The Terrace at The King's Arms Hampton Court

Review: The Terrace at The King's Arms Hampton Court

An al fresco feast fit for a king - Sophie Farrah dines on the terrace at The King's Arms Hampton Court...

And just like that, ‘normal’ life is slowly starting to resume. Pubs have opened their beer gardens and restaurants their terraces. It may be chilly, but the hospitality industry needs support more than ever, and what a treat it is to actually go out for dinner! 

One such local business that’s back with a bang is The King's Arms in Hampton Court.

Adhering strictly to social distancing and government guidelines, this boutique hotel and restaurant has two reopening stages planned, starting with a spacious terrace that opened last week. On 12 April, bedrooms and the indoor restaurant should hopefully be able to follow suit. 

But for now, the terrace is a lovely spot to be.

Something for everyone 

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Where else can you bask in the sunshine with a cocktail whilst sat under one the grand, lion-topped gates of Hampton Court Palace?! 

When I visited, lovely manager Konstantinos was on hand with a warm welcome, full of enthusiasm for the venue’s re-opening.

Located on the busy Hampton Court Road, you can definitely hear the traffic, but clever tall greenery muffles the noise and hides the road completely, meaning the terrace feels nicely enclosed.

The newly created terrace menu offers pub-style main courses (fish and chips, steak, burgers, etc) but it’s the new sharing plates, designed to bring people together after so long apart, that caught my eye.

There are 12 in total, so lots of choices and something to please everyone.

The highlights

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For me, highlights included the crispy fried manchego which came in thick, hot chunks, lightly fried in crisp panko breadcrumbs – they were completely delicious, especially when dunked in the accompanying chilli and tomato chutney and washed down with a slurp of rosé.

I loved the crispy devilled whitebait with dill mayonnaise and pickled cucumber, and the Palace Garden Salad, generously packed with chunks of Blue Monday no.7 (a delicious British blue cheese made by Alex James of Blur fame), cubes of poached pear, crunchy croutons and a lovely, light house salad cream.

The Cornish mackerel pâté was nicely smoked, with a powerful richness cut through perfectly by a pickled beetroot relish.

The smoked Loch Duarte salmon, horseradish and beetroot salad was another texture-filled treat for the tastebuds, and there few greater pleasures than a steaming hot plate of perfectly cooked Wye Valley asparagus, tossed in a zingy lemon butter. 

Amazing food

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Each dish that we tried was delicious, there wasn’t one dud, but the star of the show for me was pudding.

We shared a rich and creamy banana crème brûlée, but I wish we’d ordered one (or maybe even two) each.

Beautifully presented with a crisp sugary top, toasted pecans, chunks of caramelised roasted bananas and a scoop of coffee and clotted cream fudge ice cream – it was a really impressive dish and my idea of completely delicious pudding perfection. 

The terrace is spacious and the tables well spaced but, like most outdoor venues at the moment, it gets COLD, so I’d suggest going for lunch or early sups on a sunny day.

What the terrace lacks in temperature, however, it makes up for in extra touches – proper linen table napkins, stylish tableware and a creative, thoughtful menu.

Each well-presented dish was delicious, the view of the palace’s Lion Gate is wonderful, and the friendly and efficient team treated us like royalty.

Just make sure you wrap up warm and be sure to leave room for pudding… 

The terrace is open 12-3 pm and 6-9 pm until the 16th of May (excluding Mondays). Terrace sharing plates are £7 each or 4 for £25 (mains, sides and desserts priced individually); kingsarmshamptoncourt.com.