The White Cross
Richmond TW9 1TH
The White Cross
The White Cross
Superb view over the river
The White Cross is an old pub located right on the river in Richmond, not far from the bridge. In summer people take advantage of the waterfront so it is full of families with kids. It is so close to the river that sometimes the tide prevents you from getting out. Well, it is not a bad place to get stuck, especially if you are upstairs on the tiny balcony where you have a great view over the river as you can see in the pictures.
The pub got its name because it is built on the site of a monastery (Friars Observant of Richmond, before the order got suppressed).
A table with a view
We ordered the chicken liver & Brandy paté with plum & apple chutney & crusty bread (£5.95), the Cumberland sausages with mash & caramelised onion gravy (£7.95), the French bread baguette with honey roast ham & wholegrain mustard (£5.25) and the sultana scones with clotted cream, strawberry jam & clotted cream (£3.50). Other interesting options were whole baked camembert with fruit chutney & bread to dip (£8.95), the cheese board Denhay mature cheddar & Cropwell Bishop stilton with fruit chutney & crusty bread (£7.45) and homemade cottage pie served with mixed leaves & crusty bread (£8.95). Of course, being a pub you have many other sandwiches, wraps (for example the Warm Cajun Chicken & sour cream – £5.75) and baked jacket potatoes with cheddar & bacon (£6.25) or even with beef chilli con carne (£6.25). As drinks, we ordered a pint of kronenbourg and a lemonade.
Chicken liver & Brandy paté
Close-up
The chicken liver and Brandy paté was good. Not the best I’ve ever had, but not bad either, although it really needed the plum and apple chutney to accompany it. The crusty bread was excellent and more of it would have been welcome because of the big portion of paté.
French bread baguette with honey roast ham & wholegrain mustard
Close-up
The ham and mustard baguette was a mixed experience. On the one hand, the filling was a good thick slab of ham with wonderful texture and flavour, accompanied with just the right amound of fairly mild mustard. On the other hand, the baguette itself was an abomination. No nice fresh crispy outer and gently chewy inside here. No, sadly this baguette was a limp and flacid thing that shouldn’t have been allowed outside the kitchen it was baked in – I still shudder to think of it. I’d consider taking a sandwich here again, but I will never again make the mistake of ordering it on their so-called baguette. If you’re tempted to try it, I strongly recomend playing safe and taking the farmhouse “doorstep” sandwich instead (which is, presumably, the same sort of nice crusty sliced bread that accompanied the paté).
Cumberland sausages
Cumberland sausages
The Cumberland sausages were all right. Again, not fantastic but nothing to complain about too. The mash was HUGE! I usually have a great appetite but I couldn’t eat all of it. It was enough for 3 people!
The scones
The strawberry jam
The scones were pretty good, nice and fresh and not at all crumbly. They were served with fresh clotted cream and strawberry jam – a nice end to the meal.
Great location!
Cost and conclusion: it was about £25. You do not really go to the White Cross for its food but rather for the nice setting and the view of the Thames. With a pint of beer it is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon there. Richmond is such a nice town with a village feeling while being only 20 minutes away from Waterloo train station. Highly recommended if you are around!
