Kingston on a Sunday - There are two schools of thought. You can either join the crowds enjoying the market in the town square and the shops in the Bentall Centre and the High Street or you can take a stroll along the riverside.
As most of the shops aren’t dog-friendly, and with a desire to enjoy some of that rare Spring sunshine, we opted for the riverside. Now on previous visits we have stayed on the shop side and ventured either out through Canbury Park to the fabulous The Boater’s Inn pub (which is dog friendly) or the other way along the new development. Often in the past we have stopped at the French Bistro Frere Jacques for a glass of wine and a steak. But we were dismayed to see that it is now closed and being redeveloped. A Cote restaurant will take its place.
So we decided to leave the crowds behind and cross the bridge. Here we were faced with numerous choices. I had originally thought that we might take a walk through Bushy Park (where the famous Benton dog video was filmed) but decided to take the tow path instead.
The upper asphalt path was dominated by speeding cyclists so we went down closer to the river where the gravel path was quieter. There was a fair breeze but it was good to be out and about. Alfie thoroughly enjoyed sniffing the grass as we walked and had a really good root around when we sat on a bench to watch the boats and the activity on the other side of the river.
Finally, our appetites got the better of us so we walked back towards the bridge. The White Hart Hotel dominates the roundabout but I’d never been in. On enquiry, it seems that dogs are allowed towards the back of the bar. The front of the bar looked good though – lots of nooks and crannies, high and low tables and an interesting uneven floor. Full of character though.
At the back we found a sumptuously squishy leather sofa and a low table with a couple of chairs in a quiet corner. Perfect. I put my coat on the sofa for Alfie (don’t want to leave muddy footprints on the furniture or dogs will no longer be welcomed) and turned our attention to the food. There was a couple at another sofa and table adjacent to us – but at a sufficient distance that we didn’t feel cramped.
It’s a Fullers pub if you are a beer drinker. And the staff – both bar and waiting – were really friendly. But we had wine which was so drinkable we had a couple of glasses. There were roasts on the menu but I choose a burger which was served on a wooden platter with a bucket of chips and some coleslaw. My companion choose a healthy Caesar salad and seemed to enjoy it immensely.
Whilst it is a hotel (and apparently there are amazing four poster beds!) it felt like an ordinary bar. To be honest, I am so pleased I found the place as sometimes you need somewhere a little quieter than the full-on busyness of Kingston town centre.
