please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I've passed this pub many times on the way up the hill to Richmond Park or to the Roebuck. But, aiming to try a few previously unvisited pubs in the town on Friday evening, it was top of my list to visit. The pub is a single, simple bar. The welcome is warm and whilst it was busy and noisy, it was still a pleasant enough drinking environment. A group of what appeared to be electricians were particularly noisy. But, they weren't unfriendly. 3 real ales were on. They have a house beer - Victoria Inn Pale Ale, in addition to Young's Bitter & Well's Bombardier. I enquired about the origins of the house beer and was told it was brewed at the same brewery as the Bombardier. As it was 4%, my best guess is that this was Courage Best rebadged.
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Recommended. Open til 1200am on Fridays {like the Dukes Head round the corner in the Vineyard} unlike the pubs down in the town.
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Richmond's smallest pub. Elsewhere it might be described as being a micropub. Small selection of real ale, of which Wainwirght's is probably the best. Suffers from not being well-managed. Often on a Saturday the bar stuff are drunk and there are too many locals in a state of tipsiness which can be tiring.
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Still good, little pub on the hill up from Richmond where the art galleries (or graphic design shops as many of them are) are. Youngs Bitter was good, they also had Wainwrights on (not tried).
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Just a good, honest, beer drinkers pub. I wish it was my local!
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Friendly one-bar pub that seems like it hasn’t changed for decades. Highly recommended escape from the brash nightspots of Richmond. Excellent Indian restaurant a couple of doors down.
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Just stopped in for the one pint. Very friendly landlady, made me feel welcome. Why can't more bar staff be like this?
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Discoverd this pub on a recent pub crawl round Richmond.
A old fashioned one room pub with a corridor leading to a small outside drinking/smoking area.
Do not remenber the choice of real ale I had (it was a long day!) but ti was well kept and so was the lager my friend had.
only a short walk from the town centre and well worth the effort in finding it.
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A nice little slightly quirky small square one -roomed bar. The pint of Elsie Mo was quite drinkable.
anonymous - 11 Dec 2011 16:04 |
Small but perfectly formed and conveniently placed just outside the often too-busy town centre.
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Went here last night for the first time (Thursday night, quiz night) and it is fantastic. Echo all the sentiments written already and spent time in the 'sitting room' bar and the garden. Really made to feel welcome by staff and regulars and could adopt this pub as my new 'local'- even if it is a way from where I live. Prices were cheap compared to the rest of the area/London - a pint with a packet of crisps/nuts 4 quid. It is a gem. Had 3 ales on - Ordinary, Hobgoblin and Doom Bar which all seemed well kept.
Actually, I was that impressed i'm toying with going there now :-)
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Best pub in Richmond!!!!
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Found this after seeing Cask Marque. Pleasant Pub the size of a cozy lounge with fire and very relaxed on a Friday.
Will be visiting but recall beer fine.
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Agree with previous reviewers - a lovely little pub with a very friendly welcome.
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A local gem - not what you'd expect in this area. It's a tiny place, like being in someone's front room. Very homely - not pretentious in the least, like some pubs around there. A proper boozer.
We had the last two pints of Doom Bar, and Tanglefoot was off. They also had Young's ordinary and Hobgoblin. Can't remember the exact prices, but they were less than �3 a pint - �2.90, I reckon. Cheap for the area. Perhaps not a pub to go out of your way for, but worth dropping into if you are in the area.
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Cosy pub, roaring fire on cold eves, good quality ales too. A fine selection of beer nuts, and if youre really really nice, the bar lady will let you warm your boots by the fire. A true pub
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What a great pub! If you can imagine the quintessential traditional British pub (somewhat of a dying breed...), this is it only smaller! Slightly off the beaten track but not far from Richmond bridge or the hill, it is indeed like drinking in someone's front parlour and you'd daren't break wind loudly or belch but that's fine!
Various cask ales in fine fettle served by friendly staff. Recommended for the connoisseur and the discerning.
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This pub is well worth a visit because of its size or lack of it. it must be the smallest pub for miles around. It was different, cosy, friendly with good service. A nice experience.
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I am not sure how a pub this small stays open but I am quite glad that it does. The beer is good, e.g. Hobgoblin, and with such a small room it cannot be anything other than cosy.
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THE SMALLEST PUB IN SURREY !! (Or so the barmaid insists!) I believe her. The 'Victoria Inn' is the darned smallest pub I've ever been in, that I can remember...and I've been in a few that I can't remember too..!!
The staff make you welcome as soon as you step inside, be prepared with your precis life-story, but don't take the secretary or anybody else's wife in there...it'll be all round Surrey before you get home!!
If you want to be amazed by this small pub, pop along. But its standing room only some evenings when the office workers have a 'do' or you get unavoidably caught up in an office 'crawl'. Can be interesting. Definately worth a look at unbusy times during the day. Luvvit! Teejay
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Small, traditional, cosy, single bar pub near the bottom of Hill Rise, a road that climbs up towards the famous view over Petersham Meadows and then up to the Richmond Gate entrance to Richmond Park.
As previous posters have correctly pointed out, it's a bit like drinking in someone's sitting room. Conversation rules here - there's no distractions such as fruit machines or music. I'm not sure what "cooker cutter pubs" are - as mentioned in an earlier posting - but, yes, this is a most untypical Richmond pub.
There were 3 real ales on last week - Youngs Ordinary, London Pride and Hobgoblin. My London Pride was served in a Greene King glass with England Rugby branding and wasn't brilliant, but was acceptable. I don't think there's a lot of real ale trade.
The Victoria Inn is in the Enterprise Inns pubco stable, I think, although this is not indicated on the pub sign.
The pub has a small attractive garden and smoking area out at the back. The corridor to the garden is covered with posters of theatrical shows held over the years at the nearby Richmond Theatre.
The pub is slightly off the Richmond circuit, so it's unlikely to get the Budweiser boneheads on Friday and Saturday evenings.
It's worth considering if in the area, but, as it's only small, don't turn up mob-handed.
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im glad to see this little place is still going , it was my local few years ago ,i must go back and have a pint or 2 soon
batts - 28 Mar 2009 23:46 |
The pub is like walking into a close friend's front room. The barmaid is extremely welcoming and friendly. It's a local's pub, but everyone makes you feel at home. Lovely garden and area for smoking. A gem in Richmond amongst the other cooker cutter pubs.
GandK - 14 Feb 2009 23:08 |
Strange little pub but very welcoming. Very friendly and polite lady behind the bar. Youngs ale passable. Pleasant location, worth the trip to seek it out.
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It's like stepping into someone's living room. Had a pint of Hobgoblin last night, other beers not too exciting - IPA and Youngs.
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Ill agree with the last few comments. Good beers, Great staff and warm welcom well worth a visit. 8/10
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Lovely pub. Been a regular now for about 6 months and find it lovely and charming. Delightful staff and friendly service. It might be very small, but it gives it a good ambience and friendly nature. Well worth a visit, highly recommended.
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Been a regular for 2 years now and have had some good times and a few laughs in this pub. The staff and most of the clientele are friendly (and entertaining at times) whether or not your a regular or a first time customer. This is one of the last proper pubs left in Richmond that hasnt been turned into a crappy "gastropub" or "theme bar",which is why I made it my local. There have been recent improvements - the outside has been repainted with a new (better) pub sign and the garden has a canopy with light and heating for the smokers. New garden furniture will also be installed. There is more choice of real ale - Hobgoblin has been added alongside Adnams and the Youngs bitter and for lager drinkers, San Miguel on tap. Also food will be available in the next few weeks so I'm told.
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Tiny, cosy pub with a fire and beer garden, very friendly owners and staff, a little front room really. Everyone talks to you and makes you feel welcome, unlike most pubs where you are ignored if you are not a local or in a noisy group. Don't expect a massive range of, well anything, it's so tiny there's not much room but it's a great stop over for the evening and if you want to head into Richmond it's handily positioned. Sports and music are played on the tv (not intrusively) and you'll even get an impromptu quiz, game of bingo, song, dance or joke from the crazy regulars. Celebs are occasionally spotted getting away from it all, trying to blend in with a quiet drink. Cheers!
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a lovely, small, friendly pub. even as a young drinker, the people are friendly; especially the lovely bar staff, who will always lend you a lighter etc. not much choice for the ale lover, but a large range of lagers; which are reasonably priced for a small pub in richmond. not the place for shots really, but for lovely fires you cannot go wrong. would benefit from some high commissioner wiskey for the drinker on a budget.
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Cosy pub, roaring fire on cold eves, good quality ales too. A fine selection of beer nuts, and if youre really really nice, the bar lady will let you warm your boots by the fire. a true pub
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Good location but not a lot else going for it. The place was very dead last night, only one other customer in the place, the Youngs bitter was cloudy then died and was not replaced. Shall not be going back in a hurry, particularly as there are so many much better pubs within a few minutes walk.
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Been meaning to check this place out for years and finally did last night. Its tinyness has to be seen to be believed but the hospitality was wonderful, very friendly lady behind the bar and friendly customers who were happy to converse with us, made us feel right at home. It's like a little pocket of old London has been preserved in this place and it's well worth regular visits to escape the bland bars with disinterested staff that surround it.
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Great pub, very welcoming and so cosy, especially on cold winter evenings. Absolutley tiny, like someones living room so not the place for an illicit affair, but wonderful just the same. Dog friendly too!
anonymous - 16 Mar 2007 17:34 |
A group of boys were down for the recent Scotland v England international. Hospitality second to none. We will be back in two years.
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Funny little pub. Amusing punters & staff. Away from all the Hounslow chavs who seem to be frequenting Richmond town centre more and more these days. The beer can be a bit on the warm side though.
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An amazing little pub! Emphasis on 'little'...! If you blink walking up Richmond Hill you'll miss it! If there's only one or two of you, you should fit in the pub ok! Any more than 4 people in your group, and you may find it a squash, but maybe you like that! But that's what makes The Victoria (Richmond Hill - as opposed to another Victoria pub in the borough, in East Sheen) such a quaint inn to visit. Definately an inn to include inn your bar tour inn Richmond inn the summer..(or winter)!!
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I spent the evening of the eurovision song contest night here, and what can i say they made a real effort. There were the flags all around the pub which made the people in the pub more excited and interested in the eurovision. I am not usually one for the eurovision but the atmosphere was great and really lively and everyone was joining in (especially when england's man came on!) There was even an ex eurovision contest there! It was a truley fabulous evening which me and my friends really enjoyed. Maybe a few more theme nights would be great, like there previous corona one! They have even gone to the effort of putting the world cup flags up and i was even there to hear they were the only pub in london to get all the flags correct, as they were the only one to make one square instead of rectaungular! Well done the victoria inn! Once again these were printed so a lot of effort must have gone into this! The new refurishment is really coming together, glad to see they haven't spoiled such a traditional pub in richmond unlike so many others which have been recently refurbished! This is a great place to visit and a lot more younger cliental are going there but not say the locals are leaving because they contribute to making the pub with their own individual characters! Recently employed some more staff who are also great fun and friendly! It is a certainly must go to and also the rioja red and white wine is great there! And the beer garden is really nice to sit in on days like this! And really makes an evening out!
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Nice cosy pub - a bit like sitting in some one's living room - but the draught beer is variable ( the Youngs Ordinary was marginally drinkable on my recent visit ) and it is interesting to note that the mainly elderly locals, who you might have expected to be beer drinkers, were all drinking lager. In view of this, it doesn't yet have enough to tempt me to visit here regularly in preference to say The Princes Head or the Old Ship
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A pub on the up! It is currently going through a gentle refurbishment that somehow seems to have changed nothing but has still managed to make it look bigger as well as giving it a fresh look. It's also a little friendlier. Still not a "must do" pub, particularly given the strong local competition, but worth a visit none the less.
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Without doubt worth a visit - one of my favourites in Richmond. Its so small and cosy that you feel like your in someones living room - great atmosphere and very friendly staff. Just remember to take cash BUT go!!!
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This is my favourite pub to go to! The bar staff are extremely friendly especially the land ladies! The regulars are all brilliant and always up for a laugh. The Victoria Inn doesn't have a 'clique' feel about it as they are friendly to everyone who walks through the door. You are always greeted with a smiling face and a pleasant welcome. The ashes never get full as they are always cleaned and i have never known the pub to be messy. The pub isn't large but it is like a living room with a fire! The fire is wonderful in Winter and it really makes those cold winter days worth while! There is something about this pub that makes people come back time after time! The beer is great! I have never been dissapointed with the service or the standard of my drinks. In the summer, it is lovely to sit in their beer garden, it isn't big but neither is the pub and that is what makes it so great! The beer garden has beautiful flowers and it just really nice to sit their and enjoy the sun and is also perfect for a summer evening! There is so much to say but i shall stop there! Definitely a great pub!
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Nice cosy traditional local. A bit small, but well worth dropping in if passing by
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Cosy little place. A real old Old fashioned boozer. Can get a bit smoky though, and the barman could also be a bit more stringent on telling people when they�ve had enough
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Tends to attrack the all-day drinkers who can't afford to drink in, or would get moved on from, the better pubs in town. No real reason to go there.
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A really good old-fashioned boozer peopled by all types of characters. Good quality beer served up in a cosy environment (it's just one room so it's very snug). Not a pub for people under 25 but well worth a visit by anybody older than that.
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It's small (really, really small) and cramped (because it's so small obviously!), and the beer garden is the size of a postage stamp with nothing but high walls to look at. However, the beer is good and the staff very friendly. Traditional in every sense of the word, and probably one of the most charming pubs in Richmond. Well worth a visit, but not one to drag all your mates from your local football team to (did I mention it was small?).
Mr Tall - 8 Nov 2004 00:41 |
Mick Jaggers local apparently. Don't let that put you off - A nice little pub and no Ikea furniture whatsoever.
TheGP - 23 Aug 2004 11:02 |
I told my boyfriend I loved him for the first time in this pub 6 years ago and he's my husband now, ahhhhhh x x x Lovely pub
Jane - 17 Aug 2004 13:00 |
Having moved away from Richmond 25 years ago, it's nice to see The Victoria hasn't changed much. Was always like someone's living room....don't spoil it like they did with The Red Cow!
Bob the Binman
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This is a lovely little pub. The beers are cold, the staff are very friendly. Come here on a summers day if you're on your way up the hill for a walk.
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Very decent pub.Good locals and good beer.
squatter - 12 Jul 2004 13:43 |
Affectionately known as "The Front Room" (small & cozy); great people behind the bar (Denise, Lorraine, George, et al). Our fave in Richmond when we visit from Canada; good wines & ice code Guinness (yeaaa!).
DeadlyDuo - 7 Dec 2003 16:54 |
Nice quiet pub, rather like your best mate's living room. Warm fire in the winter months. Decent beers. George the landlord is a great guy!!
Dush - 9 Nov 2003 04:59 |
