Oxted Restaurant Guide

“The service just gets better every year” at Tony McDermott’s “ultra-reliable fish’n’chip restaurant in an unprepossessing suburb of Croydon”, where “high-quality fish, usually cod, haddock and plaice, supplemented by scampi and chicken dishes” have been enjoyed since 1987. Its “very personable ambience” and “great value” make it a “family favourite” that is “worthy of repeated visits”.

This cute 16th-century village pub offers a far-from-standard menu which changes monthly to reflect seasonal local produce, with a notably “solid Sunday lunch” among the highlights.

“Very good in all respects… and it’s NOT in London!” – Andrew McLeish is entering his 25th year of owning this “stylish” well-known destination a short drive from Bromley: “a welcome spot in a culinary desert thanks to its high standards” and a favourite for many occasions (including a “romantic” celebration among a widespread fan club that includes a huge number of reporters living in BR postcodes). “A consistent friend that never disappoints”, “service is professional and friendly”, the cuisine is of “high quality”, the setting is “comfortable” and “there’s a good choice of wines by the glass from the Coravin system”. There’s an à la carte menu and brasserie section as well as a fancier ‘Gourmet Menu’ at £125 per person.

“Ambience is not key when you just want to stuff your face!” – you “just get a great dirty burger” at these tongue-in-cheek diners, whose signature offering is the ‘Dead Hippie’. Founded 16 years ago from the back of a truck by Scott Collins and Yianni Papoutsis, at the time a technician with the English National Ballet, it now has 15 London outlets and a national delivery operation.

“Still hitting the mark”, according to one diehard long-term fan: this family-run Cantonese fixture on the high street once had a national reputation as a favourite of the late Gary Rhodes; and although it doesn’t inspire the huge volume of feedback it once did, is still said to be “consistently good” by all who opine on it.

“For us, as garden lovers, a magical place” – this Elizabethan country house in the Sussex countryside sits in grounds laid out in the 1880s by the famous landscape gardener who then owned the property (and has been a hotel since 1958). “It‘s probably best to enjoy Gravetye in the summer when it is delightful to wander round the beautiful gardens with an aperitif” and to get the most out of “the modern, conservatory-style dining room, which is simply dazzling in design, creating a feeling of almost being in the garden”. Since its 2019 relaunch, there has been a major upgrade to the cuisine here, with chef George Blogg preparing “beautifully balanced dishes with assured use of ingredients”: “seasonal produce is allowed to shine and sing”. (The food would score even higher if the odd reporter did not find it “a bit safe”). Staff generally “can’t do enough for you” but ratings slipped slightly this year on one or two “hit ’n’ miss” experiences in this regard. No complaints of any significance were highlighted, and the general impression is that a meal here is “so smart, and of such quality”.

“Straightforward and generous Sunday lunch in a very nice village pub” is a regular occasion for many fans of this “thoroughly enjoyable” local pub in the Kent countryside, which numerous reports attest is particularly “good for families and family occasions”. Its “quality food in a lovely environment” also wins praise, though, from a much wider audience too.

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’.

“Ambience is not key when you just want to stuff your face!” – you “just get a great dirty burger” at these tongue-in-cheek diners, whose signature offering is the ‘Dead Hippie’. Founded 16 years ago from the back of a truck by Scott Collins and Yianni Papoutsis, at the time a technician with the English National Ballet, it now has 15 London outlets and a national delivery operation.

This “extremely popular” 16th-century free house with four bedrooms, in a hilltop village in the Sussex Weald, has everything you want in a country pub, from “very good cooking” and beamed interiors to “a lovely pint of Harvey’s”.

“A real winner” – “fine, inventive dishes” make it worth knowing about Dayashakar Sharmer’s Indian in the ’burbs of West Dulwich: a cut-above, both for its location and by the standards of modern local curry houses.

This Streatham fixture punches way above its weight, having drawn pizza-hounds from across London for more than a decade. The Head pizza chef is Ferdinando Cirillo.

“Great value, great flavours” sums up the appeal of this fun Tooting venue, which serves a short menu of filled Taiwanese buns and cocktails, and is named in honour of owner Frank Leung’s father, Joe (who ran a restaurant in Salisbury for 32 years). As of September 2024, it has a Taiwanese cocktail bar, Good Measure, in the basement. See also Mr Bao in Peckham. Top tip – “I loved the beef tataki”.