The Fallow Deer in Richmond upon Thames

A very good independent if a bit slow on service. Good seating and e xcellent coffee and brownie!

It's with some reluctance that I write this review and I take no pleasure in it. Since moving to Teddington 13 years ago, The Fallow Deer has been a family favourite and a place we've never hesitated to take friends, relatives and collegues to, thanks to the great coffee and lovely food. We signed the petition to keep it open (and encouraged others to) when it was threatened by closure from Richmond Council. It's great that Teddington's high street has well supported local businesses and for many years the Fallow Deer was the epitome of this. However, there has been a notable recent shift in the cafe. Others have mentioned changes in portion size, which sadly is a reality for many businesses in times of rising food costs. That's not our main concern. The service has fallen off a cliff. I'm amazed to read that other recent visitors have had a good experience, when for some time ours has been at best mediocre and at worst outright terrible. I would wonder if it's just us if I was less confident that we are consistently polite and cheerful customers. A couple of recent examples: - Lunch with a friend who was buying. Ordered and waited over 45 minutes then enquired how long it would be. Firstly when I said how long we were waiting I was corrected (apparently I'd exagerrated by 5 minutes!). Was told (brusquely) that some fundamental ingredients had run out. When further asked how long it would be the response was rude and unhelpful to say the least. We left. - Popped in for coffee with a friend. Before ordering we discussed the possibility of having brunch. To describe the server as rude and uninterested throughout would be an understatement. Perhaps the standard service charge isn't going directly to them? To compound the issue, when we further enquired (from the barista) if we could have some milk for one of our coffees, we were told 'that's not how it comes'. We didn't order brunch! I could go on, but these are representative. Who knows what's the source of our experience? Do the (ever changing) staff get any training in customer service? Does the owner care about overall morale and working environment? You may conclude that we should have given up some time ago, but it's hard to turn your back on an old favourite. Fingers crossed that there's more attention paid to the experience of the regulars who've helped make the Fallow Deer so popular. It's not as though there aren't other options in Teddington, with equally good food, coffee and much better service.

No me importa pagar cuando el producto y el servicio son buenos, pero £ 37 por 2 desayunos Con un servicio muy lento, impersonal y café tibio, a pesar de pedir específicamente que el mío fuera extra caliente (incluso estaba impreso en el recibo). Cobraron 3 libras. 80 por porción extra de tostadas y tener la mejilla para agregar cargo por ‘servicio’. Estafa absoluta.

£37 for 2 breakfasts. Very slow, impersonal service and lukewarm coffee. Charged £3.80 for some extra toast. Absolute rip off.

Local gem! Welcoming staff, lovely food and great quality for price. Cozy brunch spot - highly recommend and will return!

Una vez más, tuvimos una muy buena comida. Infalible, la comida era perfecta - quería mi huevo frito 'cremado' y se hizo perfectamente! , el servicio era encantador, tan profesional de un equipo joven encantador - atento pero no intrusivo. Partió con un tum feliz y un bolso aún más feliz, tan inusual en estos días para no sentirse estafado, gran valor. fabuloso lugar. Bien hecho y gracias a todos.

Best coffee and food in Teddington. Nice staff Callum, Baily, Bethan, May Thomaa and many others super friendly and helpful and dog friendly.

Great place, great coffee and staff. Bailey is especially lovely.

Quality food, recommended coffee shop.

Had soya flat white today, unbelievable at £4:29. Plenty of staff on duty but more interested in chatting to each other than waiting on customers.

Lovely place. Yummy food. Delish coffee

The coffee here is outstanding, best coffee ever! The breakfast was yummy and satisfying. 😋

Great breakfast and service, love it here.

The staff were lovely and it’s a nice place but me and my partner both got food poisoning after eating here. We both had the full english. Will not be returning.

Este lugar lo tiene todo excelente comida y servicio buen lugar que vale la pena viajar 20 millas en transporte público para!

restaurant is super nice and pleasant with good food! The menu has something spot my sights which is the soft shell crab burger! It was amazing! Their coffee is very delicious!

A good place for breakfast. Very busy but food and drinks were served quickly. Slight problem with the door which meant it kept opening which was very draughty for those of us sitting close to the door.

Great place to enjoy fine wine and delicious food!

Absolutamente increíble. Callum (sp? ) fue ejemplar en el servicio al cliente. Empedró una mesa para nueve de nosotros de la nada, cuando habíamos planeado un paseo por el parque, pero nos enfrentábamos a la lluvia del Báltico. A pesar de estar tan ocupado nos sentimos tan atendidos durante todo el tiempo. Y la comida y las bebidas eran geniales. No podía recomendar lo suficiente.

Such a lovely place. There for breakfast with my daughter at 9.00 when opened. So chilled.

Questionable portion sizes and inattentive staff. We ordered eggs on toast (which came with one single slice of thin toast) and the Welsh rarebit (again, only one small slice of toast). They very much felt like side plates, rather than a main meal. Very disappointing

Great food and service in a pretty and spacious café. Good prices (£11 vegan brunch, £4.50 smoothie). Vegan milks available for hot drinks (+50p which is a bit high).

Great coffee shop, fresh food also.

Pancakes were delicious and the staff were so lovely and welcoming!!

Everything great apart from automatic service added on bill out option to cancel it

En un triste lunes lluvioso venir al Fallow Deer me alegró el día. El café era genial y el personal acogedor es una ventaja. La conexión a internet es excelente y en pocos minutos comprobé y respondí a todos mis correos electrónicos. El Venado Fallow me hace sentir joven👍

Mis amigos y yo organizamos un cumpleaños por la noche y fue un éxito absoluto! el personal allí era increíble. eran super flexibles con nosotros como planeamos el evento. la comida era deliciosa y abundante. Gran relación calidad-precio! y el personal de lovley super amable. Sin duda recomendaría. 10 / 10

Primera visita y probablemente la última. No es el más cálido de los saludos cuando llegamos. Me dijeron que nos encontráramos una mesa, y luego nos fuimos por años antes de que alguien viniera a tomar una orden. El personal parecía más interesado en charlar entre sí en el servidor. Mientras tanto, otro cliente subió a quejarse de que se les había dado un pedido equivocado. El café estaba bien, cuando finalmente llegó, pero hay mejores lugares para el café en Teddington. Las melodías de rock demasiado ruidosas que se tocaban como "música de fondo" eran bastante inapropiadas. No creo que volvamos.

Super breakfast/brunch - nduja folded eggs was excellent. Best cafe/coffee shop in teddington.

Nothing to complain about here! Great location, atmosphere, staff, food. Had the fallow eggs, a Benedict with cheese and avocado spread. Also had a green smoothie, both were to die for!

Delicious breakfast baps! It was very busy on a Sunday, so the food did take a bit of time but the service was good and it’s a really nicely decorated place.

perfect for a Sunday brunch or a morning coffee break!

Excellent breakfast spot! I’d highly recommend the nduja folded eggs 👌🏾

Absolutely delicious eggs Benedict with avo. Good portions and the coffee was excellent too. Nice sitting in the window, good service and prices. The only downside was the English muffin was too big so I only ate half of it.

Sadly this lovely cafe has seriously deteriorated in the last year since new owners took over It used to be a special little place but now it’s just a generic over priced cafe that charged 10% service charge (meant to be discretionary but I wasn’t offered the choice) to bring two coffees outside. And 50p extra for oat milk, which is way above the market rate. Such a shame as we always used to love coming here, but this will be our last visit.

Clean, pleasant dining experience- would highly recommend

Ruined Father’s Day. Terrible service. Said food would be 30 min - ok fine. But then 1h later still no food. The 1 and 3 year old were broken. Got a sausage sandwich between them and left without our food

Writing this review to kill the (totally unacceptable) amount of time it’s taking to get a breakfast in this breakfast restaurant! Finally, after 50 minutes waiting, it’s come and actually it was very nice. But was it worth the wait - no chance! Update - and to cap it all off, I’ve now got a rotten tummy!

I came for brunch with my kids. I had the pancakes and bacon. It was fine, but the pancake could have been much better. It was pretty clear to me that they had been pre-cooked and then heated up and also they were not light and fluffy, which one would normally expect, but more on the flat side (think Scotch pancakes rather than American pancakes). I like this place - the food is usually great, as is the service, and there is a nice buzz. I've seen a few reviews indicating that cost pressure is starting to affect portion sizes (particularly in relation to avocado...) and costs. I accept that this feedback is not ubiquitous, but I hope The Fallow Deer can navigate this issue proportionately as it doesn't take much for people to vote with their feet.

Got table by the door and the service was quite poor by the girl. Drinks were nicely made by the guy at the machine. Waited over 15 mins to ask for a bill and ended up walking up to them. Was asked to tap card without getting my receipt only to realise later that she had taken service charge which I planned to remove.

Great tasting food, that’s well presented and fairly priced. Welcoming staff, and a good atmosphere.

lovely staff, lovely atmosphere, lovely food. everything was very fresh and tasty! the hollandaise sauce is a little different, but that’s okay, would recommend!

Great food, service, and Good Coffee !

I hired the Fallow Deer in the evening for my 40th birthday party. Thomas & the team were hugely helpful & accommodating, both on the night and in the lead-up to the event. The venue was perfect & the party exactly how I’d hoped. I’d definitely recommend considering the Fallow Deer for your next celebration.

I’m a regular at this cafe and it’s my favourite in Teddington. Great brunch, great coffee and delicious cakes and pastries. Such a great independent coffee shop to support!

I go here regularly with friends, maybe 3 or 4 times a month. They’ve changed and drastically reduced the menu plus put the prices up. Their Greek Eggs are gone and their fish finger bap is now £11. It is tasty but seriously, £11? It’s only one of two things I would order and at that new price, when adding chips is an extra £4+ it is too pricey now. Really disappointed, in this case change is not a good thing.

Great breakfast, we ordered salmon and avocado, the coffee was really tasty, recommended place, pleasant atmosphere, great music

Food took an hour to arrive & then apologised and said we will take off your water bill as an apology. Then food arrived from the limited menu which was sub par. There is one older lady who seems to work there who is always rude. Not enjoyable.

Is it just me, or should items described as extras on a menu feel like EXTRAS? We paid our first visit to tge Fallow Deer on Good Friday. All the eateries that side of Teddington were rammed full of people, so we were pleased to see some empty tables. We waited to be seated (as the sign requested), but it wasn't happening quickly enough and people kept arriving, so it ended up being a squash and a squeeze by the front door. But that passed soon enough. We were seated & were able to order fairly promptly. I had eggs on toast, but also threw caution to the wind and ordered haloumi as an extra. My wife had the Eggs Fallow. These arrived and that's when the sheen was removed from our visit for me. My wife's dish was just fine, but my extra haloumi consisted of a single small slice for which I was charged an extra £2. & I basically had a face like a slapped backside for the rest of the stay. Two pounds for a small slice of cheese. (See photo) I should have mentioned my dissatisfaction to them, but I just didn't want to put a downer on the day. Seems childish to be miserable about something so trivial, but hey. I was paying for this, so I'm surely entitled to feel like I was getting a good deal. And this occasion I didn't. So I cheered myself up by burying my face in chocolate when I got home.

Food took an hour and a half to arrive. Was very tasty when we got it but just took too long.

Slow service , the staff are unhelpful. Fish finger bap was nice but the chips seemed old like they had been sat for awhile not fresh

Visited the Fallow Deer for breakfast what a delight. The best vegan breakfast I have ever eaten..... and no faux sausages in sight. 👍

Service very slow. Coffee machine broken so had to replace with tea. Asked for 1 large pot but they gave 1 large and 1 small, saying large not enough for 3. We did not even finish the large! Food portions reduced since last here. Although I’ve been coming here for years now I will not come back. Very disappointed.

I used to love this cafe and have left glowing reviews in the past, but my last two visits have been disappointing. The eggs fallow, used to be my favourite dish, but the last couple of times I have visited, the avocado was spread very thinly, like you would spread butter, that I could barely taste it. There used to be a generous tablespoon on each half of the muffin and it used to be delicious. All the prices have gone up really significantly. Service never used to be included but there was a jar for tips. Now service is being included but there’s still a tip jar. I fell for this recently, and without realising I had already paid the included service charge, I left a generous tip. The member of staff saw me do this but kept quiet about the service charge had already been included in the bill. It seems really dishonest to loyal customers to keep the tip jar on the counter. I suspect new ownership is the reason for these changes, and customers may go elsewhere as there’s plenty of competition in Teddington.

I’ve been coming to The Fallow Deer and it’s my favourite cafe. But today I had their TOASTED marshmallow hot chocolate for the first time and it’s been the best thing I’ve tasted for ages !!! It really was incredible. I’m going to try to recreate at home . Do yourself a favour and treat yourself when you next go. The staff were as wonderful as always . 💕

Today had the rarebit on toast . Burnt black on the edges and cold. Homemade chips warm and chewy. Absolutely not freshly cooked but was told they were. I asked to take off the bill and was told because I had had a couple that I should pay. I then went to till to pay for the drink and rarebit. Should have been 11 pounds then a little for service charge. They tried to charge 15 after they agreed to take off the bill. Eventually I paid the correct amount. Really bad customer service.

I’ve been here they’ve in the past two weeks with friends for brunch. Both times I have chosen the Greek Eggs which both times were excellent. It’s a great local independent restaurant with very attentive and friendly staff.

Lovely place for a fast paced brunch. Great welcoming atmosphere with a warming tasty menu Great service. Tasty food at a reasonable cost We opted for the home made fish finger sandwich which was well made and very tasty

This place has great potential. Some of the staff let it down.

The atmosphere was nice and the decor, too, but a little cramped for space. The service was good & prompt. £11.50 for 2 poached eggs, some mashed avo on an English muffin, hollandaise that looked too yellow and not very runny was a bit rich. If the dish came with salmon, ham or bacon it might be more appropriate, but two small pieces of halloumi is poor value. We weren't taken with our coffees either - they were hot but lacked flavour/depth. A service charge was added onto the order and ended up being £32. For two small - but nice - dishes and two coffees.

Food, coffee and beer are always excellent here and place is not surprisingly always busy. Bit slow with coffee repeats - apparently due to not enough staff. Sometimes cost cutting is not beneficial.

Beautiful brunch spot and food is incredible. Way too pricey but I suppose for a special occasion (as it was for my son and I), it is worth it.

Eggs on toast wasn't going to be my choice, but considering everyone else was having it, it felt rude not to!! I love a poached egg, and these were superb with a deep orange yolk. Always a flat white to drink. Lovely 👍

The quality has gone down over the years the place is currently over rated, disappointed that coffee is no longer included with the full herd. Most of the ingredients are there for a good breakfast it's a pity they can't bring it all together , it requires a quality chef that can bring everything together and they haven't had one for years now.

The quality of food has really gone downhill at The Fallow Deer. I've been a loyal customer for a long time (approximately 6 years) but the dramatically reduced portions and the steep decline in flavour has put me off this cafe completely. Our coffees took a full 15 minutes to come even though the cafe was practically empty. The food is vastly overpriced for what you get. When I'm paying £4.50 to add salmon to my meal, I don't expect just a few tiny slivers! They also removed the chorizo that always comes with the The Full heard dish, and they stopped giving free coffee when you purchase the Full Heard. The flavour of the dishes at this cafe aren't what they used to be. The tomato and homemade baked beans were both bland. So disappointing, I won't be coming here again.

Only been here for breakfast, but the breakfast bap was really good. Staff very friendly, nice atmosphere, will be going again.

Very small menu. sadly the food was very bland. The Poached egg on muffins with avocado and halloumi was very disappointing. The muffin wasn’t even toasted so once the tiny spread of avocado was on, it was cold and soggy bread, the eggs where over cooked and the hollandaise also cold. I won’t go back.

We arrived at 1300 and got the last table for 4, on a Tuesday. So, busy and deservedly so! Super everyday menu with some mains. Food, uniformly good, service excellent, lovely ambience.

Lovely cozzy location to eat and chat

Very poor food. Had a thin piece of cheese on toast (not even toasted!) described as rarebit, stupidly overpriced. Chicken and parma ham also seriously underwhelming. Shame. Staff thanked us for feedback but otherwise uninterested. Shame.

Good value, quality food. Not sure about the homemade baked beans. They need to look at their payment process, 5 minutes to pay the bill.

Super friendly staff, quick and professional service. The food was delicious and fresh. Would highly recommend. We will be back.... Very soon.

Lovely place . Eggs and avocado was tasty .

I’ve always wanted to eat here as I’ve heard a lot of good things about the food. It was a rainy morning so I had to wait a short while for a table but literally 2-3 mins. They have lots of tables and plenary of waiting staff. I had what is called the full herd! (Full English Breakfast) 2 bacon, 2 sausage, 2 eggs (mine I had poached but fried or scrambled is an option), 2 bread, mushrooms, tomato, beans and black pudding. I’m pretty sure this is the only my cafe in teddington that does black pudding also. I love black pudding! It’s my fave! Anyway it was delicious!! Came out really quick and piping hot! I really enjoyed it!

Unfortunately a bad experience this weekend. A friend and I came for Sunday breakfast. Thankfully we were charged next to nothing due to the failures, but it was still an unfortunate experience. My granola was very dull - whilst homemade, there was nothing interesting about it. I expect something a bit more interesting than what I can make at home everyday. My friend's toast arrived without the scrambled eggs. My latte took a long time, and tasted bitter. I chose this after being served orange juice that was from concentrate - a shame.

Came here for lunch with the family, had to wait a bit for the table but that no issue. I pigged out on the full herd breakfast. It was very good and would not hesitate to have it again.

Our family came here for lunch on Sunday. The place looks great, was very busy and had a nice atmosphere with helpful staff. They acknowledged it would take 10 minutes for a table to come free, which was pretty accurate. The food was good and we will definitely be back. The only downside was nothing to do with the cafe. A couple with a young baby had finished their lunch and paid and could clearly see there were people waiting, but felt sufficiently entitled that they could carry on sitting for another almost ten minutes while one of them did not very much and the other was on their phone. Eventually, they deigned to leave their table (for four). As I say, nothing to do with the cafe and it didn't really affect our experience. Just cathartic to get it off my chest...

Theres just something about this cafe! Funny enough as when you walk in the layout is slighly overwhelming sometimes but durable as its a rectangular space so you forget about the people and the busyness when seated as you focus on your drink/ food. Coffee is fantastic! And the food is Lush! Staff are all friendly and always recommending it.

Would have been 5 for food but thought the honey made the Banana bread,yogurt and fruit just alittle to sweet. But would highly recommend as an eatery.

took 40 mins to get our 3 breakfast which is too long for plateing smoked salmon, granola and eggs. When arrived hot breakfast was simply put together.

Stopped here for lunch. Great service and a local, indy, vibe. Food and smoothie were both delicious!

Gorgeous brunch. Beautiful setting.

Great breakfasts - this time poached eggs and avocado on muffins

Great find. Lovely cafe on the busy high street.. Modern clean interior. Contemporary design. Busy but able to find a table.. Staff very attentive and apologetic for our delay.. Great menu. Short wait for food and coffee and excellent service.. No pressure to leave after we had eaten.Will definitely make a return visit in the near future.

My go-to in Teddington for brunch - the cafe has a really nice atmosphere and a superb breakfast selection made with good produce. There’s a great selection of homemade cakes there too, which you can take away if you don’t have room for it at the time! Great little cafe, highly recommended.

Had a good breakfast with party of 4 , nice generous portions and fresh. Would recommend this place. Can be busy so you may have to wait for seat.

Gorgeous breakfast. Although service was quite slow, but lovely staff. Delicious avocado and poached eggs on sourdough

Under new ownership, but The Fallow Deer continues to have amazing food, service and atmosphere. Excellent value for money.

Food and drink always good although noticeably pricier in recent times. Last few times I’ve visited there’s been real pressure when you are paying your bill from the girl on the till to leave a tip (even directing you to the exact button to press) which is really awkward. Note to management: a tip is discretionary and should never feel pressurised especially when other local cafés don’t do this.

I ordered coffee & a croissant as i decided to work from there i needed a quiet area enabling me to concentrate. Really rude of the lady asking me to move by mid morning from the back table to a smaller table (bang in the middle). I decided to wrap my stuff and leave. Just to confirm the issue was not finding a quiet space the issue was asking me to get up from the back table where i was quite happily seated & working away and the staff asking me to move. My review is based on the rudeness & uncomfortable she made me feel.

Staying in Richmond overnight we decided having read reviews to walk along the river to come here for breakfast. Very happy with our decision, the staff were friendly and the food and coffee really good, only shame was that they had already run out of Almond croissants by 9am!

First time trying the Fallow Deer and we were not disappointed. The food was really good and the coffee was amazing. We will be back

I have been here lots for takeaway coffee and sometimes to sit in with friends. The staff are friendly and sweet with both kids and dogs! The coffee has always been great, and the service and food are quock and nice. Relaxed and attractive place to sit.

I have given you 5 stars before.. But waiting for 10 mins for a slice of cake takeaway in an empty coffee shop. Is not what the customer expects. But the cake was good, though.

Lovely tea and cake. Late in the day and a group of us, but staff were polite, friendly and welcoming. My cheesecake was divine. A perfect tea stop to end to a summer's day.

Lovely cafe with a very relaxed atmosphere. My only request to management would be to have more vegan options, the menu could be improved and more diverse plant based options could be added.

Great food /snacks but not cheap . Dirty unwiped table with no apparent system to wipe down after customer leaves or arrives. I see this as great cafe but it is not a restaurant which is fine but don t expect a tip as I don t tip in cafes or when I buy a snack but otherwise great.

Well done poached eggs, wrong toasted toast, cold meat. Beans taste awful and plain. Not like last time I ate here a couple of years ago. Won't be returning.

Great find, trendy, spacious and good prices

One of my favourite brunch cafes. Fantastic food and atmosphere