If you happen to be strolling through Richmond Park and feel the need to sit and enjoy a quiet coffee and piece of cake, this is the perfect place complete in its own gardens with breathtaking views over London. Life gets no better than this! The grounds of Pembroke Lodge are a fabulous addition to the park, and there is also a memorial bench for Ian Dury at Poet's Corner. If you fancy a little cultured learning whilst sipping your coffee, the bench is solar powered and you can plug in your headphones to listen to a selection of his music and his Desert Island Discs interview. Both the upstairs and downstairs are is available for hire but you may sill have to share it by the other folk enjoying their coffee! Absolutely stunning venue which must be visited. read more

Pembroke Lodge - Image courtesy of Pembroke Lodge website - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Richmond, XGL

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Ah this is a special little place. Fancy a cuppa and some cheesecake in a Georgian Mansion? Yes please! There's lots of seating inside, but i normally opt for outside because the views are just so darn stunning! If you head up to the highest point within the park you can see St Paul's Cathedral through a telescope (from King Henry VIII's Mound). I was impressed! There is also a thatched house within the grounds, which is home to Princess Alexandra, who is a member of the British Royal Family (the youngest granddaughter of King George V and Queen Mary). Richmond park is such a wonderful place, this just makes it even more great! And it's so colourful at this time of the year... read more

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The location is beautiful, the building is very nice and has an unbeatable view from the back patio. Unfortunately, the food doesn't match the scenery. The food was mediocre at best, as each part of the dish was either overcooked or undercooked, and came together in a mash of failed flavors. All of the hot dishes were similarly disappointing according to the others in my party, however the cold prepackaged sandwiches looked decent. The food here is nothing to rave about, and certainly not worth going out of your way for. However the location and space is incredible, and it is one of very few options on the top of the hill. read more

Pembroke Lodge - Very mediocre meal - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Richmond, XGL

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Sometimes you read a review and you just nod your head and go "Man, I wish I'd written that intro. It's just perfect for how I feel, and what I want to say!" This review will not be one of those times. Reading Katey H's however, will be. This place is indeed quite special, and beautiful at that. I felt a little confused when first stepping inside, as it's so rare that I feel such a nice carpet beneath my feet (they were sighing and moaning with pleasure even through my shoes and socks!), especially not in a public place! There was quite the vast selection of sandwiches, roles, cakes, warm food, tea, coffee, and iiicceeee cccrrrrreeeaaaaammmm. There is pretty much a metric fucktonne of seating in this place, both inside and out. Whilst the outside was too packed to fit our party into, inside gave us some wonderfully comfortable seats and a nice feeling environment and decor to relax in. Of course, now I just want my *own* Georgian mansion. Bollocks. read more

Two half years later and Pembroke Lodge, still sends me in too mini raptures!! Again the cream tea, is still devine with the choice of a plain, sultana or cheese for £3:50 with the choice of tea or coffee. This is available after 3pm. I decided this time, to explore the surrounding gardens from the terrace which is grassy with tress, bushes etc and is steep. They have a few benches, so I manage to get some quiet time on a beautiful summers day. On the other side of Pembroke Lodge you will find flowerbeds with places to sit and take in the views of Richmond. Also their is good Cycle Parking outside the gates of Pembroke Lodge as well. I love it here, and look forward to my next visit. read more

An amazing place with panoramic view from the terrace. The food is superb. One of the most beautiful place to spend some hours relaxing enjoying summer near London. I must return here every time I come to UK!! read more

If you're walking through Richmond Park in need of a coffee and a cake, then this is your place. In its own gardens with great views over London, it's a really gorgeous little place. The grounds of Pembroke Lodge are a fabulous addition to the park, and for anyone old enough to remember Ian Dury, there is a memorial bench in the gardens at Poet's Corner. The bench is solar powered and you can plug in your headphones to listen to a selection of his music and his Desert Island Discs interview. It is also a super place to hold your wedding, as I did. Not only are the staff amazing, doing all you could ever ask of a wedding venue, but the place is in unbelievably cheap to hire, particularly considering it is in such a beautiful setting in one of the most expensive boroughs of London. You can hire the upstairs, or the larger downstairs venue where you get use of the terrace too - but be warned you may be sharing it with people having a coffee! http://www.iandury.co.uk/memorial_bench.htm read more

Lovely place to go for a walk in the summer and spring months. There is an area inside the grounds where you can look through a telescope and can see St Pauls Cathedral. I really enjoy going there. Beautiful flowers from the spring onwards and you are always likely to spot a few rabbits moving through the grass. They also have a cafe that I have not been to yet myself but I have heard only good things - especially about the breakfast served. read more

Really enjoyed the view of South London. Set on a hill and covered by lush trees, the building used to be a home and a hospital during WWII. The Scones, butter and jam are outstanding. every time I was there, a wedding was going on. read more

Located in the glorious setting of Richmond Park, this cafe is very close to Richmond Gate. It's particularly wonderful when the weather is decent as you can sit outside and admire superb views. When it's too cold for that, you can warm-up inside and enjoy a reviving herb tea (excellent selection to choose from), coffee or hot chocolate. There is a tempting choice of cakes (they look wholesome and home-made, even if they aren't!) and a smaller choice of hot dishes and sandwiches. Prices are very reasonable and the staff remain charming and smiley even when run off their feet. read more

Several of our clients have expressed satisfaction at the service they have received at Pembroke lodge so we would just like to pass that on. read more

AMBIENCE: cosy. the self serve buffet room was tight with about a dozen folks. the indoor seating area seams always crowded. the outdoor seating area has nice views, cam be bit windy, but the crows hovering around you, waiting to pinch your food, are the worst. I rushed my afternoon tea. the crows detracted from the enjoyment. FOOD: sandwiches in cold case with sodas. a soup of the day. about six cold salad options. but the star is the baked goods: scones, a half dozen cakes, cookies, cupcakes. I had the plain scone ( their scones are served warm=yum) and it was the best I have had this trip to England. clotted cream and jam also delicious. I also had the chocolate cake, which is also delicious. I also had hot chocolate, which was OK. read more

The perfect place for a wedding, or just a day out. Set in Richmond Park, the Lodge's terrace has fantastic views over the Thames at Ham. Although it's located within the park, it feels quite separate here. Inside the beautiful white Georgian building there's a busy coffee shop, while outside there are extensive grounds, which lead down a steep hill to a children's playground. The main business of the lodge though is weddings. There are one or two most weekends, and it's often booked out during the week too. The Pembroke Lodge team take care of every little detail, from the arrival of the guests and wedding party, through legalities, first-class food & drink, and speeches, to evening entertainment. They gave us a wonderful, unforgettable day, which was worth every penny. Talking of pennies, this kind of outstanding service isn't cheap, but as it's hopefully a one-off occasion, it was more than worth it. read more

Beautiful old building set in some outstanding Royal Park grounds-- Richmond Park. Place can be hired for swanky Do's. The coffee shop , if you get a table by the big Georgian bay windows the views across the Park is superb but coffee shop is a little on the pricey side. Deco is a bit dated though. read more

Lovely location overlooking the Thames from Richmond Park. The cakes are nice too. Accessible by wheelchair too.

Not just is the place and setting special, but the staff are just so professional. We got married here last month and I could not fault the support we got during preparations, on the day - or the pricing for it all. Every single guest commented on the food. But the best thing about getting married there was the excuse to sit in their tea rooms often... a truly special place, like so many other reviewers have also found. read more

What a nightmare the cafe is after the refurbishment. I tried to take my mother who is in a wheelchair and gets slightly anxious, for lunch today but the new arrangements are so cramped difficult to manage a tray and get drinks from one side of the room and meals from another. What's happened to the staff who used to be friendly and helpful they were all sullen and rude. It almost feels they don't want any disabled people to get in the way. What's more you can't get a wheelchair up close to the outside tables because the legs get in the way. Not sure I will be going there again in a hurry....what a shame we used to like it. read more

In Poet's Corner, Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park you can find the solar-powered interactive musical bench to celebrate the life of rock musician Ian Drury. The bench lets visitors plug in a set of headphones and hear eight of his songs, as well as an interview. When you see dedications on benches you wonder why people liked the places they used to sit at. As well as being a singer, Dury was a songwriter, bandleader, actor and artist. He was also known for his tireless charity work campaigning for Unicef to eradicate polio, which he suffered from as a child. His single Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick sold one million copies in January 1979, but in the mid-1980s Dury's luck changed and he switched his attention to acting and painting. In 1996, he was diagnosed as having cancer of the colon. After secondary tumours appeared on his liver he was told that the condition was terminal. Ian spent quite a lot of time visiting Richmond Park which is the reason for the location, I think. Unfutunately, the bench which is entitled 'Reasons to be Cheerful' doesnt appear to work very well any more, unless it has been fixed since my visit in 2011. read more