The Bishop Out Of Residence is a spacious and comfortable pub with good food and affable staff on a bustling stretch of the Thames.

The Venue
The The Bishop Out Of Residence is a decent size pub with a modern but not altogether alluring exterior. Located right next to Kingston Bridge, the large windows overlook the outside tables and chairs, which in turn look over the river Thames. It is a ten minute walk from Kingston train station and handily just minutes from the many shops of Kingston town centre.

The décor is an unusual combination of the traditional (the bar) and the kitsch (the old stage lighting). The ground floor is airy and a mixture of tables and booths are sprinkled with fringed lamps giving a warm glow and an unpretentious if slightly old-fashioned air. Upstairs is quite different. The low level sofas and richly coloured textiles combined with the subtle lighting gives a really sexy vibe reminiscent of a Seventies nightclub. It is an excellent venue to hire out for a party and, as it’s one floor up, the river views are even more spectacular.

The Atmosphere
With its prime location, lots of outside space and a constant stream of pedestrians from the nearby town centre, the Bishop is definitely one for the summer. On a weekday evening in spring, however, the pub is quiet and while this makes for a relaxing dinner – you can hold a conversation comfortably and the service is extremely attentive - it is surprisingly subdued for a venue in a highly populated student area.

The well behaved drinkers here are a mixed bag of ages and mostly male, although with its dark private corners the upstairs lounging area is more of a pull for couples. The young staff are friendly and impressively knowledgeable about the menu and the wine list, and their enthusiasm is catching. There is a resident DJ upstairs at the weekends when things get livelier.

The Food
The menu here changes on almost a daily basis but there are just about the right amount of dishes to choose from. The hot goat's cheese bruschetta (£6.50) is absolutely delicious to start with, and the homemade pork scratchings with smoked paprika are hot, spicy and unbelievably moreish. You'll be gulping back pints of water all night after a bowlful of these but it's worth it because they are tremendous. For mains, old faithfuls such as the West Country stilton burger with chutney (£9.95) and peppered steak with mash, spinach and mushroom sauce (£13.50) are always available. The burger is presented on a wooden board along with chips, relish and salad. It looks delicious and tastes pretty good too, with an emphasis on freshness. Likewise, the steak with mash is an enormous portion which goes down a treat.

The decent quality continues through to the dessert menu with a selection of popular puddings with a twist. Try the vanilla parfait with poached pears or the sticky toffee pudding (£5.50).

Sharing boards (£12), pizzas (£7-£9) and sandwiches (£4.50-£6.50) are also available. You can also find a children's menu and brunch is served.

The Drink
The Bishop has it covered with a comprehensive wine list, at least four cask beers at any one time, a cocktail list (at a fairly reasonable £6.95) and even Pimm's and lemonade on tap. Kronenbourg, Grolsch Blonde, Stella, Foster's, Peroni, Young's and Bombardier are available on tap.

The staff are happy to advise on the wine list which is always a bonus and the Chilean TerraMater red (£17.60) is particularly enjoyable. White wines start at £17.30 and go up to £27.80 a bottle, while reds start at £15.80 and go up to £29.30. A bottle of Taittinger rose will set you back £57.90 but you can have a glass of bubbly for a reasonable £7.60.

The Last Word
This is a multi-faceted pub with a lot going for it. The surroundings are great, the food is genuinely delicious and the upstairs lounge area means you can easily while away a whole evening enjoying the view over the Thames.

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