Visitors to the delightful Royal Botanical Gardens can enjoy delicious meals at the Inn at Kew Gardens, which has opened up as a free house following extensive refurbishment in 2004. The transformation has been complete and now this lovely inn with its hardwood floors, soothing mezzanine area and a pretty beer garden and conservatory ranks high on the list of things to see at these world famous gardens.

The food from the modern European cuisine is delicious, beginning with a potted crab with toast and shallot salad, followed with a main course of coq au vin with new potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli and sweet roasted garlic. Sharing platters are also available and the charcuterie with bread, chutney and garnishes is an interesting change from the usual fare. For dessert, you could try the bread and butter pudding with rum and raisin ice cream. The wine list is a mixed group dominated by French wines.