The Crown - (Near Richmond upon Thames, South East)

5 /5 Dev Desai: Many thanks to the team at The Crown for making the arrangements for our son’s 10th-birthday gathering of 17 guests so effortless from start to finish. The staff and management handled it with calm good humour and quiet efficiency. The private room had been beautifully prepared well in advance (see photos), spacious enough for everyone to mingle and chat comfortably rather than feel marooned at opposite ends of a long table. It struck exactly the right balance between celebratory and relaxed. The place is perfect to get people together. A small but charming touch was the way the servers arrived announcing whose dish they were carrying, which our guests found both helpful and oddly delightful. It gave the whole service a lightly personalised feel. Send a spreadsheet of diners and choices in advance to make this happen. The Crown team, led by David, were warm, attentive and accommodating throughout. Thank you for making it such a happy afternoon for our family. We’re lucky indeed to have such a fine food-led tavern so close to home.

3 /5 Miray Celik: The garden of the place is truly wonderful. That said, it took quite a bit of effort to place an order or get the attention of the staff, which can take away from what should be a relaxing experience. As for the food, I found the burger bun to be quite average and not really in line with the overall quality of the venue. On a positive note, I really enjoyed the cauliflower gratin. With a few improvements, this could easily become a fantastic spot all around.

5 /5 Nick Gazard: Meeting a friend for dinner on a Thursday, the Crown was accommodating a private wedding party, lively (but not cramped) bar and a good number of diners. I arrived very early but that wasn’t a problem, I was allowed to sit at our table with a drink and there wasn’t any pressure to order. Service was friendly and efficient with good recommendations, I even ended up having a dessert on this basis. The food was tasty with an interesting menu, no delays despite a reasonably full restaurant. Both of us also commented on how homely and friendly the atmosphere felt. It’s not cheap, especially if you tack whisky on the end, but a nice place for a date with a partner or meeting a good friends.

4 /5 Alec Martin: Went for pre rugby meal on Saturday 28th. Booking was easy, and pub was nicely populated without being crowded. Delicious pint of ale followed by a very nice two course meal with some very welcome red wine. Food was well cooked and tasty with decent portion size. Attentive service. All in all very enjoyable

5 /5 Damien ODoherty: Great food and service. Delfina and her colleagues were really attentive of us in the private room. It was the perfect amount of service. Thank you for making our Boxing Day lunch a lovely day out.