A Whimsical Brunch at Petersham Nurseries, Richmond
A Whimsical Brunch at Petersham Nurseries, Richmond
The Petersham Nurseries Teahouse completes a perfect day out, even if the food isn’t flawless
Petersham Nurseries in Richmond is one of those places that feels like stepping into another world.
We drive over from west London for a day of wandering among the wildflowers, herbs and beautifully curated plants at this whimsical garden centre. Everywhere you look there’s another display spilling out of antique pots or climbing through the greenhouse. It’s gloriously untamed and exactly the sort of place that makes you forget you’re still in London.
Naturally, all that browsing works up an appetite.
Thankfully, tucked among the greenery is the Petersham Nurseries Teahouse, serving brunch, lunch, coffee and cakes. But is it worth making the journey for the food alone?
Quick info on Petersham Nurseries Teahouse
- Restaurant: Petersham Nurseries Teahouse
- Where: Petersham Nurseries Garden Centre, Richmond
- Cuisine: breakfast/brunch, lunch, cakes and coffee
- Must order: potato rösti with smoked trout, pistachio cake
- Skip: Fried eggs on sourdough with anchovy butter (and any fried eggs)
- Price: Around £25 per person for brunch and coffee
- Good to know: The Teahouse sits inside a greenhouse, so it gets surprisingly warm on sunny days. Parking is free but limited along the entrance road.
- Details: Party of 3 plus a child. Meal paid for by us independently
Find out more in our full Petersham Nurseries Teahouse review.
The Petersham Nurseries Teahouse menu offers good value
Before visiting, it’s worth knowing that the Petersham Nurseries Teahouse is quite different to the main Petersham Nurseries restaurant.
The Teahouse is the more casual option, serving breakfast until 11:30am before switching to lunch, alongside a tempting cake counter that’s available all day. Brunch dishes range from around £9 to £17.50, while lunch mains sit comfortably between £13 and £18, making it fairly reasonable.
By comparison, the main Petersham Nurseries restaurant is a far grander affair, in terms of pricing anyway. Its set menus currently start from around £70 for two courses, and over the years it’s attracted criticism from some diners who felt the experience didn’t always justify the premium price tag.
That makes the Petersham Nurseries Teahouse menu rather appealing. You still get the magical surroundings and seasonal cooking, just without committing to a much more expensive meal.
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The setting is every bit as magical as you’d hope
The Petersham Nurseries Teahouse itself continues the garden centre aesthetic beautifully.
Whether you’re sitting inside the long greenhouse or outside among the plants, it feels wonderfully connected to the nursery around it. We visit on a glorious summer day and it’s exactly where you want to be.
One thing to bear in mind, though, is that the greenhouse gets surprisingly warm. Even with windows open, it holds onto the heat, so I’d probably opt for an outdoor table whenever the weather allows.
The potato rösti is easily the star of brunch
The standout dish is undoubtedly the Petersham potato rösti with smoked trout, herby cream cheese and dill (£15).
The rösti itself is softer than I’d expected, almost resembling buttery mashed potato with a crisp golden crust, rather than the rough-and-ready shredded version you often find elsewhere. Personally, I’d have loved a little more texture. Something slightly more rustic. Still, that’s a small criticism.
The generous ribbons of smoked trout, creamy herb-flecked cheese and fragrant dill come together beautifully, creating a deeply satisfying plate that’s worth every penny. I’d happily order it again.
Some Petersham Nurseries dishes don’t quite bloom
We also try the fried eggs on toasted sourdough with anchovy butter and chilli (£13).
Unfortunately, this is where things unravel a little. It’s an incredibly simple dish, which means the eggs have to be absolutely perfect. Ours aren’t.
The yolks are noticeably overcooked, closer to firm than runny, and because there’s very little else happening on the plate, it’s difficult to overlook. In fact, the tomatoes you can see in my photos have actually been borrowed from another dish to make the plate taste a little more exciting.
I’d give this one a miss next time.
Our four-year-old orders the vegetarian breakfast (£14), swapping scrambled eggs for fried eggs, and while she happily demolishes the yolks (which are also overcooked in this dish) and picks away at the spinach,
I find myself wishing the plate included a vegetarian sausage or two. The homemade beans are particularly lovely, but the breakfast could do with something a little heartier to make it feel complete.
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Save room for coffee and cake
Luckily, the cakes rescue proceedings.
The pistachio cake is wonderfully dense and rich, served as an individual mini cake rather than a slice. The pistachio flavour comes through beautifully without becoming overly sweet.
The lemon cake is lighter, softer and carries a lovely citrus sharpness that keeps you going back for another forkful.
The buttermilk scones arrive warm with jam and cream, but they’re a touch too biscuit-like for my liking. Perfectly pleasant, but not something I’d rush back for when supermarket scones warmed in the microwave can honestly produce a better result.
Coffee, meanwhile, is excellent.
Both the iced latte and cappuccino are beautifully smooth, balanced and exactly what you want while sitting among the greenery.
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Is the Petersham Nurseries Teahouse worth visiting?
Our meal comes to around £25 per person, which feels reasonable for the setting.
Service, however, is a little inconsistent. Saturday brunch is clearly busy, and it shows. Drinks and cakes arrive well before the hot food, and I can’t help wondering whether the overcooked eggs are simply casualties of a kitchen trying to keep up with demand.
Interestingly, the dishes that don’t rely on split-second timing, like the rösti, fare considerably better.
Final thoughts on brunch at Petersham Nurseries
Would I drive across London just for brunch at the Petersham Nurseries Teahouse? Probably not. It’s not good enough to be a destination restaurant, but it’s lovely in the moment, if you’re at the garden centre anyway, and want to stop for a bite.
The nursery itself is the real destination. Wandering through wildflowers and beautifully curated flower displays is a joy in itself, and the Teahouse simply makes the day even better. Order the potato rösti, grab a good coffee, perhaps add a slice of cake, and you’ll leave very happy indeed.
Just maybe don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Or, in this case, on your plate.
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Petersham Nurseries Teahouse brunch restaurant review
Address – Petersham Rd, Richmond TW10 7AB
Nearest Tube – Richmond
