Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

The Inn on the Green and the Green Rooms present a pretty picture, an ancient inn, on the old Roman road from the coast to Dorking, offering well-presented classic English food in surroundings that are forever England, with menus that keep pace with the seasons. It perpetuate all that is good about the village inn, without in any way inhibiting its reaction to change, where clam chowder could replace brown Windsor soup but the villagers' dogs are still welcome, and stories of local ghosts are regarded with interest rather than disdain.

Accommodation in the form of six comfortably furnished en suite rooms, the design and fitting out of which has obviously been carefully thought through from the customer's point of view, enables weekend breaks against a background of excellent food, and a welcoming base for business clients after a hard day in the area. The full English breakfast makes a challenging start to any day, and less demanding options are also available.

There is of course a knack to all this, and it's called good management, linked with the vision thing, and it starts in the car park from whence it pervades the whole place. The result is an inn that claims loyalties and affections in great quantity. Owners Paul and Gwyneth preside over this well run piece of human theatre, ensuring that good friendly service is always to hand, that fresh local produce gets priority in the kitchens, and the menu is always up to scratch.

The advent of talented chefs, creating what Paul refers to as 'a really fantastic team in the kitchen', heralded changes in the menus. However the modern trend towards simpler, more recognisable homemade food, made to order where possible, has not been forgotten, and a certain well-known TV chef would feel at home here. There is a strong emphasis on local produce and suppliers.

Starters are likely to be offering a soup of the day, minted lamb kofta kebab, and deep fried breaded brie served with cranberry compote and mixed leaf garnish.

Main courses are built round a chicken/fish/meat/vegetarian plan, starting with chicken fajitas that could have just dropped in from an upmarket cantina in El Paso. No British menu is complete without traditional fish and chips, served here battered and with traditional chips, peas and homemade tartare sauce.

Should you be feeling a touch fragile and undernourished go without hesitation for the New Zealand shoulder of lamb, or sesame seed crusted tuna steak served with crispy noodles, bok choi, soy sauce and wasabi.

Amongst the attractive and well presented desserts is the pear frangipane tart, not forgetting the traditional Eton mess meringue with strawberries, cream and strawberry coulis. A choice of some 17 wines offers sensible options and a heart-warming mark-up that makes contemplation of a second bottle virtually unavoidable.

The Green Rooms is perfect for parties of up to 76 people seated or buffets for 100 and everything can be tailored for your needs.Their attractive and colourful Website offers details of events at the inn, corporate bookings, attractions and accommodation and takes only a brief time to check out.

The Wotton Hatch is an old coaching inn, which has been transformed into a spacious country pub and restaurant, with large open areas and numerous alcoves. The interiors have been tastefully done up using generous amounts of copper, suede, raw wood and leather, to create a thoroughly pleasant whole. The dining area can seat eighty-five with another forty on the patio in fine weather.

There is a lovely garden in which to enjoy summer. Knick knacks all around give the place a casual and relaxed feel. The food altar - an imposing central fireplace - is decorated with cured meats, cheeses and jars of olives. To set the right note of fashionable sociability there are sharing plates, Mediterranean mezze of hummus, roasted vegetables, fregola, tzatziki, feta, spinach and ricotta pâté with warm flatbreads, a box baked camembert with stiratta romagna and home made tomato jam, or garlic pizzette with caramelised onion and rocket.

Amongst the starters, there is freshly made soup; sardines on bruschetta with red onion, plum tomato and gremolata or gambas with rocket, garlic, aioli and rustic bread. Look, too, for scallops of the day.

The salads - sorry, that should read 'leaves' - offer crispy duck with mouli, hoisin, carrots, spring onions and plum sauce, for the seafood fiends some prawn, avocado, pecan, mango, watercress, bacon with orange and pomegranate vinaigrette.

These days no self-respecting gastropub can afford to be without its pizza range; expect to find a classic margherita of tomato, mozzarella, oregano and basil; piccante with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato and jalapeños or rustica with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, goats' cheese, cherry tomatoes and rocket.

Pastas include linguini with tiger prawns, crab, chorizo, chilli, tomato and white wine, or tagliatelle with slow cooked Bolognaise and parmesan. For the big event there is Indian spiced salmon fillet with wilted spinach and sweet potato with aubergine and mango chutney.

The calves liver with tray baked potatoes, red onion, bacon and sage panagrattato is popular, a sign of the times and improving taste in eating. The spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and frites is worth trying too. For hearty eaters there is a good rib-eye steak with smoked paprika and tomato, butter, watercress and frites.

A wide range of supporting dishes includes Belgian frites and mayo, and cabbage, leeks and peas. For desserts choose between Eton mess or apple, blackcurrant crumble and vanilla custard. There is also a selection of cheeses to set the buffs alight.

The Wotton Hatch stocks a range of beers, champagne, award winning ales and offer a choice of continental pilsners. At the bar thirty or so people can comfortably seat themselves and service is cheerful, brisk and totally in keeping with the friendly nature of a good English gastropub. The Wotton Hatch is quite central to a lot of walks in the area and a great place for a mid walk pit stop.

More information, including full menus, is available on their Website . Please note that the E-Mail Contact is for enquiries only, not for bookings. 

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

Originally established in 1965 - New Curry Garden rapidly became popular, especially as it was one of very few restaurants serving genuine Indian/Bangladeshi Cuisine in the Surrey region.

The restaurant has attracted a vast number of people - from the local residents of Dorking and the neighbouring towns/villages to well known politicians and film stars; among their famous customers have been the late Oliver Reed, one of Britain's all time great film actor who used to be regular diner (and drinker we assume) and the Sultan of Oman, who still has his take-out for the family.

Today, the newly refurbished restaurant projects a contemporary and stylish image, one of which is rarely found in a town such as Dorking. The Concept was simplicity with a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere; the key feature being to simulate the effects of a typical village in Bangladesh using colour, thus traditional yet still contemporary.

Their quality levels are as high as ever, a fact that has been recognised by their inclusion in the Cobra Good Curry Guide every year since 2001, including being nominated for the Best in Britain Award in 2001 and 2002.

Little Dudley House, located in Dorking, is a cosy restaurant dating back to seventeen thirty three, and offers modern British Cuisine. Chef Kevin Sturman heads a team who prepare dishes using fresh ingredients and lots of imagination. The eye catching interior and the seating designed for comfort make for an enjoyable time whether you want to enjoy a candlelit dinner or a bespoke meal with family or friends.

Start with feta stuffed red hot chilli peppers and foie gras brulée, hazelnut salad and toasts. For main course, consider whole baked lobster, hand cut chips and garlic butter, and roast leg of lamb with thrice cooked chips, and grilled sea trout, courgettes, radishes and pesto. End your meal with mango tart tatin and vanilla ice cream, and selection of British cheeses, chutney and biscuits, and white chocolate cheesecake with Christmas pudding ice cream.

For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.

Then one day I decided to put my prejudices to the test, walked into Oxford Ask! and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken. Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.

Since then I have also discovered that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout their restaurants, and that certainly does take some achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable. They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families are catered for particularly well.

Their trendy décor usually comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta, followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven baked pasta, some with chicken.

The pizzas are stone baked in the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.

Amongst the specials may I warmly, in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese and oven baked.

An enticing selection of desserts list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but I guess you know what I mean.

Thanks to a well selected wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends, even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.