please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I gather now it was a Ind Coope (Friary Meux) before in it's previous life bought by H&W in 1998
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We haven't been here for about 30 years when I think it was a King and Barnes pub. Gosh I miss their great beer and I'm afraid Hall and Woodhouse don't come close with their portfolio. However the pub is still superb and does lovely food and is in such a gorgeous location.
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Called in last week on a very cold wet day with some walking companions. The log fire was really a welcome sight! A charming little pub with a good range of beers including Firkin Fox, Sussex, Tangle Foot and Badger. Though not a fan of Hall and Woodhouse, I must say the Firkin Fox was perfect, as was the Sussex. The menu was very good with a specials board above the fire. Prices resonable for the area. My lunch was a fish finger sandwich. Superb!
Highly recommended. Will call again.
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Visited Tuesday after a brisk walk, friendly owner and a good pint of Badger, only downside is the pub closes 3pm and if you intend this as a final destination do ensure you know the relevant bus times, the last thing you need as a small lad with little legs is a lengthy walk to the next hostelry with three pints swilling about inside you
boony - 11 Apr 2012 13:27 |
Went last Saturday, food took a long time to come but was very nice when it did, although burger slightly over done. Pint of Sussex was very nice and her rose wine was very tasty. Staff very friendly, setting amazing, will be returning.
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Had a very nice meal a few nights ago. Table service was exemplary and friendly. On leaving, my friend queried the bill as it appeared expensive and was told that the 2 double expressos were �3.50 each. He expressed the view that that was exhorbitant--cheaper in London--and the bloke behind the bar reacted in a very off-hand manner, made some facetious remark and walked away.
Pity, because his attitude was totally out of order. So much so, my friend will not go to this pub again.
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Had lunch here mid week. Good beer, warm friendly staff, lovely fires and excellent food. What more could you want for?
Plus you do feel you are in a pub rather than having a 'dining experience' where beer drinkers are somewhat out of place!
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nice food, even if a little expensive for the camembert starter, very friendly staff, and a good selection of beers, lovely location for walking trips
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Visited The Volunteer last night after an absence of 2 years to find it under new ownership. What a difference, friendly welcome and a roaring fire. Great selection of beers, the PIckled Pheasant (beer!) went down very well. The smoked haddock on mash with creamy spinach was both very tasty and plentiful. The rolled chicken breast was also very good. Nice to be in a pub with a pub atmosphere rather than a restaurant atmosphere. This will be our preferred eating place in the Surrey Hills if this standard is maintained
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Back again today for a passing visit. Saturday lunchtime and the place was busy. Tanglefoot has dropped to �3.80 which brings it in line with some of the similar places in the area.
Didn't eat, but heard people leaving being enthusiastic about the food (rather than just being polite)
The family seem to put a lot of work in to make it a success. I think they have been there for about 18 months now, and seem to have built it back up again.
Still not sure why people feel the need to crush my new potatoes when, if that was what I wanted, I could flatten the little buggers myself, but there you go. Just a fad, I suppose, like octagonal plates, or calling gravy 'jus'.
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Went there today and, despite a huge number of walkers etc, had excellent service and good food. The family worked their socks off!! We will return.
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This is an exceptionally nice pub which seems to be run by a very pleasant family. During a recent visit I thought the beer (Sussex in my case) was well kept. We opted to eat too, steak and kidney pudding (excellent) and fish pie (plenty of good fish but the cheese topping was totally over the top, it could/should (?) have been sold as a cheese pie). Perhaps we were just a bit unlucky with the cheese.
I would (and will) happily return because it's well worth while.
Keep up the good work (and save money on the cheese!).
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a pub i have wanted to vist. the pint of tanglefoot was a good pint. the ham baguette i had was excellent ,serve with chips was �6-95 was that a ok price
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Called in for a quick pint and to see if it was as bad as it used to be.
New management since the time before and it's looking much better. Not cheap at �3.95 for a pint of Tanglefoot, but it was a good pint.
It's been an up and down pub - many (many) years ago it was always packed, a couple of years ago it was a disgrace - but maybe I caught them on a bad day.
A pleasant couple now running it, so I'll be calling back
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Tanglefoot, First Gold, Sussex and Fursty Ferret (�3.75). Quiet at around 5.30 this evening. Quite smart inside
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Lovely location for a pub, although the interior resembles a wide corridor and isn't very attractive. The food was good pub food, but the beer could have been in better condition. The new-ish owners are hard-working and pleasant, although there is a limit to the number of times my conversation can be interrupted to be asked "Is everything all right?" by the same or different members of staff at various different points during our meal. Happily, I've maintained my sang froid so far because I know they mean well. Well worth a visit. Or two.
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Much better pub than it used to be.
All the staff friendly and attentive. Beer good and reasonably priced bearing in mind its location. Food good (although at the higher end of local pub prices). Could do with some non-chip vegetable side dishes and more mushy peas with the hadock and chips but that's just me. Toilets okay but no paper towels. Tables available even on a summer day and garden laid out nicely. Not sure the pond is big enough for that carp mind you.
Overall great place - walking/hiking distance across the fields from Gomshall Railway station.
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New management since I last visited and they were very friendly and helpful. Really nice country pub geared up for walkers / cyclists etc with tile floors, real fires, big garden and hosepipe. Hall & Woodhouse place, Tanglefoot, Badger, Sussex & Hopping hare on pump. Hopping hare was very nice indeed, haven't tried that one before. Food good and reasonably priced.
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Splendid pub popular with walkers, cyclists etc. Excellent Badger ales and dependable Sunday roast. Fantastic location on a bright Spring Day!
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We've been to this pub occasionally over a number of years, principally because there's a lovely circular walk from it. Five of us visited last weekend on the strength of the latest reviews, and were not disappointed.
When we ordered our food, we were told that there would be a half-hour wait, but in fact our starters arrived promptly, and both these and the main courses were excellent. Good beer too!
Because it was busy, we sat at a table in the back room. Soon after mentioning to the staff that one of our party was feeling a draught, the manager (?) came to offer us a table which had become free in the main bar (where the fire was roaring away) - impressive!
The service overall was efficient and courteous, and we will certainly be returning the next time we want a walk in this lovely part of Surrey.
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Definitely geared towards walkers and mountain bikers, and there was even a hosepipe outside to clean off your bike/boots.
Massive beer garden with excellent views, and plenty of space inside too.
Several ales on too, including Sussex and Pickled Partridge as the seasonal guest. Always good. And beer prices pretty comparable with other pubs in the area.
If it is new management running the place, keep up the good work.
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As others have remarked this is a lovely pub in a beautiful location. I will go and have a look at it again (I've known the pub for about 50 years) but Im not going to hold my breath: most of the pubs that change hands in this part of the world seem to have owners with a fixation with trying to turn them into a restaurant - why don't they go and open a restaurant?
But whoever owns the place now I wish them well.
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Re-opened under new management on 18 October. Popped in on opening night for a drink - warm welcome, friendly atmosphere, busy with people eating and very favourable comments being made. Early days but a very promising start.
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Closed when we went passed pity lovely location.
Hall and Woodhouse hold your head in shame.
House`s on the way me thinks.
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All change in here again I hear ???
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My friends and I visit this pub regularly after mountainbike riding. Great food & beautiful setting. Lovely to sit outside when the sun is out and very cosy with the fireplace in winter when you are wet & muddy after a ride.
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Absolutely delightful setting with a gentle little beck running alongside. Gorgeous views from the elevated terraced garden. Pleasant also inside, and the Hopping Hare on a Summers' day is pure nectar. Eastern European female staff are friendly, (but what is it with these black uniforms everywhere these days?) and service experienced has been fine. Interesting mix of customers; mountain bikers, striped casual shirted BMW convertible drivers with trophy g/f in tow, local types and tradesmen (mainly weekdays). Only niggle is that drinks and food appear to carry a premium for the sylvan setting. Warning: the narrow sunken wooded road that descends steeply down to the pub should be regarded as one way only.....
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Wow gun-80 I'm impressed by the speed of service. You posted this on Sunday 29 November at 12:54 and talked about the excellent lunch you had enjoyed. That must have been truly magnificent ultra-rapid service.
I see you have only made one posting, perhaps you could share with us your knowledge of other fast food pubs?
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Couldn't have asked for more from our recent trip to the Volunteer. The blazing log fire kept us nice and warm as we enjoyed our Sunday Lunch, the staff made us very welcome and accommadated both my parents and children which made for a lovely afternoon, also great to know they serve food all day on a Sunday.
Definitely worth a visit!
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This place is NOT easy to get to, especially if you have an estate car like we do - but the effort was very much worth the white-knuckle trip. The Badger beers were very well kept and the food was good too. All the staff were very friendly and took pains to make sure that we were happy with everything. It's in a lovely location with a lot of charm and the food and drink are good at reasonable prices. We came for Sunday lunch and will definately go again (although perhaps via a more indirect route...)
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What a fantastic place, beautiful and scenic to visit on a Sunday afternoon or anytime for that matter. When on my walking trips around Abinger I always make sure to stop by the Volunteer, take off my anorak and enjoy a cold frosty beverage. My wife is particularly keen on the food served and I have to say I agree with her, the menu is fantastic and as a side order I always make sure I have some garlic bread...its the best i've ever tasted. The staff are extremely courteous and friendly, taking time to look after your every need. The landlord is a very community minded chap as well, he has organised many events including a Volunteer cricket team to add to all the fundraising he does for worthwhile charities. Top Marks I say!
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This is a pub I know well although I have not been in for a couple of years, it is on one of my regular walking trails. Never had a problem but I see the previous two reviewers coincidentally have both visited this pub, and no others, on the exact same days, not once, but twice. How strange is that?
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Never have I been to such a picturesque pub, the wonderful setting was supported with a delicious meal, looking forward to my next visit!
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Beautiful setting, enjoyed an excellent meal infront of the blazing fire. Well priced and fantastic service! Will definitely be returning during the winter!
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I met a few friends at this pub last Sunday, we were originally going to meet at the Abinger Hatch...and I wish we had. We originally wanted to order a roast but were told at 1pm they had run out...? The 1st 2 dishes we did order arrived promptly, albeit the lamb cutlets were served with loose-leaf lettuce instead of veg, it then took another 20mins for the other 2 to arrive well after our friends had finished theirs... When my friends arrived the burger looked like it had been roasted over a volcano, charcoaly and inedible. It�s a lovely location, but they definitely need to improve the service and the food quality, overpriced and poorly presented.
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Carl2222
I see you've only made one posting, i.e. for The Volunteer.
This is quite one of the most beautiful pubs around this part of Surrey...BUT!
It really could do with a wake-up call, you know - daft prices in the middle of a recession really aren't a good idea and a bit more staff training would not come amiss.
It's well worth a three for the beauty of the setting.
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I was walking in the surrey hills and stambled a upon this beautiful pub with the most picturess setting. Warm and welcoming staff, excelent food and very well kept beer. If your are ever in the area its a must!!!
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Popped in one Sunday afternoon while on a walk around the "Abingers" - and was confronted with the worst service I've ever encountered. The barmaid literally dragged her heels from the kitchen to the bar to serve us. Then bit my friend's head off for having the audacity to try to order four drinks in one go because she "wouldn't remember them all" - erm .. perhaps a career change then? Add to that the extortionate price of the soft drinks and it's one pub I won't be returning to again in a hurry. Unwelcoming and expensive, and needs staff that understand the concept of customer service. A shame because it's a beautiful location and a pretty pub.
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A great hidden pub - a true country setting, surrounded by thatched cottages and fields.
Not such a great selection of beers etc, and food is very expensive, but still a real popular pub, mainly for it's setting I think.
Staff are young and fruity (I say no more...)
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The Volunteer was extremely accommadating during my recent visit, friendly staff made a big effort to ensure my Mum's 50th was a birthday to remember. The food was excellent and the home made apple crumble was described as the best my Dad has ever tasted and he's not an easy man to please! Looking forward to our next visit!
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Never have I sat in such a picturesque garden. Beautiful views complimented by great food and real ale. I will definitely be going back!
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2nd visit to this pub and I have to say, what a let down compared to my first visit!
Excellent position and good ales, but dear oh dear, the food quality is really poor and expensive. I ordered a steak sandwich, with red onion chutney, chips and a tomato & mozzarella salad with a crusty roll and butter.
The salad arrived along with two pieces of dry "toasted" pieces of french bread - no butter no cutlery & no dressing.
The steak sandwich was a joke ! The "steak" was a couple of dried old pieces of beef, with char grill marks, but stone cold!Onion chutney was slices of red onion! This was �7.95.
They changed it when I complained and agreed it was unacceptable - Why serve it then!!
I ordered home made chix liver pate - This was again unbelievable!
Rammed into a little ramekin, no taste at all, no dressing, chutney, pickle & again no cutlery!
If you are going to serve food then serve it with a bit of pride and don't rip us off ! Won't be going back there again.
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dropped in for a quiet pint and to say hello as i was new to the area.. No one else in the pub so i though excellent time to have a chat and find out what nights were good. But i was sicked to find the most unsocialable member of staff ever.. I tried to strike up a conversation to get no reply and to be ignored while the bargirl/person behind the bar was to busy chatting to the chef.. after 20 mins i left... dont think ill be visiting there again !
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Arrived un-announced with a bunch of 18 walkers. They had no trouble coping with us and the food was served up in quick time. Pretty good stuff but nothing special. Nice badger beers on including tanglefoot and pickled partridge. Also had Harvey's sussex on. The place has a proper country pub feel to it with an open fire at one end and a cast iron job in the middle. Very nice bar staff.
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Dropped in when on the way through Abinger and I received a warm welcome from attentive, friendly staff. Pint was lovely.
Location is indeed special and I will certainly be coming back in summer to catch some sun on the terrace.
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This is a fab country pub, beautiful setting, great beer garden, service was great and the food was lovely, rather exepnsive but the portion was large so can share between two!
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Popped in on Sunday evening for a quick pint. Nice pint of Tangle foot went down a treat. Place was empty so good time to go for a quiet drink! Yep, it is a little basic around the edges but it's an original country pub. Always worth a visit in summer due to the stunning location. Have eaten here in the past and have not been disappointed!
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Off the beaten track, looks good and popped in for Sunday lunch. Friendly bar staff and landlord but food a disappointment. Unless you order sandwiches or something fried, the helpings are minute. I had the crab-meat salad, he had the last of the beef carvery. For �10.95 I expected more crab, less salad. It must have been the smallest portion ever. As for the roast beef and gravy, it was salty with soggy pots and veg and yorkshire pudding looking sorry for itself. Some of the other diners with steak sandiwiches/cheese boards fared better so maybe we chose wrong however, on mentioning my disappointment, the Landlord quickly invited us back on another day for a free lunch each on him! Can't say fairer than that. As for the drinks, good price, good selection of ales and try the HoffBrau lager. Nice and freshing on a Sunday afternoon. Will be popping back though.
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A great place to catch the last rays of Autunm sun, sitting on the benches at the front of the pub nursing at pint of Fursty Ferret.
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Its seems litlle bit sad, that here is many comments about how expensive food is in volunteer, but for fresh fish, and everythnig else homemade from scratch it is not expensive at all. then comapre to the other pubs where you get a frozen half way ready meal, for same price! thats why volunteer always will have busy times, because people know that they get briliant always fresh nicely cooked meal, for normal price. and if you want to have a jacket potato, or packet of crisps you can go anywhere else,no? lovely staff, beautifull wiew, cosy inside and they have lovely fire places in winter time. highly recomended
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I remember this pub for years back when we used to visit on a Saturday or a Sunday with the dogs, having a massive ploughmans and the dogs by our feet with their own bowl of biscuits. Having visited recently and taking lunch, the menu has been michellined somewhat - more expensive but good fare, but no ploughmans!!!!! Still very welcoming and very busy at the weekend, get there before midday at the weekend to get a seat!!!!!!
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I live in the area and visit here at least two or three times a month and prefer it over many of the other pubs in the area, especially the Hatch's.
While the range of beers and lagers is not as wide as other pubs I have found them to be well kept and quaffable.
The food I find is above standard. There is a standard menu and a range of specials on the board. In the two years I have been coming here I think I have only had one poor meal. I must admit, never having gone there for a sandwich or jacket, I never noticed that they weren't on the menu. I'll check next time I'm there.
The inside has not been 'refurbished' and I like it, although it could do with a spruce up! Why is there a fish bowl, with fish, on the bar??
The outside seating is the best in the area, the garden is superb and we too love the silhouette of the horse on the hill opposite!
The bar staff are pleasant and efficient.
Laugh at the cyclists.
anonymous - 28 Sep 2006 10:38 |
We like going here, cozy in the winter and Cedrics vinyl night rocks, great in the summer for eating outside watching all those squeaky townies doing the country thing, jolly host, ridiculous no smoking in the only room with a fireplace but who cares, we can sit outside and watch the horse on the hill.
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Disappointed in the real pub food, not even a jacket potato or a nice cheese sandwich. I would go somewhere else for food, but maybe OK for a drink.
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Is it just me or are other people sick of complaints about the standard of food, food service, food pricing etc in pub reviews? If you don't like the food in a pub, go to a bloody restaurant!! Pubs are for drinkers not food freaks. If you really have to have more than a bag of crisps in a pub, buy another bag. This is a cosy, quiet (most of the time) country pub where you can unwind with a pint and a couple of friends. Love it.
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Strange that 'Beersupper' and 'Anonymous' have the same poor typing style. Best you stay in Wonersh if this pub annoys you so much!
anonymous - 8 Jun 2006 20:55 |
Dont log on here often but thought i would come back on to see if the landlord or a member of staff would respond to the comment of Beersupper(1stJune)They have see 6th june didn`t take long.Dont get on here talking a good pub do it & quick to this one.This place is awful used to be best in area not any more.If you leave here dont stop at the Abinger Hatch as that is awful as well.
anonymous - 8 Jun 2006 17:59 |
Cracking traditional pub that constantly serves good bitter and great food. The inside is traditionally styled and hasn't been 'fashionably' refurbished. The staff are polite and friendly. The garden is one of the best in the area. Very glad that some people wouldn't recommend it, as it keeps it a bit quieter for the punters who recognise what a good pub is.
anonymous - 6 Jun 2006 12:48 |
Not been here for a while the best i can say about this place is it looks good from the outside.On entering the interior looks very dated i did wrong i ordered a pint of lager great choice as they only have one sort,yes i know this is a Hall & Woodhouse pub but one lager & not a well known one at that come on.Sorry can not recommend this place (would to some one i didn`t like)
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Eaten here twice in the last month and the food has been good and well presented. The beer is also good. The service is very good with the girls giving table service if it is quiet. Great garden and location.
anonymous - 3 Apr 2006 16:55 |
A nice pub in the Surrey Hills that I would recommend for a nice lunch on a sunny Sunday. Food was nice and the beer really good. Definitely a nice place to have a walk followed by a pint - the scenery here (both landscape and organic) is absolutely lovely. Children appear to be welcome too.
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Food and drink overpriced - as per usual with the Hall & Woodhouse chain. Cluttered and not particularly pleasant interior, but it is worth visiting once a year, to have a drink or two outside - a small stream runs past the front, with a pleasant view to the west.
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I returned to the UK recently for a visit and my Mum was keen to re-visit this pub as she had fond memories of previous visits. Through this website I was able to find The Volunteer again and although the recent 'reviews' were not impressive we decided to visit for lunch with family. We had a very pleasant lunch - enjoyable food, good beer and the other patrons, some obviously regulars, appeared happy. Agreed some of the staff seemed to have limited English...but hey...isn't that the global world we live in these days...and patience & tolerance go a long way!!
Overall a pleasant experience in lovely surroundings - even though it was 'summer' and there was a light drizzle of rain!!. I was grateful the visit lived up to my Mum's expecations as she was dying from cancer and recently passed away.
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ok, ok, a nice old guy owns he pub, and he is a nice old guy, and yes I was truly impressed by the caliber of the female staff but still none of my friend have visited the pub, I also mention that I work for a company with over 350,000 employees worldwide some of which have heard of my experience.
I will say again, I still have a little bitter spot on my tongue following my experience at this pub, less so than before, but still not happy visiting again.
A true shame as the surroundings are beautiful.
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I have worked here for a while now. Only 3/4 of The staff can speek perfect english, The food is normaly good but the chips are often over cooked. The land lord is a fine gentleman just a bit old. The country side is lovely, waitresses have a nice arse
anonymous - 22 Aug 2005 18:03 |
I would highly recommend this pub. I had an evening meal here with friends recently and enjoyed both the picturesque setting and the warm welcome. I thought the food was of a high quality and the service was excellent. This is how a surrey countryside pub should be!
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A charming countryside pub, I visited today with four close friends, we ordered to table 71 from the menu, two steak sandwiches and three beef pies, we waited for the food and when it arrived we had two steak pies, two sandwiches yet no cutlery we waited for five minutes, then a friend fetched the waitress for some knives and forks which actually arrived, I asked the waitress where the third beef pie was and she looked puzzled, I can only guess the waitress then left and asked the chef to cook the missing dish but after waiting another 15 minutes and after my friends had all finished their meals I had to say something. I do not usually complain and if a complaint is dealt with properly I would not have gone to the trouble of finding this well managed pub review web page and write all this, I asked for a refund, I received my money and a receipt for the refund to add to the memory, the bar tender that received my complaint, which was conducted amicably, did not apologise nor offer some compensation, instead it was a simple transaction with no relation to customer conveyed, I therefore score the pub a dismal �0� in light of poor service and inability to meet CTQs.
I have a wide circle of friends who along with myself will not visit again.
A real shame.
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Not impressed! We waited an age for a simple ploughman's lunch. It was simple too, consisting of miserly portions presented without much imagination making the price vastly expensive for what we got.
It gets 1 point from me owing to its charming setting but I shan't be coming back.
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Great place! I go there nearly every Sunday as you can sit outside and watch the world go by...confuse the (very patient) Landlord by moving your table and bar tab! Food is sometimes a bit hit and miss but always a relaxing place to be. Cheap ish wine and decent puddings..top stuff!
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Had two trips there recently - both times good service despite being almost full. Beer very good both times, food excellent first time, not so good second time. I can only assume that they either have different chefs or have changed them. Still well worth a look though.
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I loved this place. Could have been the weather helped. Beautiful views from the garden. The food was excellent. Not your average pub "grub" (and therefore priced accordingly). I would definitely recommend it, especially if you're showing a visitor around the countryside, its so typically English.
Liz - 26 Jul 2004 13:29 |
superb country feel, from a well run (priced for value) pub. The staff were very friendly, more than happy to have a laugh. Food was hot! and in good time. Even the rain adds to the experience of a true countrified pub.
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This is a nice country pub that serves good beer but sadly is let down by overpriced luke warm food. Have a drink then move on to eat.
Pete G - 25 Sep 2003 18:31 |
Unfortunately my experience was rather dissapointing. The drinks were fine but rather expensive but when it came to the food we were very dissapointed. Four meals were ordered which arrived cold and without veg. Very expensive, so sorry, we won't be going there again.
Steve - 25 Sep 2003 16:15 |
Had the pleasure of spending a glorious Saturday lunchtime at the Volunteer at the height of the summer, sitting in the sunshine eating the BEST fish and chips I have had outside the Magpie Cafe in Whitby - a really lovely spot!
Sue C-W. - 23 Sep 2003 13:49 |
A pretty little place which looks lovely from the outside
anonymous - 8 Sep 2003 21:57 |
One of my regular pubs, this is very nice for relaxing outside in the evening. Really nice staff, great selection of beer and (suprisingly) wine and good food. This really is a good pub.
Richard - 10 Jul 2003 09:23 |
Very good traditional country pub near dorking. Views across the very picturesque valley, large garden and great food. On the walking and biking trails with a welcoming feel. Will definately be going back.
Ben Stokey - 11 Mar 2003 14:24 |
