The Cricketers, Richmond

Official site of The Cricketers - thecricketerskew.com

Official site of The Cricketers - thecricketerskew.com

Although there are various original and interesting features on view here, the overall feel is rather corporate and even clinical with uniformed staff and a definite lean towards the gastro route. The bar is ahead on entering, against a back wall, then the area expands to the right and runs back with a slight return at the far end, all this area being set for formal dining. There is a distressed beamed ceiling, exposed brick fireplace with stacked logs and some remaining leaded windows with the occasional bullnose. The cricketing theme runs through, there are a pair of wall murals of a game in the days of yore plus bats and stumps on the window cills, framed prints and even a table lamp with a series of cricket balls forming the base. There is just about every form of seating you can imagine but enough regular style to suit the likes of myself, the flooring is similarly varied. To the rear is a walled garden and there is a tiered terrace facing the green to the frontage. The TV had some kind of game show on, thankfully muted while a strange woozy ambient music played. There are four handpumps but just two were clipped, Hook Norton Greedy Goose (£4.13) and Plain Ales Innspiration. It doesn't really feel like a drinkers pub based on my mid-afternoon visit, in fact I was the only customer sitting with a pint, a few were eating and one lady came in for a pot of tea. I didn't feel awkward or unwelcome but I didn't really settle in here.

I liked the interior of this pub, with lots of large exposed original oak beams. The pub was comfortable and felt quite homely and relaxing. Probably the best on Kew Green on this visit. There were four pumps on the bar, so we went for the Twickenham Grandstand. The staff were friendly and service was fast, even though a lot of people had called in for lunch.

They had four ales on in here when I dropped in last week - Otter Amber, Rockin' Rudolph, Adnam's Broadside, and Twickenham Grandstand (£1.95 a half). I was in on Friday morning, and the only menu on display was the "Festive Fayre" menu which offered two courses for 23 and three for 26. Nowhere on this menu, which included a wine list, were there any "£" signs, which I guess must be some sort of marketing ploy to make prices look less expensive. Maybe £23 or £26 is reasonable for a Christmas celebration meal, and possibly had I stayed until lunchtime a less extravagant menu might have appeared for those just wanting a bite to eat. This pub is now quite a plush affair with loads of bucket armchairs and sumptuous banquettes with cushions scattered (or perhaps precisely placed) on them. But there are the inevitable tall tables/tall stools by the entrance, and in front of one of the windows is a long solid wooden table with a similarly long backless upholstered bench along one side of it. Flooring is mainly parquet squares, but with an area with inlaid matting, as well as tiled squares near the bar counter. All quite unusual really. There's a fair bit of gastro grey around the place; some exposed brickwork; and false beams decorating the ceiling. Other features worth mentioning are the couple of murals on one of the walls depicting ancient cricket matches (appropriately given the cricket pitch on the green opposite), and the real log fire that was alight. An area to back on the right had all tables laid for diners, but the majority of the pub is available to those just wanting to drink. There's some seating at the front looking out over the green, as well as a garden at the back. This is quite a comfortable pub in a sort of hotel lounge way. I quite liked it, but of course it was very quite when I was in, and I enjoyed having a quiet leasurely drink. I don't hink I would make it a destination pub though.