courses or £26.95 for three it’s worth it for the Lemon Curd Macaron alone, and that wonderful view of course…
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