Seahorse, The

The Seahorse is a 300 year old former coaching inn, recently transformed into an attractive pub and dining room. It is located in Shalford, just a mile and a half south of Guildford and offers good food and drink in a great English atmosphere. In winter, customers can relax in front of roaring log fires while in the summer their landscaped garden is an ideal spot to enjoy a glass of chilled Pimms.

The design of the pub is more modern than previous incarnations, but still with plenty of nooks and crannies to nestle in and catch up on the day's events. The menu is an eclectic mix of pub classics combined with more adventurous dishes and to set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, Spanish tapas of prosciutto, Manchego, sardines and tortilla, a baked Camembert with rustic bread and onion marmalade, Greek mezze of taramasalata with humus, tzatziki, feta and flatbread, or a pizzette with garlic, rocket and Parmesan.

Amongst the starters, there is freshly made soup, smoked haddock with poached egg, crab cakes with tomato, chilli and coriander salsa, tuna carpaccio, or cider braised onion tart. Look, too, for Black Pearl scallops when the market is right.

The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer chicken with chorizo skewers, watercress and minted cucumber raitha, for the seafood fiends some seared salmon Caesar with marinated anchovies and parmesan or buffalo mozzarella with warm roast vine tomatoes and rocket.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic Margherita of tomato, mozzarella and basil, or the challenging diavolo spiced chicken with peppadew peppers, chilli and tabasco. For those who like to build their own pizzas you can, for a modest sum, add to the basic dish with a choice from chorizo, olives, jalapenos, mushrooms or bacon. Or of course the whole lot if you're feeling that way. Pastas include fettuccine with salmon, prawns, coconut, spring onions and chilli, chef's choice risotto, or lasagne with chicken, blue cheese and spinach. For the big event there is always a fish of the day on request.

Finally, steak burgers join the ranks of respectable restaurant food and puts in an appearance on the menu with Swiss cheese, bacon, relish and fries. The calves' liver with mash, pancetta and baby onions is worth trying too. For hearty eaters there are good fillet steaks with horseradish mash and baby spinach and frites or rack of lamb with asparagus. A wide range of supporting dishes includes Belgian frites and mayo, as well as greens, leeks and peas. For those who have to be lashed to a plank to induce them to eat root vegetables, try them here, honey roasted and altogether different from the all too often pallid steamed variety.

Their two course morso rapido and pre-theatre menus are designed for those who need a speedy bite anytime between noon and 7pm. For desserts, resort to the blackboard, where there is always a good display, often with some of the local cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Seahorse wine list covers plenty of territory from traditional clarets to Pinot Grigio or Vin de Pays and champagne by the glass or bottle is always available. Service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English gastropub.

A well-constructed Website enables you to keep in touch with menu changes or forthcoming events. Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings.