Light on the Common in Merton

Absolutely fabulous food,service and surroundings. Superfood bowl was outstanding and the arancini were divine, we will return

It is a very nice place to have food or a coffee, tranquil atmosphere.

Absolutely delicious ‘tongue in cheek’ and service impeccable!! All of us loved it.. special decor .. recent refurb has transformed this place into a real destination!

Very convivial ambience, perfect for a night out with friends, or a coffee and pastry on a Saturday morning! Had a very nice evening recently , friendly serving staff and an absolutely delicious tuna carpaccio. Also often pop in after a walk on a Saturday morning for a very good coffee and croissant, the place is always very lively! Love it!

Went at 11.40am on Sunday, very poor service. Was told too late for breakfast and lots of people being turned away for the same. Also couldn’t order lunch as menu not printed till noon !!!! What an absolute joke, don’t waste your time, terrible service.

Lovely evening out with the Intrepids- great company and delicious food, we were very well looked after by Team Light, Thankyou

We’ve been here a few times since it has reopened and the food has always been great. The refurb has been tastefully done, the staff are very friendly and we even got a visit from the chef on one occasion. It’s a great place to pop in for breakfast, brunch or lunch as well, just a shame they’re not dog friendly.

So nice to have a modern beautifully designed non-chain cafe and restaurant in the neighbourhood. I stopped by for the first time yesterday for breakfast and loved the food selection as well as service and place itself. Making dinner reservations for tonight to bring guests again today!

Usually stop for coffee ☕️ on a Sunday morning. Lovely atmosphere and good service. Only downside is that they stop serving food between 11am & 12pm to give chef time to decide what they will serve for lunch. Frustrating for those who come for brunch as they have to place order before 11am.

Went last Sunday for brunch. Firstly really surprised they don’t allow dogs inside based on their location. It took ages to get served and when the drinks arrived, the cups were dirty so had to Go and be remade. Had been here for about 30 mins by this point. Was told there were no menus and they were being printed out but because it took so long we were now on the lunch menu. Brunch apparently ends at 12. The girl who was serving us was really rude and dismissive- we had to ask 3 times for the bill. The overall experience was so bad that we didn’t bother eating and went for brunch at our usual spot, Demitasse.

Excellent wine list and beautiful interior. This place is a great addition to Wimbledon Village.

Great place to chill if you want in a quiet area, or the busy rush of all dog walkers and market vibe atmosphere. Great food any time of day. Honestly offers everything and more. Fantastic place to go and my favourite!

Very good restaurant in wimbledon village. Food was delicious and the bill reasonable. 😋

I was interested to try this place for breakfast, expecting it to be worse and left pleasantly surprised. My negative feedback: -- The potted triffids in the extension try to tackle everyone that passes them -- My mushroom on the English breakfast was bobby trapped with garlic butter but this wasn't on the menu. Why?! -- Would like the option of black pudding and halloumi -- Water -- tap water is crap, please have mineral water available for those of use that might prefer a natural product -- The temperature in the extension is too low and there are draughts from the fire exit Positives: -- Lovely sausages -- Nice tea and coffee -- Service pleasant -- Nice ambience and overall decor

Good location within Wimbledon Village, and just off the Common. The decor and atmosphere was just right for breakfast / brunch.

Nice restaurant close to Wimbledon common. Good stop for lunch, dinner or a coffee and cake after a walk! Many gluten free options available, but a bit pricey

This was the first visit we have made to light On The Common since its refurbishment and we had an amazing lunch. The decor is a huge improvement however the trees are a little in the way. My wife had a super food bowl with black rice and salmon whist i had croquettes to start and cod for my main. The wines were well priced and there were several by the glass. We tried the Macon and the Riesling, both were delicious. Highly recommend a welcome addition to the village. We are looking forward to going back and hope to sit outside in their beautiful space, not possible on our last visit as it was raining.

We have just come home from visiting this little gem of a place for the first time. My husband and I were celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary, only we forgot to make a booking, but that wasn't an issue as we were accommodated with ease and welcomed warmly, no fuss at all. Lovely table, nice atmosphere, friendly service, and delicious food. Portions were generous, but when we found out desserts can be ordered "to go" we couldn't resist. On the way out we chatted to the barman who told us they do live music every Friday! We will certainly be back for that, and more. Thank you for a beautiful evening.

Decor and good service let down by the food. We ordered breakfast and the quality wasn’t great. The sourdough was a bit tough (maybe old?) and the feta tomato bake lacked flavour, not even being able to taste the feta. Price was about par for places like this but felt like the food fell short of where it should be.

Great environment with lovely decor. Very friendly and efficient staff . Breakfasts are great and it is a good place for an early evening drink.

I have now been here for brunch as well as dinner. I came here before the refurbishment. It was fine, the food was good, but it was tired. It is a fabulous renovation-and clearly a no-expense-spared job. It creates a real impression on entry into the bistro. Its outside is also now very attractive with bespoke parkette matching the decor both in an out. It makes that part of the Village feel alive and gives it a strong community feel. Very good all round. Ambience-also v good. The style of the place creates the atmosphere in part. It does so positively. the acoustics are good and there is a nice-dare I say-Daphne's lite-vibe to it. This, I suspect, is why it seems to be full. It was when I went and when I have walked by. Food-again, excellent. It matches the quite superb food at its sister (mother/grandmother [it needs a bit of an update]) restaurant in freshness; quality and range. Unlike other Village restaurants-including a "famous" greenish one-it is made on site and not re-heated having been brought in from elsewhere and this is reflected in the food quality and taste It really is v good. My criticism, is that the wine list does not match the menu. There is not enough choice for mid-range wine-especially white. It need three or four more in both that and the red mid-range. Service. Here, it has been less good, at least in the morning when busy with walkers/meeters etc. Because I assume that may be teething problem and a not uncommon feature elsewhere, it can be forgiven; just But it is an area that definitely needs to be improved in terms of speed and charm and that needs to happen quickly. I see other reviews have commented on it. My impression was not actually poor in the morning but it needs upping. Having said that, the dinner service was very good. Overall, this is definitely a place to go and, indeed, to travel to go to. the food and atmosphere are both excellent. The top range wines are good and the decor is really excellent.

I love this place I had a fabulous birthday dinner with the family. We sat at the front bar area enjoying the buzz & cool ambience of the beautiful surrounds Everything about it oozes class & quality The wait for the refurb was worth it & whether it’s a coffee & pastry in the morning, a light, delicious lunch or great dinner, it’s my brilliant ‘go to’ local place that’s authentically & independently local, made special given the warmth & attentiveness of all the management & staff 🥂

Awful service at reception and even worse food

Extremely poor service from the waitresses. Took them 15 minutes to get a simple coke. Food order never arrived. We left after 50 mins of waiting. Staff were indifferent and rude

Terrible service. There are no excuses for this type of exceptionally poor service. We ordered drinks on arrival. Twenty minutes later they arrived, after we had reminded the waitress that we were waiting. No apologies. At 12.45, my wife and I ordered lunch. By 1.30 no food had arrived. We asked the waitress when we might expect our food, and she indicated "shortly" (without actually checking with anybody in the subsequent 15 minutes). We left at 1.30, stating to the waitresses that we were not prepared to wait any longer. Their utter indifference to our leaving was truly astounding.

Rude, disorganised, very slow service and below average food

Very poor, slow & grudging (rude) service and the food was well below average. I recommend going to one of the countless other places around the village with better food & service to avoid the hassle with this amateur operation.

We recently enjoyed a wonderful lunch at TLOTC as long-standing customers delighted at this restaurant’s return after a long closure for refurbishment. We each had three courses and everything was cooked and presented superbly. The main course highlight was the market fish dish with a divine clam sauce. Service was very friendly and efficient. The only downside is the refurbishment itself, which for us went completely over the top a la the Ivy Cafe in the village and means the Common has lost that relaxed informal atmosphere it had before. The redesigned bar/coffee area at the front is dark and has the feel of an internet cafe. Nevertheless, the food is the thing and we shall certainly be back for more of that fabulous cooking.

No matter if I have visited for a breakfast, lunch or even just to have a coffee I am always treated very well by the kind and attentive staff. The food is better than a run of mill chain and the interior decoration and light is great. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

Five of us had a lovely lunch in the newly renovated restaurant. The menu was nicely balanced and my fish dish was delicious and imaginatively accompanied with interesting vegetables. We were very happy with the service and will return in the near future. At last the village has a well priced venue for good food and conversation Despite the restaurant being quite busy noise levels are pleasantly low allowing conversation to pleasantly floe.

the food was excellent. A great addition to the range of restaurants in Wimbledon Village. The staff were pleasant and attentive, without rushing us. It deserves to do very well. I will certainly be recommending it.

Amazing food super healthy just a complaint about silly trees in middle of restaurant meaning waiters and guest can’t move around!! Food was great.

Absolutely lovely staff, the best I've encountered in London. And the food and the atmosphere are first rate as well. A great stopover on the way to Wimbledon Common.

Dear Management, I recently visited your restaurant with great anticipation. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed by the rude behavior of the person at the entrance. This individual told us, quite discourteously, that we would not be served and that we needed to leave. Our intention in visiting your restaurant was to enjoy a pleasant dining experience. However, this negative encounter was completely contrary to our expectations. We hope that this behavior does not reflect the general service philosophy of your establishment. We believe that such an unpleasant experience could tarnish the reputation of your restaurant and result in the loss of potential customers. We kindly request that you take the necessary measures to ensure that similar situations do not occur in the future. Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to your response regarding this matter. Sincerely,

Really enjoyed our dinner here. Staff were great, food delicious (especially the scallops)

I came for lunch today with my dad, the food was exceptional quality - and the prices are very fair. The service was attentive and caring, we thoroughly enjoyed everything from start to finish. A special thanks to our waitress Emilia.

Very cozy place in the heart of Wimbledon with delicious coffees and lunch. Nice staff!

Had a lovely lunch here yesterday, brilliant food and service, would highly recommend. I had grilled chicken with a pesto sauce, wild rice, apple and edamame beans, followed by an amazing strawberry cheesecake. My husband had the hake with beetroot purée and also some of the cheesecake! Looking forward to coming back another time!

We had a delightful perfect lunch; from scallops and tuna tartare to the best ever roast beef - amazing, incredible friendly staff, beautiful wine choices and scrumptious puddings. Thank you to the whole team there. Will be back.

Best breakfast and coffee by far in the village. Really polite and helpful staff giving a great service also loved the new decor. Highly recommend .

Really good food and excellent service!

Very limited menu, but the new building and interior is very good.

Was slightly underwhelmed by my experience. Service was very good but the food was quite average. I will go back and give them another chance however.

Overall lunch did not meet expectations. It was 7 years since we were last here and I then posted what lovely food it was and great atmosphere, unfortunately I can’t say the same this time. The staff were welcoming but the three of us we were shown to a small table squeezed between two other larger tables, barely enough room to get in and very cosy when the staff were serving the other tables. The bad start was made worse with one of the wine glasses having obvious lipstick marks and then the wrong size of wine carafe was served. Oh, and paper napkins in a restaurant! The menu choice was just sufficient but for my liking was to vegetarian based however the Crab Tortelloni was very nice although my wife’s Mushroom Burger was very dry and the buns on both the mushroom burger and chicken burger too large and of poor quality. The food didn’t live up to the price. The desserts though were both lovely.

Light on the Common restaurant is the best!:) Very charming place in a great location. Fantastic atmosphare and excellent service, very professional and helpful. We had a great birthday lunch experience last Sunday at the Light on the Common restaurant. Food was delicious and very well presented. Massive thanks to the Head Chef. Crab tortellini and chicken burger were fabulous, chocolate deessert best I ever tried. We are difinitely coming back

We had a spontaneous late dinner on Good Friday. Really good food, including for our vegan guest. Great attentive service and lovely decor. Nice nibbles with our drinks too. My Stonebass was beautifully cooked; wonderfully light and had great flavour. The mocktails (driving) were excellent but the star award goes to the Chocolate Mousse; super indulgent and thoroughly delicious.

Delicious Ceaser Salad and Pumpine Risotto. Thank you 😊 Seafood stew was delicious yesterday👏🏻

The host was amazing , explaining the menu and offer us drinks before we order any food . The pork chop was tasty and filly. The desert that was recommend to us was fresh and very delicious. Will definitely come back.

Fantastic new refurb - loved the decor and the water feature at the far end. Staff were extremely friendly and the food arrived quickly. Would have preferred real tea to a bag in the pot but otherwise a very nice experience.

The cafe looks lovely, but I have never been as disappointed by food as I have been today. Sad, flavourless, insipid plates. What a shame.

There were builders banging things when I came for breakfast, the coffee cup was dirty, the eggs are bad quality, overall a terrible place to come for breakfast (or dinner).

Staff really don’t have a clue, can’t greet customers and work out a queue, all over the place. inexperienced, poorly trained and kind of rude - best to avoid unless you’re happy with sub par customer service and being ripped off

Service charge added for a coffee in a cafe with no Wi-F? No thanks. First and last time. .

Excellent coffee, somewhat burnt pain au raisin. Staff very pleasant.

Great café/restaurant. Very popular after recent extensive refit. Lovely decor and very friendly efficient service.

Food is absolutely delicious - compliments to the chef! 100% recommend this place

The food is really delicious and the waiters couldn’t do enough for you. Really nice evening!

Cold reception when we arrived which made us feel very uncomfortable. Drinks were fine but would have been better with a more welcoming environment.

Nice interior and cocktails were fine. However, we were greeted by a hostile attitude by the staff (especially the manager) which was disappointing and unprofessional. It was our first time visiting since the reopening so understandable there would be some minor issues. I then returned for breakfast the following weekend and again was a similar poor experience.

Felt slightly unwelcome by the host, and in the way as we sat at the bar for a drink. Had a nice wine selection, and the bar tender was friendly and helpful overall quite disappointed, the service didnt match the interior

Beautiful refurb and long awaited Sadly food and service let’s it down Menu is very small as are the portions Food is tasty but needs improvement

We had to duck and dive through large shrubs and too many tables to reach our allotted table in the ‘conservatory’. The seating gave us a choice of facing full sun or a blank wall so we asked to be moved to another table. Unfortunately the sun moved with us and caught up with us mid lunch. The falafel burger from the limited menu was cold and mushy so I only ate half. The chips were good though and the Sicilian wine good value. The fire doors were partly obstructed by furniture. Had there been a fire, it would have been difficult to get past the furniture and shrubs to get out of the fire doors. Despite all of that, it was noisy and very busy. I hope it’s just teething problems and wish you success.

Quite rude receptionist who seemed confused when we asked if we could have a table for lunch and then proceeded to speak to us in quite a rude & unprofessional way. On the plus side: the renovation looks nice and there’s parking right outside.

Excellent food and friendly staff. Different menu for each part of the day. Near the Common if you need a good walk afterwards.

Amazing staff and one of the best restaurants in Wimbledon Village. The Manager Radek is amazing with a good knowledge of the wines and food.

Food was excellent staff where very professional and friendly the room ad a lovely buzz. Will visit again very soon.

Refurb has been done to a high standard and looks amazing. Staff were friendly and service was good. However. There is no children's menu which seems crazy for a place that will clearly attract lots of families. Also, they won't swap anything out of meals. We wanted scrambled eggs instead of fried eggs on the full English and they would not accommodate this request even though they serve scrambled eggs! Food otherwise is good but very expensive. Overall ok but considering the local competition this would not be my first choice. A few small changes would make all the difference here!

The staff were friendly and doing their best, other than that the coffee was terrible, the smoothy was like paint stripper…I would stay away.

Attractive remodel of the old restaurant . The lack of soft furnishings mean the conservatory end has poor acoustics and the chairs are a little hard. The food was delicious especially the super fresh stone bass and broccoli side and the serving staff delightful.

The coffee here has no rivals in Wimbledon Village. Courteous Polite Staff with a first-class customer service to rival The Ivy Cafe. Small quaint place for your first coffee.

Delicious food, excellent service by Hugo and beautiful surroundings. Went twice with different friends. Starters of croquettes and calamari were hot and tasty. Salmon and chicken schnitzel were also delicious. This restaurant certainly rivals The Ivy with decor and the food surpasses it. Two courses with shared dessert and mocktail £39. What’s not to like!

Lovely place, we are happy that no dogs are allowed as our son is allergic to them. We have been to 3 different restaurants and they had dogs. Amazing food and friendly staff.

So pleased to find it had re-opened at last after the very long refurbishment, which looks lovely. However the experience is decidedly average. Second visit today, the first was lunch. Same experience both times so won't be going back soon. Appreciate only just re-opened and may be teething problems but they need to sort them out fast! The restaurant is cold, the service ok but not very friendly and very slow. The people next to us waited 45 minutes for their breakfast. Ours was about 20 mins, but food was tepid, the poached eggs not cooked very well and the coffee was tepid too. Menu looks promising but the delivery doesn't match up. Such a shame.

Booked for dinner and arrived a little too early but was invited to have drinks at the bar while they were getting the table ready. A cocktail later we were sat down and enjoyed a delicious meal. Service was attentive, friendly and staff seemed to enjoy being there. The fish stew was one of the best we have ever had. Definitely coming back soon - just happy they finally opened.

inside is beautiful, but food below available and coffee is shocking !

Love the place. Amazing food and friendly staff. We started our night at the bar with some champagne and after dinner at the table. Our new favourite restaurant in Wimbledon. Will come back.

The refurb looks lovely, but the service was really slow and the food OK. Preferred, the more extensive old menu, and staff did not know the mains needed some sides. Hope it improves, but for now, not so great.

Really bad service I was shocked at the lack of customer service. Its pretty inside, thats about it.

Great surprise to see it open again and couldn't ask for more. Incredible, fresh food paired with delicious coctails and wine served in a friendly, professional manner. Can't wait for Sunday roast. Is it the best in Wimbledon? Can't say just yet.

Great to have this back. Fresh, smart, tasty, great value menu. A triumphant return.

Heard its being renovated so I look forward to seeing it

Delicious food, great service. Looking forward to returning.

We visited on a Sunday morning, after reading good reviews of their brunch service. The place was busy, noisy, children screaming and crying. Maybe we ought to have expected that. Uncomfortably warm, heating was full blast on a mild day, food very average and smallish portions. Better suited to families I guess than grops of friends wanting a catch up, not a relaxing nor pleasant 40 minutes. . We ate as quickly as we could and left.

All a bit average. Service was particularly slow. Had to give up waiting for more drinks or dessert. Assume that this is because its about to close for refurbishment. Look forward to Light on the Common betting back to better standards afterwards.

Ran out of jam by 11am on A Saturday. Front of house staff rude

the food was delicious and the service friendly and efficient. One of my favourite restaurants in Wimbledon Village

Below average food. Burnt burger and kids food not made properly.

Friendly and efficient service but limited brunch/breakfast menu. Would recommend though

Excellent food, brilliant service

Very good food, friendly service, relaxed atmosphere.

It was ok, but there was plenty on the menu, that was not on the menu. The service was pleasant, but really fast, as in too fast. I was charged for 2 bottle of wine instead of one. The people running front of house were doing their best. maybe short staffed after covid.

We enjoyed all aspects of the meal. The restaurant was relatively quite but sit a good atmosphere

Low-quality food. Avocado on toast seemed as if it were premade and paste-like. Terrible quality bread and the flat white I offered tasted like stale milk with coffee stains pouring over the sides. I would not recommend, a very disappointed and complete waste of money, especially based in Wimbledon village

Very Slow Service with inexperienced Staff & it was also Understaffed. Also it was to busy with NO COVID MITIGATION MEASURES. No Staff with Face-masks

Lovely cafe with delicious, fresh food.

Fantastic atmosphere and attentive staff, good menu too!

It reminds me of when I went to space, and dropped my spoon. The amount of flying spoons in this restaurant might be too much for you, but for me, it's perfect.

Went for brunch in a group of ten on a Sunday. Food was tasty but portions were really small and two of the party didn't initially get their food. When we asked staff where their meals were, they came over and took their orders again, despite having read back the full order initially. When their meals did come they were on regular bread when they both had asked for sour dough but they were too hungry to bother mentioning it by then!

Reserved a table for Sunday morning, for what was meant to be a lovely relaxing Sunday brunch with my partner. We were sat down, and grunted at by what I assume was the manager. We were then ignored for almost 30 minutes, so made the best decision I've made in a while to simply walk out. None of the staff even questioned this as they saw us leave. It was utterly inexcusably bad service. Even if you're busy, just explain this and tell us there'll be a wait, there's really zero excuse for such terrible service. Please don't waste your time coming here if you like to be treated like a normal human being.

Great good and service. Sadly we were the only table so it was very quiet but that was probably due to the current covid concerns. On my previous visits it’s had a great atmosphere