So we noted the refurb of the Richmond branch with interest. Would they perhaps divide it into areas to suit different types of customers?

The restaurant reopened, and last Saturday we went along to try it.

We arrived at 6:05pm. The place was packed, but we were shown immediately to a table for two. So far so good. Then we began to take in our surroundings.

The first problem became apparent within seconds of sitting down. At the next (too close) table for two, there was a person talking to her companion across their table so loudly that it was impossible to ignore what she was saying. This was going to be a pain. It was rather like being on a commuter train ( perhaps stuck at a red light) where the entire carriage has to listen to someone bellowing banalities into their mobile phone.

Our eyes met, we shrugged. Better get on with the menu. But before that, we began to take the place in. It’s noisy, very noisy. They’ve covered the ceiling with painted plywood mushrooms. Now in the Albert Hall, ceiling mushrooms help the acoustic. In Pizza Express Richmond they do nothing for the acoustic. In fact I’m sure they make it worse. And they look contrived and fussy.

As does the rest of the decor. Glaring primary colours, blobby shapes. It’s reminiscent of a kindergarten. Which it seems it has become. Right front and centre in front of the food preparation area, half a dozen kids were rolling out dough, while a staff member span a pizza dough in the air and caught it again for the entertainment of the young clients. And scattered throughout the restaurant, maybe 40 to 50% of the tables had parties of young kids, many in a state of full and vocal enjoyment of their treat “meal out”.

Our eyes met again. Oh well. Look at the menu. Starters mostly £5 to 6. Pizzas £10 to £11.  Have the prices gone up? We thought they had.

Meanwhile, our neighbour was still sharing her conversation with us. And it dawned on us that we’d been sitting there for 10 minutes and no-one had come near us.

Our eyes met again. And we didn’t need to exchange any words. We just left. On the way out, they said “Bye, see you again”. I’m afraid I replied “no you won’t”.

I’m sure Pizza Express have done their market research. They must be comfortable that there are enough people with young families in Richmond who don’t mind paying mid-range restaurant prices to eat in what approximates to a kindergarten.

But we thought it was ghastly.

Of course the reason we think this is we’ve become too old for the demographic this place is aimed at.

But we’re happy with that. And we definitely won’t be going back.

On Monday 20th September the Bishop of Kingston conducted a service of induction for Richmond’s new Team Rector, the Reverend Canon Dr Robert Titley.

The service took place at St Mary Magdalene church in the centre of Richmond, in the presence of the Mayor of Richmond, local councillors and a congregation of more than 400.

The bells were rung for half an hour before the service

At 7:30pm, the Bishop began the service of Institution and Induction

Robert trained at Westcott House, Cambridge. He was ordained Deacon in 1983 and priested in 1986. His entire ministry has been in Southwark diocese. While Vicar of All Saints, West Dulwich Robert lead his congregation in a huge restoration project to rebuild their church after it was gutted by fire in 2000.

Canon Dr Robert Titley

Here are some photographs of the service

Speaking of Richmond, Robert said “if ever there were somewhere to show that Christian faith can be at home in the public square, Richmond is such a place: historical, political, commercial, educational, cultural and and recreational currents all converge here – and this on the threshold of a world city. But Richmond is above all a place that people call home, with a distinctive character and a clear centre of gravity…”

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves, and we wish Robert a long and happy stay as the leader of Richmond’s Team Ministry in our home by the river.

P.S. see here for Revd Julian Reindorp’s retirement service last November

The Petersham on a sunny Sunday lunchtime – a special occasion.

We were seven, two families celebrating a double birthday, one in each family. Tipped off about the double birthday, they had kindly given us the best table in the house.

Our table was at one o clock. By one thirty the place was completely full – it was apparent we had been wise to book well ahead.

We pushed the boat out. Montagny Premiere Cru to start, Mercury 2007 (Faively, Riversniffers’ favourite Burgundy shipper) to follow.

Four had oysters to start, and three had pidgeon and sweetbreads.

Our main courses were two roast beef, two guinea fowl and three sea bass. Mr Riversniffer had the roast beef. Pink, accompanied by a wonderful horseradish sauce and proper, perfect roast potatoes (not dunked in semolina to crisp them up).

The room is elegant, reminiscent of say the Savoy in the fifties (that’s last century for any youngsters reading this). The service is urbane, correct, flawless. And the cooking is bang up to date. All the main course were pronounced delicious.

Then the puddings arrived.

Here are some examples:

Apple Financier

Vanilla Ice Cream

Rice Pudding with Prunes and Armagnac

And coffee to finish:

With lovely chocolates of course...

Three hours had flown by very enjoyably – it was nearly four o clock when we asked for the bill.

Ah, the bill. Including pre-dinner drinks, service and lots of the aforementioned Burgundy, it came to £66 per head. Not cheap – maybe it’s a good thing that birthdays come but once a year.

But nobody said perfection comes cheap. And the Petersham on a Sunday lunchtime is as near perfection as makes no difference.

You owe it to yourself – but do book ahead.

The Petersham,

Nightingale Lane,

Richmond,

TW10 6UZ

Tel: (restaurant) 020 8939 1084

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

However, a reader wrote in recommending it. So we went to explore.

It’s pitched rather upmarket (by the way – have you noticed that Richmond drink prices in general are clearly more than in the West End? – we must be in one of the most expensive places to live in the entire  country).

But it is very pleasant. Large, busy but civilised, friendly but very courteous service. Truly excellent Doom Bar bitter (£3.20) when we went, and a very good French Chardonnay by the glass (large glass £5.70).

It’s also a gastropub, and the menu looks very very interesting. We didn’t eat there on this occasion, but when we do get round to it you will hear about it here. The reader who pointed us to The Duke was very complimentary about the food.

So there it is. A real and refreshing change from the same old Richmond town centre pubs. We intend to go there again, and thanks to the reader who brought it to our attention. We’re just sorry it took us two years to see what was right under our noses.

THE DUKE PUBLIC HOUSE & DINING ROOM
2 DUKE STREET, RICHMOND TW9 1HP

0208 940 4067

http://www.thedukerichmond.co.uk/

St Mary’s church in the centre of Richmond, Sunday evening 1st November 2009.

The church was full to overflowing for choral evensong, marking the retirement of Canon Julian Reindorp, who has been Rector of Richmond Team ministry since January 1992.

A fanfare started the service.

Long standing Richmond resident Lord (Alan) Watson attended, as did Richmond’s MP, Susan Kramer.

Julian was ordained deacon by the Rt Rev Trevor Huddlestone, Bishop of Stepney at All Saints, Poplar in December 1969.

Over the ensuing years he served as a parish priest in Poplar, Chatham and Milton Keynes before coming to Richmond in 1992.

For all those who have met him, Julian radiates energy, humanity, concern for others, openness and, yes, humility.

One of the most approachable people, and one who never stops working for others.

After the service came some brief speeches and a presentation of retirement gifts.

Lord Watson gave some words of thanks and appreciation for Julian’s work in Richmond.

As did Parish Warden Charles Stiller.

Julian always travels around his parish on a scooter, and one of his presents was a new crash helmet (which he proceeded to try on!)

Julian thanks his congregation.

And so concluded a beautiful ceremony, marking the retirement of a very well loved parish priest.

But he’s not going far – from mid-December Julian will be living in Teddington.

And we think it is certain we have not heard the last from one of the kindest, most public-spirited and hardest-working men that Riversniffers has ever met.

We wish him all the very best in his retirement.

The Guardian did not get it wrong. I won’t go through what we had, as the menu can be seen here. But in summary, our meal for four was superb in every respect. As well as seriously impressive food, the service was just right – not too fast, not too slow and hit just the right note.

The bill for three courses for four people including a bottle of 2001 Medoc and a 2004 Petit Chablis was £200. Not cheap, but you wouldn’t expect it to be – this is a superb eating experience.

While we were there the phone was constantly ringing, and they kept tactfully informing the callers that they were fully booked. So for dinner booking is absolutely essential, and it’s advisable for lunch too.

So now at last Richmond has a top-class restaurant again. Well done to the team at La Buvette.

La Buvette, 6 Church Walk, Richmond, TW9 1SN                                       

Tel: 020 8940 6264

Good luck to all involved with the Richmond Venturer.

Thus Matthew Norman, a restaurant critic at the Guardian, in a recent review of La Buvette, Richmond. So Richmond’s very long period without a first-class restaurant (see my review of A Cena on 28th Feb for more on this) may be at an end.

I cannot hope to do better than a critic on a national newspaper, so please just follow the link to read Matthew’s article:

The Guardian – Review of La Buvette

Needless to say, we’ll try it ourselves as soon as possible and report back.

La Buvette    6 Church Walk, Richmond, Surrey   Tel: 020 8940 6264

Riversniffers witnesssed the ringing in of the New Year at Richmond Parish Church.

The bellringers gathered at the church of St Mary Magdalene (the one right in the centre of Richmond) shortly after 11:30pm. After unlocking the bell tower and sorting out positions etc. ringing started at 11:40pm.

At two minutes to midnight, the bells were stilled. Canon Julian Reindorp, Rector of Richmond, said a short prayer.

The earliest bells date from 1680.

And the earliest commemorative plaque dates from 1741.

From the instructions on the wall, you might think it would take 250 years just to work out how to do it.

But the team say it can be learnt quicker than that…

At 12.02  the ringing carried on, until ten past midnight.

After which all was stowed away.

And a toast was drunk to a great team effort.

The team, from left to right:

Barabara Hicks (ringer), Canon Julian Reindorp,  Tony Sweeney (guest),  David Neil (ringer), Diana Hamilton-Jones (ringer), Jackie Harrison (ringer), David Shaw (at front – guest), Andrew Howard-Smith (at rear – ringer), Sarah Percival (ringer), Reg Frary (ringer – Reg has rung in the New Year at Richmond Parish Church for every one of the last 54 years!), Ian Flint (guest)

Riversniffers was grateful to have witnessed the ringing-in. It helps to bring  our community together, and we are sure it brought cheer to all on the threshold of the New Year.

Well done to the bellringers of Richmond and long may their ancient tradition continue.