Warm atmospheres in Kingston Upon Thames

“Best barber in Kingston. Two lads on the left will give you the freshest trim.”

“Walked in without appointment. My hair was cut by Kate. She was very professional, used a wider variety of techniques (and tools.) than my previous barbers and achieved much cleaner results. I went in with some vague instructions (Smart, summer, interview ready.) as I'm never sure what to ask for and left understanding exactly why this place has such high ratings. It's £2 more for a gents restyle cut than the place down the road, but we'll worth it. Will be back again.”

“Great barbers. Usually 5 chairs on the go at anytime so despite being constantly busy the waiting time is short. These guys know their job really well. I usually go for haircut and beard trim. I usually have my ears and nostrils waxed for £33. Bargain. This includes Turkish towel and any product for your hair. Highly recommended.”

“Gorgeous stylish studio with an extremely friendly crew. Wade in particular is a superbly talented artist who my family and I have been going to for years. A brilliant eye for detail with loads of ideas and enthusiasm to help design the perfect tattoo. Will be going to him for many more years to come!”

“A vibe! Food was great and the interior aesthetic was definitely insta-worthy! We ordered: Elote, Chimichangas, Beef burrito, prawn tacos, and Churros for dessert. Also the chicken taco from the kids menu - best Mexican food we've had in a long time, everything was zingy and fresh, and not stodgy or packet-tasting. Especially recommend the prawn tacos. Staff are friendly and attentive. Price was fair for what was offered. Nothing else like this in West London, particularly grateful that it's Halal! Will definitely be back with friends!”

“The most/only authentic Italian restaurant. The food was amazing. Lovely staff, ambience and service. Would highly recommend. Definitely the best pizza in Kingston.”

“A hidden gem. Cosy, friendly, spotlessly clean wonderful friendly staff. Coffee and food very good too.”

“Fantastic fish and chips, always cooked fresh to order and very friendly service. A fantastic local fish and chip shop, our new “go to” place in Kingston Upon Thames for fish and chips in the evening!”

“It was amazing experience at the Wych Elm. 5 star food and super friendly staff. We celebrated my husband birthday there and they prepared for the balloons and decorations. Highly recommended and we definitely will come back!”

“I live somewhere else now and obviously I’ve tried many Chinese takeaways in Britain and around the world and nothing compares to this take away! I’ve had it since I was a kid, the food is always tasty, their spicy squid with chilli and salt is amazing, no other Chinese makes it like they do. The lady who runs the restaurant is also one of the most lovely, attentive person. Truly recommend this place!”

“I work local, so the Kingston food market is usually where I grab my lunch, for me Namu is the best food market in town. The sweet and sour chicken with rice is as good as anywhere. The taste, the portion, the price. 10/10.”

“A delightful independent café in Kingston town centre serving up great coffee and freshly cooked fare. The owner is always a pleasure to talk to and the staff are friendly and thoughtful. Fortunella takes pride in everything it does - and it does it well. The rather splendid Redchurch espresso blend (by Allpress) provides the foundation to all their coffee, and what better way to enjoy it than in one of their large flat whites. You don’t often see those on offer! Breakfast is just as splendid as the coffee, with lots of breakfast staples on offer made with high quality ingredients. Full English was on point - love the flavourful herby sausage and sourdough toast on the side.”

“Always an exciting experience in this lively bar on the Kingston/Surbiton border. Family friendly in the day for us to watch the football and enjoy a pint. Made most welcome by big Andy behind the bar and a place to return”

“One of the few remaining “proper pubs” in the area and it’s fantastic - warm welcome from the bar staff, fantastic ales, friendly locals - so glad to have found the Park Tavern!”

“I've featured my local Big Smoke pub before but on the rare occasion I found The Albion mostly empty, and serving the exceptional A&H London Black from the official glassware, I figured it was time to feature a review. I believe this was the second pub Big Smoke opened, building on the success of The Antelope in Surbiton. It's been here as long as I can remember, and at one stage had a Gin Distillery out the back which I think is now just garden seating (opted not to pap this, but there's a huge garden there with beer festivals held in the summer). Indoors, it's familiar to those who know the chain. Wooden panelling, ample seating, vinyl soundtracked vibe, 10+ ales and ciders, a multitude of keg offerings too including 2 AF options in the form of Lucky Saint and their own AF beer which has gone down well over the past month. You get a mixture of students, weekend shoppers, families and real ale folk in here, it's a nice melting pot of booze enthusiasts and those looking for a pub not surrounded by Vape Shops, a step away from the town centre, outside of the rampant demolition you see taking over Kingston. It's sort of a home away from home, despite only being some 15-20 minutes down the road from me, a chain familiarity but still less polished than those brand new Big Smoke pubs you spot in greater London. With time to kill it can be a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of town, but with Rugby on and one of the few spacious family friendly pubs in the area it can get quite hectic. A nice problem to have for Big Smoke. Food again is similar to the other sites, a sort of BBQ meets pub grub style, with plenty of bits in-between to choose from. See the place pack out for weekends with roasts on, and various offers during the week. The pub dates back to 1845, little known about its history other than it was advertised as a sort of taproom with a view to watch the recreational sports on the green. Once Greene King, now Big Smoke, another one saved from mediocrity.”

“I have visited salon last Saturday to see Gosia for my hair cut which I’m super pleased about! Can’t thank Gosia enough for listening to every word I said and taking extra care ! Very appreciated Will recommend with my eyes shut!”

“Passing through the area, searched on google. Welcome was great from the barber and I felt comfortable straight away. Definitely a great barbers with fantastic customer service. Will be visiting again if I’m in the area!”

“Great food and service. We tried lamb tashreeb and Iraqi special kebab. Both tasted good and flavourful. They also give a lentil soup as a complementary which itself is delicious. Liked their ayran also, which was made in-house.”

“Decent Vietnamese restaurant! Salt and pepper shrimp was yum, and vermicelli was spot on. Beef pho had more than enough meat with well balanced soup. The ambiance was cozy and welcoming. Our server was super sweet as well.”

“Delicious beyond belief. My favourite Chinese restaurante in London. This is exactly what Chinese food tastes like in China. Most of the time I think Chinese restaurants in Europe generally adapt flavours too much to match our taste, maybe a wrong impression. Not in this case though. The people were friendly and really nice.”

“I’ve never eaten at Poor Boys but have ordered from here a number of times and they never disappoint. In my opinion this is the best takeaway option in Kingston if you’re looking for American food. It’s not cheap but the food is delicious and always cooked to a high standard. I wouldn’t order the calamari again as this doesn’t travel well, but everything else can easily be heated up on the oven without compromising the quality. I love the popcorn cauliflower and was really disappointed to see this isn’t available as a starter/snack anymore, but hope they’ll bring it back soon. I’m a meat eater but always loved ordering it as a great side! The Cajun fries are an absolute must too.”

“Such a handy coffee shop. Doesn't look that special from the outside but very tasty food - paninis, baguettes, jacket potatoes etc. Also delicious baklava as well as freshly baked pastries & bread and a few other things like eggs & flour. Also really friendly owner so I'd recommend this place.”

“Cozy and comfortable atmosphere in a calm neighborhood. Nice selection of cakes, snacks, and breakfast options. Delicious coffee and tea, prepared with an expert touch. Just perfect for a rest and to enjoy your time.”

“Delicious coffee, delicious bread. It's a friendly dog cafe. Friendly dog cafes often smell like in-store. Fika is very clean.”

“Super cute café with lovely and friendly staff. Great food at an amazing value and the latte is a personal favourite!”

“I was recently searching for a quiet and cosy coffee shop to study in and came across this one. It did not disappoint. The lovely barista (Jazz) has offered great service both times I have been there. I am definitely going to be a regular from now. Today she was so sweet and even let me stay an extra 15 minutes after closing time after I told her I have a very important zoom meeting that I could not miss. Coffee is amazing, best vanilla lattes in Kingston, and the selection of pastries does not disappoint. Highly recommend! ;)”

“A gem of a find,great coffee and the staff are really friendly,I’ll definitely be making this a favourite.”

“The manager and staff were amazing on Friday evening. We arrived with a Spanish exchange group of 32 teenagers and 8 adults! Many more than planned. The staff dealt with this brilliantly and took it all in their stride. Fantastic work guys! Thank you again! Vicky”

“Been getting dead (bad - for those who don't get it) trims? Yeah, that's cause you haven't been coming to Ismail's. Na, all jokes aside, best barbershop in the borough of Kingston . Super friendly and welcoming staff. All the barbers know what they're doing and make sure they understand what kinda trim you want. Clean and calm environment. Prices are also very reasonable, have paid more for less elsewhere. Make sure you come early, as there can be a little wait on busier days, justified for the outcome though. Cannot recommend any more - Cheat on your barber, come to Ismail's!”

“Amazing Italian restaurant with extremely friendly server. Brilliant food and good value for money. The food and drinks are of a high quality and there is a big range of cocktails. Came for a family birthday and wish we came in sooner.”