The Mute Swan in Richmond upon Thames

Visited on Sunday 18th May 2025 for Sunday lunch for two people. Booked in the morning and had a 12:45 table reserved upstairs. It was not too busy for a May Sunday and had a quick drink in the bar first. Service attentive, food (Roast Beef and Roast Duck leg) excellent. Quite good value too.

This was poor. Really bad and incredibly defensive service when things went wrong (eg Sunday roasts didn’t arrive with all of the accompaniments when others around were getting theirs, someone had the wrong food brought, Sunday roast meat was really tough, fatty and cold). Promised free drink to make things up never arrived and a rubbish excuse given when we asked what happened. Told ‘you know as much as I do’ by a member of staff when we asked (I suspect they should know more than me…). And that was it. Terrible service, food was alright. Much better options just across Hampton Court Bridge.

Lovely lunch. However please do not list that you have a wheelchair accessible toilet when you don’t. Makes it very difficult for people who cannot do stairs. Thanks.

We had a leisurely lunch and never felt rushed by the exceptional Paula who made us so comfortable and talked to us like we were old friends. The coffee was divine (I'd go back for that alone), we savoured every bite of our mains and the waffle dessert was delicious. A wonderful place, full of friendly locals. I'm giving 4 stars as there are no toilets on the ground floor, but overall this place is a gem.

From the moment I walked in I was made to feel welcome by the friendly and attentive staff. The pie was delicious and the wine very reasonably priced. Was such a relaxing stop after a big day exploring the palace and park. Highly recommend and I will be back!

Seb and Adam are superb. Looked after us well x

Warming comfort food served by a friendly staff. The atmosphere is always jovial and relaxed. We stay in the hotel next door every year and look forward to our visit to the Muted Swan. Would highly recommend and look forward to our next visit.

Wow!! Honestly so pleasantly surprised with their mixed (beef and pork) Sunday Roast: every element was cooked and season JUST RIGHT, the meat were soft and flavourful, the gravy was so juicy and I even finished the kale (when I often skip it as it tastes for me sometimes). Roast potato As a meat lover, I have to say this turned out to be one of the best if not the best Sunday Roast I've tried so far! Also service was great!

First visit. Sat upstairs. Beware the tricky spiral staircase. There is an option. Food and service were excellent. Will be back. Highly recommended.

Lovely pub just across the road from Hampton Court. Friendly staff, good manu. The Steak, bacon, mushroom pie an Prawn Linguine we both delicious. Good selection of wine and beer including Timothy Taylors..Best book ahead especially during weekends and bank hols.

Had a lovely lunch here. Food amazing. Service, great. Ben was attentive and professional. Will come again.

Nice selection of drinks but the food was of such a low standard, Sunday roast consisted of 3 types of meet all over cooked. It was terrible. Tourist trap pub

Charcuterie platter is outstanding and will feed 2-3 people

The Mute Swan, by the river and opposite Hampton Court Palace. A thoroughly delightful place with a good range of both cask and keg beers. A fine wine list and an exciting menu. Service is impeccable and my lager was fresh and cold. The place has a spiral staircase leading to the upstairs restaurant area, we love a spiral staircase! A super place for a spring (in your step) drink.

Booked a table for my daughter's 17th birthday, advised whilst ordering that it is company policy not to allow 17 year olds to have a glass of wine with their parents. Would have been good to know before booking.

Excellent good: elevated pub food!

Great venue for a social with smart service and nice beer.

Great meal at the Mute Swan. Fantastic service with a smile.

Haven’t had such a bad experience in long time. If you are an European better avoid this place. The lady that served us was very miserable and disrespectful, service was awful. Food was good from the kitchen but the coffee lady made at the bar was absolutely disgusting, like she made it in purpose. Thanks but never again

It was a delicious and a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience. At the conclusion of the meal, a fellow diner said "Now that is what you call a slam dunk". This statement says it all. We will be back.

Had the steak and bacon pie and it was extremely salty. Atmosphere was good, food could be better.

Lovely lunch in the restaurant upstairs today. All of the stuff were friendly and excellent. Good veggie options. Would come again. Limited parking spots outside venue, but we managed to get one on a Weds afternoon.

Stunning experience from start to finish! Me and my wife pop in for lunch every now and again and The Mute Swan never lets us down! Attentive team and tantalising food 👌🏻

Stunning experience from start to finish! Me and my wife pop in for lunch every now and again and The Mute Swan never lets us down! Attentive team and tantalising food 👌🏻

Thank you to The Mute Swan for providing a wonderful family lunch today The staff were all very welcoming and helpful, and even more importantly, the food was absolutely delicious. We had starters of: Sweet potato, lime and coconut soup (sorry forgot that photo); Wood pigeon breast, celeriac purée, pickled blackberries and hazelnut granola which was incredibly tasty but could have done with just a little more pigeon; Pan fried scallops, spiced carrot purée, dukkah crumb. Main courses were just as sublime: Steak, ale and mushroom pie, mash, buttered greens, red wine gravy (gf). With a proper full crust pie & not just a lid. Appleby's Cheshire cheese, onion and potato pie, buttered greens, redcurrant gravy. I was worried a whole pie of cheese and potato maybe too much… no, not at all. 1 chicken roast dinner. The pig in blanket quickly made its way to the steak & ale pie plate but was otherwise happily finished. All were followed by perfect coffees and small puds. My dad said the lemon sorbet was probably the best he had had, and he eats a lot of sorbet. We have eaten and stayed at another Burning & Price pub, ‘The Highdown’ so we expected great things, and we weren’t disappointed.

Thank you to The Mute Swan for providing a wonderful family lunch today The staff were all very welcoming and helpful, and even more importantly, the food was absolutely delicious. We had starters of: Sweet potato, lime and coconut soup (sorry forgot that photo); Wood pigeon breast, celeriac purée, pickled blackberries and hazelnut granola which was incredibly tasty but could have done with just a little more pigeon; Pan fried scallops, spiced carrot purée, dukkah crumb. Main courses were just as sublime: Steak, ale and mushroom pie, mash, buttered greens, red wine gravy (gf). With a proper full crust pie & not just a lid. Appleby's Cheshire cheese, onion and potato pie, buttered greens, redcurrant gravy. I was worried a whole pie of cheese and potato maybe too much… no, not at all. 1 chicken roast dinner. The pig in blanket quickly made its way to the steak & ale pie plate but was otherwise happily finished. All were followed by perfect coffees and small puds. My dad said the lemon sorbet was probably the best he had had, and he eats a lot of sorbet. Dogs were very welcome. They weren’t part of our group but there were some well behaved happy pooches close by. 1 small negative to be aware of is that there isnt a disabled toilet. So my poor Dad had to struggle up & down stairs. Apart from that, there isn’t anything else to be negative about. There is permit parking for disabled badge holders outside The Mute Swan, otherwise its a short stroll across Hampton Bridge to the station car park. We have eaten, and stayed at another Burning & Price pub, ‘The Highdown’ so we expected great things, and we weren’t disappointed.

great place to have ß meal out.

What a gen , Great spot ! friendly staff good variety of drink and good food ,We had a great time ! Definitely will be back !!

Demoralised, miserable staff who are clearly there to just get the job done . Atmosphere busy Food was uttterly pointless Stale bread Tasteless pasta that was watery and fish like it had been tumbled dried for tastelessness Not a bad wine menu but really nothing else to recommend this place save for its proximity to the palace

More staff required. Staff working were rushing all over and we appreciated their attention but generally service slower than usual or expected.

I just picked this place as it was close to Hampton Court. Pleasantly surprised at the lovely food, ambience, good wine list, and environment. Quite a gem!

Lovely food, served very quickly. My only criticism is that the mid week menu is a little limited

What a pleasant surprise. Warm log fire, big selection of food and drink, casual atmosphere. Nice pie and giant fresh fish on the chips and peas

Full for New Year’s Eve lunchtime, varied menu including fish, meat and vegetarian options.

Great service, polite and attentive

We called in to the Mute Swan today for some lunch, the place was heaving with people, and although we hadn’t booked we were offered a table inside which was brilliant I ordered a Pork Roast and my wife had the fish and chips Both meals arrived in good time, the fish was lovely, although the chips were overcooked and dried out. The Pork was not good at all the crackling was soft, the pork was tough and dry, as were the potatoes. The red cabbage had a totally over powering flavour to it which also tainted the meal A young waiter came over and asked how the food was, I said it wasn’t good as the food was all dry, he asked if I’d like some more gravy (good response) I responded by saying it was the food that had been dried out/ overcooked/ left waiting. He just went away and did nothing We finished our meal and another chap came to take payment, he asked how the meal was, we repeated our previous comments ant which point he pretty well shrugged his shoulders and got on with his day I liked the atmosphere and the staff were working hard, but it made me ask - what was the point in asking how things were, if you’re powerless to do wanting about it?

Same standard but at least my school dinners were warm !!!!! Beef was wafer thin. Not pink and full of sinew aswell. Staff were very poor

Sunday before Christmas Roast, COLD. I understand Dogs are allowed in the venue, but when the restaurant was so very busy, shouldn't have been allowed next yo the table, panting and barking. Therefore I will avoid.

The quiche and potato salad were delish. Really good prices for the food and service

No kids but dogs allowed is just an awful indication of this century’s attitude to families.

We came here after skating at Hampton court. The member of staff who greeted us went out of his way to make sure we got a suitable table. We loved our spot on the terrace which was warm and dry and OK for the kids. We ordered drinks and nibbles which came really quickly. Some more crackers with the cheese board would have been better but other than that it was all really lovely. Yes, it was pricey, but isn’t everything these days? All in, a great spot, cosy pub, nice setting, good service and I would recommend.

Extremely attentive and welcoming staff. Great menu, perfect place for a Sunday roast.

This is one of the worst places I’ve ever eaten. Over priced and utterly mediocre. Whoever runs this establishment should be utterly ashamed of themselves for providing such poor quality food and drinks at such an exorbitant price. I will NEVER dine here again and thoroughly recommend anyone contemplating eating here avoid it. Shocking.

Fantastic, friendly service and considering it was the height of Xmas and they were very busy, food was served very promptly. I wish I'd noted the name of our lovely waitress. Well done 👏

Exceptional pub and restaurant. Really great service, and the atmosphere is just incredible. Beautiful building, beautiful decor. The service is friendly, efficient and quick, and all the food is of a very high standard. Good selection of pints available, and the upstairs area is very nice, with a view over the floor below. Very cosy, perfect pub experience. Easy to find, just near the bridge. Highly recommended!!

After visiting Hampton Court Palace we emerged feeling hungry and thirsty. Wanting to find somewhere quick we were quickly rewarded by finding The Mute Swan. The food is plentiful and extremely tasty. Paula, Oscar and Joe provided top notch service during our stay to make it a really memorable occasion. Give them a visit anytime and you won’t be disappointed!! Rosie and Phil xxxxx

Great Pub with nice atmosphere, curated drink selection, good service, decent quality and choice of food.

Lovely cosy pub with extremely welcoming and attentive staff. Visited in the evening with a wheelchair user, and were made to feel completely at ease. It was a busy Friday night and the service was still great.

Very tasty food. Attentive service staff who were flexible in dealing with a large group. Lovely ambience throughout the pub, atmospheric without being too loud. Would be great for dates and groups.

Delicious food, would recommend the lamb and the gnocchi! Very nice atmosphere

As always, all staff and service exceptional

Fish and chips , burgers are great! Popular spot for weekend. Pets friendly.

Delicious Sunday roast, great service and super friendly staff

Really lovely Sunday lunch at this beautiful pub right by Hampton Court Palace. The place was packed yet service was still quick. Excellent serving staff were very friendly. Food was top notch, the roast beef was extremely tender and served mid rare. Yorkshire pudding was huge and cooked perfectly. The gravy was rich and perfectly seasoned. They have a good selection of wines. Lots of options on the menu if you are not in the mood for a roast. Glad we booked well in advance as the place was full up. If the weather is nice, you can eat outside at one of their many tables. Main floor is the pub which does food and the restaurant proper is upstairs. Looking forward to going again soon.

Cool stylish place with courteous service, nice menu, and classy all around.

We had a roast dinner, food was very tasty, but we had to wait a while and the food was not warm enough, we did not want to complain at the time as waiters were rushed off their feet, and we had already waited long enough!

In my book, the best pub in the southeast. It’s a bold statement, but I’ve been to a fair few, and the atmosphere, service, and just the fact this pub really does just have “something about it “ sets it apart from other establishments. It has such a diverse foot fall, due to its proximity to Hampton Court Palace, lots of customers from all over the world, yet it still remains a locals pub, warm and welcoming. Whisky selection is fantastic, good ales, and Lowenbrau on tap, which for me, it superb. Special mention to Bill, who really does go above and beyond to make every visit brilliant. Fantastic pub!

Everything about the Mute Swan was wonderful and we highly recommend it. The food was very good and the service was absolutley excellent, as Paula was quite attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. The decor is top notch. The location across the street from Hampton Court was great, too; often, pubs across from a major tourist attraction are not that great, but this one is excellent.

A great local despite being in a tourist spot. Very good selection of wines by the glass and a range of beer. Friendly staff and a real fire make for a great atmosphere.

Cosy, lovely food and service. Had prawns to start, really well cooked and tasty. Sea bass for a main was delicious. Definitely recommend

Lovely for a drink after a walk

Lovely place. Excellent service and warm yet vibrant ambient. We love this place.

A very pleasant afternoon lunch. Great service and super polite staff. Lovely seating outside.

Great friendly pub and dog friendly

Meh. Lovely staff nice man serviced us really warm and friendly. Chicken burger was really peppery and over cooked - lovely piece of beer battered fish again chips very overdone. Lovely pudding warm waffle

Beautiful restaurant in the heart of Hampton Court, right opposite the Castle 🏰. Lovely atmosphere friendly staff ❤️, great food, will definitely be going back there 😋. Only trouble is the parking, best to get a taxi 🚕 🚖 there.

Great friendly pub. Food was great. Cozy environment. We had the pleasure of being hosted by PAULA. Fabulous! Brilliant! She gave us wonderful recommends and treated us like family. LOVE HER!

This is a gorgeous and friendly place to dine. Paula, our waitress, lit up the entire establishment and made our time there so special. Thank you Paula!

Went twice for lunch, years apart, on a day out at Hampton Court palace. Both times were unpleasant so there won't be a third. It's well located and is seemingly a nice pub but the service is really slow. At our most recent visit, we waited long to order, ordered with a waiter who was quite unhelpful with our questions, and waited some more before the waiter came back to tell me that my dish was not available in the end. The quality of the food doesn't justify either the portion size or the price of the dish, regardless of what we ordered. I found that it's the kind of place where the menu and presentation make the dish sound more posh than it really is to be able to charge the customer more money for it. I didn't feel welcome and I left unsatisfied. As I said, I will not make the mistake a third time.

Outstanding food and wine, and brilliant service from Matt who was very knowledge and helpful. Particularly good for celiac guests - my wife got to have a pie which is a rare treat for the gluten intolerant. I had duck noodles which was a delight!

Well located and friendly pub-restaurant. Busy in tourist season. Good, stylish food choices, sort of super pub grub with creative flourishes. Good beers. Friendly and helpful staff. Carpet in the upstairs dining room muffles sound a bit and is good for the hard of hearing.

Really like the relaxed and buzzy atmosphere. And the food is so good.

Lovely pub in top spot. Great bustling atmosphere. Food menu disappointingly, surprisingly (at a time over 1 in 4 people in the South are not eating a meat or fish diet) poor. Two offerings that are veggie out of nearly 20. Pretty unexciting options at that. When will restaurants realise we are more often than not the deciders in a group/ relationship of where to book after scanning the menu?! It’s very clear to see how low down veggies are here in their consideration.

Had Sunday roast it was delicious and the local ale definitely recommended.

Went with my wife and her sister for a Sunday Lunch yesterday, we were a bit underwhelmed by the roast beef, it looked and tasted like it was from a foil container rather than been cut from a beef joint, it wasn’t served hot and the plate hadn’t been kept hot. The roast potatoes were hard and a bit bland, on the whole very disappointing. A shame really as we are regulars, the manager and staff provided a very attentive service which on the whole were excellent. A shame real not sure what happened.

Stopped here for lunch after a long walk. The restaurant was wonderfully cool after the heat of the day and the walk. Service was good - and water jug refilled each time - badly needed that day. Food was good and large portions. Coffee was lovely. Just a nice, unrushed, afternoon

Very tasty food in a lovely location. Staff were very helpful and speed of service quick too. Had a wonderful time! Especially enjoyed the Sunday roast. Thank you.

A great place to recover after a day at the Concours of Elegance, great service, excellent fish and chips!

What a find!! After spending the day at Hampton Court Palace, we were starved and opted for a late afternoon meal here before returning to London. Quite a spontaneous decision and purely based on a quick search on google of what restaurant/pub was closest and well reviewed. We had a table upstairs which I would recommend as a little quieter. The service was low key and friendly. The food was quite outstanding and coming from London fantastic value for money. I had the arancini as a starter and the lamb as a main and loved both. My friend had the salmon and was just as impressed. We both had the sticky toffee pudding as desert and that was wonderful as well. It was such a enjoyable, relaxing meal and perfect end to a great day trip, we have mentioned the meal a few times since. Such a shame we don't live closer, otherwise a return trip would be guaranteed!

Great British pub, good food and still sensible pricing for London (starter and main was £56 per head with a couple of drinks)

The Mute Swan is such a lovely spot for lunch, especially after a morning spent at the palace! It's lovely sitting either indoors or outdoors, but the decor indoors should not be missed. The gin and tonic was excellent, but the onion and carrot bhajee was absolutely delicious - I nearly asked for another order to take back to London with me! The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and altogether it was just a delightful atmosphere. Will certainly be back!

We stopped here while on a boating holiday. There were 8 of us and each of us had a wonderful meal. Lovely atmosphere and good service, highly recommend.

Cool place. Very attractive interior, menu pretty good, if not that exciting. Recommended.

An excellent English pub in The food, beer, ambience and staff are excellent. We had lunch there and felt very comfortable during our visit.

Not the best place but the service was good. Food was ok but nothing to call home about. Might visit again but only if The Mitre is full up.

This is the place to relax around great people while in hampton court, espeically if your a dog lover!!

Top notch restaurant opposite Hampton Court

Outstanding free pub right by Hampton Court Palace. The atmosphere was great..very friendly, and the service outstanding. Friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They were awesome. The beer was better than I've had in 20 years and it makes me miss England. Recommendations were very helpful for a beer I would enjoy. Prices very affordable. I will definitely take friends when I'm next in England..and would Recommend to anyone.

Booked for a meal here came up from Kent our 40th anniversary.Sadly food not described well enough Steak did show peppercorn sauce so asked to not have that food arrived looked great wife's was brilliant. Sadly my steak was covered in black pepper no mention of this so had to send it back as I cannot eat it.Staff were friendly about it and will re cook for me but my wife has long finished hers and will now have to wait for me to eat my main course about another 15mins before I even get it.Has taken the shine of a perfect day for us.Please put more details on your menu. lucky for me I only ate One small piece but I could have become quite ill. If you do eat here just double check and ask if you have any allergies what's on the food. Disappointing end to our day.

Stopped for lunch here after visiting Hampton Court Palace. There is seating outside and the bar area -however children are not permitted to be in the bar area. We went upstairs where we were allocated a table (We hadn’t previously reserved) The service was good and attentive. As it was a Sunday, we ordered the roast beef. It was quite pricey-£23.95 but it was delicious-the beef was pink and so tender. For the price I would have expected more vegetables and varied option. (See photo)

Stopped by for lunch after visiting Hampton Court, managed to get a shaded table outside, husband had the pork rib eye and I had the sea bass - both meals delicious. Also had a bottle of house white which was good. Staff lovely highly recommend.

If you're looking for a pub with lovely staff, refreshing drinks and a beautiful building, The Mute Swan is the pub for you! I visited during a quiet weekday lunch period and was very quickly sat in the upstairs dining area, which has a nice set of spiral stairs going up (though there are alternative stairs you can use if you have reduced mobility). There's also two bars (the main bar downstairs and a smaller bar upstairs), which I felt was a nice touch. I had the roast chicken which was absolutely delicious - although I don't usually like lemon, the sauce added the cherry on top for this dish. Ruby was very attentive and looked after me extremely well, making sure that my gluten intolerance was catered for. Thank you Ruby and the rest of the Mute Swan team for making me feel so welcome, will definitely be back next time I'm in the area! 🌳🦢

Very nice! Enjoyed a beautiful late afternoon lunch. Attentive service. Good food. Well priced.

What a delightful pub opposite Hampton court! Lovely outside area and superb staff! So friendly and polite!

This experience made me really cheesed off. I went there a few days previously, and the food and service were both great. In contrast, when I went there today, both were to a very low standard. We ordered 3 starters, one being nice, but the other two being almost inedible (one was undercooked, and one was soggy and floury). We then ordered mains, and one main had cold mashed potato, and the other main (the maple glazed pork) was lukewarm, overcooked and had barely any glaze at all. We ordered some fish and chips, and while they were hot and tasted nice, we gave clear instructions for no mushy peas and no tartare sauce, but it still came with both, and was offered to be taken back halfheartedly. The staff took the other 3 dishes off of the bill, but when asked if it was possible to be cooked again, they hesitated and told us that there was a problem, but refused to tell us what said problem was. I found that the service was very halfhearted. I would not recommend here for food, as it isn’t very consistent and is quite expensive.

My friend & I had an amazing dinner here on 5 June after a visit to Hampton court

Brilliant lunch. Charming staff and a real surprise being so close to the Palace.

Scallops good steak great thoroughly enjoyed myself!

We randomly walked in to this pub after visiting The Hampton Court Palace across the street. The food and service was exceptional! Easily the best meal we’ve had in London. We ordered the roast chicken breast, mini waffle, coconut soup, and fillet steak sandwich. Highly recommend the chicken breast and mini waffle. Our server Rhys also had the best recommendations!

The servers were cheerful and friendly. They made helpful suggestions and the food was well executed and very very good.