Address: Royal Botanic Gardens, Richmond, TW9 3AB, United Kingdom
Phone: +442083325655
Rating: 3.8
based on 138 reviews.
Atmosphere and Decor
Pros:
"Really light atmosphere with lovely decor."
"Delightful lunch in the dining room. Loved the interior and ‘botanical chic’ atmosphere."
"A beautiful cafe in the Kew Gardens."
"I have recently been to the newly refurbished Botanical restaurant that just reopened. I was very impressed by the new absolutely stunning interior with a beautiful decor."
"Beautiful first experience in that lovely setting."
Cons:
"The interior of this place is dated."
"The orchids were sitting on the windowsills with no pot covers just the plastic."
Service and Staff
Pros:
"The young hostess seating us was nice and friendly and we highly commend her service."
"Excellent welcome and service as well."
"Service attentive."
"The staff was extremely helpful and friendly."
"Waiters were attentive."
"Our afternoon tea consisted of some delicious vegetarian sandwiches, pleasingly puffy scones with clotted cream and jam and some adorable cakes that I almost couldn’t finish. The whole experience was fantastic."
"The food was superb and the staff was helpful and timely."
Cons:
"Nice staff, a little melodramatic, but that was fine."
"However, all staff were pocker faced, very few words, and no one smiled, made the place rather unwelcoming."
"For this price, we would’ve expected some bread included. Service dropped off as soon as our mains were delivered; we had to pour our own wine."
"Disappointed at how unaccommodating they were on timings, due to dietary requirements my wife asked for something off the breakfast menu but we were met with a firm, singular and unapologetic 'no'."
"The food itself was all quite nice but our experience with the quite judgemental waiter and false promises left us a bit underwhelmed especially given the pricey cost."
"Understaffed & rather expensive! Booked a table for 2pm. They couldn't find our booking, tables weren't cleared, 3 staff including barman were running around like headless chickens."
"Staff at the botanical brasserie can also be a little aloof or dismissive if you are there for coffees or something smaller and simpler which is a shame as the rest of Kew Gardens staff are so very warm friendly and welcoming."
Food Quality and Taste
Pros:
"The scallops were excellent with Jersey royalles."
"The food was amazing! Loved the menu descriptions!"
"We ordered sea bass which was delicious. Our friend was happy with his Caesar Salad."
"The Courgette Tarte was exceptional, with a light and tasty puff pastry and delicious ingredients."
"We had a very enjoyable high tea here. The sandwiches were really nice; the scones were a little less memorable but still decent."
Cons:
"The risotto which was a bit bland."
"The pana cota was too thin with just a basil leave stuck on top. Do not recommend it."
"The pesto pasta my daughter was served was shockingly tasteless, watery and overcooked."
"The watercress soup lacked the fresh green colour and could have been potato and an oxo cube."
"The roast was £18.50 with 2 slices of beef, 1 small yorkshire pud, 3 small underdone roast potatoes and undercooked vegetables."
Price and Value
Pros:
"The menu is more on the pricey side but definitely worth the experience having a lovely lunch in the restaurant."
"The Botanical is recently established garden restaurant. The only competitor is the Orangery. The food is similar to the Orangery. That means these are the best eateries in Kew gardens after a long memorable walk."
Cons:
"Lovely atmosphere as a great location in Kew Gardens but it’s too pricey for its quality."
"Turned out the food was of good quality but at a price, certainly not for casual eating out."
"On the negatives- the prices are quite high and for this price, we would’ve expected some bread included."
"The most disappointment was a very simple small kid pasta dish at £12.50, a pasta and pesto sauce where the pesto was from the jar, not a fresh made sauce to match its price."
"I left feeling ripped off. 37.50pp (on top of your entrance fee to the gardens) for 4 finger sandwiches, 2 mini scones and three small cakes that didn't appear to be freshly made."
Location and View
Pros:
"The view facing the lake is beautiful."
"Nice staff, a little melodramatic, but that was fine. The place was crowded and we had to sit outside, great view and in summer that‘s even better."
"A beautiful cafe in the Kew Gardens. We had a table next to the window with a view of the Palm Greenhouse. Fabulous!"
"We recently had a fine lunch here during our visit to Kew Gardens. We enjoyed the view over the pond towards Palm House."
"One cannot ask for a more perfect lunch spot, on the terrace overlooking the fountain with the glasshouse beyond."
Cons:
"Felt slightly judged the second we walked in, one slightly older waiter in particular seemed particularly disinterested in us, setting us right at the back corner despite plenty of empty tables to are the windows."