Does Young’s Brewery own all of the pubs in Richmond? It certainly owns some of the best ones, and the Watermans Arms is no exception.

The Venue
The Watermans Arms is one of the oldest pubs in Richmond, dating back to the 1600s. And it has kept many of its period features with the kind of aesthetic appeal that other, newer pubs can only dream of. The exterior is very charming with a couple of wooden benches outside, lots of beautiful flowering baskets, and warm red bricks contrasting with the bold black and gold signage. Inside it’s cosy and traditional with swathes of dark wood and plenty in the way of comfortable pub seating. And the open fire adds another depth of cosiness in the winter months.

The Atmosphere
The Watermans Arms has the same feeling that many Richmond pubs do – a cosy countryside retreat away from the big smoke. It’s wonderfully quaint and charming and it’s hard not to feel relaxed when cosying up with a pint of real ale here. A mix of locals and tourists flock here but it manages to avoid becoming too busy like some of Richmond’s rowdier venues.

The Food
The Watermans Arms has a very popular Thai food menu, with plenty of classic Thai dishes available. They also provide excellent value Sunday roasts (£8.95) and pub grub staples like fish and chips, steaks, all-day breakfasts and homemade pies. Get there early on Sundays for the roast as they tend to run out later in the afternoon.

The Drink
Thank God, then, that the shortcomings of the food menu is rescued by the drink choice, namely their focus on real ale. In fact, the Watermans Arms has been given the nod by CAMRA for many years now. The focus is mainly on their own brews with London Gold, Young’s Special and Young’s Ordinary all making an appearance, and all for just over £3 a pint.

The Last Word
The Watermans Arms is a great pub with the ideal traditional English setting and a great choice of ales. Now, if they could only bring their food menu in line with the rest of the pub’s character you can add another star to our rating.

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