Shaftesbury Arms in Richmond upon Thames

Stinking barman. Sort out the personal hygiene of your staff.

Let me start off my review by saying that the atmosphere of this pub is really nice, we visited when fairy lights etc were up for Christmas. The food was lovely but the reason that I feel I cannot rate this pub more highly is because of a really negative interaction we had with one of the bar staff. For context we brought our baby daughter to the pub and this was one of our first outings as a family. This member of staff came over to us and was chatting to us about our baby (all fine at this point). We have a tag on our daughter’s pram that clearly says ‘PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH- I am too little for big germs’ and is visible to anyone who goes near the pram. Unfortunately this member of staff felt the need to stick her head inside the pram and say ‘are you too hot princess?’ And TRIED TO UNZIP MY BABY’S PRAMSUIT WITHOUT PERMISSION! For the record, my baby was not too hot but this didn’t stop this member of staff from thinking she knew best. What a total violation of our personal space! I picked my daughter up and we tried to enjoy the rest of our evening but after this, it was ruined. This member of staff then returned to try and tell us how to soothe and settle our baby, who once again was absolutely fine and just being a baby. I insisted that ‘she’s fine’ but this entire interaction was really disappointing. This member of staff had no respect or regard for our boundaries as parents or the safety of our daughter. Who tries to undress someone else’s baby without their permission? This is clearly a safeguarding issue and this member of staff is a liability and I will be following up with the management. I would hate for another new parent to have the same interaction we did. The barman we dealt with was absolutely lovely.

We had a lovely Sunday roast, the pub has a lovely warm feel perfect for wintery days with a lovely log fire and beautifully decorated inside.

Ula and Aaron super friendly, made us feel very welcomed and even came around the garden with Yorkshire puddings and gravy for everyone. Fantastic service

We regularly book tables for a casual night out and would recommend it.

Lovely food good beer & friendly staff. We met for a family gathering with 14 of us & the food arrived promptly & together & was very tasty. Highly recommended.

Great food, chilli prawns were a hit. My burger was seriously chunky.

Lovely cosy pub with friendly staff, we all had roasts (veggies and pork) and all thought they were delicious! Proper crispy roast potatoes too!

A great venue and not too busy on a Tuesday evening.. a great pint of Youngs Original and Winter Warmer readily available and served with a smile.. didn’t try the food..

Great meal , fabulous service, will come again

The place has a good atmosphere and the staff are good and helpful however the food that my friend and I ordered was burnt ( the chocolate brownie) and (the sausages and mash and veg ) the sausage tasted off . Go there for drinks and pub not for food in future

Excellent pub, great food, great atmosphere. Been numerous times before matches at Twickers. And Aran and team are brilliant.

Food and service were spot on. Thanks to the team. See you in three weeks time for lunch before our next visit to Twickenham

Excellent pub, great food, great atmosphere. Been numerous times before matches at Twickers. And Aran and team are brilliant.

We reserved a table for 5, on arrival the table was ready and once all our guests arrived we received a great service from the team. The food was delicious and had something for everyone. They had options for dairy intolerance. A nice atmosphere and great food, would highly recommended!

First visit and won't be my last. Recommended by a friend and couldn't have been happier. Thank you to the wonderful team for your the delicous food and impeccable service.

Tasty food, reasonably priced, good atmosphere, friendly staff.

Went for Sunday lunch. Did not have to wait long, the service was friendly. A large plate of food arrived, we ordered the beef. Plenty on the plate with a good choice of vegetables, great roast potatoes and a huge yorkshire pudding! A gravy boat too so you could add as much or little as you wanted. Could not fault. One of our party followed with an apple crumble and custard which was very much enjoyed. I would definitely recommend The Shaftesbury. Lovely atmosphere. Friendly staff. Great food. Will definitely return.

Excellent food and service for our family reunion of 20+ people. The staff were fantastic and the food was outstanding! Highly recommend...

Great calves liver, good and swift service. Roomy, but atmospheric pub. Being slightly out of Richmond, not quite the crowds of those in town, but not dead either. Loves its rugby and interesting yesteryear photos!

We annually celebrate October birthdays with a group of friends , the lunch is always good but this year it was sensational , the roast beef and all the trimmings was delicious , tender tasty beef and gorgeous vegetables . Well done a triumph !

Beautiful food, lovely pub garden & friendly staff

Thiese guys do the best Saturday roast in Richmond! The place is clean, warm and cozy, the food great and the staff kind and helpful. We found the only table available (did not book, it was all reserved) by the kitchen's door but it was like being in the restaurant room. No noise and you can enjoy the view of all dishes being plated! Great job guys, please do not change anything.

I had the Shaftesbury burger, it was delicious, service was really good, and the atmosphere was great. I look forward to coming back.

Great place for a lovely Sunday roast. Good service, decent price and delicious food (and good portions).

The best Sunday roast, the beef was beautiful, lovely garden area as well

Lovely people, great food and a nice vibe about the place.

What a boozer. Excellent beer food and service. Will be back!

Had a great Sunday roast in the garden, the food was exceptional. We really like this pub and we are glad that it’s almost on our doorstep, having recently moved to Richmond. It’s definitely one of the better food pubs in the area.

Great food, great service, dog friendly, lovely outdoor area, there is nothing not to love about this fantastic place!

Great spot to relax further after visiting Kew.

The Shaftesbury truly is a special place with its ability to stand out, even in an area blessed with great pubs. The food is wonderful, the beers on tap well-chosen and most of all; the staff are exceptionally kind and accommodating. I will continue to call it my ‘local’ as long as I live in Richmond.

Amazing Sunday roasts and my favourite cider in a beautiful sunny beer garden

Unfortunately we have decided that we can’t use the Shaftesbury any more as we couldn’t hear/talk. The whole pub acoustics are terrible, even being at a table away from other large tables, it was so noisy that we couldn’t hear the people on our own table, and for this reason left early. The service and food were good.

Made a booking online, but they could not find it. The waiter was very apologetic. All was forgiven as the food was better than expected. Highly recommend the steak and mac and cheese.

a nice local pub with good selection of beers and atmosphere

A great new menu and fantastic service.

Lovely sunny lunch in the garden. We had one wheelchair user and the staff could not have been more accommodating on access. We entered via the side gate. Only one minor problem is that you can’t get back into the pub to the accessible toilet as there is a big step for the wheelchair but you can go back around and come in through the front door. We are vegetarians and the food was delicious and everyone enjoyed. Lovely, thank you very much ! Will definitely return. We felt like we were on holiday 🌞

Amazing food, good ambiance and the garden terrace is very cosy!

A great Sunday lunch here. Staff was very friendly and service was very good 👍.

Great pub that has recently been refurbished. Good food and friendly staff. Small garden out the back.

We moved to Richmond two years ago and this pubs goes into our top 10 reasons for being happy here. Top service and food.

A pleasant pub. Indoor and outdoor seating.

A nice pub with friendly staff.

We ordered steaks and unfortunately this type of meat is really bad, the meat is terribly lean... Also, the master chef did not know what kind of meat he was using for these steaks.

Just popped in for a quick beer after a meal out. Bar staff were very friendly. We sat out in the garden which has lovely covered seating.

Visited today for the first time with two friends and had an amazing time. Manager was lovely, we asked to sit outside but there was no space. When a table did become available she gave us first refusal. Two of us had the trio and our vegetarian friend had the veg option - food was glorious! Chicken was not dry, pork belly was juicy, beef was tasty. Veg was delicious and the gravy, perfect. The roast potatoes were very crunchy on the outside, a little too crunchy for me, but they were perfect inside.

Unfortunately there was an extremely large and very loud group in the bar which made it almost impossible to have a conversation. I understand this was due to a local rugby event. The food was good although the steaks weren’t cooked as asked.

New Year and new additions to the menu for our usual Sunday roast! As per usual, the service was absolutely top-notch, had my usual half of Aspall's cider in a pint glass, over ice, with a dash of lime cordial! Food-wise -new additions!!!! We had the lamb shank, it was exquisite! Literally just fell off the bone, it was utterly sumptuous! Even treated ourselves to a bit of dessert, my partner had the sticky toffee pudding (he said it was divine!), whereas I had the dark chocolate mousse, which was stunning, very light and easily manageable, even after a Sunday roast! With the lamb shank on the menu, I think I now have a new fave!!! 10/10, you will not be disappointed ♥️♥️

Sunday roast upon my return from Oz with my wonderful chap. He had the beef which looked sumptuous, beautifully cooked, with a perfect accompaniment of veg, gravy, and their own horseradish sauce - which is utterly divine! I had the lamb shank, which has leapfrogged the pork as my No.1 dish, was absolutely outrageous! The lamb just fell away, was delicious, melt-in-the-mouth! We even had dessert this time - I had the gloriously crunchy & tangy apple and rhubarb crumble, my man had the sticky toffee pudding - both were fabulous. Looking forward to the next time 💜💜

We stopped here for lunch before visiting Kew Gardens. Great menu (with vegan option!) and very friendly service! Thanks!

Excellent welcome, seating., service, food,price. We'll be back.

Was expecting more at my plate , just came pork t bone and little salad, my partner paid £32 for steak and a littke salada, no veggies no potatoes!

Had a lovely meal with family, we were so well looked after, enjoyed the really lovely relaxed atmosphere and perfectly cooked dinner. Excellent wine recommendation too!

Great staff, great food, one of the best roasts in Richmond.

Disappointing. Second time I have been here recently - it should be a great Young's pub as friendly staff and nice atmosphere. BUT for the 2nd time the wine I asked for was out of stock. The 'triple cooked chips' were hastily cooked once as think had been forgotten from our order - they were very hot straight from the fryer and certainly not triple cooked. The monkfish scampi was ok and my friend's soup was ok but all in all just ok all round. Shame as with better running and a more imaginative menu it could be terrific.

Great Sunday lunch served by Annetta. Lovely pork with excellent crackling washed down with a nice Malbec. Others had lamb or chicken Sunday roast-equally good. Recommended!!

Nice experience here with friends. Food was fairly good. Great friendly staff and good atmosphere.

And we're back! Been a few weeks since our last visit due to commitments outside of West London - and our favourite pub for Sunday lunch certainly didn't let us down! Wonderful Sunday lunch again, I had the pork, and the crackling was amazing! My partner had the beef, which he adored! I always get a bit of their horseradish sauce too, no matter what I'm having, it's sooooooo good! 10/10 again, you never fail to impress us 💜💜

Last time I gave a five star review but this time was disappointing. Had a booking at 12 and doors open at 12. So stood in the rain. Service was slow and food warm. Had a child’s portion. Beef was tough and difficult to cut and chew. Portion size was good. Dessert was delicious.

Their chef changed a while ago and food is absolutely amazing now. Highly recommend.

Absolutely incredible local gem! We loved the atmosphere, service and a gorgeous FOOD! We ordered a meat sharing platter - and the steak was fantastic - and paired with the cauliflower soup, absolutely delicious! One of our friends also got a pie - also super tasty. Out of all things we ordered, probably the houmous, brownie and negroni were 3/5. Otherwise we would highly recommend the sharing platter, pie, beer selection, bakewell desert cocktail, sticky toffee, blood orange sorbet and apple crumble. It can get quiet loud during match times, but they are dog friendly and if you like your sports and socialising while having a great food - this is a perfect place. Will definitely return again!

Went for a sunday roast with the family and it was an all around hit for everyone. Really appreciated how accommodating they were to families with little ones.

It's a lovely pub. The Sunday roasts are delicious and there is a really fun, free to enter, quiz every Sunday, starting at 7pm. It can be hard to find a table, so book ahead!

Baby and pet friendly pub. Nice food with nice vibe.

Stopped in on Saturday afternoon for a coffee and stayed for lunch. Lovely easy going ambience and the best steak and ale pie I've ever had. Juicy flavourful pie, lovely cheesy mash with greens. Well done

We chose the Shaftsbury for our daughters 18th birthday celebration. The staff were welcoming and accommodated our party beautifully. Top marks to the chef, our food was enjoyed by all and not a scrap left on the plates. We ordered the meat burger, plant burger and the gluten free fish and chips which looked delicious and thought I had made the wrong choice, but so pleased with my plant burger. Yum, Yum , yum. Thank you Shaftsbury team....you did it again!

Great food. Well looked after. Thank you.

Really nice atmosphere and good food. Had the best soup I've had for ages in fact. Also has an open fire which is very cosy and reminds me of the countryside before humans ruined it all with global warming.

Comfortable gastro pub with an older crowd

Pre Christmas dinner with a couple of friends, the pub was a little muted when we arrived (7pm) but by the time we left it had a buzzing, positive, boisterous vibe going on. Rump and sirloin steaks and a fish and chips meal were ordered and all were very enjoyable, as was the bottle of Malbec that we chose. Service was efficient and pleasant.

It is our favourite pub to eat Sunday lunch, however the last few times service has been very slow despite the pub not being full or too busy. The food is delicious and will continue to enjoy our Sunday lunches there. I would like to see on the menu more vegetarian options and not too many vegan options.

A great local pub in Richmond. Relaxed "warm" feel. Menu includes local favorites but new items constantly added. Staff has always been wonderful. Stop there for a pint, a great meal and a relaxing end to the day.

Had a nice pub lunch on a Friday, staff were friendly and helpful.

We loved it. Delicious burgers. We will be back soon !

Haven't been to this pub in a long time. Service was superb , good was super tasty and there was nothing to fault.

I thought the pub was nicely decorated and the bar staff were very friendly on my first visit today. I was put off my food though as all I could hear from the kitchen (from what I can assume was the manager) was a woman shouting and belittling her staff. It was sad to witness and I most likely wont be going back to support this behaviour.

Enjoyed a Sunday lunch/session here with a group of friends. The whole team were friendly, warm and welcoming. They all worked well together. The manager/landlady was working alongside the team, which was great to see. They were making sure all the customers were happy. Atmosphere was lovely. Recently refurbished. Would visit again. Thanks everyone!

Jack's done a professional job and he's the best bar man ive ever met

Fantastic food and great service .

Really excellent food. Not had a bad dish yet and I've eaten here three times. Really nice atmosphere too.

My family and I went to the Shaftesbury back in February when our son played rugby (Under 7's) at London Welsh and had a fantastic meal therfore it seemed only fitting to call in for lunch whilst we were down. It did not disappoint. My youngest son (age 2) as well as my oldest (age 7) were made to feel welcome and the food was delicious.

Good beer, great food and warm atmosphere. Attentive and cheerful staff make this a superb place to eat and drink. Currently closed for a quick refurb (to Sep 11)

Only had drinks, friendly atmosphere

Love it. Being disabled the staff are lovely. I don't know all their names but a lovely pint or 3 of Guinness kindly bought to my table by Oola and all the others.Thank you all so much. It means a lot to me. Cheers 🍻. Allan.

Impeccable hospitality and a generous Christmas showcase. Always a good night at the Shafts - big thanks to Carolina, Fraser and our server for the great service. See you all again soon x

A fantastic pub, food to die for , perfect atmosphere, kid/pet friendly staff are all absolutely superstars. If there were a 6th star I’d give it.

Smashing place. Good service. Good fish & chips. Excellent beer 👌

Great pub, excellent service and amazing garden. Great choice of beers and good screens for the world cup.

Jack is always hospitable and gives us great service

The shaftsburys is not just an pub but an experience. Jack makes it’s not just a place get a pint after a football game but a joy. The best pub in Richmond #mauled by the rangers

Service always top star - Jack accommodating for a large group of boys.

Great outdoor space for summer. Food was great - service even better.

Excellent food, great drinks and very friendly staff. We have been coming to The Shaftesbury for a few years and the recent makeover looks terrific, (especially the garden). Food tasted freshly prepared and we didn't have to wait long for it. The only negatives - which weren't major issues - is that one of the group ordered a side dish which never turned up and we had to ask three times for table water which eventually arrived after we finished eating. These issues wouldn't put us off going again, but hopefully management will read this and see them as opportunities for improvement.

What a great local. Loved the service, food and knowledgeable beer selection. Shout out to Jack and Karolina for looking after us during Sunday lunch.

I love this pub. The welcome is friendly, the service pristine, and the food is absolutely delicious. Oh, yeah, and wear loose clothing - the portions are generous! I can recommend the Shaftsbury burger and the crispy beer battered haddock (particularly good mushy peas).

Lovely pub with friendly and attentive staff, good choice of beers, wines and spirits

Lovely traditional pub. Friendly staff and atmosphere.

Great local pub. We will be back.

Beautiful decor in both the pub and garden... Beautiful atmosphere, lovely furniture to enjoy a meal or drink Had the mac'n'chesse for a small bite and it was so tasty! Definitely a pub worth visiting in Richmond Down the road from Kew gardens