Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Bucking Fastard
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Bishop, Kingston Riverside, Kingston Upon Thames
Kingston Upon Thames
KT1 1PY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Graham Coombs left this review about The Bishop
A two-floor modern riverside building which has been heavily refurbished in the typical current posh and upmarket Youngs fashion, with prices to match. Signs advertising fresh oysters and ludicrously expensive steaks are a giveaway as to its target audience, however the riverside tables seem to drag in lesser mortals. Youngs Special and Ordinary, sorry Original, on handpump, along with SW19 as guest.
On 23rd June 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tom Fairburn left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
"B.O.O.R" - an enlightening review, thanks JB. I can't really add anymore. Apart from, I went here once. Oh, and a friend used to work in the kitchens here. That's about it! There are probably better pubs in Kingston, and most certainly along the riverside. I suppose it's aimed at families, or shoppers lunching between shops. Or folk who like colourful plastic beach buckets! :o( 4/10 TJ
On 5th December 2013
- rating: 4
[User has posted 78 recommendations about 59 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
Occupying a prominent position on Kingston’s riverside is The Bishop out of Residence, a rather ugly looking red brick building that was constructed in 1979. It’s named after the Bishop’s Palace, built here for William de Wykeham and whose coat of arms can still be seen high up on the wall. Notably, the name of the pub was selected at a Youngs AGM when the brewery chairman asked those shareholders in attendance for suggestions.
This is one of these pubs that seem to be different every time I visit, which admittedly is only once every 2-3 years, but one does wonder how much money Youngs have splashed out on this place over the years. I first used this pub when I was doing jury service at Kingston Crown Court yonks ago and it was a comfortable, traditional pub in those days. It’s now got that rather smart contemporary loungey look with a mixture of sofas and more comfortable traditional seating. The relatively small bar counter is at the back of the pub, immediately in front of which is a large round table with candlesticks by a wall with dark flowery retro wallpaper, which very much sets the tone for the place as a whole. The overall colour scheme is quite dark, but a frontage dominated by window glass adds much needed light.
By the bar a dedicated serving counter has a notice inviting us to “wake up and smell the coffee and scrummy cakes”. This, together with early weekend morning openings for brunch, makes it clear that this establishment is looking for a wider customer base than just your average pub goer.
We are invited to “move on up” to the upstairs bar – but not before 6pm in the evenings. This bar has an outside verandah with good river views.
Regular events are held – eg “meet your mates Monday”, where we’re promised a pizza, peroni and entry to the pub quiz for £ 10. This and other events are advertised on a large blackboard under the heading “Parish News”.
On my recent Bank Holiday Monday visit, the good weather had brought out an outdoor BBQ and Pimms Trolley by the outside seating area at the front. Seats are those awful tub seats that really do look more suited for a coffee shop or bar. Laughingly, plastic beach buckets were on the tables and a sandwich board reminded us that “it’s the last day of the beach – so come in and enjoy – the cool bar is open and the Barbie is on… ( etc ) “.
The pub traditionalist will like me, no doubt, find much of this nonsense very jarring and, in particular, I never warm to any place where the toilets are labelled “kings” and “queens”. The likes of Graham Norton, Elton John etc, must find it all very confusing.
The Bombardier - £ 3.50p – wasn’t great and this clearly is not a pub for beer drinkers. In its current incarnation, as described above, you might want to give it a wide birth.
On 10th May 2011
- rating: 3
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
This is a modern riverside pub with a rather trendy pseudo cafe-bar feel to it. The main bar at ground level is one large room of indeterminate shape, there are angles everywhere, with the bar counter in a back corner. The full range of fashionable seating is available from high tables to sofas to scrubbed tables with that carefully selected random mixture of different chairs. Lighting is subdued, the flooring is wooden and the decor consists of arty framed prints. There are however excellent river views from the large windows and the outdoor seating area. There is another bar upstairs which was roped off during my recent visit, I can't recall if I've ever ventured up there.
The clientele were quiet and sedate post work but the pub does fill up with a lively younger crowd in the evenings particularly around the weekend.
It's a Youngs pub, they had Ordinary Bitter, Special and Bombardier but pleasingly also a guest in the form of Bath Ales Gem. Unfortunately the beer was rather cold and I had to ask for a serious top up which quite honestly should have been obvious to the person serving.
The pub name is in connection with the erstwhile Bishop of Winchester, William de Wykeham, but I confess to being ignorant as to the "Out of Residence" meaning.
On 18th March 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
I was in here again yesterday for a friend’s birthday party, for which his kids had booked the upstairs “River Suite”. This room has superb views over the river and towards Kingston Bridge, and has a narrow balcony outside with just about room enough for smokers to escape to in order to indulge their habit. All four handpumps were in use, dispensing Young’s Bitter; Special; London Gold and Bombardier. The following is from Dec 06: I went there for lunch today. It's very open and light, but lacking the intimacy and character of numerous other riverside pubs. They provide table service (i.e. they take your orders for food as well as bringing it to you) making it more of a smart bar than a pub. Fair enough if that's what you like - there is room for all kinds of establishments in the pub trade. "Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice". I suspect it is a completely different place at different times during the day or week, and you probably have to pick your time to have it the way you like it. The steak and Guinness pie and chips was OK - no better, no worse - but for £9.50 a throw I would have expected good not OK. It's a young's pub, so there are no surprises in the ales on offer. But for all that it's a relaxing place to stop for lunch on a weekday in winter!
On 13th September 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gerry Lane left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
As another reviewer has mentioned, it's a bit pricey, with nothing really justifying it. On the other hand, it's a decent pub with well-kept ales. We didn't try the food, so we can't really comment, except to state that every dish seemed to be priced a couple of pounds higher than the same dish on offer at other pubs.
On 22nd September 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4 recommendations about 4 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
geremy snodgrass left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
very expensive in summer.
On 9th May 2008
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
Fairly modern Young's pub on 2 levels and overlooking the river Thames, Usual selection of Young's beers on offer
On 23rd January 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Bishop Out Of Residence
This place was a regular haunt of mine 25 years ago when I lived in the area and I spent many an evening (and lunchtime) out on the river terrace. Returning after an absence of several years, it is disappointing, although not particularly surprising, that it has lost much of its universal appeal and has become a bit of a trendy spot generally aimed at the under 30's. The large bay front commands views of the riverside terrace and Kingston Bridge and whilst the modernist decor and sink into the seat sofas are not particularly out of place in such a modern pub, I preferred its previous pub by numbers interior, even if it did look like an embryonic Wetherspoons. As one previous poster has indicated, you need to pick your time and occasion to get the best out of this pub. As it was a special St Patrick's night bash and I had only come to see my friend's band play (enter big plug for Never Mind The Bongos), I have no idea what the general Saturday night ambience is but I get the impression that loud, monotonous, clubby music is the order of the day. The mood is toned down on Sundays with live jazz. Out of peak hours it would be a lot more subdued and relaxing. The beers are from the usual Young's range and decent enough quality but prices are not cheap with Guinness weighing in at a hefty £3.20 a pint. It was nice to return after so many years but I think I'll just stick to my old memories.
On 30th March 2007
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]