In a 19th-century clock tower on the riverside at Richmond – originally a private residence inspired by Queen Victoria’s coastal hideaway, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight – is Tower House, a new Mediterranean restaurant that wants to be the area’s catalyst for cool.
It’s by team behind Gold in Notting Hill, which has brought its modern Mediterranean fare further west with a promise to be “a bit more grown up” than its sibling, according to executive chef Theo Hill. That starts from the moment guests walk in, the blast of heat and thick curtains in tropical prints and deep reds offering reprieve from the chill wind off the water. Matchy-matchiness is eschewed for a mix of gently clashing design touches: a pink floral tapestry hangs over the upstairs bar and a chain-link candelabra from the ceiling, while chairs come in rattan and burgundy bouclé.
Where street level provides a sultry mood for sinking cocktails (there are the classics as well as mini Martinis – including a brown butter number made with brown butter mezcal, sage and fino sherry – and zero-proof sips), downstairs is a lighter affair designed for long lunches. Like at Gold – which counts Ed Sheeran, Maya Jama, Dua Lipa and more among its clientele – trees sprout from the middle of the dining room beneath glass ceilings. Upturned bunches of dried herbs hang over the kitchen counter, contributing to a terrarium-like effect. The 100-seat terrace on the water doubles the dining space. Restaurateur Nick House oversaw the design, working with Tibbatts Abel, on the architecture, Studio Duggan on interiors, and Rosebank on the landscape design.
The menu arrives folded with a wax seal and plates are designed for sharing (the kitchen recommends around five between two). “It’s a bit-by-bit rolling kind of thing,” Hill says of dishes that shift with the seasons and availability of produce, much of which is cooked over flames. On opening, options include winter warmers and a blast of Mediterranean sunshine: a beef shin ragu with paper-thin pappardelle, and roasted scarlet prawns with feta and yellow and red cherry tomatoes. Hill, a River Café alum, says his favourites at the moment are the jamon and manchego croquettes, and the skate wing and sea bream chargrilled on an open fire. (He is also “mad about” the scallop, plump and smoky and served in a hot shell.)
A soft launch allowed the team, including House to iron out any kinks. He hopes the restaurant will trigger an influx of hot openings, just as Gold has helped prompt in Notting Hill since it opened in 2019. “I chose Richmond as it always felt like a wonderful place to unwind and enjoy the park, the river, nature and the amazing meadows that lead onto my favourite place, Petersham Nurseries,” House says.
Hill adds that “it’s very hard to find your spot” in London’s restaurant scene. At Gold and now Tower House, “I feel at home. It's where I belong.”
Tower House
11 Bridge Street, TW9 1TQ
020 4636 9696
Hours:
Mon to Thu midday–11.30pm
Fri midday–12.30am
Sat 9am–12.30am
Sun 9am–11.30pm
