reviews

Time Out 2010 says  ....4 out of 5 ****

 This riverside brasserie, once a coach house and stables, is tucked away from the road in a courtyard. It's a popular spot, and was almost full on a Tuesday night. Burnished wood floors and furniture, bold paintings and subdued lighting provide a mellow setting; diners on the Thames side of the long space get sterling sunset views. The menu is helpfully divided by theme rather than size, with veggies and salads, fish and shellfish, meat and grills, plus side dishes and puddings. The cooking is reliably good. Seasonal ingredients appear (asparagus, oysters - both excellent), and there are oriental touches (roast pork belly with steamed chinese greens and shiitake broth, say), as well as more typical brasserie classics such as softly textured and intensely flavoured corned beef hash adorned with fried eggs. Smoked haddock monte carlo (a stack of mash, fish and poached eggs, with creamy sauce) produced falling-apart flakes of fish...... Warm chocolate cake with pistachio ice-cream and raspberries was rich yet summery - desserts are a forte. A wide-ranging wine list (and separate bar area), Saturday brunch and a recently introduced morning menu add to the Depot's appeal

http://thelambshankredemption.blogspot.com/2010/05/barnes-storming.html

Lovely location, very decent, sensibly priced and crowd-pleasing? Absolutely.........the menu mixes some creativity (chick pea, vegetable, wild garlic soup with pancetta, sea bream with broccoli tempura, for example) with appetite-inducing classics.

Roast cod came atop minted Jersey Royals, morels, broad beans and English asparagus. The fish was firm, fresh and full flavoured, the supporting acts were vibrant and tasty: the morels were a particularly welcome touch, adding a pleasing, subtle richness. It's hardly a dish that reinvents the wheel but on a sunny day by the river it ticked my boxes. The same can be said of the warm pear and almond tart, which squidged and crumbled in roughly equal measure and delivered both flavours in efficient and pleasing style.

Worth the trip in its own right? ......given the proximity of Ye White Hart (proper riverside boozer), the efficiency of the journey (four trains an hour from Waterloo) and the fact that there's a two course lunch for £12.50, yes. Judging by the crowds of locals here for a midweek lunch, you might have a fight to get in. They are, I'm told, already taking bookings for 2011's Boat Race...

With a Thames-side location, situated in what used to be a stable block, this brasserie successfully blends rusticity with contemporary styling giving the place both character and style. Think striped-top banquette seating and modern bar meets scrubbed-wood tables, caffé-style chairs, exposed brick and parquet flooring, with views over the Thames o the rear and courtyard al fresco tables out front a big draw card. The crowd-pleasing menu delivers a good selection of simply constructed, modern brasserie-style dishes; take Cumberland sausages with mash and onion gravy, or pan-fried royal bream with scallops and crayfish served with a tarragon and baby spinach risotto, and puddings like Eton Mess or crème brulée.

“brilliant river-views” ...  “pleasurable” ambience at this local favourite, near Barnes Bridge.

Harden’s Restaurant Guide 2009

“The food………impeccable without trying too hard………plenty of good wines for under £20….As a romantic but understated venue, The Depot in Barnes is ideal”

Barnes favourite The Depot is enjoying a brand-new cosier look after a recent refurbishment. Idylically located on the riverside, with stunning views of the Thames and beyond....robust, homely cooking from chef Garry Knowles....it's seriously good value for money...

This long-standing Barnes riverside eatery has now emerged from a sensitive makeover boasting the current neighbourhood restaurant essentials....the trump card however, is the menu fashioned by Garry Knowles....a winsome roll-call of gutsy, honest classics, based on seasonal produce, succeeds in being both stylish and unpretentious.

...........locals who know about this place keep it full & lap up the 'fabulous' views over the river........charming service...

….The Depot has Barnes all sewn up.