Dorking 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 high-end Japanese-style dining at this splendiferous country-house hotel is “a special treat from start to finish: every visit fulfils your salivating expectations and appetite” – innovative Polish-born chef Wojciech Popow combining Nordic influences with his sushi-master skills in dishes like red bream nigiri with Cornish ants; or rice with young pine shoots foraged from the estate. There’s also the slightly bonkers option of eating a Japanese yakiniku barbecue in your own hot-air balloon – not flying, but tethered in the Italian Garden. It’s all “great fun and great food, but be prepared to sell a kidney to cover the cost”.

2022 Review: In a village near Leatherhead, this well-established Indian (opened in 1983) – nowadays run by the son of the founder – is strongly applauded by its local fans.

“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”.

There’s no doubting the “fantastic location” of this link in Raymond Blanc’s Heartwood Inns collection – a nook and cranny-filled boozer on pretty Downside Common with a heated outdoor tent and beer garden for added measure. Its victuals aren’t fancy but are “generally good” by common consensus, and continue to be of note for their moderate price tags (especially now they’ve relaunched their bargainous seasonal set menus).

“Consistently good food” that is “more than just pub fare” ensures this “upmarket outfit in Stoke D’Abernon” is “very popular with the locals” – as well as green-fingered visitors to nearby RHS Wisley. Once a courthouse, it featured in a Sherlock Holmes story, ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’.

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”.

Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan was – as of mid 2025 – rumoured to be on the verge of buying a £1 billion stake in Richard Caring’s restaurant empire, of which this famous brasserie chain is the crown jewel. Presumably, he’s more interested in ‘rolling out’ the brand in The Gulf and beyond rather than dropping by for a Salmon Fishcake and ‘Ivy Chocolate Bombe’, but if he’d asked the opinion of our annual diners’ poll, we’re not sure that he’d sign on the dotted line. “How can a restaurant with this heritage produce such uninspired, tick-box food?” is a question merited by its poor ratings, ditto what explains the “very slow and disinterested service”? The answer may be that “you don’t come here for the food, obviously” but for the “gorgeous” interior design and “picturesque” locations that continue to underpin their appeal. Let’s hope for the Sheikh’s sake that the middle classes of the Arab World are as undiscerning as those from the UK!

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”.

“Newly reopened after an extensive refurbishment” (to the tune of £2m) in December 2023, this 140-year-old pub in a “lovely setting overlooking the West End green” now boasts a glamorous 48-seat orangery, outdoor bar, firepit and heated terrace amongst the gardens. The “interesting and varied” cuisine focuses on sharing-style plates (but not just), and there’s a “buzzy but not noisy atmosphere” that adds to the fun of a visit.