Tower House Restaurant & Bar - (Near Richmond upon Thames, South East)

2 /5 delia koren: We visited on a Sunday evening. The restaurant is beautifully designed, with a romantic atmosphere and a lovely setting. However, the tables are packed unreasonably close together, which made the experience feel cramped and uncomfortable. More frustrating was the fact that many dishes on the menu were unavailable. It would have been understandable if we had been told upfront but instead, we spent about ten minutes going over the menu only to be told that most of what we wanted to order was missing, including the only vegetarian main (the agnolotti). We ended up ordering what was available, and unfortunately the food was very disappointing. It’s honestly hard to understand how a tomato salad can be made not tasty but every dish lacked even basic seasoning. The tomato and beet salad was served without salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic — nothing. It felt like tomatoes and beets were simply chopped and placed on a plate. The same applied to the cabbage and cauliflower dishes. Everything was completely bland. Overall, the place itself is beautiful, and perhaps in the summer, when the terrace opens, it could be a pleasant spot for a cocktail overlooking the river. But when it comes to the food, we would probably avoid returning unless there is significant improvement

5 /5 Emma Lee: This was our second visit to tower house and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. What stood out to me the most was the excellent quality of service. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. Furthermore, the food arrived quickly and was presented nicely. The complimentary birthday cheesecake was delicious. I also highly recommend the croquettes. It was clear that the restaurant had been renovated and decorated to a high standard, and the area we were sat in was beautiful. Overall a great experience.

2 /5 Natalie Page - Hill: The food was reasonably okay, but massively overpriced for what it was. There’s an unusual menu with some interesting ideas, but it’s ultimately let down by poor execution. The carbonara potatoes could have worked, but the potatoes weren’t properly seasoned or roasted, and the sauce tasted like something out of a jar or a basic béchamel rather than a true egg-based carbonara. The sea bass was tiny and arrived essentially raw, sashimi-style. After sending it back, it returned even smaller, at which point it felt like the restaurant should be renamed Finding Nemo. The salsa verde tasted like watery pesto, which was disappointing. The pork was pink, and inexplicably, almost everything came with pears. The restaurant made a big show of dishes arriving in a specific order, but this didn’t happen, with vegetables arriving after the meat and disrupting the flow of the meal. The burrata was just three bites for £19, which felt like very poor value. The croquettes, however, were good. The pappardelle ragu was enjoyable and hard to go wrong with shin, and the non-alcoholic cocktail Feel Good Spritz was genuinely nice. After speaking with one of the waiters, they even mentioned that the fish isn’t very good and instead recommended the cabbage and the chicken. Overall, there were some decent elements, but not nearly enough to justify the prices or the pretence of fine dining. The view and décor were lovely, though it was very hot inside with little ventilation. Once they open up the terrace, it will make a nice drinks destination in the summer, but I would give the food a miss next time.

3 /5 tracy W: My husband booked there to celebrate my birthday. The decoration is really nice. The server and receptionist were very friendly. They use real tomato to make tomato sauce for dipping my son’s fish fingers and chips which is a good effort. The fish and chips somewhat is the best dish taken into account the flavour and the price. However, the dessert came without any candles/writing on the plate. We thought this restaurant didn’t do birthday candles. But when we checked the bill and ready to leave, the table next to us has a lady celebrating her birthday with a chocolate tart and a candle. It’s this small attention to details customer would be expecting in restaurants with this price range but it missed. The food had a variety of flavours but was quite burnt. The floor was too packed with tables and occasionally the server bumped on my chair a little bit. It’s totally not their fault because the tables were just too close together.

5 /5 Meris Pashaj: An absolute must! Great experience in Tower House during the soft opening. The venue is gorgeous and welcoming with stunning decor. Food is delicious, great variety to choose from with some pasta dishes, vegetarian choices and great meat and fish selection. We loved the Coppa, potato Carbonara and the tortelloni. The staff is attentive and well trained. Thank you to the team for the amazing evening, we’ll definitely be back!