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Detail Pages
The Albany, Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
KT7 0QY
Pub Type
Premium Country Pubs (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about The Albany
Depends on the weather. If it's a nice day the terraces outside by the river are a lovely spot to while away an afternoon. If you can't sit outside there's no obvious reason for going if you want to use it as a pub, it really is pretty awful inside; chips in little metal buckets feature so you know what to expect.
Service is friendly enough, and a nice pint of (remarkably) Purity Ubu.
On 6th October 2014
- rating: 4
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Albany
The pub has an enviable location overlooking the River Thames and the chimneys of Hampton Court Palace across the water. There are three steps of outdoor terrace facing the river, hugely populated on a hot and sultry Saturday afternoon.
Inside the place is pretty much without character these days, a modern fairly minimalist space with a central island bar decorated with foreign advertisements, flagged floor stained black. A separate side room has an end wall mural type photograph of the river at nearby Kingston.
It is clearly food centric but maybe less so on a day like Saturday when droves turn out for a sun, water and beer fix, the outdoor area was heaving, three handpumps, Adnam's Broadside, Young's Bitter and an interloper from Scotland, Broughton Brewers Gold which was actually pretty good. Minding my own business on the terrace watching watercraft passing by, I was interrupted by a member of staff inquiring if I wanted to see a menu. Not being totally helpless I declined his offer. I had however already taken a quick peek, fixed price menu at 2 for £12.50 or 3 for £15.50, no such thing as chips, they are called frites here. It did irk me a bit though so in desperate revenge I nicked a couple of sprigs from the pots of thyme that were laid out on the tables, This complimented my grilled mackerel at home perfectly later on.
It's a nice riverside location, if a bit upmarket, the beer was fine but I didn't like being pressed about eating.
On 20th July 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about The Albany
As of last Sunday, still much as Rex found last year. Mainly a restaurant: our food was very good, and reasonably portioned. Quite a range of keg lager, and the handpumps now bearing Doombar (£3.25) and Youngs Bitter, with the third empty. Service from young team of staff was helpful, albeit quite slow and confused at times at the bar, partly because of the central bar design but also I suspect because the bar is bottom of management priorities. I would happily stop off here for a pint if boating down the river, or eat here again, but wouldn't otherwise go to it as a pub.
On 21st April 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Albany
There were two handpumps dispensing Timothy Taylor Landlord, with a third pump unused. It took a while for the young lady behind the bar to pull through the TTL, eventually decanting several attempts into one glass to give me a full pint. It wasn’t a brilliant pint; a little cloudy in fact, but it was drinkable. This is really a restaurant now – there were a few tables/chairs/benches not laid for diners, but the vast majority were set for diners. It’s now very ultra modern looking, with none of the original pub character it must once have had still remaining. But as a restaurant it is fairly good. The main attraction is the superb river setting, with views down the river, and over the river to the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. There are a couple of terraces; the one higher up, as you exit the bar area, has tables all set for diners, but the lower one, which stretches down the riverbank from the pub, contains mainly picnic benches and some standard tables and chairs, and seemed to be available for those only drinking.
The service was very friendly and efficient, and of course table service was available. Far be it from me to go all foody, but the Pizza alla Siciliana I had was excellent (at £8.95), as were the stir fried scallops that my wife had. This is a very attractive place with a superb setting, but it really does not strike me as the sort of place you would bother to find if you just fancied a pint, but a destination pub for someone wanting a decent meal by the river. I doubt whether I’ll visit again until the next time my wife decides that it’s time for me to buy her a decent meal and she concludes that the local tandoori doesn’t cut the mustard!
On 18th May 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]