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Bingham Riverhouse hotel review: Richmond’s Instagrammable boutique hotel

The bar in the Bingham Riverhouse, Richmond
The bar in the Bingham Riverhouse, Richmond

Tucked away on the banks of the Thames in an impressive Georgian building is Bingham Riverhouse, Richmond’s boutique hotel.

Self-described as a restaurant with rooms, the 3-star hotel has recently relaunched, following an extensive refurbishment.

Formerly The Bingham, the hotel has been given a head-to-toe makeover and now boasts interiors the Instagram set can’t help but share.

It’s boutique but homely and boasts a rather scandalous past. The property started life in the mid-18th century as two Georgian townhouses, before aunt and niece Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper moved in at the turn of the 20th century. Lovers and literary enthusiasts, the pair wrote numerous poems and plays using the pseudonym Michael Field.

This bookish past clearly inspired in-demand interior designer Nicola Harding’s revamp; well-read Penguin classics (over 5,000, by our count) line three out of four walls in one of the dining areas.

The rest of the decor is just as appeasing. Marbled lampshades compliment pastel Farrow & Ball wall colours, on-trend velvet furnishings and wicker chairs. But it’s the floor-to-ceiling windows that steal the show – and are the focal point in every shared space in the hotel.

The bar area, complete with millenial pink paint, modern wall art has a country-kitchen style effect and is a lovely spot for brunch, lunch or afternoon tea – you don’t have to stay at the hotel to enjoy it.

The dining room is a wonderfully serene space, complete with parlour palms and wicker chairs
The dining room is a wonderfully serene space, complete with parlour palms and wicker chairs
The dining room is split in two, with vintage Penguin books lining the shelves in one area
The dining room is split in two, with vintage Penguin books lining the shelves in one area

Upstairs are 15 bedrooms of varying sizes and price points – ideal for stumbling up to after eating your way through the hotel’s mouth-watering menu (more on that later).

Baudelaire’s the biggest and best room, boasting views of the river, garden and beyond from a beautiful Georgian bay window.

Light sleepers should, if financially feasible, book Baudelaire or one of the other back bedrooms overlooking the river. A main road runs adjacent to the front of the property, so there’s a fairly constant flow of traffic noise.

Harding’s made every effort to ensure even the smallest rooms feel opulent. Inspired by midcentury design, deep copper baths, luxurious woolen throws, vintage radios and wood panelling create a cosy-yet-chic effect.

The Baudelaire Suit at Bingham Riverhouse
The Baudelaire Suit at Bingham Riverhouse

But it’s the food that’s the hotel’s real selling point.

A specially curated, seasonal British menu, expect to dine on everything from guinea fowl breast with sprouts, mustard puree and chanterelle mushrooms to pan fried hake with seared scallops, torched cucumber and bouillabaisse.

If available, make sure you don’t miss the chickpea chips and save space for either the rhubarb pavlova or bitter chocolate mousse – both, while fairly small in size, are delicious.

The chickpea chips are not to be missed
The chickpea chips are not to be missed

Know before you go

  • Arrive by train or car. Trains from London Waterloo take approximately 20-minutes, followed by an easy, 15-minute walk to the hotel. If you drive, phone ahead and reserve one of the parking spaces across the road from the property.

  • Take advantage of the local surroundings. A post-lunch walk along the river to upmarket garden centre Petersham Nurseries is a great way to spend an afternoon. Or spend a day exploring National Trust property Ham House. Richmond Park, with its abundance of deer and open spaces, is a 15-minute walk.

  • Borrow a bike. The Bingham Riverhouse has Pashley bikes you can use to explore the area.

  • Book a spa appointment. The hotel’s sister company, wellness destination ‘bhuti’, is located three-minutes away by foot. As a hotel guest, you’re entitled to a 15% discount.

Yahoo UK was a guest of Bingham Riverhouse.