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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
Tap on the Line, Richmond
Kew
Postal town: Richmond
TW9 3PZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about Tap on the Line
Occupying an impressive old station building, this is a smart Fullers pub that fits in nicely with the local clientele. The pub has a two room interior, with a sizable front patio space out the dront, which i found a nihhtmare to navigate thanks to the densely packed seating and lack of an obvious entrance. The main bar area is to the left, in a spacious room with a very high ceiling, bare floorboards, plain painted walls with a few exposed brick sections, and the servery down the left-hand wall. The bar has a pleasant counter with brightly painted wood panel frontage and a grand bar back with two high pillars supporting a decorative capital with a large London & South West Railway clock as its centrepiece. The rest of the bar back is white tiled with a large mirror in the centre and a row of keg taps beneath. High table and stool seating fills the ample space opposite, with more conventional options to the front and a long banquette along the back wall, under some Fullers branded windows that look across to the platforms. A door to the rear right leads through to the dining room with a high skylight ceiling enhanced by decorative banding that looks like an original feature. Button backed banquettes extend along the end wall, but otherwise it's basic tables and chairs ideal for diners throughout. Large windows to the front and rear allow plenty of light in, whilst the end wall is covered in an eclectic selection of drawings. Elsewhere, old photos, railway bits and items linked to Kew Gardens line the walls and there are enough potted plants to keep your average horticulturist happy. Bland tunes burbled along in the background and there was a nice buzz from a busy Thursday night crowd.
As a Fullers pub, the ale range was perhaps a little less predictable than you might otherwise exect, with London Pride clipped twice alongside lesser seen options of Olivers Island and Dark Star Starlink IPA (£6.35 a pint). Two pumps remained unclipped and I had a long wait to get seeved as the staff didnt seem to be the sharpest tools in the box. The Starlink was in decent shape, but not one of Dark Star's finest efforts.
This is a very smartly presented pub with an excellent location and some well thought out interior design. The service was a bit of a letdown and the clientele were pretty aloof, but the beer was okay and I generally enjoyed my time here.
Date of visit - 28th November 2024
On 10th March 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Tap on the Line
First re-visit for ten years, and little seems to have changed in this Fuller's pub. The high-ceilinged bar area is housed in one of the original station buildings, but the conservatory-style infill section is laid out as a dining room. Refurbished with gastro-pub furniture, and some of the décor has a L&SWR theme (but also look out for the two unusual wall lights made from brass taps). Can have background music, but the patio beer garden in the small front courtyard was a very pleasant spot in the late autumn sunshine on this visit. With three of six handpumps in operation, we found Pride, Oliver's Island and Dark Star's Starlink IPA this time, along with five craft beers from keg taps on bar-back and a selection of more mainstream interesting offerings from the normal shiny founts on the counter.
On 1st December 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about Tap on the Line
Previous railway building repurposed to a two room bar, the main bar being the long thin part to the left, the smaller part to the right, an extension cum conservatory appears to be exclusively for dining. I see where the toilet tiling reference comes from, it certainly looks that way, white with green banding, perhaps a nod to the Southern Railway who ran this line at one time. The counter is finished in a garish pink with green/yellow banding, again maybe a railway reference as the London & South Western Railway used a less obvious pink on its carriages. Otherwise the only railway porn are the letters L&SWR painted on the tiles and a clock with the same inscription, the L&SWR built the station. A copy of Firth’s Paddington Station painting and some poster repro’s add to the slight railway theme and there’s a couple of railway related illustrations in the large melange of images on the extension’s wall. Six hand pumps on the counter with doubled up ESB and Pride plus Oliver’s Island and Hophead on the others, quality pretty good, especially for London, even so £6.05 for 3.8% beer brewed up the road is outrageous. Two low T-bars and five craft taps complete the beer selection.
On 20th October 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Tap on the Line
Converted from an early part of the station buildings, with an impressive iron conservatory addition, this is now a slightly upmarket local for the slightly upmarket locals, plus homegoing visitors to Kew Gardens. The colourful bar is backed with toilet-style tiling and decorated with bogus railwayana, while the conservatory has some flashy artwork. Trains pass the windows, which overlook the platform, while on the street side there is a tabled patio area. A Fullers pub for some years, with a fair range of Fullers beers - London Pride, Olivers Island, Seafarers, Hophead and the seasonal Jack Frost. A small clump of craft taps offer the likes of Beavertown, Meantime and Four Pure. Prices ranged from £5.05 for Pride up to £6.70 for some of the craft. Not bad to stop off at if passing but overall it seems to be trying too hard.
On 17th November 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Tap on the Line
There are two interconnected areas linked by an arched opening plus a pair of arched "windows". You enter into a glass conservatory with a high curved ceiling and an end wall covered in framed pictures of the like of Stevenson's Rocket, birdlife and other random stuff. This looks to be a designated dining area, plenty were enjoying meals on a Saturday afternoon. Through the arch is the bar, on a side wall with a white tiled back with green banding, a large mirror and an original looking station clock from the L&SWR Co. The same lettering is integrated with the tiles further along. This area was once the station buffet and has a very high open vaulted ceiling.
Seating is mixed, standard issue in the conservatory diner but high tables opposite the bar plus armchairs and sofas. Large windows allow views of the passing trains and let in plenty of light, useful on a dreadful day weather wise. Of note is a large scale model crane dangling a filament light bulb from the crane jaws.
It's a Fullers pub these days, two banks of handpumps offering repeats of Pride and Oliver's Island, Red Fox on another plus guest Butcombe Bitter allegedly "coming soon". A handful of keg taps sit on the back wall of the bar. Food looks good and is clearly popular.
As Fullers tend to be, expensive, I think I paid £4.45 for my Red Fox but it's not a bad spot and has the added interest of being on the station even if there is no direct platform access.
On 12th November 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1710 recommendations about 1683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Tap on the Line
A compact and well run pub, which was well staffed on our Sunday afternoon visit. Six handpumps, with four from Fullers, we went for the a guest Notting Hill Amber and Fullers London Pride. The pub also serves Sunday lunch and was busy with diners around the conservatory.
On 6th November 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Railway
I do like the design of this pub.They have a bar area and the extension seems to be for dining. Lots of glass and an attractive frontage. Seven handpump with Fullers range of beers and a lovely guest beer from Brodies. In the days of steam it would be nice to see the trains arrive through the big glass windows but tube trains - not so much fun.Still a good but pricey pub.
On 23rd December 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Railway
Has now reopened after a fairly major refurb and has been renamed as The Tap on The Line.
Had a quick look in when emerging from the station and it is quite different from most other Fullers makeovers and now resembles more of a restaurant cum coffee shop than a pub.
But didn't stop to try it so will leave it up to others to report how it now works as a pub
On 15th October 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Railway
An L shaped interior in two section with the bar running along the back wall in a convivial area with an exposed wooden timbered ceiling while running along the platform side with large plate glass windows is a square room with large scrubbed wooden tables and benches.There is no direct access onto the southbound platform.I though the interior felt a bit sterile and candles were burning everywhere,although a few regulars populate the bar area.Now tied to Fullers,the four handpumps were serving London Pride,ESB,Bengal Lancer and Jack Frost which is a much better selection than found in many pubs close to stations.
Handy for a quick pint ,there wasn't enough to warrant a more lengthy stay.
On 17th January 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BobOs . left this review about The Railway
For a 'station' pub it ain't half bad - well worth falling out of the train and falling in here. Friendly staff and well kept beer but, like the man said, you wouldn't want to have a session here as there's better pubs down the road. Average.
On 16th July 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 370 recommendations about 355 pubs]