please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I liked the layout of this pub with a proper pub area at the front and an eating area at the back the leads to a patio garden. There is a spiral staircase at the rear of the pub leading up to some more dining tables. The barman was friendly, but he served me a pint instead of the half that I asked for although it was the correct drink so 50% for that one.
Lagers on offer were Kronenburg, Fosters, San Miguel, Bitburger and ales on offer were Doombar, Pride, Broadside and Twickenham Original.
I don’t think that I would have any complaints if this was my local pub.
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the owners have made a real effort with this place but - for me - it doesnt really work. don't like the bizarre mishmash of furniture or side cubicles.
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Someone need to fix the bloody cd player in here - they just leave it on even though it is contantly skipping, very annoying once you notice it!!!
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Always had good service in here. The food is excellent especially the burgers and they have a good range of beers on tap.
riddz - 31 Oct 2007 18:49 |
Have to agree with lots of other comments about this place. I visited on Saturday and even though there was hardly anyone in the bar it took about five minutes to get served despite three barstaff. All were wandering around, ignoring waiting customers, polishing glasses, emptying the glass washer. Not good enough. When I did get served, the girl seemed totally disinterested, sullen and completely clueless about the drinks she was serving.
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Bank Holiday Monday. Lunchtime. A smattering of customers. Three staff behind bar. I stood there for five minutes. Even though there was no one else waiting to be served, in those five minutes there was no acknowledgement, no greeting, no recognition of my existence. Well, screw you, I'll take my forty quid somewhere else!
OK, so staff were doing other things, but for goodness sake, if you're in the hospitality business, at least make some pretence at it.
Having read so many accolades about this place, the bottom line is that if you're trying to compete for the premium pound, scruffy, disdainful and inhospitable front-line staff simply wn't cut it.
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Takes absolutely ages to get served if at all busy - they need more staff!
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Pretentious pub, arrogant bar staff; Adnams and Hogs back TEA barely drinkable.
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Characterless, pretentious and over priced. Awful company, awful pub.
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On the Capital Pub Groups website(they own the KGH)they advertise the cricket World Cup......the KGH has dispensed with Sky Sports as it doesn't want to attract that sort of customer . Sort of sums this place up really........Will be very interesting to see how they handle the influx from the Railways refurb !!!!
anonymous - 11 Apr 2007 16:31 |
Went here on Saturday with some mates for the Six Nations marathon . Excellent selection of beers and what looked like good but pricey food . Everything going swimmingly until 15 minutes before the first game when the landlord/manager announced that the sound on the TV was broken therefore no commentary . Mass exodus up the road to The Railway followed . I later heard from a mate who popped in that the sound had miraculously been fixed for the England game .Rather sums this place up I'm afraid - really thinks its something its not , smug self appreciation for no reason . This is the KGH not Claridges !!!
anonymous - 26 Feb 2007 07:47 |
I went here with a few friends after ice skating at Kew Gardens. Upon entering i thought, "Great, here's a nice warm relaxing pub, perfect for a Sunday evening." When we arrived we were told wasn't availble until 6pm. Fine, no problem we thought. We'll order at 6pm. So, we did, thinking we'd get our food by about half six or quarter to seven at the latest, it was after all a quiet Sunday evening. How wrong we could be. The chef rocked in at 6 and cooked all the 'easy' meals first giving no regard to who had a placed an order when. We were still waiting (no complaints to staff yet) at seven o'clock. That's an hour waiting. We enquired about our meals to which we were greeted with an irate chef screaming about how he had started work at six and required time to 'fire up the grill'. Now correct me if I'm wrong but if I owned a pub and advertised serving food at six, I would get my chef in half an hour earlier. It's called 'prep' I do believe, and having worked in the business for 5 years in a popular american (awful) chain at least we could open on time. So, cut to us asking where our food was after an hour and a quarter and seeing over 6 steaks fly out of the kitchen. Obviously that grill took a while to fire up (I'd ordered Scallops, go figure). We spoke to the manager (I think that's who it was as he was the only one taking any responsibility) and basically got to the crux of the matter, i.e he'd get our food out asap. Only then he didn't offer ANYTHING in recompense. Finally got my bloody scallops with no parma ham as advertised. Finally got two bottle of wine and some free deserts off said manager, the least he could done after we had waited over 1 hour and 20 mins when we were the first to order. If you're going to open on a Sunday evening get some staff in who can do the job. Please! No more excuses, Sunday is a busy day, if you can't cope with more than twenty covers then get out of the business. Appalled, outraged and bitterly dissapointed. Oh, and my scallops were undercooked. Avoid like the plague, infact the plague would be more fun than eating at the Inn at Kew.
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Who gives a sh*t about Magners anyway? It's just a modern version of what we all drank in the park aged 14.
Nice bar, awful wallpaper, and the seating and layout are just weird - doesn't make for a great atmosphere. However, the (bar) food is worth trying, and there's a reasonable range of beers.
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In addition - this place has free wireless internet as well
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Thats not Kew though is it
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If you go just north of the river to Brentford High Street the Magpie and Crown does real cider and real perry at all times...
anonymous - 26 Jul 2006 13:58 |
So Mr Anon , tell me a pub in Kew where I can get a real cider......thought not. Try actually reviewing the pub/venue rather than sniping at what people drink .
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Why? Magners is a chemical-filled mass produced post-mix-cider? Try a real cider and tell me you still like magners
anonymous - 20 Jul 2006 11:12 |
Yes but you like the Pitcher and Piano therefore any opinion you have is to be ignored.......not a bad pub though , Magners on draught in the summer is always a result !!!
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An addendum: had the food in here recently and was superb, the best steak this side of Texas. Don't be put off by the poncy descriptions on the menu, it's worth a go.
TV's are a bit crap though, perhaps need a quick tune-up, tried to watch the World Cup final in here but had to leave due to poor visual quality.
Strange bloke behind bar still there and still going strong.
Definitely the best boozer in Kew.
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This pub is what kew has been waiting for, best pub in the area.
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Watched game here on Saturday - excellent atmosphere and service . One point - when did women become so interested in football ?? Trying to get you to switch over to Match of the Day from Miss Marple in mid November is a virtual impossibility !! Stop taking up our space !!!
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Posh Middle Agers, public school kids and rugger buggers are hardly a mix however are they?
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Now come on, this pub is nice. In fact the nicest (of the vast selection) in Kew.
The decor is good, there's atmosphere at the weekends - posh middle-agers, public schoolkids, rugger buggers make for above all else an interesting mix. It's pikie/chav-free which is always a bonus.
Prices are no more shocking than any other "this side of London" boozer and the mezzanine level is a nice unique touch and it's comfortable up there.
Having to walk past a bunch of people eating their gastro-thing when going for a slash and/or sh*te is a bit odd though. But the bogs are in good nick for a comfortable release.
The hotel rooms upstairs are very well decorated and of utmost quality for a "pub wih rooms" setup.
There is one thing though: There's a bl**dy strange bloke behind the bar - skinny chap with dark hair, possibly Irish - pulls the wierdest expressions during the whole ordering/serving process. Not bad, quite amusing in fact but above all, odd.
Nice place. Go.
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While booting most of the clientelle out as quickly as possible at closing time , there seems to be a select crowd of staff and hangers on who ,shall we just say party , until the hearly hours . Its a shame such hospitality and supplies are not offered so generously to all........
anonymous - 20 Apr 2006 13:32 |
There are no locals in here - they are all in The Railway !!!
anonymous - 23 Mar 2006 09:30 |
The staff were very attentive to us when we came here for a drink, didn't try the food but i would definitely now, a nice pub/retaurant that you can go to for a chat and a drink, as a young female i felt unitimidated by locals in here.
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I've heard that it might well be up for sale - fingers crossed !!
anonymous - 21 Feb 2006 15:38 |
The ones I've had have been ok...
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Re the Sunday roasts - would be far improved if it was served hot or even warm - tepid doesn't cut it at these prices . May I suggest that next Sunday you try the Coach and Horses up the road or The Ship in Mortlake - far superior . The Inn is obviously aiming at a certain Kew clientel ie the weekend half pinters and glass of wine brigade , hence the total lack of weekday 'drinkers' - any atmosphere is therefore totally lacking . Whether their present punters will drink and eat enough to keep this place afloat (more staff than drinkers most days)is very doubtful .
anonymous - 15 Feb 2006 08:59 |
Pretentious & cliquey... so I've heard.
judas - 13 Feb 2006 18:37 |
After several visits I would say that the quality of the beer - the bitter that is - is definitely above average when compared with similar "Free Houses".
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The Sunday roasts they do are very good, I haven't really explored the rest of the menu though...
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Had the bad luck to eat here the other night - totally overpriced mediocre food served with an arrogance that would suggest a Michelin star !!There seems to be an attitude from some of the staff that this place is something special - seeing as it is neither now a pub or a decent restaurant this is quite surprising .Give us back our pub...even if it was a tip !!!
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Do they sell the most expensive peanuts in London???
Stopped by for a pint and some peanuts while waiting for friend. The barman asked for £4.20! Apparently they charge a whopping £1.50 for a small saucer of peanuts. Apart from high prices, the pub has had a good refit, reasonable range of beers, has a good ambiance and despite the slow service is worth a visit.
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For someone (MandM) to describe a refit as a 'new incarnation' and then to imply that the oh so complex term 'three constituent parts' is purple prose is just a wee bit hypocritical. If you like sitting in a dining area that the drinkers are constantly marching through in order to have a jimmy riddle than this is the place for you. The quality of food varies enormously and almost all people i know think it is overpriced and poor. Essentially the menu is too ambitious/pretentious for the limited skills of the kitchen staff. Anyone who thinks the food is good obviously never goes to decent restaurants (or even McDonalds).
As for judas, methinks somebody has a ickle bit of a chip on their shoulder. Did we not go to university? Did mummy and daddy kick you out of the family home on your sixteenth birthday? Diddums. Get over it. As for the squatters, not all were in full time employment and of those that were i don't think income tax and national insurance contributions were a major concern. They certainly weren't paying rent (and it wasn't mummy and daddy's house) or coucil tax. If you think living in and vandalising someone else's property, even if it was not in use, and then being paid to leave is o.k. you should spend less time in the pub and more time selling the Socialist Worker or some other marxist nonsense.
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I think the new incarnation is lovely. My husband and I have enjoyed several meals, lazy Saturday afternoons, Sundays and mid-week without any complaint. Yes, sometimes service is slow but not any more so than most places.
The food we have tried has always been tasty and cooked to perfection. The clientele is mixed and I think this is a good sign that it's a good pub/restaurant for all.
It is what it is and does it quite well. Forget about the 'three constituent parts' - nice use of your vocabulary, but please?!!
MandM - 30 Aug 2005 11:27 |
Oh, please "judas", don't give us that crap. You're not the defender of the weak. So you think that the place is pretentious but reasonable. That is all we need to know. Spare us the diatribe.
Food, and food pricing needs sorting. Interior too dark to be welcoming.
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It's a delight to see that the majority of you feel the need to pick faults in you fellow Kew inhabitants. What's the deal with some of the comments about the squatters???? As far as I know everyone in that house had a full-time job - tax dodging hey?! Many of the frequenters are probably students - not paying taxes, living at home with mummy and daddy in the holidays. It's lovely to know that mummy & daddy can afford to ensure their offspring don't ever have to struggle. Enough bitchiness. Don't want to stoop. As for the Inn - well, it is certainly cleaner & has a vastly different environment, but it's lost it's character. When was the last time you saw anyone truely enjoying themselves? The staff are varied - some chatty (often amongst one another) , some incompident. Everything is slightly over-priced. In order to charge higher rates, surely the service & quality of consumables should be at an equally high quality. Still, regardless of the pretensiousness, it's a reasonable pub. Good luck to them.
judas - 28 Jul 2005 17:56 |
Very strange place now its settled down from its re-opening . Really wants to be a restaurant,but unfortunately the food isn't as good as they think it is.The emphasis on food tends to make the service at the bar very slow.Strangely they seem determined to bar anyone who lives within 2 miles of the place so it should be pretty deserted come the winter.......
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Obviously an improvement on its former incarnation, the infamous KGH, but this is a pub with an identity crisis. It's part pub, part restaurant and part bar/longue (the mezzanine) yet these three constituent parts do not really gel. There is something pretentious about the place. Naturally the underage chavs and those other charming characters that frequented the KGH have disappeared (they have simply decamped to The Railway) which surely counts for something. This place is a little bit trendier than the Coach and Horses but that pub does not suffer from any delusions of grandeur.
anonymous - 10 May 2005 17:31 |
Hear,hear
anonymous - 20 Apr 2005 15:38 |
The only decent pub near the station. Although a bit pricey at least you won't catch scabbies from the crusties that squat up the road anymore. Gordon's welcome to my tax money Bobdagod, your not! Get a job!
anonymous - 20 Apr 2005 15:13 |
I support the previous comment. At last we have a decent bar in Kew Village. Have been a couple of times since it opened. The decor and layout are perfect (especially love the booths), a good wine list and well priced menu. Had different food and wine on both occasions and both have been up to scratch. Yes, they need to get staffing levels right on the bar(they are advertising for experienced staff)but give it a chance. I never went in the place when it was the KGH but will be happy now to make it my local.
anonymous - 19 Apr 2005 14:41 |
I am very pleased that there is now a good quality pub in Kew.
The bars are comfortable and they look great. The bar configurations are interesting: the main area with the lounge in corner, adjacent booths and high tables and the mezannine lounge (which very much welcomes a lingering pint).
The number of serving staff behind the bar does need attention, because it can be slow to get a beer in the evening (although I've only been once since re-opening - I didn't ever go near the place when it was the KGH - so it may just have been a bad night).
The menu is interesting and has a broad range. Restaurnat service is fine (the conservatory section will be delightful for a summer evening meal). The wine list is not bad, but could be better (more French wines across all price points, but particularly in the £12 - £18 range).
Overall, I really welcome the new Inn and look forward to many evenings there.
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Drinking and not paying tax doesn't work out. Of that 5 quid you're happily paying the KGH for your cherry flavoured brandy liqueur half of it goes straight into Gordon's pocket, going towards a few more bombs to drop on Iraqi civilians.
Arsehole.
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You don't get it do you ! The idea is to attract the element in suits , rather than the soap dodging , non tax paying scumbags that used to frequent the place .Seeing graffiti as a feature just about covers it.......
anonymous - 13 Apr 2005 09:19 |
Very expensive and poncey! Bar Staff didn't seem to know what was going on? Nice decor, won't revist!
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OK, I'll give you the gents are in better shape but it's now even more expensive than it was (3 quid for a beer) and the pool tables are gone, replaced with a stupid spiral staircase designed such that only one person can get up/down at a time. Attractive, not really, pretentious, very, and it just serves to increase the time and difficulty in acquiring a fresh beverage, although perhaps they figure you’ll only be able to afford the one in a night.
Decent TVs (I am assuming they only didn’t turn the sound on for the footie because it was the opening night) which yes are better than the old silent projector with crumpled screen but the KGH was never the place to go to watch a game of football anyhow.
Cosmetically I can’t argue it’s improved just a little, no graffiti covered walls with large holes in, for example, but these were the sort of features that added to the rustic charm of the KG and for many they will be sorely missed.
It might turn out to be alright, there is hope for the place if the undesirable element who turned up on the opening night, mincing around in suits and sipping dry white wine, can be dissuaded from returning. I can’t help but feel however that all that money would have been much better spent subsidising the beer to a pound a pint and the pool to ten pence a game.
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How amazing does this place look now!!!!
Wonderful job, 3 cheers for the new owners!!
The Kew Inn/Hotel is now the best pub in Kew to eat & drink!!
anonymous - 7 Apr 2005 13:34 |
Formerly the Kew Gardens Hotel, this pub has now reopened with a new name and is under new management. The change is really quite staggering, the bar area has been expanded to almost twice its size, and a new upstairs section has opened. Where once were pool tables there is now a restaurant area. The toilets have been completely redone too. I have a feeling this place will now attract a completely different crowd to which it did previously, it certainly won't attract the kids that frequented it before. I'm reserving judgement on this pub until I've spent a bit more time there, last night was the opening night and that was very busy...
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Re-opening this week-looking good from the outside .Lets pray for a no kids policy !!!
anonymous - 5 Apr 2005 13:31 |
nope, i do not work in the kgh & never have... but i miss it! Bring on the reopening for all us scruffy regulars!
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This place has now shut, currently being refurbed.
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Correction - The San Miguel is £2.60
slacker - 24 Oct 2004 11:09 |
Is the San Miguel really £2.50 and if so what am I still drinking Kronenbourg for then? The jukebox used to pump out some real garbage a few years back but things have improved considerably since and there's a lot less dross than you get in many pubs.
There are three pool tables which are in pretty good shape in an area pretty much bereft of the things and there's a projector/screen for the football.
The staff are very friendly (and will always adjust the volume of the juke box if asked to) as are the regulars.
Drinks are expensive but they are everywhere in London, plenty of places in the local area charge more than the KGH.
Robert - 22 Oct 2004 16:11 |
No, the music isn't played by the regulars, when I posted my original post (in april) it was always put on by the staff! I agree it has got a bit better in recent months, with less kids in there, and a window has now been fitted in the gents. Plus the addition of san miguel for £2.50 a pint is reasonable. I have to disagree about the pool cues however, I also think you will find that few people appreciate blaring music while playing pool, although granted, it isn't nearly as loud as it used to be.
Slacker - 20 Oct 2004 12:02 |
Do you work there Wayne ?????
squatter - 19 Oct 2004 08:10 |
I completely disagree with the negative reviews so far!!!! Firstly may I say that the regulars are no more scruffy than in your average local pub. The management is fantastic... and so welcoming that it's worth paying a little extra for the drinks. The pool tables do get resurfaced & there is decent stock of straight cues. The juke box is only loud on one side of the pub... in consideration of the customers that don't appreciate it. Yes, it has been known to play Bon Jovi & Bryan Adams... but not by the regulars! We have recently had new tunes added to the jukebox. I think you'll find this pub rather amusing & friendly!
wayne - 18 Oct 2004 18:16 |
Totally agree with other 2 reviews.Since the change of ownership this place has gone rapidly down hill.Scruufy,dirty,and overpriced.The gents is a walk in health hazard-flooded,broken window,no paper,no light but plenty of grafitti.Did not have the courage to try any food.Used to be a nice family pub but not any more......
squatter - 14 Apr 2004 10:12 |
So much could be done with this place but little actually has been. Vandalism seems rife, the (bad) music is always too loud, and the drinks are overpriced. Underage drinkers seem readily expected too. Toilet are awful. The only upside is the three pool tables in the back, but all the cues are in bad condition, and you struggle to find one with a tip let alone one which is straight. With the right management and enough money this place could be fantastic. As it is it's horrible. If you're in the area I'd advise going to The Railway just next to the station...
Slacker - 7 Apr 2004 11:37 |
A two minute walk from Kew Gardens station this pub has three pool tables. It is very scruffy, like its regulars. The pub has had a fair amount of vandalism inflicted on it by some of the younger (some of them seem very young indeed) drinkers, tagging being a favorite pass time. No attempt is ever made to rectify any damage caused. A lot of rubbish pours out of the unbelievably loud juke box (Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Guns n' Roses) and the lager can cost as much as £2.80 a pint. I can in all honesty say that this is the worst pub i know in south-west London.
nick - 16 Feb 2004 20:49 |
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