Sunday Lunch in Richmond – Rock and Rose Restaurant, Kew Road

Faced with the prospect of taking my 16 year old God daughter out for lunch on one of her visits from Oxford I frantically wondered where to take her that would be grown up but not old-fashioned, a bit different and fun.

Richmond has lots of great restaurants and plenty of bars but for a 16 year old, the choice is more challenging. So I remembered Rock and Rose on the Kew Road. It’s a truly unique experience as the vast interior is a treasure trove of glamorous and completely over the top design. It’s all black and hot pink cushions, black chandeliers and huge ornate vases filled with black twigs that are studded with blood red roses. There are Union Flag wall hangings with sequins and beads and numerous nooks and crannies with uber-cool mannequins and tasteful bric-a-brac. At the rear is a large conservatory room. This is the place for ladies who lunch – in style. And whilst there were some groups and couples there, there were a fair few girls only tables.

She sipped on a beautifully presented Melon Refresh mocktail and I had a large glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Whilst there was roast dinner, ribs and burgers on the menu I was delighted that she decided to try something a bit different. Her chilli prawns were hot and presented in their shells on small wooden skewers and a finger bowl. I tucked into a crispy duck thai salad – a generous portion. Her two large pieces of corn fed chicken arrived on a wooden slab with a pot of chilli mayonnaise and another of fries. I had a small half lobster with my linguine which was delicious. We decided that we didn’t have space for dessert and so strolled back into Richmond town centre and enjoyed coffee and hot chocolate (and a piece of cake) at Costa near the station.

The strapline for Rock and Rose is “Food. Passion. Glamour” and it certainly lived up to its Glamour billing. The staff are a real delight and couldn’t do more to make me and my young companion feel at ease. My God daughter appeared to have enjoyed the whole experience and was delighted with the pink tissue wrapped mug that I bought for her (£5.75) as a momento for the occasion. Whilst it certainly wasn’t cheap (with service and the mug the bill came to £77) it was certainly a successful treat as I don’t think – apart from the Crazy Bear clubs and hotels in Covent Garden and Beaconsfield – you will find such sumptuously over the top décor anywhere else. Real girly fun.