My oh my, such a disappointment. We booked afternoon tea, months in advance, as is necessary. Here's what we learned. This is what could reasonably termed an "experience", but it fails on every point. Service is lackadaisical( difficult to see how they justify the service charge). The food looks pretty, but isn't very special in terms of taste or presentation ( probably not helped by the fact it has to be carried in from a separate building), and was served on a ridiculous cake stand/vase that effectively conceals your dining companion. Crockery is cheap looking and charmless. The price difference between the plain tea and the version with a single glass of Cremant ( served, disappointingly, in a warm glass) is £15 ( 45 versus 60). It's easy to buy an entire bottle for that, at retail prices. God help you if it rains ( you'll be dripped on- the greenhouse is not weatherproof). Don't bother, especially if you're paying. read more

Petersham Nurseries - Uninspired cakes - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - London, XGL

See all

The Nurseries is one of those gems that you don't want to share with everyone ;))) It's only open in the sunny days of the year and it's because it's hidden in the old glass house of the Nurseries garden center. Old & disparate furniture is scattered around, directly on the nude earth floor and in between large pots of green & colorful plants. Beautiful flowers are set on each table. It's like a picturesque scene of Alice in Wonderland. You feel like a little kid entering a magical wild world, where birds talk and nature is alive. It's all very comfortable and cute. And on a sunny warm day, it's the ideal getaway for lunch. The menu is small but fresh and seasonal. Vegetables seem to be at the center of many dishes. And fish was quite predominant when I was there. Everything sounds delicious and it definitively is! They well deserve their 1-star michelin. I had the squid to start with and it was super nice!!! I'm usually not a big fan but the squid was very well cooked (quite soft), on a yummy piece of bread and in a very tasty sauce. Then I had the halibut. The fish was cooked to perfection, very moist and the mayonnaise was mouthwatering :P For desserts, we shared the rice pudding and the chocolate tart. To die for. Both of them. Point. The staff is friendly and fast. So all good there. If you want to spoil your better half, this is the perfect summer romantic spot. The gardens are a nice little after-lunch discovery too. And if you feel really chilled out, you can sit next to the fountain and profit from the sun rays. Or just roll out into the fields around and have a lazy rest in the green grass of Richmond park. read more

See all

Petersham Nurseries is the place I'd want to have a first date. It's the place I'd bring friends who are visiting who I want to impress. It's where I want to spend a summers day drinking tea and reading. It's a place I'd want to come celebrate my birthday. I booked this place as a surprise lunch for my sister and family as an excuse to finally try it out. It just so happened to be the first day of spring - the sun was shining and my god was it beautiful. Walking through the facility was absolutely breathtaking. I was planning my summer visits here before I had even taken a seat at the table. Without even trying the food I knew I had to give this place 5 stars, and the fact that it was jam packed full of people (book in advance) just confirmed what a gem it was. I sadly didn't get to try dessert but my main course of Monk fish was delicious. The table was filled of all round compliments from their dishes. My starter was a bit salty but what did I expect ordering a salad with anchovies - so only myself to blame there. Will have to go back to the tea room another time, perhaps with a book when the weather gets warmer. Excited for more visits! read more

Petersham Nurseries - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - London, XGL

The details aren't important. Some places just leave you with a feeling. This is one of those places. I can't remember what we ate. But it was gorgeous. With an Italian slant. Lots of squeaky fresh ingredients laid out in a vibrant manner by charming staff. The dining 'room' is more like a tent. Canvas walls adorned with elegant fabrics and prints from the mediterranean and middle to far east. It's feels higgledy-piggledy but whoever has done it has a great eye and much style (the adjacent nursery is very much the same. Beautiful well cared for plants and loads of bric-a-brac which you happen across as you wander through. With fantastic price tags attached. It feels like you're the first one to have discovered the rusty watering can. £55 and it's yours. Higgledy piggledy by very clever design.) Back to the dining. So you eat in this tent like place (is it a greenhouse? Can't quite remember) in the middle of a beautiful nursery. It's big, so there's a real buzz. Sunday Lunch - when we went - is something you have to wait a couple of months for if you want to get in. But boy it's worth it. The sun was out which also added to this wonderful atmosphere they create. I honestly can't remember what we ate. I remember some lush tomatoes in a salad of some sort. No doubt picked from next door along with the herbs. I remember each plate feeling like it zinged out at you. Both in colour and taste. Lots of oil, vinegar, salt. Bravely seasoned and a rustic feel. generous helpings. That's as much as I can tell you about the food. I know the place has a michelin star, but as I say, the food is only part of it. The service was everything you could want. Relaxed, attentive, friendly. The menu was full of delightful things, fishy meaty and veggie well catered for. The buzz was top. A couple of celebs (and John Torode) chucked in the mix always adds a little excitement. But it's not a place to see and be seen. It's a place just to enjoy. We sat and whiled away the afternoon. We ate a lot slower than usual. It's a place we didn't want to leave. The whole thing felt like a bit of a dream. Dreamy. That's how I'd describe the experience. Of course, all this comes at a price. A meal for four with no holding back pushes £300. But what they take from your wallet is replenished in your spirit. The perfect Sunday afternoon. 5 stars boyeeeee. read more

If you are coming to London get the District Line to Richmond station and then take a bus to the Dysart Arms in Petersham. take the little track to Petersham Nurseries and there you will find a delightful place. Go seek ! And you will find a kind of heaven with wonderful food in a garden of flowers. Parking is very limited so walk or bus. You can walk the river bank to it and get a bus back read more

Lunch at the cafe within Petersham Nurseries is one of my all time favourite dining experiences. This is a well hidden place set in the greenhouse of a garden centre. I'm not going going to comment on the garden centre itself, suffice to say it looks nice! However the food here is something else entirely. I believe the head chef Skye Gyngell is a bit famous - she gets favourable press at least, and no wonder. This was the best meal I've eaten in the UK - and it's up there with the rest of the world too. Granted I haven't been to the Fat Duck or similar, but the steak at Petersham Nurseries was so delicious and perfectly cooked, it's almost indescribable. The setting too, is lovely. Relaxed surroundings, sat on not overly comfortable (garden, wobbly) furniture, but with lovely drapes on the walls and plants climbing everywhere, you could be on a terrace in Kerela, almost. It's not particularly cheap - something like 20 quid for main, but you're not coming anywhere this good everyday. Worth every penny. read more

It's a real one off, difficult to describe and explain it's almost cult status. It's in some old greenhouses with old furniture, but has great charm. Foods very good but pricey. Starters £10, Mains £20. Dificult to park, near the river so you can add a walk to your trip. You can go for coffee or tea to check it out, a good place to take someone for a surprise, they'll wonder where you are taking them, and then telleverybody abou it for weeks. Their PR is excellent often in the glossy mags, and Skye Gingell gets her share too. read more

Lovely place to go if you want to have a lazy afternoon and spend hours having a leisurely lunch. When I went, the place was packed, and full of grey-haired 'ladies who lunch'. There was a nice informal buzz about the place, and the waitresses were obviously busy yet still very polite and efficient. The menu provides variety without being stupidly long. I think there was a choice of five starters and five mains which, to me, is A Good Thing: it means that the kitchen can concentrate on getting a few dishes spot on. Prices here are high (I chose the most expensive dishes: £14.50 starter, £27 main), and the food very nearly justifies it. There's absolutely no doubting the quality of the ingredients and the skill in constructing the recipes, but my scallops were overcooked by, ooh, maybe 30 seconds, and the rare steak I ordered arrived medium-to-well-done, albeit beautifully seared and still wonderfully tasty. Not major crimes, but at these prices you expect perfection. read more

I think Petersham Nurseries is really special and such a beautiful setting. It seems to get a lot of flack from people about the high prices but anyone who reads Skye's columns in the Independent knows how much care and love goes into the cooking here. I've never had a bad meal here and I rather like the fact that they have a small menu and that the emphasis is on simple cooking and quality ingredients rather than complicated foams and emulsions. If you are a stingy person who doesn't like to put trust in a restaurant then this place isn't for you. If like me, you value considered cooking and fresh, beautiful ingredients and aren't afraid to pay for them then you won't find anywhere nicer to enjoy lunch in London. read more

The walk from Richmond to this garden centre really set the tone for our visit. A walk by the river to the rather pleasant Petersham takes you to the nurseries which feel like your nowhere near London but rather the countryside. The nurseries stock quaint but expensive garden products and hold both a Cafe and a Teahouse. While the Cafe has gained a lot of attention for its food (having gained a Michelin star last year), we opted for the cheaper self-service Teahouse which sells cakes and salads. At £4 a slice, the tea house isn't exactly cheap but the place is so idyllic with mismatched rustic garden furniture placed in and out of the greenhouses it's hard not to fall for its charm. Try going on a sunny day, it makes the walk there and your visit so much better, allowing you to roam through the centre. It's expensive, but definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. The products it sells would make for great gifts, or if you fancy treating yourself to something unique for you garden. read more

Beautiful beautiful. It like your having lunch in Titania and pucks magical forest. Went here for Easter lunch. The new chef is amazing. Quails broth to start- stunning. Full of all the veggies herbs and FLOWERS they grow at the nurseries. Dogs are welcome which is always good in my books. The floor is red clay so be prepared to have your pooch coated head to toe. Also don't wear cream or light coloured trousers or shoes that you want to keep clean as it'll coat everything. The staff are so polite and lovely. Even though it's a very pricey lunch they don't have the snobby attitude you may find at other places with such a high standard. Highly recommended. Also if you don't want to pay for the lunch menu in the restaurant there's a beautiful tea house which is more affordable but still in the beautiful location, so you don't have to miss out. read more

Petersham Nurseries - Entrance to lunch wonderland - Nurseries & Gardening Near Me - London, XGL

The place is simply beautiful. The nurseries, the shop, and the restaurant are all stunningly decorated according to the season. And then there's the food. We went there in October and we thought it was brave of them to not have any steak in the menu. Well, they don't need steak. We ordered different items between the three of us so we got to taste a few and every single thing was delicious. I'll happily come again for the next special occasion. read more

This flower-filled garden restaurant just opened last week. Amazing food-light, fresh, creative, delicious. Romantic and intimate. A great place to meet for drinks and dinner. read more

What a great discovery! A little piece of paradise near the Thames river in Richmond, Petersham nurseries is delightful, a really effortlessly charming place where we will be back soon I am sure. So what is this? It is quite a unique proposition combining a nursery (plants, trees, herbs, flowers, pots etc.), a furniture and home decor store (very focused on outdoor with some great tables and benches but also many gardening accessories), a cafeteria (simple sandwiches, salads, teas, coffees, cakes outdoor mainly among the pots and plants), and an upmarket restaurant indoor. It is hard to describe, it just feels perfectly right, strangely anti-commercial (no sales people in sight), incredibly tasteful without feeling fake. We just tried the cafeteria with our children and this was perfect, not even crowed at noon in spite of the amazing weather, it seems that the place fills up later around 2pm. The restaurant looks fantastic and we will probably come back for a special occasion. They do lunch only but with starters at £15 and mains at £27 it is not cheap and quite high-end. Still I can see why this is booked a long time in advance as this is one of the most charming and genuinely beautiful places I have seen in and around London. There is a problem with the local authorities because of lack of car parks so if you go, park nearby but not in front of the nursery and walk to the place, it is a charming walk in any event. read more

Beautiful, and worth the journey and high prices, as the atmosphere is sublime. Food is not outstanding enough to rush back.

Part nursery, part cafe, part restaurant, part garden shop and amazing on all fronts. Lovely setting for a lazy lunch on a warm day or a wander in search for the perfect plant. If you are looking for a unique gift for a green thumb or just want to sip on a glass of prosecco among the leaves and blossoms this is the place for you. read more

This is just the most beautiful place. In a gorgeous nursery setting the food is simple but so thoughtfully prepared. You will feel like you are a million miles away from London. I have only been to the (cheap) lunchtime cafe, however I am keen to come back and try the restaurant proper read more

Even lifetime Londoners don't know about this place and it's happy it is staying under the radar. The food is scrumptious and well portioned but the best part of it for me is the décor. It feels slightly luxurious and a little extravagant to tea and dine under the warm and moist atmosphere of a glasshouse, with random garden chairs and wooden tables thrown in, clay under your feet and plants overflowing delicately around you. Peter Rabbit lives there. read more

Beautiful little retreat. Couple years back when i went, a gorgeous display of plants and ceramic work of pots vases and furniture if i remember. Also a restaurant to relax a bit. The only downside is the ridiculous amount they charge for plants and accessories. I understand it fits the part for high-end however, working at a high end florist myself, we dont even charge the amount they do here. read more

A pleasant little place but it can get a bit muddy (well, it is surrounded by plants) and shall we say the clientele is not as down to earth (ha!) as in other garden centres. However its head chef Skye Gyngell is sublime (I have at least one of her books) and the place is worth it. read more

This place is charming but really really expensive, and not always because the ingredients are. £24 for one mackerel and some swiss chard?

I visited with my wife and children on a busy Saturday afternoon. My wife who was the only black customer in the shop was subjected to a humiliating bag search. She had just spent quite a lot of money and was about to leave, when a member of staff approached her and demanded that she empty the contents of her handbag. No explanation was given. No grounds for suspicion were explained. All of this, the police subsequently explained, was a serious breach of protocol. We felt the manner of the staff was gratuitously confrontational. My wife was of course completely vindicated, but there was no apology. My wife is a professional interior designer. She felt singled out and humiliated. In the absence of any other reason, we could only imagine it was because of the colour of her skin. It was very upsetting for our children, aged 8 and 5. As a mixed race family we no longer feel welcome at Petersham Nurseries. read more