Riversniffers has confessed before how outdated we can be on Richmond pubs. The last time we went in the Britannia it was full of shaven-headed tattooed folks with pitbulls.

Yes, skinheads – remember them?

Well it ain’t like that now. This must be the only place in Richmond that regularly serves oysters (Thursday to Sunday, when there’s an “r” in the month).

And they have draft (we mean by the glass) Macon Villages, our favourite everyday white burgundy. You don’t find that in many pubs in Richmond either.

Youngish demographic, upmarket, attractive bar staff – you could be in Hampstead or with that edgy red ceiling, maybe Hoxton even, rather than provincial old Richmond.

It’s got a more intimate atmosphere than the other nearby gastropub, The Duke. And it feels more like a pub than a restaurant (a good thing in our view). For some it may be a bit noisy, but there is an upstairs room which is quieter.

The beer when we went was Timothy Taylor Landlord, which was good. They usually have other real ales as well.

At 5:30 on a Saturday afternoon at the tail end of this never-ending winter it was packed. Recession – what recession?

We were impressed, and will return

Richmond wasn’t exactly short of pubs – now we’re getting spoilt for choice…

The Britannia

5 Brewers Lane

Richmond

TW9 1HH

Tel: 020 8940 9786