Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames
The Plough Bakery

The Plough Bakery

374 Malden Road, KT4 7NL, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom

Steak • Coffee • Cheese • Bakeries


"Here's a rarity. A friendly, local, proper bakery which is much valued by local residents and is well-known to builders, van drivers and passing trade as THE place to pick up a hot pastry and cuppa at lunchtime. Open bizarrely) from midnight to 3pm, this is a real bakery, with ovens blazing through the night as tray after tray of loaves, baguettes, rolls and pastries are produced. The staff are friendly and helpful, and there are three tables outside, so you can sit and watch the 213 buses going by, and try to make yourself heard over the constant traffic along Malden Road to and from Worcester Park. The Plough Bakery has been in business opposite the Plough pub for 35 years, sticking to what it does best. It's like Greggs, but without the corporate millstone round its neck. Everything is fresh and generous. The sausage rolls £1.90) are a meal in themselves, finished with a lattice-style pastry decoration, hearty and substantial. But why stop there? The coffee machine is churning out cuppas every few minutes cappuccinos are £1.50), and alongside the loaf selection there are apple turnovers at £1.20, superb cheese and onion pasties at £2 and lemon drizzle doughnuts at £1.20. In charge is a redoubtable trout who won't take any lip and gives as good as she gets, especially if you get her going about the parking outside... which is free, but is often snarled up by other local businesses. Everything is baked on site, and traditional bakeries like this deserve support."

Zafari Grill

Zafari Grill

Chessington Safari Hotel, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom

Steak • Pasta • African • European


"Travelling with three young children, just spent two great days at another Merlin resort and looking forward to more of the same, the earliest table booking we could get was 1945. Table wasn’t ready on time, but once seated the service was desperately slow. No one did the industry standard “is everything alright?” Starters arrived fairly promptly but drinks took a while. Once starters were finished it took nearly an hour for the main course to arrive, by which time the kids were over tired and barely able to eat. We had to ask for more cutlery for the main course, and when we eventually got the attention of a server for a further round of drinks it took 20 minutes to bring them. It was not busy, hardly 40% full. Two other tables nearby were complaining about the slow service- also with young children. There were plenty of waiting staff on, they just seemed to prefer congregating by the tills and apparently gossiping- the three at the till near us were recounting an anecdote of another patron also complaining of poor service. By 2115 the kids had enough and needed to go to bed. I asked for the bill and was astonished to find that restaurant items cannot be charged to rooms, necessitating a trip back upstairs to get a phone with which to pay with children in tow. I asked to see the manager and explained that the service was dissatisfactory, and she seemed more concerned that they were all due to finish at 2200. The food was average at best, the prices above average, service well below average, and management indifferent. It was explained that the catering is not provided by the same firm as the hotel- it is Aramark, who are more your staff canteen contracting outfit than restaurateur contenders. Knowing this I’m amazed there was table service at all, or that the condiments weren’t in single serve packets. I will not be eating here again, other than the inclusive breakfast with room rates. I will, like previous visits, take a walk up the road to one of the several pubs nearby that offer better value and service. A highly disappointing start to a much anticipated visit to chessington world of adventures."

The Berry Pub

The Berry Pub

107 Chiltern Drive, Kingston Upon Thames, United Kingdom, KT5 8LS, Kingston upon Thames

Pub • British • Burgers • Breakfast


"I have started coming to this pub every week for the last three weeks as they have a pub quiz on Thursday, the community there are relaxed, inclusive and happy. The food is great and nothing super expensive, the portions are great, though the sharers may only cover 2 people for a meal, 3-4 if you are just getting something to snack on. Drinks are average prices £2 for a Pepsi, £4-6 for beer and cider etc. The quiz is awesome and run by Steve who is a brilliant quiz master. There is plenty of parking on the local roads in the evening, I'm not sure about during the day, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to figure out parking on a road away, and there is a K2 bus that is regular and Berrylands train station is about 30-60 seconds walk. I think a lot of pubs tend to over promise and under deliver, either on atmosphere, food or drink. Im not saying this pub is mind blowing and you'll tell all your friends about it, but to have a pub that is genuinely really comfortable for literally anyone is really nice, it leaves a smile on your face when you leave, and it's in a very nice, quaint and quiet neighbourhood that is very safe and is literally seconds from the train station. Relaxed and safe enough for kids and families, and dog friendly. Good food, good drink, good company, what else do you need? Dietary restrictions: They have vegan and vegetarian options, and I have overheard other people changing their orders to suit different Intolerances too. Kid-friendliness: Very relaxed atmosphere, safe and quiet roads outside, the kids menu is pretty standard, but it's good. Wheelchair accessibility: There is a ramp at the main entrance and a wide door way so there shouldn't be any issues getting in. Servers and staff are super kind and respectful so I think any issues would be dealt with swiftly. Price per person: £10–20 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips, Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Crackling, Berrylands Burger, Nachos, Pulled Pork"