Med Kitchen

Med Kitchen, Richmond

Open daily 8am–11pm

The Richmond branch of Med Kitchen is ideally located by the river and even in the depths of winter, the large windows offer fab views. My friend Georgia and I were starving so ordered a selection of Italian breads (£3.60) and a bottle of Domaine Jean Goulley chablis (£24). We didn’t get off to a great start; the breadsticks seemed shop-bought and the waitress started pouring the wine into our water glasses.

I moved on to the crostini platter (£6.95), topped with a lovely smoky prosciutto and tomatoes. However, the trout mousse was overly peppered and the crab had a very unpleasant taste which I could only describe at the time as ‘stale dishcloths’. Georgia had the jumbo tiger prawns (£7.95) which were pan-fried in chilli, garlic and lemon – well-flavoured but sadly the prawns were slightly rubbery.

Our mains arrived very quickly. I had the fish of the day, swordfish (£12.95) which was accompanied by a fruit bowl-sized dish of fries and Mediterranean vegetables. The fish was slightly overcooked and dry. Luckily the vegetables were very flavoursome and the fries were crisp yet fluffy. The 16-spice chicken (£11.75) intrigued Georgia enough for her to order it. It arrived on a blanket of the tapas fave patatas bravas and crème fràîche – enjoyable but no showstopper.

Full-to-bursting, we took a break and had a tea with our dessert, opting for a fresh mint (to aid digestion). A New York-style baked cheesecake is a very tricky thing to get right (my own ending up in the bin). However, Med Kitchen got it bang on; the cheesecake (£5.50) was perfectly set with a nicely packed biscuit bottom and creamy vanilla filling. Georgia had the Eton mess (£5.50), which had the right combination of smooth cream and sweet strawberry with meringue crunches throughout.

Med Kitchen would be perfect on a sunny Sunday afternoon to meet the girls for a late lunch looking out over the muscular rowers, but I can’t say I left feeling as if I’d had a special treat.

Meal for two, including wine and service, around £80.

Med Kitchen, Heron Square, Richmond, TW9; www.medkitchen.co.uk; 020 7042 0452

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