Tap On The Line in Richmond upon Thames

Lovely upscale pub at a unique location. Cosy both on the inside and outside. The prices are very high though. They have cask bitter on the tap.

Consider creating an alternative spot for chefs to stand scratching bald heads profusely with cigarette In mouth pacing back and forth on their phones -out of site when customers are standing at the bar. Kinda gross this is a food handler. I ordered a drink and a meal, but the experience left a lot to be desired. The food took 26 minutes to arrive—which felt unusually long for a simple pasta dish, especially considering how quiet the place was. The “triple-cooked chips” turned out to be frozen, shop-bought chips cooked in vegetable oil—hardly worth the price tag. The man behind the till was polite, but didn’t seem fully switched on. He forgot to process payment properly for the customer before me, forgot my chicken Milanese, and also didn’t follow up when I asked about the elderflower drinks. It’s possible he had a disability, which is fine, but support seemed lacking. While we were there, a man with no uniform was walking around spraying things at random. The manager was rushing up and down the stairs delivering food, frequently using the kitchen door that also leads to the toilets—used by hundreds of people—and I didn’t see him wash his hands once. On arrival, we also noticed a tall table set for six taken up by the manager’s paperwork and laptop. It gave the place an unprofessional, uninviting feel. There seems to be a shift into a “value where?” era—staff passing dirty glasses between each other, swapping plates of food with no regard for cross-contamination. This is disappointing, especially from a company like Fullers, a major London employer. The server, while friendly, was sat opposite us on his break eating a plastic-wrapped supermarket sandwich. It made me wonder: what happened to staff rooms? And why am I paying to enjoy a meal in a nice setting while sitting opposite someone scrolling their phone and crunching a sandwich plastic lunch box. Also we had to listen to the videos he was watching on his phone from our table. Because he either doesn’t care about the environment of the concept or is just not smart enough to realise when someone pays £40+ on a bowl of chips and pasta. They are buying your time. The whole experience felt disjointed and underwhelming.

Nice pub outside but the main pub smells of sick, prices are insanely expensive and the staff aren’t very friendly.

First of this is a beautiful location, 10/10 one of the loveliest looking pubs you can see on the line, especially on a sunny day day. Staff members were incredibly nice all throughout, and making do with the busy customers enjoying the sun. I can't say enough nice things about the staff here. My family has gone here as a meeting spot severals times, me down from London and them up from Richmond. Overall the main issue is the menu needs a re-work, the food itself is good, but overall the prices are exceptionally high and there is a severe lack of vegetarian options. Currently there are two, a pasta (the Rigatoni) and a Greek Salad for £16, (an extra £4 if you want to add in chicken). My British Airways economy seat had more vegetarian meal options. Additionally, ordering a cheeseburger with a veg patty, to have the waiter come back and say they're out of veg patties, then to order the rigatoni for the waiter to find out they're out of those, to finally order the Nachos sharer as a last resort, to find out they are out of those too, but they've discovered one last rigatoni. I understand this is prime spot but the prices are exorbitant, vegetarian or not. The cheapest option (veg or not) being the salad option with no chicken for £16 is really pushing it, and understand it's in a fancy area and a pretty location, but at the end of the day it's not fine dining, and is still a pub in a station, ie "tap on the line" where you can stand and order beers and sit outside in the sun. Which is lovely, but doesn't justify fine dining prices. End of day, this place has lots of potential, a lovely location and really friendly staff doing what they can, but it's menu and food availability really hold it back. I'd love to recommend it to others, and I hope one day I can.

Beautiful pub conveniently located near Tube stop. Came here after the Kew Gardens 10K - thanks for the free pint - well organised, friendly staff, and great atmosphere!

Arrived after the Kew gardens half marathon race where 1 free print was advertised for the event. Refused as they wouldn’t honour it as they had ‘ran out’ but a paid pint could be purchased, terrible marketing and experience!

Terrible experience. Rude staff, food well below standard and bar area smelled strongly of vomit upon entry which was made worse by a very warm day. Avoid as there are much better options available elsewhere

I am a regular there, so it must be good. The food is really good.

A great pub in the heart of Kew, just a few minutes' walk from Kew Gardens and right next to the tube station. They've got a huge selection of drinks, including craft beer, spirits, and lots more. They have a nice indoor seating area, as well as a charming little outdoor terrace which is a great place to sit and enjoy a drink – watching the world go by.

Unfortunately the smell from the bathroom is absolutely unbearable. Food is mediocre. Wouldn't go back.

Seems like they now shut at 10pm on a Sunday as I was turned away at 10.05pm. Would be good if they updated website.

10 points to The team. Came here for my Birthday to have some Nachos. Not only were they super nice and friendly as usual. The Nachos had some extra cheese on, they came with a candle on and the team singing Happy Bday to me. Also gave me a cheeky Tequila on the house. This is what I call customer sevice as they went beyond to make me feel good as I was eating solo on my Bday. Thank you for making my day special. 🧡🧡🧡

Great cask ale, lovely team. Terrace is wonderful when its sunny

Good Neck Oil beer on tap , but expensive , in this nice area of Kew. Good bottle of Cotes du Rhone red wine , but expensive. I can get a better bottle at Majestic Wine Warehouse , at less than a third of the price. This Fullers pub has a very high markup on wine . The wet bar badly needed a good wipe. Outside tables , and I do like the Atrium . Historic old pub. Right outside Kew Gardens station, District line on the Underground , and the Overground to Richmond.

Buena cerveza, comida, servicio, hospitalidad, amabilidad, rugby en la televisión, ambiente. Realmente disfrutamos, nos divertimos en familia - juntos. El personal nos atendió bien. Encendió y subió la televisión para el partido de rugby Gales vs Irlanda, a pesar de que Inglaterra no está involucrada tan cerca de twickers

Very nice and pleasant place to go after a loong day at work. Love it

Excellent pub! Came because of Geoff Marshall recommendation! Great drinks and atmosphere, plus you can enjoy the view of the trains nearby (it's the only pub that is right inside the tube station)!!

Our meal in this restaurant was quite chaotic. We went there after the Kew Gardens quite late. We asked if we could eat there, we were told yes but in 40 minutes. We are then placed on a table but at no time do we take our order, whether it be drinks or food. The end of service arriving, we go to ask, and we are told that the end of the kitchen is in 5 minutes, we then end up ordering the rush but our table had been completely forgotten. The waitress was also not nice to us. The food was really very average or even bad. We were still hungry behind.

Enjoyed the rustic ambience, good food, I loved the chips and minty peas in particular.

Went into the pub yesterday evening. Ordered a pint amstel while I stood at the bar the young barman was, transferring it from one glass to another to liven it up I said no thanks and he said its been playing up all night. I then asked for a peroni which is normally quite a gassy beer an that was as flat as a pancake. no offer of refunding or a new pint of beer at 7 pounds 45 p bad service.

Awful. Truly awful. Please avoid and save your wallet. Expensive tripe that wasn’t worth it. Hopefully this pub closes and is replaced by something more fitting the location.

Increíblemente bonito lugar y gente encantadora trabajando. Buena ubicación en la estación. No puedo recomendar demasiado el personal, son geniales. Nos hizo sentir bienvenidos y bien desde el principio. Recomendamos las bebidas y la comida. Incluso enseñaron a un par de noruegos a disfrutar de la cerveza de barril.

I came here with some friends and we had a very pleasant stay! The location is really pretty and comfortable, the service was friendly and kind. The food was also really tasty, warm and made with care. I had a starter and a main course, it was a bit difficult to finish everything because the portions are quite big, but everything was delicious. I would definitely recommend!

I recently visited The Tap on the Line and loved the cosy atmosphere paired with its unique location right at Kew Gardens Station. I've added it to my barguide.london site too!

El asado del domingo no fue bueno. El cerdo asado estaba seco y duro. La comida llegó tibia y el lado de la coliflor estaba frío. No es un buen asado. El pub en sí es agradable, volveré por bebidas, no comida la próxima vez.

I don’t find client oriented a pub where they don’t allow people who came for a drink to sit in a “food” room even if it’s empty and the “drink” room is full as tin of sardines. “Sorry you cannot go there”, but where to do then??

Antes de nuestro viaje a una Navidad en Kew, había reservado previamente en línea una mesa para la cena para el sábado 4 de enero de 2025 , llegó al pub, recibido por un personal amable nos mostró a una mesa en la zona del atrio, nuestra primera visita , el amor peculiar edificio, situado en la plataforma con destino a Londres en la estación de metro de Kew, construyendo un gran ambiente , todo el personal que encontramos cortés con nosotros, la comida, el servicio excelente, recomiendo encarecidamente una visita , gracias a todo el personal en Tap on the Line,

What a really lovely pub by the station this is. Rather picturesque in a way with the trains pulling up outside the station on a windy and rainy day. We went on New Year’s Day and they were out of a number of courses and they also weren’t offering a roast which I was surprised about. The Coq au vin Blanc at £19.59 did not have any leg or thighs, although tasty, it was more chicken bits in a gravy, nothing on the bone as one would expect. The sausage and mash was nicely presented but I think they could improve by doing something other than peas with it for the £17.00 they charge.

We had some prawns as a starter to share and the sauce was watery and tasted of nothing. The steak and ale pie was ok, but the mash was awful and clearly not fresh as it had a crust. The venue itself is nice and the service is ok so would go for drinks only

Sunday roast-beef. Absolutely horrible. Within 5 minutes of sitting down the food arrived. I have ate here before and it was ok this time was absolutely a joke. Meat was off, overcooked. Yorkshire pudding burnt. Absolutely horrendous. Definitely do not recommend coming here. For £24 one would be served at least something edible. I ate the sides and didnt touch the meat after one bite. Hopefully I don't get sick.

My favourite local. Friendly staff serving good, unpretentious food and drink in a beautiful Victorian building.

Lovely pub and great service from the staff. Really pretty building however needs some refurbishment. The toilets were flooded and the whole building itself smelt really bad. A lot of other families around us were also complaining about the smell too.

Furnishings and tall tables give this pub and hip and relaxing feel. We dropped in for a drink on the way to Kew gardens.

Didn't eat here. Great location, very popular, good bar selection though I didn't like the winter warmer beer. Bar is a bit cavernous so lacks a bit of warmth.

This is always very busy, but the drinks are good.

Good location, indifferent service, average food Made a reservation for a small group with a special request for festive lunches. While the automated reservation process seemed to have been ok, it is only AUTOMATED. There was no personalised response, no advance warning that the request could not be met. Only when we arrived were we told we would have no festive lunch and would need to order from a menu with very limited options for our dietary needs. Food was ok, nice enough, tbh but really just average and very small portions. The place was very busy, staff were polite but the welcome felt lukewarm. We were requested to leave as soon as the 1.5 hour time allocation for the table came to an end. Fair enough, the place is bustling, but from our experience this had impact on service and quality unfortunately. Your custom doesn't matter to them. Despite all this, we like the place, it has atmosphere!

Really nice, quick to get seated even though we hadn't booked a table.

Pleasant quiet pub went for food after Kew gardens

Cute pub, they even have gluten free options. My burger was good, though I would have liked them to ask how I'd like it done, well done is not all people's choice. Other than that very delicious and worth the visit.

Recomendado porque el ambiente y el estilo merece la pena echar un vistazo. Situado en el pueblo de barril y en la plataforma de tren @ estación de los jardines de barril. Personal amable y servicial y decente asado servido también

First visit & enjoying the relaxing environment, the pub is situated on the train platform (kew gardens) with access via kew village.The unique design & decor definitely worth a view. The roast meals were delicious + the service is excellent. Rebecca London

Went here for the first time a few nights ago. Lots of staff but all being so slow it almost felt like it was being done on purpose. Didn’t look to see who’d been waiting a long time at the bar and instead served the person stood right in front of them each time. I got so fed up waiting that I didn’t even bother getting a drink! Luckily friends I’d met there had almost finished theirs so we just left when they were done. Shame as it could be good - if they sped up!

Nice pub, insanely expensive at £7.99 a pint!

Busy, half term families crowd.

Very friendly bar staff nice selection of Fullers beers

Beautiful setting, right by the station. The restaurant has high ceiling with windows from ceiling to floor. The lights come through the windows, which makes the room very atmospheric. We ordered breakfast - an eggs Benedict and a full English. Everything is tasty and good, just the portion is quite small! The garden is also beautiful. Grab a pint of beer before the train arrives.

Great pub by Kew Gardens station!! Amazing breakfast, and great drinks on tap!! Neck Oil is amazing!! 👍

Came in yesterday for a Sunday roast with my partner and had the most wonderful experience, food was amazing but the service made it much better. Special thanks to Amelia who was absolutely lovely and attentive, food and drinks came very quickly and tasted great! The location is also very good and it’s a beautiful building! Don’t have a bad word to say, we will definitely be back!

El Tap On The Line no decepciona. La comida siempre es una clase aparte en comparación con la mayoría de los pubs (Fuller's parecen ser muy fuertes en la comida en estos días) , y la cerveza siempre está en excelentes condiciones. El servicio era excelente (mucho mejor que otros, pubs locales decepcionantes que podría mencionar, como The Coach y Horses - darle una falta) . El Grifo es sin duda el mejor pub en Kew - animado, tiene la mejor comida y la elección de cerveza y calidad es siempre excelente. Tristemente no es cierto para algunos de los otros pubs cercanos. Si vas a visitar Kew, The Tap definitivamente debería ser el primero de tu lista de pubs.

£12 for a Tesco quality sandwich and chips? The chips were nice but the sandwich was supermarket bread with a runny filling that claimed to be hot smoked salmon and cream cheese. No salad, no garnish, no attempt at presentation. Service was pleasant and it’s an attractive venue but… won’t go back. Wine was expensive too. Since posting this review, the manager invited us back for a complimentary lunch. They had taken note of the comments, made changes and taken the disappointing sandwiches off the menu. We had a very nice lunch with lovely service and it was great to see how swiftly and positively the management had reacted.

We came across this on the way to Kew Gardens, whilst looking for a Sunday roast spot. The food itself was really nice, all the trimmings with lots of flavour and the decor inside is really pleasant. Unfortunately, although the restaurant part was quite quiet, it still took 15 mins for us to be acknowledged and our drinks order taken and then a similar story when it came to paying the bill. It's just a shame because the meal was very nice, but the lack of service and warmth from the staff left a bad taste.

Nice atmosphere, quirky little pub with nice drinks and outdoor seating.

Lovely pint of Pride, good service and a cozy beer garden. Great location too.

Popped in after my visit to Kew Gardens. Very cosy inside with plenty of space - quite a few options on where to sit. Splendid and warm atmosphere. Had a couple of pints (I love Fullers!) and then got the bus home.

Great pub for a drink , friendly staff definitely recommend.

Best ever puppy friendly pub.. good quantity of food ...

Great location to meet after work and have drinks.

We stopped here for lunch and then again before getting the train back haha, (we went to visit Kew Gardens) it’s literally a-joined to the Kew Gardens station (I think an old part of it to be fair). Hence, the tap on the line haha. Food was very good and reasonable price for the area. Staff very friendly. Would recommend.

Jack was a great server. Excellent chicken roast in a scenic venue. Right next to Kew gardens station

Nice meaty pigs in blankets but the staff passive aggressively kicked us out for no reason

I had the nut roast, which was okay. More like a casserole imho. My husband had the lamb, which he really enjoyed. He also enjoyed the cask ale. As an American being told that tipping was optional (I prefer to tip) I was surprised to find out that a 'service charge' was added to our bill. It's my understanding that if compulsory, we should have been told about it before we ordered. And if discretionary, I had the option to decline. Not sure which it was. I only found out about it when I asked if I could add a tip. I've only come across this once before and the bill clearly stated it was optional with a choice as to the amounts.

Always friendly efficient staff

Great place next to Tube with pub and restaurant dining. Really pleasant place. Worth the stop.

Everything they had on the menu was not available,then you order 3 fishes and a burger with chips,3 beers and a coke to be changed a hundred quid?! No way I m going there again!

Turned away at 20.40, for a meal whilst 8 months pregnant. Kitchen closes at 9. Poor and lazy service. Great Britain!

Went to Kew Gardens, London's hidden gem! London's only Tap on a tube platform, has 2 access but most accessible to all. Highly recommend, include it you your itinerary when travelling down at Kews. Maybe even a dinner after a visit from the Botanical Gardens! I'll be back, Tap on the Line!

Pleasant café/restaurant at the entrance to the metro station. Nice interior design and pleasant terrace. The welcome during our visit was not the most pleasant.

Expensive and an awful Guinness

Nice little pub adjacent to Kew Gardens train station

I heard about this place many times over the years, so I definitely made time to visit whilst staying in London, there is a food menu but its small so don't let that put you off as it is worth it, there is also a kids menu, my sister who is 30 plus had the kids fish and chips that I thought was big for a kids portion, also you can watch tube trains pass whilst at your table

Great pub, highly recommend. Right next to Kew Gardens station. Very convenient!

Popped in for a drink with friends. Good pub with nice outside space did seem like it's on the platform as so close to the railway quite a talking point

Great breakfast here on the way to Kew Gardens.

Great spot after work good pints friendly staff

We were in need of cold refreshment following our six-hour walk around Kew Gardens. There was only Peroni available as bottled beer inside the Gardens so my husband needed something better...and British! We made a beeline for The Tap on the Line being the first one in a direct line between Victoria Gate and the train station. It was busy out in the Courtyard being a nice day so we sat inside and enjoyed drinks while giving our aching feet a rest! Loved the little historic elements around the interior which was originally part of the station building and belonged to the L&SWR (London and Southwestern Railway) which was absorbed into the Southern Railway in 1923. Lovely old tiles and memorabilia are a feast for the eyes including the large old clock about the bar. A great place to pop into just to get a feel for the ambience. I loved the decorative wrought iron works on the station platform and on the courtyard side. Gorgeous designs and I hope this is preserved forever!

Wonderful Sunday roast, just a pity the atmosphere is spoilt by smokers who aren’t even customers!

Really nice bar in the old station building at Kew Gardens tube/overground station. Nice ambience inside, with a pleasant outdoor seating area to watch the world go by in nice weather. Good selection of beers and attentive friendly service. Also had a very good Sunday roast lunch there.

After a long day at Kew we wanted some good pub fare before the journey home. The establishment didn’t disappoint. Arrived without a booking on a warm Saturday evening. Despite the pub being relatively busy they fitted us in. We both opted for burgers which were good. Accompanying triple cooked chips were fantastic. Due to its location you’re also able to see when your train is due without leaving the surroundings of the pub. Friendly staff with appropriate time between food courses. Well worth checking it out if you’re looking for similar things to us.

Went to this restaurant a week ago. Ordered a fish and chips and I ate so little that I asked for it to be take away. The waitress said sure but then at the end when I asked for it she pretended she never heard it. She did not do anything about it I felt so offended and mislead. It is so disrespectful to lie I would have appreciated honest response like I forgot or sorry instead of pretending that she never heard me in the first place. The restaurant has not got back to me with my complaint yet bad customer services with rude waitress.

Lovely atmosphere, great place to hang out and enjoy a nice relaxing drink.

For me, it's the best place to eat in the World.

What a fabulous pub! Once part of the station, it was converted into this fabulous pub. Very traditional and staff were fabulous! Food very good, as was the service!

Sunday Roast on the pricey side but very tasty. Recommend booking for conservatory seating.

Called in to this pub for an early lunch on our return train journey. Beer was excellent. We shared the charcuterie board which was well presented. Sat outside in pleasant courtyard garden. Staff were friendly and professional.

A lovely little pub which always seems to be busy with people coming and going from Kew Gardens. The view out onto the underground platform is very unique. The service is friendly and attentive, and it has a decent selection of beers and good food, but it is quite expensive (£18 for a burger and chips). The seating area in the bar is limited as they reserve most tables for food service, so expect to stand up if you're only going for a drink.

Cozy pub with well kept beer. Definitely worth stopping at if visiting Kew Gardens

bobby served us and was amazing!! we loved our experience would come back 10/10

Lovely pub for a drink outside, quick service, friendly staff. Toilets disgusting, women's smelt of sick and they were dirty. Can't comment on food, as didn't order any.

If you want a relaxing pint before getting the train this is the place

We are coming here 3 to 4 times a week, convenient place on our way home from work. Just ordered some bar snacks and paid £7 or more for 4 hallumi fries. They do taste nice, but 4??? Come on! Go down the road to The Botanist and you get way more for less money! 2 or 3 times more!! The staff is always lovely and know what we drink always, no argue there! We will keep coming back but you gotta do something about that! Chunky chips are nice but please do something with the rest of the bar snacks! We will come back but definitely not ordering food again.

Nice place, with view of platform, food great!

Wow. What a great pub/place/bar/restaurant. It's so well run, and the staff were the very peak of friendliness and helpful - with a smile and a SOH. The food was hot and freshly prepared. The beer was excellent, and what a strange experience to sit and have a pint with tube trains rolling silently by! Will definitely return. Special thanks to the waiting staff - extremely professional.

Our somewhat “local” pub, staff are always friendly, food on Sundays is really good as far as pub food goes! I love it there around Christmas

Nice pub this. Quite crowded but it was the Grand National.

Very handy for Kew Gardens railway station. Good range of Fullers Ales. Gets busy so come early.

A bird pooed in my drink and they made me a new one. Top marks. Also lovely pub.

Pub at Kew Gardens tube station. Quaint.

I visited this pub on a busy Sunday in March 2024 for lunch as part of a large group. This pub had exceptionally good service and even accommodated the cutting of our birthday cake. The food arrived quite quickly and was tasty. There are plenty of vegetarian options to try and potentially a number of dishes can accommodate vegans but I suggest you warn the staff in advance of your dietary restrictions. The pub advised us that the fish and chips fish had run out however I was not surprised as it was a busy day. I strongly suggest also that you book in advance as this will help the pub allocate and area for you and serve you better. The experience of paying the bill was also flawless and did not have to wait. Overall I strongly recommend this pub and would complement well a visit yo Kew Gardens nearby. It also is situated in a very good location adjacent to the tube/ overground station so good if visiting with a family and want to get to the train immediately after the kids eat.

First time experience in tap on the line and I enjoyed

We enjoyed a family gathering with wonderful food (best fish and chips!), great atmosphere and absolutely wonderful staff! They want you to have a great time! Dankeschön!!