The Lensbury officially opened its new Riverside Restaurant and Sports Bar on Saturday, 26 September.

And to celebrate, the Teddington hotel invited Members to an exclusive preview of the new additions on Friday night (25 September), which included live music, complimentary drinks, a four-course taster meal and a ribbon-cutting.

Starting at 7pm on Friday, guests were welcomed into The Lensbury's lounge with a complimentary Hugo Spritz or Mocktail while being serenaded by a fabulous singer.

This allowed Members to enjoy a pre-dinner drink while catching up, and among the guests were local MP Munira Wilson and Teddington Ward councillor Phil Giesler.

From around 7.30pm, guests were welcomed into the stunning new Riverside Restaurant to enjoy a specially curated four-course tasting menu.

Inside the restaurant, guests were given a carefully planned seating arrangement, guided by name holders.

It boasts a large seating area, ensuring that diners are not cramped, and its floor-to-ceiling windows along the back enable diners to enjoy the stunning views of The Lensbury's picturesque grounds while they eat, which I can imagine will be spectacular during the day or in the summer and will allow the restaurant to be full of natural light.

The decor is fabulous too, with comfy seats covered with plush cushions, marble tables, soft lighting and lighted plants, and carpeted floors, perfectly fitting for a luxury hotel.

From the moment we were seated, the restaurant's staff were super friendly and professional, ensuring our wine glasses and water were always topped up, and I cannot applaud Restaurant Manager Sam enough for ensuring that the evening ran more than smoothly.

Speaking about the opening of The Lensbury's Riverside Restaurant, Sam told Nub News that he is "very excited" to open and welcome guests into the new space.

Food was served pretty swiftly with Artisan Bread and Cultured Butter, Marinated Sicilian Olives, and Padron Peppers with Cornish Sea Salt brought on sharing boards to begin with.

Having arrived at the event hungry for a four-course meal, the Artisan Bread was a very welcome dish on my table and was surprisingly delicious for something so simple.

Its crunchy exterior contrasted with the soft, fluffy middle, made it enjoyable to chew, and drizzled with lemon oil along with the slightly salted butter made for a divine mix of flavours.

And the Padron peppers, as they usually are, were equally delicious.

As for the olives, they were perfectly juicy and sans pips, which was ideal, and my partner said that they were the best olives he has ever had.

For starters, the meat eaters were treated to Pulled Ham Hock & Parsley Terrine, whereas the veggies like me were served Panzanella with plant-based feta, heritage tomatoes and basil oil.

The veggie starter was super refreshing and light, which was ideal having just devoured some bread and knowing that I had another two courses to come.

The basil oil mixed with the ripe tomatoes made the dish burst with flavour.

And my partner and other guests told me that they loved the meat starters too.

My partner said that the Ham Hock, being slightly sweet, was perfectly complemented by the parsley terrine, with the parsley flavour subtly enhancing the meat.

The meat eaters were served Lemon Thyme Chicken Paillard with sweetcorn, crushed new potatoes, courgette, rocket leaves and wholegrain mustard sauce for the main course, while the veggies had Sweet Potato Provencale with plant-based mascarpone and pistachio.

Like with the starters, our mains were not overly big, which was ideal for a four-course meal.

The veggie main was very delicious and possibly the best cooked sweet potato I have ever had, being super soft - something I have never been able to accomplish when cooking it myself. It was also bursting with flavour and the plant-based mascarpone tasted like real cheese.

My partner loved the chicken main too, complimenting the chargrilled sweetcorn, and said he loved the combination of flavours with the pickled courgette and lemon chicken.

"The mustard sauce was the cherry on top," he added.

Finally, for dessert, the meat menu offered Tiramisu and the veggie/vegan menu offered Alphonso Mango Sorbet.

The sorbet was a perfect light and refreshing end to four courses, with it tasting of actual mangoes.

And as all the dishes were perfectly portioned, I had just enough room to enjoy it all.

My partner said that the Tiramisu was equally delicious.

All in all, the food was beyond excellent, and each dish was aesthetically presented on their lovely plates.

The staff, particularly Yasmin, Balmeek, and Oliver, were that perfect blend of attentive but not too attentive.

Once we had finished our meals, we were treated to a complimentary glass of Prosecco while The Lensbury's Managing Director, Claire Llewellin-Davis, cut the ribbon to the new Sports Bar.

Once inside the new Sports Bar, the Managing Director gave a speech, welcoming guests into the new spaces and asking them to raise a glass in celebration.

In her speech, Ms Llewellin-Davis thanked guests for attending the event and explained that the "best things come to those who wait" as Members waited six months for the new spaces to open while The Lensbury team waited six years.

She also thanked design team Travillon, who designed the hotel's Members Lounge and is working on its future co-working space, for designing the new spaces, and noted The Lensbury's prestige among the Hotels and Resorts Platform.

"This is all about raising guest experience and creating memories that matter," she said.

Ms Llewellin-Davis added: "A lot of attention to detail and design has gone into transforming these spaces into what you see here tonight and what we feel are fitting for this incredible prestigious historic hotel with 100 years of sporting heritage.

She explained that The Lensbury has been a "huge part of the Teddington community" and that the new spaces "truly represent the importance of what The Lensbury is to everybody" who attended the event.

The Managing Director noted that the hotel's former conservatory was converted into The Riverside Restaurant with subtle changes, including curved bench seating allowing privacy for diners, and that the Sports Bar has been extended into what was formerly "dead space".

Speaking after her speech, Ms Llewellin-Davis told Nub News: "We are incredibly excited to open our newly renovated Riverside Restaurant and Sports Bar at The Lensbury, and cannot wait to welcome all of our new Members, guests, friends and family to come and join us.

"It is a new chapter for us."

Following her speech, guests were treated to a presentation comparing The Lensbury's rich history to how it looks today.

The Sports Bar itself boasts a spacious room with comfy chairs, a well-positioned and fully stocked bar, as well as a back wall presenting old photos of The Lensbury's sporting history.

Overall, Friday's event provided a fantastic evening enjoyed by all.

One Lensbury Member at the event told Nub News: "It's been a great night overall. We love the new Sports Bar - it's much better and makes us feel much more welcome."

Another guest added: "A great evening, and huge congratulations to the young ladies and gentlemen who served; you were a great part of the event and so smart and polite.

The Lensbury's new Riverside Restaurant and Sports Bar are now open to all.

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