Restaurants

The interior of the White Swan has seen better days, but this doesn’t matter, as you’ll be sitting outside at one of the dozen or so picnic tables across the road on the sun-drenched riverside terrace with the Thames lapping on the slipways either side of you, and views of boaters and weeping willows stretching either way. You have to nip back over the traffic-free road to the pub to order food. On the terrace, a gas-fired barbecue does simple barbie dishes (beef or lamb steak, salmon, sausages) and you help yourself to the simple salad buffet on your paper plate. It’s not gourmet fare, but our steak was cooked correctly by the Aussie chef, and a plate of food only costs £8. Among the beers are Twickenham Sundancer from a local microbrewery. Be warned that the place will be rammed on August 22, when a raft race crosses the Thames from the pub (starting at 10am).

Time Out London Issue 2030: July 16-22 2009