please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I accept that this is a friendly pub, and the beer's good (which is what this website is all about) but must warn everyone that there are now no cooked main meals at lunchtimes, not even toasted sandwiches anymore. Just cold sandwiches or jacket potatoes, nothing else. Shame, as I used to enjoy coming here for a pint and a cooked meal after a walk.
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All previous reviews to be disregarded - "George" is long gone (the landlord's name is Simon) and this is now a friendly pub with good food, good beer and lots of locals with dogs and muddy Land Rovers. The decor is a bit dull, and the bar area is small while the upstairs dining area is pretty big, but families are welcome and prices are reasonable.
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Lovely setting but let down by a rude, arrogant landlord called George. Children are not welcome, the locals are very unfriendly and the beer has clearly been poorly kept. A real shame as it has so much potential
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The beer's not cheap but it's largely local brewed (both 2x Surrey Hills and 1xTillingbourne and another when I dropped by ) the location is lovely, the pub is cosy and dog friendly, and the food is excellent value for money, really well cooked and delivered with a smile!
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A pleasant enough pub in a quiet location in the lane in Little London, small garden at the front, nice in the afternoon sunshine. Perhaps the only quibble would be the price of the beer, �3.80 for a pint of Shere Drop seems a bit steep... there shouldn't be a lot of transport costs in that, given the brewery is only a couple of miles away.
PhilR - 12 Aug 2012 16:03 |
Good little boozer in the middle of nowhere....the biggest room is set aside it seems for food, though there are two tables in the bar area, with an odd nook round the side where a dart board resides. Good beer - Surrey Hills on tap, well kept. Food is fine..worth a visit
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Don't go there if you have young children. Similar to previous comment, children are clearly not welcome, just tolerated. Went there with my wife and two four year old boys on a quiet Saturday late afternoon, there must have been a couple at the bar and a handful of customers in the garden. My boys are pretty good in pubs, the odd high pitched squawk and wander - one of my boys was actually shown a football style yellow card (in jest?) which I thought was a bit odd. No explanation was given, probably because he walked from our seat at the front door into the garden. He didn't really understand as he hasn't ever been shown one before (being only four). I think they should just either ban young children or lighten up a bit.
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In here on a sunny Sunday lunchtime. Shere Drop, Ranmore ( an eye watering �3.70 and not that great), TEA and Youngs Ordinary. Nice enough country pub, no problems with the locals.
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We do like this pub food good as is the beer,down side are the locals smug pratts who look down on non locals.
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Over the last year and with some interest I have been watching the comments about the Dolphin and many other pubs in Surrey. So I�ve decided it�s time to add my own two pennies worth. As with others on this site I�ve been a regular (on and off) at the Dolphin for 25+ years. Whilst many hark back to the �good ole days� of George and Rose (and I did indeed like them) I personally found that they ignored the bad language and behaviour of some punters and by some I mean those who put �money over the bar�. On the whole the pub was well run and George kept the best pint of Youngs outside London, the food though was average, scampi and chips bought in bulk catering packs I�d guess.
Since they left, the Dolphin has without doubt been afflicted by a series of managers ranging from tolerable through to downright appalling. Until very recently and I have to say after an excellent refurbishment by Youngs, the pub was a dump. Had you been a visitor to Surrey (holiday maker or whatever) and walked into the Dolphin, based on your first impressions, you�d have left within minutes. We have all put up with sub standard managers, scruffy 70s decor and disgusting toilets for years because let�s face it, the location is beautiful.
Apart from the Saints in a community we all blaspheme from time to time, but mostly in the privacy of our own home. Most of us have social graces and we don�t inflict foul language, rude behaviour, lewd and/or offensive jokes on people around us.
For those on this site who say �if you don�t like it drink somewhere else� I say NO. You drink somewhere else. You�re the ones with the minority view. In fact I would suggest that you look at the comments for the William IV at Albury. That pub too has a similar problem with �men of a certain age and disposition�. Perhaps you can all get together and buy your own pub. . . . preferably far . . . far away.
All in all I will keep coming to the pub, I've lived with it for 25 years. I don�t care that some men try to upset others by increasing the volume and frequency of their foul language - once they see specific people (men and women) enter the pub. We all know you do it. Fact is some punters are trying to goad you � they want you to go over the top, so that you get banned . . . and it will probably work.
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Decent food, and Surrey Hills beer. The former is pretty reasonably priced and the portion sizes good, the latter quite pricey.
Nice pub in a good location, randomly with the toilets outside.
However, note to the barman - if you're taking the mickey out of your customers, don't do it within earshot of them.
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Have visited a number of times throughout the past few years, and i have not found fault on any of the occasions, the food was gorgeous and a proper sized meal (youll never leave hungry) only a few weeks ago i discovered there were pigs out the back. great to know how local the pork is!! even though busy the service was great and it was noted we were there whilst waiting. staff were friendly would highly recommend.. no thrills no spills. does what is says on the tin.
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A lovely pub inside and a good pint of Shere Drop was to be had, but as others have said, is unfortunately let down by the regulars who gather around the bar. Called in here with a group of walkers and as we were leaving the comment from one was 'goodbye - don't come again'. Don't think it was meant in jest.
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It's a nice location (you can even do train spotting from the garden ;-) but obviously a pub that survives on a very local clientele. A brother of mine used to drive miles to drink there in the '70s and it's still worth a visit. Plenty of pedigree dogs, 4x4s, Barbours, etc etc so they can afford the �6.80 I think we paid for a round of a Ranmore and Shere Drop (Shere Drop costs between �2.85 and �3.00 elsewhere) Tiny bar, but well kept beer, staff brisk and polite. Flowers, two Surrey Hills beers and a Marcle Hill cider on tap when we dropped by.
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I stopped off here early Friday evening in October and have to agree with some of the other comments about the 'regulars'. There were a group very loud middle-aged men monopolising the bar area, with several apparently swinging from chains attached to the low ceiling, presumably to make it difficult to shift them out of the way. The bar staff were friendly enough and seemed almost apologetic about antics of the customers, and the beer was well kept, but I found the whole experience irritating, and more like dropping in on a private club than a welcoming village bar. Given the nice interior it has the potential to be a lovely pub, but they really need to sort out the noisy clique who gather there.
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Many regulars evident the other Sunday, but barman politely apologetic after I had to waited a brief minute while he finished completing a three drink order (for a person he knew by name). No problem as far as I was concerned. I did feel a bit left out because I didn't have a black Labrador (joke!). Lovely fire going but we were in upper eating section. On tap today was Flowers, Tea and Shere Drop (x2) plus one other totalling five I think.
Food good, young lads serving the tables briskly. Nice separate suet pudd with the steak and kidney. Watch your car on the road - saw a sizeable Calor gas lorry struggling to get through. I would go back.
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Quite rightly a GBG regular with TEA and Shere Drop in good order the other day. Very much the typical English village pub so yes, the tiny main bar is usually taken over by the locals - why would it be any other way - they are the ones who really pay for it all. Well worth a visit, one of the many decent pubs hereabouts.
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Nice old traditional pub with a fireplace that I guess is particularly inviting in winter. Four great beers - including Ranmore and Shere Drop. Delicious home-made food cooked to order. Pleasant, helpful, and efficient barman. Clear signage indicating drinking and eating hours and also mentioning a no-mobiles policy that, sadly, is not enforced. Whilst I was there an irritating mobile ringtone went unchallenged, and its owner proceeded to shout his mouth off into the phone for an extended time. There were also three very irritating older guys in the middle of the bar telling jokes in very loud voices the whole time I was there. I'll try the pub once more, and just pray those guys aren't a regular fixture!
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Good food and, more importantly, a good range of well-kept ales. Ranmore and Shere Drop excellent.
I've been a few times now and everytime I've found that more regular patrons are very protective of their pub: huddling round the bar; pushing in front of me whilst I was ordering; talking to the bar staff over other customers who were mid-way through their orders. Perhaps I need to be more pushy.
A good pub that would loses 2/10 for its interpretation of customer service.
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Don't take your children they are clearly not welcome. The draconion 'Child Policy' is posted in the window of the front door and doesn't extend the warm welcome expected. It's a shame this 'traditional country pub' didn't also post it on it's flashy website it would have saved my family the hours drive!
It might come as a surprise but not all parents want their children to be subjected to Brewers Faye. The 'traditional country pubs' I was lucky enough to be brought up in were a far cry from this. Mr Landlord you have lost sight of what you are aspiring to be.
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We have been using this great little pub for a good few years now, and must say that the improvements made by Giles are to his credit.
The staff, both kitchen and bar, are great fun and always give a genuine welcome.
As for "grumpy & rude" I would suggest you greet the staff and locals with a smile as opposed to the sniffy attitude of someone who is doing us the favor of comming to our beautiful little village.
Come in, join in, and enjoy the place for what it it, a REAL pub.
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Had Sunday lunch here recently. Beef was great, as was pint of Ranmore ale. Lovely setting.
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This used to be one of my favourite pubs. Formerly a Courage pub of great character. Bought by Mike and Linda S in the 80's and became a victim of its own success; you couldn't get in the place it was so packed! Great countryside, great walks and great location, just two miles walk from home. The latest owner, Giles, I had misjudged. He has invested well in the pub and it is now a great place to drink again after the rudeness of the previous landlord Mick D. His chucking out speach, "Right, I've had your money now f*** off," didn't really cut the mustard with my two lady companions at the time, although I should not speak too ill of the dead.
Excellent TEA, Shere Drop and other beers have been enjoyed here in recent weeks, well done Giles it has deservedly regained its popularity. Watch out for the rather limited opening hours though, it was supposed to open all day on Saturday for the summer, but last Saturday it was shut in the afternoon!
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Stopped for Sunday lunch. Had lovely fresh cod and wife had roast beef. Couple of pints of Surrey Hills Ranmore Ale and Shere Drop, what more do you want? Sunshine maybe, was a bit nippy in the garden. Agree that it's a wee bit expensive but found that the staff and locals didn't bite!
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Strange to say but I can agree with nearly all the differing opinions below. The pub is not at all welcoming in its design, the attitude of the staff and the regulars. That said, the food is normally good and the excellent range of beer is generally but not always in peak condition. It is a small atmospheric pub with a huge real fire that serves the local wealthy landowners and country folk well, but don't expect warm country hospitality.
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Good beer, nice location (pleasant walks nearby). Bar staff happy to take 'phone calls whilst customers are waiting - practising basic courtesy and introducing a little organization would much improve the experience of visiting this pub. No greeting, a 15 minute wait for a pint, and no idea of the order in which the few customers at the bar arrived suggest a careless and amateurish approach to service.
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Good beer. Nice location and a nice looking pub, but it seems that it's really just for the locals. I've been in maybe 6 times and always found the staff less than friendly.
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I quite like this pub its ok not great but alittle above average.My gripes with this place are the barstaff are a bit up themselves and the bloody locals who will not move away from the bar so you can get served they are quite rude really so localsadvice tell them please.
The beer is good and foods alright but on a sunny day its a pain to get a seat.
As for local pork i thought there were strong laws and reg`s on this?????
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Dear Biker
I suggest you take a look in the paddock at the rear of the car park where you will see the pigs that will soon be your Sunday lunch if you care to visit.
The criticisms that have been levelled I cannot answer. Much is often down to the attitude of the pub goer. Certainly I have seen some shockers visiting that pub and they really should be in Macdonalds or a harvester if they want that sort of service.....
All i know is that it is a very popular pub with a good mixture of locals, families, visitors , walkers , horse riders , fishermen, shooting and hunting people. They can't all be wrong and the return trade is very high.
As I said before. For relaxed friendly intelligent and non pushy pub goers it's a great place to eat and drink.
I rest my case..............
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Sorry my second use of the word 'rating' should have been 'review'.
Biker - 14 Jan 2008 10:09 |
localsadvice, welcome to the site, I see you joined today. As an ex local who grew up more or less in your area, my memories for the 'Billy' go back to the 'sixties' but my last visit was several years ago so I'll not be leaving a rating with this rating. To put it simply, some visits were good, most not so ! If it has improved, answer some of the previous negative reviews with specific descriptions of what has actually changed. If it's of any help, click on usernames and you'll see where others have been and what they've said about other pubs. ps truly local pubs rarely have home grown pork ! That Sir is bull**** !
Biker - 14 Jan 2008 10:06 |
Great Pub !
Real home cooked food, wide range of beers and wines, even their own home grown pork.
The new dining room and kitchen have added to the ambience and allows diners to be away from the bar but still part of the fun !
Large front garden is good for outdoors dining when weather permits.
It's a down to earth place, no pretences or fawning.
Those who appreciate a truly local pub a great log fire and a no bullsh#t approcah should pop in for a beer and a meal.
Those with an inflated sense of their own importance are fully catered for in other Surrey pubs nearby and should probably keep driving !
This is a rare find and worth a visit.
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I live locally and went went there a day or so ago with a friend. The landlord and his friends were monopolising the very small bar. When I was waiting for my drinks order I was told in no uncertain terms that I was standing by the entrance to the bar. No please would I move--just "excuse me this is the bar entrance".I said I was waiting for my drinks and all I got was a grumpy look and a muttered "Well--". This was I think the landlord--Jeremy?-- for you.
No welcome at all at any time and barely a thank you when we left.
Food sub-standard--beer good but I will not set foot in this pub again. Much better and more welcoming pubs around this area.
anonymous - 15 Nov 2007 10:37 |
Expectations were high, following good write ups in both the Good Beer and East Surrey Pub Guides. The reality was a huge disappointment. Beer range excellent - but the normally reliable Ranmore Ale was below par - and although not bad it was certainly not good. A pretty exterior, the bar is pleasant enough but the dining area is totally lacking in ambience and actually quite a depressing place to sit - not in the least bit cosy or welcoming.
The food was the biggest let down. Our Sunday roasts could not possibly have been carved on the premises (unless they used a bacon slicer on the thinnest setting) Four "wafers" of beef covered in an obviously processed gravy with a ready made Yorkshire placed on top. It was reminiscent of one of those "Fray Bentos" pre-prepared dinners of distant memory. Compared to many other pubs in the vicinity, the food was really second rate. The ghastly spectre of school dinners sprang into mind!
A great shame, I really hope things improve.
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A traditional country pub with classic toilets! A really nice spot to site outside in good weather. "Sheer drop" ale is very good indeed. Don't rate the steak and kidney pie though, pretty poor in fact. They seem to be building an extension (Dining room maybe?) at the back.
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The locals are a bit too friendly. Smelly farmer started chatting up my wife
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Popped in for a swift one or two as they sell the full range of Surrey Hills beers, plus others. The Ranmore Ale was in very good form.
Locals pub, all of a sudden after 5.30 opening time a steady stream of punters fill the car park. Barmaid pleasant so no problem with the previously reoprts of unfriendliness.
Did not try the food but may do so in the future as would return there with more time.
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Stopped off on my own, this place is quaint & welcomming,One downside is the bar flies don`t move for you, but dont let that put you off.Good range of local beers & food good.
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Yes, the owner guy was pretty grumpy and unwelcoming. But the pub itself is adorable, down a little dirt country road. Definitely worth a visit!
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I find the staff a bit unfriendly, but the food is fantastic...The steak and kidney pie one of the best in Surrey in our view.. The pub is pretty good too if you like small quaint pubs
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Rather small pub which has some excellent real ales. However, the food is not good value for money and the staff not very accomodationg
anonymous - 28 Mar 2006 19:24 |
