Restaurant Review: The Fat Badger, Richmond

Escape from the bustle of the city and head to London’s leafy borough of Richmond. Just a 10 minute train from Clapham Junction – or 20 from Waterloo – you can escape to the country and enjoy farm-sourced and seasonal cuisine, without having to leave London.

Restaurant Review: The Fat Badger, Richmond

The Fat Badger is set just away from Richmond’s bustling centre and sits perched overlooking the River Thames. Just a short walk from Richmond Theatre and the cinemas, it makes for a lovely midweek supper, or a destination trip on the weekends for its famous Saturday Brunch or Sunday Roast.

It’s the fifth outpost by Gladwin Brothers, the trio behind other celebrated restaurants like Notting Hill’s The Shed and Rabbit on the Kings Road. The trio’s combination of a farmer, a chef and a restauranteur has had a demonstrative positive impact on their success. Offering seasonal British cuisine, their focus is primarily on sustainability, with locally sourced sustainable produce on the menus – and The Fat Badger proves no different.

Eat the Seasons: Fruit & Veg That’s in Season Now

Inside, the space is bright, spacious and airy with fresh and characterful interiors. The midnight blue walls complement the wooden floors and tables, there’s warm lighting, dangling green leaves and eclectic framed artwork positioned throughout.

Its à la Carte menu offers a huge and delicious selection of British seasonal dishes in the form of smaller bites, sharing dishes and individual mains. Expect dishes like monkfish cheek goujons with a tartar source, tempura purple sprouting broccoli, wild garlic linguine and a distinctive speciality dish: the truffle-infused mushroom marmite eclair bites. The latter are a must-order.

The weekend brunch is also a treat. Start with the Bloody Mary, of course, and then decide between the poached egg with hollandaise and smoked trout, the honey glazed gammon benedict, or a full English.

The Best Brunches in London

But we’d recommend heading here on a Sunday for the Sunday Roast. This is the real piece-de-resistance, and will make you come back again, and again. Each roast is sourced from a family farm in Sussex, and you can tell. There’s beef, chicken, lamb, pork – all of which are tender, juicy and perfectly cooked – or a nut roast for the veggies. Each comes with seasonal and succulent veg, fluffy potatoes and a huge Yorkshire pudding. The portions are generous but you might just have room to squeeze in dessert. We’d recommend the salted caramel chocolate torte.

The Best Roasts in London

Final Word

Positioned in London’s country-village-style borough, you can escape the bustle of the city from a London postcode. The staff are friendly and the food is unbelievably good; you can tell that the ingredients are seasonal and well-sourced. You’ll leave feeling satisfied and comfortably full, and thanks to its riverside setting, you can walk it off after for a post-meal stroll along the river.

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