A Cena in Richmond upon Thames

Rather simple presentations. Expensive for what you get. London prices!

Went there for lunch. Aged ribeye steak and chargeilled chicken breast are delicious. Lunch menu has a lot of choices. Good food and atmosphere with nice music. Gelato is yummy.

I can't say enough good things about this place. The service is out of this world: everybody with a smile, friendly, quick and absolutely on top of everything. The food, authentically Italian, is beautifully presented, incredibly tasty and very reasonably priced. The venue is tidy, comfortable and cozy. You can't go wrong.

Gorgeous Italian in Richmond! One of the best we’ve been to in London in terms of both food and value. Gorgeous pastas and secondi too - more elevated than run of the mill Italian without being pretentious. Elegant timeless aesthetic. We will be back!

Been 3 times over recent years - food always good from the burrata, the pasta mains through to the tiramisu and gelato. Staff are lovely and the espresso martini is one of the best I’ve ever had. Lovely local family run friendly restaurant

Entered the restaurant with my wife, coldly greeted as if we were a burden by a waiter. Our drinks orders were taken promptly and delivered to the table promptly. However after half an hour no one had taken our food orders, when we finally did order we waited another hour for it to arrive despite the restaurant being half empty. When we mentioned this to the waiter she told us the 'chef' was very busy with orders. When i replied that he cant be a very good chef if he cant even handle a half full restaurant we were told the chef was the owner and sometimes meals were bought out slower to allow guests to 'savour the atmosphere'. Not sure if this was an attempt to keep the restaurant looking full or just incompetence on the chefs part. When the food did arrive it was cold and slimy. We both ordered the same thing. The pasta was barely cooked and the chicken was rubber with a cold sauce slopped over. After complaining our food was inedible we were told we could take it to go but because we had eaten part of the meal they wouldnt remove it from the bill. How could we tell the food was bad unless wed tried a bite. This lead to the 'chef' owner appearing an telling us clearly we werent used to 'fine dining' and that al dente was standard for pasta in this dish. Im fairly sure pasta shouldnt crunch no matter what level of cooked it is. When we explained we werent going to be paying suddenly the irate toddler owner appeared to argue and tell us loudly if we didnt pay he would lock the doors and phone the police. At this point i realised i recognised him, jerry moran. The guy who was accused of grooming pre teen girls a few years back. (All of a sudden the no children rule made sense) After i said this to him he immediately changed tune, told the waitress to go handle the table, continued to be aggressive but in more hushed tones and the smugness dropped from his face, the redness stayed but he clearly now wanted us gone as quickly as possible. Wouldnt eat here again, he clearly thinks he has a fine dining establishment and was furious we werent playing along. I wont say anymore anout the accusations, as they are only accusations. But i wouldnt want any of my friends daughters working there

Lovely food and really well decorated restaurant. Nice atmosphere and very friendly and efficient service. Will visit again.

Gorgeous meal this evening (as always!) and fantastic service. It’s a favourite spot of ours - thank you A Cena!

Wonderful evening from start to finish we really enjoyed our experience. Welcoming staff and delicious food what more can you ask for. Prawns were plentiful and the pasta dish was outstanding. Chicken for mains was unreal and a decent portion. We are greedy so had 3 desserts and they all hit the spot. Washed down with a nicely recommended wine from the hostess. ACena will definitely be seeing us again.

We have been to A Cena perhaps ten times over the years. The food remains good, but the service, welcome and front of house is very patchy. If the owner is in then great, if not. It becomes a different experience and not for the better. We were rushed, ignored and left not relaxed. Come on A Cena, sort out the staffing problem!

Lovely family run Italian restaurant with excellent staff and really good food. We visited as a group of 8 including kids and had a wonderful meal. The restaurant was busy so make sure you book. Would highly recommend and would definitely return.

Amazing food/drinks, lovely service and great atmosphere (even when quiet).

Hugely disappointed with a Cena. Lovely setting and venue, but the food was mediocre and really not very Italian. Service was average and not very friendly. And really quite expensive.

Went on my wedding anniversary. What a great restaurant, the owner, staff ambience, food and service were amazing, will definitely go back and let others know about this remarkable place 10/10 👍🏼

We had a really nice dinner here on Friday night with friends. The place itself is quite small and intimate which made for a pleasant dining experience. The food was delicious with substantial portions and there was a great selection of cocktails and wines to enjoy. The meal came with quite a hefty price tag, but it felt worth it for the experience - definitely a restaurant for a special occasion.

Exceptional food in a gorgeous environment. We got “the tall blond manager” and she couldnt have been any better. Impeccable service and some of the the best Italian food we have ever eaten. Definitely will go again. Recommend the orangecello and don’t pass up the fresh focaccia!

Excellent food and service owned and run by an Italian husband and wife team. Everything is very good from the black risotto to the bistecca. Much better than the previous owners.

We have eaten here many times before but not for a while and were looking forward to it. The food was very good as was the wine (if a bit pricy). However we were very disappointed by the front of house and the service. The individual members of staff who served us were very polite but we felt we were being rushed. No sooner did a fork go back on the plate than the plate was taken away, and the bill was plonked on our table without our asking. We had booked for dinner at 8pm - hardly late for a Saturday - but by the time we had completed our main courses soon after 9, the staff were clearing up. A large bucket full of empty bottles was dragged noisily across the floor behind us and lights were switched off and on. The final straw came shortly after 9.30pm when the lady manager appeared with a mop and bucket! I spoke to her and said that this made us feel very unwelcome, and that it seemed as though we were being encouraged to leave. She denied this but did not really seem to understand our concern. I am afraid - notwithstanding the food - we will not be going back again until there is some new management front of house. I do not like posting less than favourable reviews, particularly as the restaurant business is so difficult these days, but customers do expect to be looked after in a restaurant like this. I hope the owners read this and make some changes.

Your so called 'tall blonde manager' gave us the best service ever! Jokes are very intelligent. Me and my girlfriend had a lot of fun last Saturday. Food was just incredible! It is very surprising to see many negative comments about that one person who made our evening, sad that people not sharing more positive experiences! Definitely coming back and will bring friends and family!

Food very good. Front of house was unwelcoming, unfriendly and abrupt. Not told restaurant was closing and bill just put on the table. She spoilt our dinner. Staff used to be so nice and welcoming. Won't be going back. Used to go regularly.

Super inhospitable experience. Never again. Menu very limited, mainly pasta. Front of house staff busy folding napkins & making drinks to bring back to the kitchen. Ice cream for dessert was way too frozen. The bill contained several minor rip-offs, not worth disputing but the message was clear: don’t come back!

Avoid. Extraordinarily rude manager who informed me that waiting nearly 50 minutes for 2 pasta main courses in a virtually empty restaurant was my fault for ordering olives and bread as a starter (which took the best part of 30 minutes to come). This was despite us saying we had a theatre booking and needed to leave at a certain time. When the food did come it was pretty average. The linguine had chewy overcooked prawns, and the sauce was like Heinz spaghetti hoops in terms of sweetness. Couldn’t taste much if any nduja. A lot of money for what it is - surly service and average food.

Had a fantastic meal there with my family. Food was wonderful, great wine list and brilliant service. Thank you! Marco

Having previously highly rated A Cena our last visit was very disappointing. Met by a sullen and rude Maitre d’ (tall, blonde), the welcome mat was clearly not being rolled out. Unfortunately the charismatic owners were not there. The sullen M d’ was not interested (perhaps she wanted the night off). Having previously applauded both the food and ambience, please consider discussing with staff the importance of meeting and greeting guests in a warm and welcoming manner. Perhaps even smiling. The M d’ needs a lesson in etiquette.

First time visiting the restaurant but we'd walked past a number of times and were keen to try it. The service was mixed - the blonde front of house lady was a bit cold one minute but then wanting to have a laugh the next. The ladies serving were very friendly which helped. Food was very disappointing overall. The burrata starter was shared and yummy, no complaints although not cheap. We ordered 2 pasta dishes for main course at £22 each. There is no reason why a bowl of pasta should cost this much unless there is an expensive ingredient like shaved truffle or lobster on it. Ours had neither - small portions, the prawns were more like shrimp accompanied by a bland, not very authentic tasting tomato sauce, and the pulled pork was very sweet and didn't quite work with pasta. Definitely not worth £44 for the two bowls! Nice atmosphere and decor but won't be in a rush to go back there.

Acena has been our ‘go to’ choice for special occasions over the past few years Food always excellent ( although an occasional change of menu would have been welcomed ) Lovely friendly staff in a stylish setting…. HOWEVER our previous two experiences have not been quite so good. I visited with my husband in October, the Maitre d/ manager ( tall blonde woman) was cold, unfriendly and makes you feel as if she’s doing you a massive favour by being there. My last visit was on Wednesday, I took a friend as my guest. Long story short Apple Pay was unable to connect, Amex card was unable to connect… ( no one’s fault) I used another card ( only wanted to put £100 on) and £40 cash ( bill was £135 inc gratuity, not cheap and with only one glass of wine for myself, I am not complaining about the price, just highlighting the cost ) …I was given back change of £.4.87 in twenty pence pieces and 3p.. I didn’t make a fuss in front of my guest ( even thought she commented on all the coins) and the young lady serving was lovely and didn’t want to embarrass her. I returned yesterday evening and spoke to the Maitre d… a trivial problem became a huge issue… I asked for a refund of £15 gratuity… which IS discretionary and left the 20pence pieces there, so really only requesting £10 refund. The fuss this rude woman made was aggressive and upsetting.. her response simply could/should have been “ my sincere apologies , yes of course’ (and with a smile) and we would’ve returned as usual for our next special occasion, sadly we shall never go back again. A huge shame.

We had a lovely time at A Cena. The staff were friendly and efficient and we enjoyed our meal. The starters were the highlight (the anchovies and the burrata). Tasty mains, though not particularly memorable, and all in all quite good value (we had the early dinner menu for £22).

We won't probably go back, it wasn't as nice as you'd expect for the prices they charge. The Linguine with prawns were unfortunately very bland, the tomato sauce too much on the pinky side to be truly Italian and the seafood had lost all flavour, amazingly. But other things weren't right, again, given their prices. The waitresses were lovely, but too much walking around without taking notice of people waiting to order or to have their plates cleared and move to the next dish. Also a lengthy wait from the moment you get the bill to when someone remembers to bring over the card reader across... Last, but not least, when you pay these prices, you really don't want to receive 1 slice of bread per person, not in what should be an Italian restaurant. Bit of a disappointment sadly.

Manager (a tall blonde woman with glasses) was unwelcoming and made us feel uncomfortable. When serving food she placed a dish on a side of a table without introducing the dish or talking to us as if she was just passing by and decided to drop a dish on our table on her way somewhere else. Also, nobody asked if we liked the food. Food was acceptable, but not good value for money, and it took longer than usual to arrive. Waitresses were friendly.

"The restaurant has good flavors, but the meat sauce spaghetti is a bit salty. The waitstaff is very friendly, but the manager, a lady with glasses, seems not very pleased. It's challenging to provide happy customer service if you're not happy yourself."

The waiting staff were excellent and engaging. The food was well cooked and delicious. The ambience was bright and busy rather than cosy and romantic. The manageress was sadly unwelcoming which made us rather uncomfortable.

Lovely restaurant, great food and service

I had been to A Cena about 10 years ago. I recall the food being very good and the ambience needed work. Now I would rate it the opposite. The food was not truly Italian and the decor and atmosphere was much better except for the air conditioning that was blowing strait at my table. My pulled pork pasta was too sweet and rather spicy. The ingredients used for the dish did not seem mediterranean style, more like Indian (even though I like Indian food) and the portions were off - not what you would expect at a true Italian restaurant especially if you enjoy the simplicity and natural flavors of Italian cuisine. Did not meet my expectations. The polenta dessert was too sweet as well. The staff was friendly and nice, however not sure if they really understood the menu and the food took longer than usual to arrive.

My Italian friend recommendation. Most of the food are very tasty. Main was salty for us, but still enjoyed the flavor. Sorbet was lovely. Hope they will have chocolate dessert in future. Good cost performance. We will return.

Just lovely. Stylish, charming interior. Genuine friendly service, great timings between courses, not too fast, not too slow. Tasty food and good portions.

Lovely romantic setting, friendly staff and delicious food - really recommend the cacio e pepe!

My favourite italian in Richmond but on my last visit it felt like the boss or chef was on holiday and it was not so good

Great experience and the food was perfect ..

Had a pre rugby lunch here. The service was excellent and the food was very good.

We came here to celebrate my friend’s graduation and I was thoroughly impressed. I do wish there was an option to have a larger bowl of pasta because that’s what I really wanted. Next time I’ll be sure to try the bigger mains.

3.5 Stars. The staff and atmosphere were lovely but the food was average and on the expensive side. Supposedly its one of the top ten Italian restaurants in London but there's at least 2 others in Richmond that are better than this. Not the worst but not the best.

First time here at the insistence of my wife. Brought Darcie or dog for lunch and received the warmest welcome from the staff. Excellent food from Tom the owner, who came and said hello to our dog. Will be visiting again for sure.

We’d highly recommend trying this local Italian restaurant. A beautiful piece of halibut, with asparagus and capers (a generous portion), was cooked & seasoned to perfection. A warm welcome from the young and enthusiastic owners helped to create a great ambience. Fresh table linen and elegant wine glasses always add something to the enjoyment of a meal. Top marks We will be back.

Second time here and it's just amazing!

We went on a Tuesday evening, so it was quite quiet, but we had a lovely evening. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced (especially for Richmond). We all particularly enjoyed our starters (burrata and beetroot) and our pasta mains. There was a good number of options, so there would be something for everyone. The ingredients seemed very fresh and classic of Italian cooking. The waitress was friendly and also knew exactly when to come to the table or leave us be, which was perfect. I'd definitely recommend popping in, especially for their lunch menu deal.

A Cena hosted our post wedding reception and went above and beyond to make it the perfect afternoon. Jade and her front of house team were amazing - they set the tables up beautifully and were so happy and attentive throughout service. The food was equally as fabulous too, with our guests still talking about the selection of starters and gorgeous Tiramisu desert! The perfect meal.

Modern upmarket feel to this Italian restaurant. Excellent service, good range of mains and home cooked desserts. You can hear the kitchen which we enjoy as it’s part of the experience. Wine felt a little expensive, but the Veneto was perfectly acceptable. Having said that, it’s just across the bridge from Richmond.

A high-class old school Italian restaurant. Small menu but the food is of a high quality. Ideal place for family meals and dates alike.

Really impressive Italian near Richmond bridge. We loved every course, especially the anchovy starter, burrata and tiramisu! Thank you A Cena, we will be back.

Lovely setting with good food that is of home standards. Children run around freely which for some is not wanted as you may be enjoying a child free day. Pretentious names for dishes, for example, I ordered the tagliatelle with beef. This turned out to be good old Spaghetti bolognese. The steak ordered was very salty. The waitress did offer to change it but we were all too far into our meals. Her service was very much appreciated. Great attention to customer satisfaction and service.

Back in the day this used to be an excellent Italian restaurant. The lighting and ambiance made for a calming and romantic setting, it is now somewhat stark, brightly lit with little atmosphere (despite being full). Whilst the menu reads well enough (I like restaurants with few choices), the execution was just not good enough. Burrata starters were mediocre at best… Whilst my flank steak was a good size and broadly cooked well it was over, the fries were seemingly cooked in dirty oil and probably from frozen, the creamed cabbage was disgusting. My wife and daughters had pasta dishes, the Cacio & Pepe was a miserly portion and the seafood pasta tasteless. The wine list has evaporated and limited, the Soave just about adequate at £55, the Chianti Classico at £85 was shocking, thin and miserable despite the quality producer… a total rip off. I hired the whole restaurant for a birthday 10yrs ago because we loved it so much, it was genuinely excellent. This time around it is not good enough which is very sad to say. Every step was 2 stars at best, except the waitress who was polite, helpful and smiley. Am loathed to criticise, I just hope some. Price is taken to tweak it back to life! We need good restaurants in the area.

I ate this restaurant tonight. I have to say I am in shock. It was really amazing on every level. Richmond is the other side of town fro me but I am going back as soon as I can. It was incredible.

I love this place - such a great ambience, lovely service and delicious food and cocktails. The only thing I would say is that a few extra vegetarian options would not go amiss .

Really lovely restaurant, excellent food with fantastic service and lovely friendly staff. Wines are on the pricey side, but great for a date night x

Excellent all round . I will return

Lovely meal, good service. The set menu is good value for money.

Friendly neighbourhood Italian restaurant with interesting menu and really great service.

Fabulous food and service in a stylish environment.

A last minute booking, but really pleased we made it. Very friendly staff, good homely Italian cooking and a relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely be back.

Wonderful food, great service in a lovely relaxed atmosphere.

Great food, nice service and atmosphere

Delicious authentic italian dinner with a convivial atmosphere in Richmond.

A gorgeous, warm, vibrant, romantic, welcoming, charming restaurant. I visited on Saturday 29th October 2022 for lunch, for two. The menu appeals from top to bottom, the service is friendly, attentive and what really appealed was the recommendation for a wine so perfect for lunch, there was no way I'd have chosen so well. Overall, this is a fabulous place for lunch and I reckon even better for dinner......which I'm looking forward to finding out :)

The pasta dishes we ordered were nice but the main and the desserts were disappointing for the reputation of the restaurant. We ordered sea bass for main and we had stone bass at the end, no one told us we had to ask what type of fish that was. The desserts were very simple - good tasting food overall but didn’t meet my expectations.

Excellent neighbourhood Italian, with elevated high quality dishes. Attentive service and a lovely ambience. Pricing matches the quality. We ate on a Tuesday evening, which can be a slow night for restaurants, but the place had a convivial, warm buzz. Will return and recommend.

Excellent service, lovely atmosphere, great food.

Excellent food, excellent service, really lovely authentic Italian feel to the place. I recommend this restaurant highly and I'll definitely return.

Great Food and Great Hosts, every time we go it feels special!

Good customer service, nice atmosphere. But the food was average to below average and very expensive. Would not choose to come here again.

Fabulous atmosphere excellent service. Started with linguine mussels out of this world. I would return just for that alone. Followed by an Aubergine dish which in fairness was more like a starter and no comparison to the mussels linguine and a panacotta for desert which was fine.

Sad times. Great reviews led us here. However ... Very over priced for really unimaginative food. And the service was inattentive and somewhat apathetic. My veggie dish was the same I use to make at uni. I could literally make it for under 1 pound, and drunk. It was a bowl of sweetcorn drowning in butter with mushrooms and a garnish. Madness. Plus, it was 18quid and took 40mins to arrive. There were 3 of us and the other meals included a starter, for 11 pounds and so salty they couldn't actually finish it. In summary; 4 dishes and some nibbles, poor service, a metric ton of salt, 40mins to get the mains ... and for the privilege of 97 pounds in total. Oh and we then literally went somewhere else for food as we were still hungry.

Superb, ingredient-focused food with professional, quality service! We go here on a regular basis. The unassuming location and interior make it a great spot for enjoying a very high quality food without any pretentiousness or fuss. Their vegetarian dishes are given as much thought and attention as their meat-based options (oyster mushroom dish is AMAZING). And their craft cocktails are ideal - with just the right balance of bitter, sweet, and bite. Menu prices definitely match the quality of ingredients and preparation. Never feel over charged and underwhelmed here like many at other ‘foodie’ restaurants that over prepare their dishes. A wonderful gem right next to Richmond bridge!

We had a delicious meal here this evening, judiciously sourced ingredients put together in a creative menu. Everything was excellent

I recently had a lovely meal here with friends and was so impressed with how accommodating the staff were. I'm vegan and love italian cusine but am sometimes limited with options but a cena have a beautiful menu with many vegan variations. I loved the sweetcorn dish, the oyster mushrooms were incredible and foccacia to start was amazing. The restaurant is in a gorgeous location, thoroughly recommend!

spot on service & outstanding food at a reasonable price for its quality - better than some meals I've had in Italy

Lovely ambience and lovely food. A special shout out to the spaghetti cacio e pepe- was delicious and a good portion size. I left feeling full and satisfied. Couldn’t recommend this restaurant enough. Must admit the menu had a good variety of GF, Vegan and veggie options. Thank you A Cena staff!

Very disappointed last night with this overpriced restaurant and the staff attitude. Very limited vegetarian options. Only one veggie main dish made of literally one sliced courgette, a blob of avocado mash and 4-5 scattered pine nuts for a whacking £22 !! We asked for potatoes as a side dish, we got given a small bowl of uncooked boiled potatoes for £5 We paid around £73 (2people) for 2 courgettes, one beer and a small glass of red wine. We couldn’t eat the potatoes. We left hungry and disappointed. Finished our dinner at another restaurant nearby. Honestly a ripoff ☹️

Me and my friend went last night and we left starving and disappointed. We do not eat carb or big meal in the evening but what it was presented it was absolutely ridiculous. The menu has very little choices, starter are very basic and not exiting so we decided to order the only vegetarian dish on the main course. What it was presented left has shocked, we were no sure if it was for us. It was probably not even an intere courgette, hardly cocked with few little spot of blue cheese and few pine nuts, it could be a starter but definitely not a main, for the price of for 22 pounds. We complain about the size and the substance and we decide to get some potatoes, the waiter brought us a very small bowl with few hardly cooked boiled potatoes. We left and went to another restaurant. Never again “ A Cena” li di sicuro.

Fantastic service from the beginning, prawns with chorizo were great, A very substantial steak (and I'm a big unit) with trimmings included, plus extensive quality wine list. We went for the Sancerre, screw top but great quality regardless. It was a great evening with caring people. Ricky & Galia

Excellent meal, attentive service and lovely ambiance. The team of Tom, Jade and Robbie are very friendly and create the up-front service, while the chef James and his team are working behind the scenes to create a very memorable experience. So lucky to get the intro and history behind A Cena from the owner’s Mom!

We went here for a family catch up meal. The cocktails were incredibly moorish, the food was fab and the staff dealt with our youngest guest with warmth and professionalism. Would particularly recommend the frito misto, risotto and sea bass.

Really good service e and food was amazing ! Definitely place to go back . Thank you

Everything was sublime. Food, service and experience.

Food here is always brilliant. We have ate here several times and always had great food

Excellent dinner at A Cena. Warm welcome, friendly and attentive staff and great atmosphere in th restaurant. The portion sizes are quite small, but very tasty. The wine list is excellent. Excellent dinner and highyl recommended!

Service was excellent and very attentive. Ambience and decor great as well. Entrees were great (Had the Risotto and Linguini). Steak was okay (Butter infused with Pesto was not my jam... Beef was great quality).

Had dinner here as a couple. Service was very good but portion size of food was very small and quite expensive! Had an enjoyable evening but did leave feeling not totally satisfied!

The place and people are nice. Portions are tiny and very expensive. It’s not really Italian: the “primi piatti” are like little starters. Maybe the set lunches are worth it.

I have come here to tell you if you a fan of porcine cuisine then this is the place. After butchering pigs since I was 10, I have gone off pork but this place brought it back. IT WAS OUTSTANDING. Besides the pork, the food...

Without a doubt the best food and service in Richmond. The food is prepared fresh every day and the staff are so friendly and attentive. If you want affordable, high quality food then go here.

Quality restaurant, best in the area; super food and great staff.

Great food and service. One of the best places in Richmond area.

We are regulars at A Cena and for good reason. We find it to be leaps and bounds ahead of other food in the area - I would not hesitate to put it up against Michelin-started restaurants. The management is on top of it, their...

Excellent Italian restaurant. Well worth a visit. Food service faultless.

Lovely place, well composed menu, delicious food and great value. Feels genuinely local but also very Italian - well worth a detour and a must if you’re anywhere near Richmond/Twickenham

Just popped in this lovely restaurant 'A Cena' to see if they served Irish Coffee with Tia Maria, and to our surprise they did :) We were greeted by the owner and his wife, such a warm welcome. Professional, friendly along with a lovely setting, clean and kept well. The delicious homemade Italian bread with quality Olive oil was superb, the best I've tasted in a long time. Earl grey tea served in a pot, was lovely. We will definitely be visiting again, I highly recommend.

Lovely lunch, not your typical Italian food but a nice selection of well prepared and presented food. Service was also excellent and friendly. Will be going back for an evening meal soon.

Laurence and I have been meaning to visit A Cena, a short walk from home over Richmond Bridge, for ages. So what better time to visit than for our anniversary dinner at the end of November. It's always looked so inviting and it did not...

We visited for our wedding anniversary. Whilst ownership has changed since A Cena opened in 2001, everything was as we remembered it. The food was amazing and the service excellent. The lunchtime menu was great value.

Wonderful food. Service a little slow... But would go again.