Dorking, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Steve Drake is at the top of his game” and “continues to turn out beautifully prepared dishes, visit after visit” according to practically all reports on this much commented-on fixture: a “smart destination suited to a special occasion” in the centre of “lucky Dorking”. There’s “a very high level of professionalism in both kitchen and front-of-house” and the result is “a brilliantly devised, modulated and presented menu” full of “inventive and original flavours”; together with “an excellent choice of wines”. One caveat, though – “check your bank balance before booking!”

This “great family pub” – “aka The Inn on the Green, part of the small Grumpy Mole chain” – attracts a fair number of reports and “is a delightful spot overlooking the Surrey countryside”, with a “relaxed atmosphere” and a “tempting menu” that ticks most boxes. “The only issue is that you have to book a long time in advance for Sunday lunch”.

“Set in a delightful village” in the Surrey Hills, this 17th-century red-brick cottage now houses a “delightful restaurant” where the “mild Moroccan influence on modern British food makes for a superb dining experience” (“I live in London and go specially”). “The staff cannot do enough to make your meal enjoyable – and that includes the charming owner”, Jack Forrest Foster.

2021 Review: “Good Italian food in the Surrey Hills” is to be found in this substantial village pub, now operated by an Italian team that ran restaurants in Guildford for three decades. The bar menu of pizzas and pasta is complemented by a more formal menu in the restaurant.

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.

“A great addition to the local Oxshott/Cobham area” – this smartly converted pub in the heart of the plush commuter belt from chef Matt Larcombe and front-of-house Simon King is universally applauded for standards that are a cut above in all respects. But even fans note that “while superb, it’s definitely on the pricey side”, to the extent some consider it “expensive for what it is”. Top Menu Tip – “good and varied wine list”, with one or two trophy vintages (at well over £1,000 per bottle).

The Rarebreed Dining Group’s boozer is far from your regular beast: the in-house butchery and smokery turns out “excellent” meaty cuts including chateaubriand, t-bone or sous-vide sirloin; in August they also run an outdoor cinema if you’d like some celluloid after your steak.

From a growing popular chain of ‘no membership’ clubs, this comfortable venue has a bar, lounge, orangery and terrace, along with “fun” all-weather igloos on the roof, in which to graze on a pretty standard all-day menu of Italian-inspired dishes, including pizza and pasta. Not a culinary fave rave, but handy for many occasions.

This smart gastroboozer is “a jolly nice place to go, whether à deux, or as a large group”; its “outstanding” British menu sets the local “benchmark for fish ’n’ chips” and “the fact that it is always busy says it all (even we, as regulars, who always book way in advance, sometimes cannot get our first-choice table!”).

Food TV staple José Pizarro’s first outfit outside the capital – and first gastroboozer (with rooms) – is set in “a not-completely-obvious location” in the Surrey ‘burbs. Reviews were slightly muted this year: while most praised the “great modern Spanish food” (including “fabulous tapas”), others noted a lack of atmosphere (“wouldn’t be hard to make it feel a bit more intimate”).

2021 Review: A refurbishment/relaunch a few years ago added to the charms of this good all-round boozer, handy pre- or post catching the nags at Sandown Park, whose food was consistently well-rated last year.

“The view is unbeatable” (and what it overlooks is incorporated into the name) of this highly rated link in Richard Caring’s national chain; as for the rest, you can expect the usual “pretty” decor and a “decent menu selection” (“including healthy choices that don’t feel like a sacrifice”); “it isn’t cheap though, so save it for an occasion”.

“Fairy lights, greenery and charming decor create a warm and cosy atmosphere” at this still-expanding group, which is most popular as a “reliable and friendly brunch option”. Its Med-inspired tapas is typically rated somewhere between “tasty” and “nothing special” and scores overall are dragged well down by those experiencing “chaotic service” and “food that doesn’t live up to the pretty dining room”.

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”.

“Great views of the river” near Teddington Lock undoubtedly elevate a visit to this “welcoming” brasserie and jazz bar; the food also seems to be on an even keel of late, with reports of “well-cooked and enjoyable” dishes (including a “fantastic afternoon tea”) that can seem “surprisingly good given the slightly rickety/plasticky interior”. Best in summer, when you can make the most of the riverside terrace.

2021 Review: FKA ‘The Manor at Foxhills’: this “beautiful” dining room of a top golf course – set in an impressive Victorian manor house – “has been refurbished, with no carpets or window furnishings so it’s noisier than it used to be”. Too little feedback as yet from which to rate this new, more modern guise, but prices are not punishing and there is a menu for ‘Young Adults’. A traditional afternoon tea in the adjoining plush lounge is still an option.

2021 Review: The “very pleasant surroundings” of an “excellent dining room overlooking Cannizaro Park” are let down by the consistently disappointing meals and “don’t care” attitude of staff at this Hotel du Vin outfit. “Someone rescue it – it’s a waste of a fantastic space”.

2023 Review: “The best by far in the locality” – with “upmarket pub food that puts many expensive restaurants to shame” – this “buzzing” gastroboozer is “always excellent, whether you want a quick lunch or are celebrating a special occasion”. Top Tip – “walk there along the towpath on a sunny summer evening”.