Just a stone's throw from Hampton Court Palace, The Prince of Wales is the kind of gastropub that does everything right without making a fuss about it. You'll find a spacious beer garden that's a proper sun-trap in summer, a cosy interior for winter roasts, and a seasonal à la carte menu that goes well beyond standard pub grub. The Sunday roast is the main event — arrive hungry and book ahead, because locals know about this one.
Spacious beer garden and a Sunday roast that locals cross Surrey for — all within walking distance of Hampton Court Palace.
Book ahead for Sunday lunch — the garden fills up fast on sunny weekends and walk-ins often face a wait.
A proper gastropub with a garden worth fighting for
The Prince of Wales nails that sweet spot between proper pub and decent restaurant. Set on Bridge Road in East Molesey, it's the obvious choice if you're visiting Hampton Court Palace and want a good meal without trekking into Kingston. The interior is warm and cosy — think exposed brick, wooden tables, and that comfortable lived-in feel that only comes from years of being a well-loved local. But the real draw is the beer garden: it's genuinely large, not one of those token patches of pavement with a couple of benches. On a sunny afternoon, it fills up fast with families, dog walkers, and anyone who's figured out that this is one of the best outdoor drinking spots in the area.
Food-wise, the seasonal à la carte menu is solid across the board, but the Sunday roast is what brings people back. Portions are generous, the meat is properly cooked, and the trimmings don't feel like an afterthought. The baked Camembert gets mentioned again and again in reviews, and rightly so — it's a proper starter worth sharing. Pies, steaks, and sandwiches round things out, and there's a bar snacks menu if you just want a pint and something to nibble. Service is consistently praised as friendly and attentive, which matters when the place is heaving on a weekend.
It's not flawless — on busy days the kitchen can slow down, and the OpenTable rating sits a touch lower than Google's 4.4, suggesting some diners have had mixed experiences when it's packed. But for a gastropub near a major tourist attraction, it punches well above what you'd expect. Book ahead for Sunday lunch, grab a garden table if the weather's playing along, and you'll see why 1,400+ reviewers keep coming back.