The Bingham Riverhouse aims to be a home away from home and that’s exactly what it is. The 15-guest-room hotel, with restaurant, sits on the banks of the Thames and feels a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of London. It’s tranquil, relaxed and an ideal location for a weekend away.
My friend Dan and I spent a night there in late April during a spell of spring sunshine; sitting on the balcony, overlooking their gardens and river, kiwi martinis in hand, it’s safe to say we were in a good place.
As well as having beautiful surroundings, the building itself is gorgeous and steeped in history – originally built as two Georgian houses, it’s hosted many literary names, including W.B Yeats and poets Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper. The poetic feel is still very much present; the walls are coated in pastel shades, and there’s lots of greenery scattered throughout the orangery and stunning oval windows.
Being totally honest, our ‘cosy’ hotel room was nothing to write home about, (with the exception of the shower, which was large enough to bathe half a rugby team in!). The room wasn’t unpleasant nor unattractive, but it also didn’t live up to the decor of the rest of the hotel. That being said, it really didn’t affect our experience, and, I should also say, if you want a more spacious, decadent room, the Bingham have several to choose from.
After perusing the mini bar, we headed down for a sundowner cocktail on the balcony (when in Richmond!) and dinner. So often hotel restaurants are overlooked. I’ll hold my hands up and say I’m guilty for presuming that they’re not the main focus and therefore won’t be anything spectacular, but the food at the Bingham was indeed spectacular.
Our highlights included the opening glass of champers, a delicious crab teriyaki, which was zinging with lime, a torched salmon starter, which was paired with lemon gel and cream cheese – a total dream, and also the pan fried halibut, served with a buttery mound of crushed peas and a potted shrimp sauce.
Although the food was rather fancy, the service wasn’t; if anything, there was a familiarity. Our waiter started the evening as a server and ended as a friend (it felt that way anyway). Our friendship was cemented when he recommended we share a bottle of Yealand’s Estate Sauvignon Blanc-a lively white which went down a treat.
For me, my time at the Bingham was so special because of the whole experience – we were able to work off the effect of the champagne on a 7am run along the Thames because it was literally a 30 second walk away from the hotel. We then refuelled with (possibly) the best smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast I’ve ever tasted, along with fresh fruit, yoghurts, crumpets and toast (yes, we were hungover and therefore hungry).
After breakfast, we headed on a (40 minute) walk to Kew Gardens but if you’d rather hang around near the hotel, guests have the option of heading down to bhuti, a yoga/fitness studio which offers holistic treatments and complementary therapies.
In short, this is a hotel which goes the extra mile to make you welcome. From the cocktails to the breakfast eggs, everything was perfect and I can’t wait to return.
Address: 61-63 Petersham Rd, Richmond TW10 6UT
Phone: 020 8940 0902
Website: binghamriverhouse.com
Main image courtesy of TimelessPictures.co.uk
