The Tap on the Line takes private dinners, buffets and drinks for up to 40 seated or 60 standing in its Atrium, with two smaller bars for groups of 14 to 30. The pub sits on the platform at Kew Gardens station in Kew, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, a short walk from the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Seminars and company events
The pub hosts corporate events, business meetings, year-end functions and Christmas parties. Its rooms suit a team dinner after a day at an office in Richmond or Chiswick, a client lunch before a visit to Kew Gardens, or a leaving party, rather than a full-day conference. Free superfast wifi is available, and big screens show live sport for groups who want to watch a match together. Packages are prepared on request, built around sit-down dining or buffets, and the pub manager handles function bookings.
Weddings and receptions
The pub takes wedding bookings, along with birthdays and other celebrations. The Atrium suits a wedding lunch or an evening drinks party for a small wedding, and the garden adds outdoor space in good weather. Guests can arrive and leave by train from the platform, which saves organizing transport at the end of the evening.
Rooms and capacities
The Atrium is a semi-private room with high ceilings and natural light, overlooking the open courtyard. It seats 40 at round banquet tables or holds 60 standing, and suits sit-down meals and buffets. The High Bar seats 21 or holds 30 standing, with daylight and direct access to the main bar, for casual gatherings and buffets. The Platform Bar seats 14 or holds 25 standing. It is not a private area, so it works best for a relaxed group that does not need its own room. All three are listed for celebrations and corporate events.
Catering
All food comes from the pub kitchen, which cooks pub classics from fresh, seasonal ingredients. For events, groups choose between a sit-down meal and a buffet, with set packages agreed ahead of the date. Food is served from 10 a.m. every day, until 9:30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 9 p.m. on Sunday, and the pub stays open until 11 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.
History and setting
The Tap on the Line is a traditional station pub and describes itself as the only pub attached to a London Underground station. It is listed as a historic pub and is run by Fuller's. Inside, it keeps a classic bar with sofas, and outside there is a garden and seating. Kew Village and the main gate of the Royal Botanic Gardens are a few minutes away on foot, which makes the pub a practical base for groups combining a visit to the gardens with a meal.
Getting there
Kew Gardens station, on the District line and the London Overground, opens directly onto the pub, so guests can come by train from central London or Richmond without a car. Paid parking is available nearby, along with accessible parking. Heathrow is the nearest airport.
