Do you want our honest opinion on dinner parties? Well, our top tip is to not actually sweat over the hot stove yourself, save yourself the hassle of all the shopping, forget the stress of your soufflé not rising and invite your friends to a restaurant instead! OK, it’s not really what is to be expected in those suburban circles where dinner partying is rife of a weekend, but it’s a whole lot easier and if you pick the right venue, the food can be spectacular.
Choosing your dinner party location is the hard bit. If you’re in London or the South East, we think dining on the edge of the River Thames is really rather superb. One of our favourite River Thames restaurants is in Eton, overlooking the Thames and the wonderful Windsor Castle.
The House on the Bridge is just that. A sublime restaurant with a pavilion, verandas, a terrace and gardens all situated right on the water’s edge on Windsor Bridge. Well known as a place for business luncheons, the venue also caters for weddings and other events. There is even a private dining room for that very exclusive dinner-party feel.
This isn’t the only venue enjoying the views from the banks of the Thames. There are 48 of the best Thames riverside eating places and venues listed on this very useful website if you are organising an event or just want to gift a special meal out to someone you love.
The website works as a directory to the venues, listing contact details, address and essential information such as capacity, a map showing the exact location, how to get there and photos. We would have liked to see some client reviews from people who have been to the venues, but it is still an excellent place to start your research.
If you’re just looking for a tranquil waterside pub to have a quiet spot of Sunday lunch, you might want to take a look at this website detailing nice pubs and restaurants on the Thames. Of course, the Thames runs from the estuary in Essex/Kent, through central London, Surrey and Berkshire so the list is huge, but it’s worth a look as each place has a profile page with a location map and short description of what it offers.
Back to central London and you can’t get closer to the heart of the capital than booking to dine in style on the Thames with a Thames river dinner cruise for two. Setting off from the easily accessible Embankment Pier, the boat glides gracefully along the Thames past the likes of the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, all whilst you are being served a meal at your table.
We think these Thames dinner cruises are ideal if you are looking for a gift idea that is romantic and a bit different. Whether you live in London or are planning a special trip to the capital, there’s nothing like a special cruise and meal on the Thames to round off a day in London. The cruises operate all year round and options include lunch cruises (ideal for a break in between shopping missions!), Sunday luncheon (perfect for a family day out), Jazz cruises (lunch with an extra musical twist!) and the traditional dinner cruises in the evening.
