The Hand & Raquet is the perfect name tribute to what Wimbledon is famous for, and its name differs greatly from the traditional "Prince of Wales" or "Queen's Head". Inside it is a cozy wooden pub refurbished only a few years ago. It gets very busy with the locals and the one drawback is quite difficult to find a place to sit. Seating options come in different shapes or forms but there are very few. Long high table with high chairs, large low table with wooden chairs, and even some sofas with a medium-sized coffee table. The latter was our final choice. When the dishes came, our small table proved to be a small hazard for plates, food and glasses almost falling off the edge...
Atmosphere is the one you expect from a good wholesome pub. Slightly darkened but bright, festive and with some nice good old rock music. The menu offers a good range of pub favourites with the odd and unusual break from tradition. Staff is friendly and seem happy to help in any situations - especially with the table hazard we experienced.
Our food choice focused on the foundations of pub food: fish and chips, fish pie, steak and ale pie, and in addition an usual menu item: the "stoup" - a hybrid between stew and soup. First thing to bear in mind is that portions are deceptively large, and you don't realise until you feel full half-way. All dishes felt rich to the palate, and did not taste plastic or cooked from frozen. Presentation is of course rather home-made but it comes across as a strong point with the surroundings.
We did not have space for dessert - happy bellies all the way home!
Our verdict is as follows:
Quality of Food 4.00Hygiene 3.75
Value for Money 3.50
Speed of Service 3.75
Quality of Service 3.50
Ambience & décor 5.00
Hand and Raquet gets an overall rating of 77.5%
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