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Ole & Steen [Official]

Where to Eat When Campaigning in Richmond Park

Sustenance for before, during, and after canvassing in the south-west London constituency

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The most marginal of London marginals — current Tory MP Zac Goldsmith has a majority of just 45. Forty. Five. Get pounding those pavements, canvassers. As a constituency Richmond Park itself stretches all the way from Hammersmith and Chiswick in the north to New Malden in the south, which makes for a broad (and delicious) range of refuelling options.

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Antipodea Kew

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Golden chorizo-folded eggs, fluffy syrup-soaked blueberry pancakes, poached Burford Browns with hung chilli yoghurt and toasted pide, and a crisp stack of sweetcorn fritters with tomato jam, aioli and bacon: this all-day Australian brasserie does brunch brilliantly.

Instagram/@thegreedylondoner

Pizzeria Rustica

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Every Richmonder knows this place, for good reason: it’s buzzy and fairly priced, and serves enormous, perfectly cooked pies. The Devil’s Workshop (salami, three chillies, Pugliese tomatoes and Fiore di Latte) will put a spring in your step, while the Piggy does what it says on the tin/menu. Decent negronis, too, for toasting a successful day’s door-knocking.

Instagram/@richmonderfoodie

Beirut Street Kitchen

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This Tardis-like flatbread specialist cooks them to order in its oven, turning them into substantial and heartily delicious Lebanese wraps: a falafel or kofta one, tangy with pickles and overflowing with sauces, salads and extras, makes for perfect campaigning fuel. Manakish, Lebanese pizzas, are another winner. Buy some baklava for later.

Danieli On The Green

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Zone 3 is home to one of London’s best-loved gelato specialists, and whatever the forecast, it’s never too cold for a couple of scoops on the campaign trail. Richmond legend Danieli’s parlour on the Green is a Wonka-esque paradise, serving up every flavour imaginable, from pistachio and amaretto to ricotta-pear and marzipan with chocolate.

Instagram/@gelateria_danieli

Ole & Steen

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Anyone for a cinnamon swirl? The Richmond outpost of the Scandi bakery chain has it all: lavishly topped open sandwiches, densely squidgy brownies, rye rolls, buns in abundance and whopping panini for toasting. Good coffee, too.

Ole & Steen [Official]

Chango’s handmade, oven-baked and impressively well-stuffed empanadas are portable (and available at one or two markets around south-west London), but for a mid-canvassing rest, head here. Order beef or spicy chicken with salsa criolla for dunking, but save space for alfajores de maizena: cornflout biscuits stuffed with dulce de leche and coconut.

Instagram/@malzito.89

Matsuba

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Off the main drag, Matsuba makes for an elegant lunchtime option. Alongside bento boxes, tempura, nigri and sushi sets (the Spider Roll with soft-shell crab is especially excellent), the Korean-run restaurant offers substantial rice-based dishes like beef bulgogi and bibimbap.

Instagram/@charmervee

Petersham Nurseries

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Up there with the best cafes in London, this one. Before or after a day ringing doorbells or stuffing letterboxes, the aspirational-bucolic surrounds of the original Petersham Nurseries are the perfect place to enjoy some seasonal Italian food, revelling in a menu of bountiful produce and virtuous sourcing.

Petersham Nurseries Richmond Marimo Images

This is, accoding to many, the best Korean restaurant in New Malden, and the best dishes on the menu are fish based. Saengsun jjim is a showstopper, a whole whiting in a deeply savoury, spicy sauce, leavened by herbaceous and bitter chrysanthemum greens, while maeungtang has a cleanness and restraint that the very best Korean broths have, backed by a dry anchovy kick and more pearlescent fish.

Instagram/@joypetitpois

Antipodea Kew

Golden chorizo-folded eggs, fluffy syrup-soaked blueberry pancakes, poached Burford Browns with hung chilli yoghurt and toasted pide, and a crisp stack of sweetcorn fritters with tomato jam, aioli and bacon: this all-day Australian brasserie does brunch brilliantly.

Instagram/@thegreedylondoner

Pizzeria Rustica

Every Richmonder knows this place, for good reason: it’s buzzy and fairly priced, and serves enormous, perfectly cooked pies. The Devil’s Workshop (salami, three chillies, Pugliese tomatoes and Fiore di Latte) will put a spring in your step, while the Piggy does what it says on the tin/menu. Decent negronis, too, for toasting a successful day’s door-knocking.

Instagram/@richmonderfoodie

Beirut Street Kitchen

This Tardis-like flatbread specialist cooks them to order in its oven, turning them into substantial and heartily delicious Lebanese wraps: a falafel or kofta one, tangy with pickles and overflowing with sauces, salads and extras, makes for perfect campaigning fuel. Manakish, Lebanese pizzas, are another winner. Buy some baklava for later.

Danieli On The Green

Zone 3 is home to one of London’s best-loved gelato specialists, and whatever the forecast, it’s never too cold for a couple of scoops on the campaign trail. Richmond legend Danieli’s parlour on the Green is a Wonka-esque paradise, serving up every flavour imaginable, from pistachio and amaretto to ricotta-pear and marzipan with chocolate.

Instagram/@gelateria_danieli

Ole & Steen

Anyone for a cinnamon swirl? The Richmond outpost of the Scandi bakery chain has it all: lavishly topped open sandwiches, densely squidgy brownies, rye rolls, buns in abundance and whopping panini for toasting. Good coffee, too.

Ole & Steen [Official]

Chango

Chango’s handmade, oven-baked and impressively well-stuffed empanadas are portable (and available at one or two markets around south-west London), but for a mid-canvassing rest, head here. Order beef or spicy chicken with salsa criolla for dunking, but save space for alfajores de maizena: cornflout biscuits stuffed with dulce de leche and coconut.

Instagram/@malzito.89

Matsuba

Off the main drag, Matsuba makes for an elegant lunchtime option. Alongside bento boxes, tempura, nigri and sushi sets (the Spider Roll with soft-shell crab is especially excellent), the Korean-run restaurant offers substantial rice-based dishes like beef bulgogi and bibimbap.

Instagram/@charmervee

Petersham Nurseries

Up there with the best cafes in London, this one. Before or after a day ringing doorbells or stuffing letterboxes, the aspirational-bucolic surrounds of the original Petersham Nurseries are the perfect place to enjoy some seasonal Italian food, revelling in a menu of bountiful produce and virtuous sourcing.

Petersham Nurseries Richmond Marimo Images

Imone

This is, accoding to many, the best Korean restaurant in New Malden, and the best dishes on the menu are fish based. Saengsun jjim is a showstopper, a whole whiting in a deeply savoury, spicy sauce, leavened by herbaceous and bitter chrysanthemum greens, while maeungtang has a cleanness and restraint that the very best Korean broths have, backed by a dry anchovy kick and more pearlescent fish.

Instagram/@joypetitpois