I need to give some background so you can appreciate why I give the scores that you see here.
We have been coming to Barnes for a couple of years - my wife is a Rick Stein fan of many years.
Whilst she was recovering from cancer treatment a few years ago we used to watch Ricks adventures across the world on repeat, it was very much a way of helping us to cope with the difficult times we found ourselves in.
When we discovered Barnes was only about 25 minutes drive away, we had to come and our most recent visit confirms why.
The waiters are superb, always polite, calm and helpful, the food - for which in this meal, shared with two of our closest friends, was mostly fish based and focusing on the lobster - was a culinary triumph, as always.
They remembered it was coming up to my birthday and an unexpected slice of cake was presented to me.
Barnes is a real slice of restaurant heaven for us. The seats overlooking the river, the ambience, the superb choice of wines and beers, and the non alcoholic drinks too (my wife in particular very grateful for the help in choosing drinks).
Overall, always a fabulous experience and we will be coming back. I hope Rick and Jack know that they’ve created something special here. We will always be grateful for the short times we have at this restaurant, reminding us in the best ways possible of the difficult times spent on hospitals and at home when things didn’t seem so good.
Thanks to the staff for a lovely Sunday out. You’re a credit to the restaurant, all of you.