The Bingham
Above: The Bingham
I’d imagine the Bingham hotel is a beautiful place to stay. The elegant Georgian townhouse, with its sympathetic modern interior, dates back to the 1700s and is in a prime position overlooking the Thames. The staff are professional, yet friendly and offer a service that’s second to none. But unfortunately, we weren’t there to stay. The good news for us was that we were there to eat.
Dinner at the Bingham could be one of Richmond’s best kept secrets (or at least could have been). With offers such as £30 for three courses and wine starting from £14 a bottle it’s reasonably priced for such a slice of luxury. We were offered drinks before dinner when we arrived, ten minutes late after driving straight past the hotel (on the one way system), then struggling to find a parking space (The Bingham has it’s own car park across the road I later learned) but hunger was getting the better of us, so straight to dinner (and the wine list) it was.
David opted for the risotto to start, with crab, pink grapefruit, basil and kaffir lime and I plumped for the soup: roast garlic and potato soup with girolles, grilled Chablis goats cheese and truffle oil. Having eyed up the risotto on the menu myself I almost felt a flush of food envy when it arrived to the table – but then I tasted my soup, dished up in front of me a-top the goats cheese from a jug. It was truly delicious; the goats cheese island added an indescribable edge perfectly complemented by the soup. The risotto was nice, too. And The Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Franz Haas, Italy 2005 was the ideal accompaniment to the food.
The main courses were beautifully presented, the meat carefully stacked but in a way that didn’t make you feel guilty when you tucked in and ruined it. I ordered the pork – succulent loin of pork form Mount Gale and a portion of scrumptious crispy pork belly. Butternut squash puree added sweetness and the side order of sauté new potatoes I ordered with it were also a good choice, although the portions were generous enough that I didn’t really need them. David’s beef was remarkably tender, too. Cooked to rare the Scottish fillet came with roast parsnips, walnuts and a lemon thyme dressing.
Dessert (or pudding, as it’s called on the menu) rounded off the evening perfectly. Warm apple pie for the gent and the chocolate choice for me. As one whom rarely orders the chocolate choice (I did so on this occasion for that very reason) I found this quite difficult to contend with. Three variations of very chocolaty chocolate. One in a pot, one fondant and one scoop of ice cream. For chocolate lovers this is a pudding from the Gods, and while I enjoyed thoroughly enjoyed it – and would highly recommend it – I was glad I’d ordered a coffee to help it go down.
Lorraine Crighton-Smith
Dinner for two £80 including wine.
61-61 Petersham Road TW10 (020 8940 0902; www.thebingham.co.uk)