Dorking, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Exceptional food in a calm and unpretentious setting” has carved a big reputation for Steve Drake’s Surrey HQ which, say fans, is “the perfect haunt for a special occasion or at which to make an impression with a business client” thanks to its “exceptionally balanced atmosphere” with “exemplary” service that’s “not too attentive, but there when you need them”. “Succulent” dishes are “carefully constructed dishes to delight the eye as well as the palate” and “adventurous enough to push you to try new things without being ‘weird’”. We have continued to rate it based on our spring 2025 annual diners’ poll on the basis that Steve remains as owner: but in June 2025, he stepped back from the stoves and appointed Alex Payne (who came to prominence running The Tudor Pass restaurant at Great Fosters hotel near Windsor) as the new head chef.

This “nice pub” close to Box Hill in the Mole Valley is known for its “good-quality food” – which means you need to book ahead for Sunday lunch. From the five-strong local Grumpy Mole group, it is known as ‘The Inn on the Green’.

“The food just gets better and better” at this “delightful beamed restaurant” in a “quaint Surrey village” that is frequently used for film locations. Built as two labourers’ cottages circa 1620, the restaurant is divided into “cosy small rooms, with lovely outside seating in summer”, where Tante Claire-trained chef Mohssine El Fadi presents an “eclectic menu with good choice of dishes”; having joined the kitchen 20 years ago, he bought the business with general manager Jack Forrest Foster in 2019. Top Menu Tip – “the fish cooking is always spot-on”.

2023 Review: “Good solid food” and a “large outdoor space for eating” makes this country pub a handy refuelling spot for visitors to the RHS gardens at nearby Wisley.

Taken over by Matt Larcombe, ex-of The Crown at Bray, in 2021, and with a kitchen helmed by chef Daniel Lee – this red-brick boozer by the Surrey roadside carries its high ambitions relatively lightly (although they are apparent when you open the heavyweight wine list, with some vintages in the £1000s). Its modern, seasonal British cooking is – by most accounts – “excellent” as is the service “despite being on the pricey side”.

This steakhouse/gastropub cross is notable for its in-house butchery, with standout menu items including a 1kg tomahawk for two to share, or a steak platter comprising ribeye, fillet, bavette and smoked sirloin for four. There’s also a “lovely Sunday lunch combo”, and it’s “best in summer as there’s a delightful outside-eating area”. Top Tip – butchery cuts are half price on Mondays.

“Love the ambience… no pressure to quit the table and nice to overlook the river” – such are the plus points of these flexible, comfortable and welcoming homes-from-home in the Home Counties and in London near Tower Bridge and in Putney. Celebration? Both locations also feature funky little Thames-side ‘igloos’ seating up to 8. Looking for great food too? Don’t bother! “Disappointment” is often registered regarding the salads, pizza and other very middle of the road fare – keep your celebrations as liquid as possible…

“A very well-run and vast pub/restaurant which has managed to balance itself between the two”. Between the “reliable and fresh” British grub, “well-kept beers” and “friendly and efficient team” (plus a lovely garden) it’s “always a delight to visit”.

With its array of “silky-smooth croquetas” and other tapas favourites, backed up by “a great choice of sherries”, this popular gastropub-with-rooms in the Surrey ’burbs from Spanish maestro José Pizarro is “one of the best places to eat for miles around” – and, as you’d expect of this much-fêted ambassador of all things Iberian, “makes a decent stab at a Hispanic vibe”.

A “glamorous” outpost of Richard Caring’s ever-growing brasserie empire set across two floors, and with a particularly scenic patio overlooking the headline attraction announced in its name. As per its siblings, the menu hops from British classics to Asian-inspired dishes and veggie options, and there’s currently a two-course ‘£19.17 Menu’ revisiting classics from the original London restaurant, from their famed shepherd’s pie to frozen berries with white chocolate sauce; also as with its siblings, not everyone is convinced by the food (“nothing to rave about”) but it remains one of the more commented-upon venues in these parts.

“Yummy mummy hangouts” that have proliferated across the capital and its surrounding high streets over the past few years, with “relaxed and colourful décor” and “friendly waiting staff”. They are very accommodating to families, both “child-friendly” and “pooch central, with snacks and water” – although if you don’t bring your own, you might find there are “too many dogs”. The eastern Med-style cooking varies between “fresh and well prepared” at best to “adequate, sometimes slow” – while “bottomless Bloody Mary or Mimosa on a Sunday can be dangerous!”.

2024 Review: The second link in the growing Brucan Pubs group, set up by James Lyon Shaw and Jamie Dobbin, who met during their days at the famous Ivy. By all accounts the three-year-old venture is “surprisingly good for a somewhat unprepossessing area”, and with “good-value set menus” to boot. Top Menu Tip – “in my experience the best dishes are the slow-cooked ones”.

2022 Review: Five minutes’ walk from Norbiton station, “a great local” (dating from 1893) which was revivified in recent times by Hippo Inns with a quality food offering including “a fabulous Sunday roast”. “Well worth a visit if in the local area”.

A well-located venue on the Thames at Teddington, where “wonderful views of the lock” remain a standout feature, whether you opt for the glass-fronted restaurant or (better) the riverside terrace. On the menu, competent modern Euro cooking – shellfish platters, steaks, plus afternoon teas – abetted by regular jazz nights.

This independently owned and run pub just off the Thames Path serves “first-class, chef-quality cooking at chain-pub prices, with a great menu for all occasions” – “you don’t find many pub-restaurants full on a Tuesday lunchtime, but this one is for good reason”. “They even make gravies from scratch for each Sunday roast and their own desserts!”

2023 Review: This “lovely” mid-Victorian boozer (believed to be the only ‘Haycutter’ in the country) earns solid ratings for its “good old-fashioned pub grub” and “brilliant” all-round performance. It is now part of the Brunning & Price group.

“Yummy mummy hangouts” that have proliferated across the capital and its surrounding high streets over the past few years, with “relaxed and colourful décor” and “friendly waiting staff”. They are very accommodating to families, both “child-friendly” and “pooch central, with snacks and water” – although if you don’t bring your own, you might find there are “too many dogs”. The eastern Med-style cooking varies between “fresh and well prepared” at best to “adequate, sometimes slow” – while “bottomless Bloody Mary or Mimosa on a Sunday can be dangerous!”.

“The venues are wonderful to look at, but the food is almost always below average, over-priced from an uninspiring menu, with service that can be pushy and inflexible” – a fair summary of the pros and cons of the sub-sub brand of the famous Theatreland classic, which more generous fans claim provides “reliable comfort food without the hassle of the original”. Many diners have their eyes wide open when it comes to the trade-offs of choosing to dine here: “you likely have a good time; it’s just that, in London, there is always somewhere more interesting round the corner”.

“Sublime location… food’s a little hit and miss” – the pros and cons of this famous destination on the edge of Richmond Park, where meals (including afternoon tea) are served in a series of “beautiful”, “incredibly atmospheric” glasshouses in what was originally a plant nursery. Its gastronomic reputation was made 20 years ago under chef Skye Gyngell; nowadays run by the Boglione family, it offers an Italian-accented menu. Two spinoffs in Covent Garden, La Goccia and The Petersham, closed for good in early 2025 citing rising costs post-Brexit, but the mothership is still packing in the crowds. Top Tips – “service is way better in the winter when there are fewer tourists”; “take a taxi as driving in and out is a squeeze”.