please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Now reopened after major refurbishment. Looks good - on the A25, between Guildford and Dorking. Predominantly a food pub.
|
Visited this place without any prior planning on Saturday ahead of a wedding nearby. Didn't look on BITE... if we had we would have gone elsewhere, but for once I'm glad I didn't read reviews first.
The food, the service... both excellent. Polite, friendly attentive staff, quick service, tasty food, reasonable price (for Surrey!). All added together to make this a pleasant lunch after an hour stuck on the M25!
Didn't get a chance to try the beers.
|
The drinks were okay but we didn't stay long enough to have more, which we would have done if our sunday lunch had not been so terrible.
We don't normally buy food this expensive, but we wanted to enjoy the sunny garden and then go for a walk nearby, and we thought we would stretch to the price as it would surely be a good meal. However, this was not the case. My roast beef tasted awful, plus there was no green veg, and very little gravy, certainly none for the yorkshire pudding (which was the only nice bit). The veg I did have was very below par, and in very small portions (potatoes, red cabbage, carrots). My husband had the burger, and it also tasted awful, plus the onion that fell out was full of mud so obviously not even washed). We actually ate our food instead of making a fuss as we were very hungry and were trying to enjoy a bit of time out inbetween me working an early shift and a late shift at my care job. Also we did not want to create a fuss as we had friends in groups at other tables, however, we did quietly tell the waiter who removed our plates that we were very disappointed, and although he apologised, he did not offer us any route to follow to take it further. My husband actually had a really upset stomach afterwards, and I am going to ask for a refund. Other people I have mentioned it to have also said they have been disappointed by the food there.
|
Visited this pub for a couple of pre dinner pint as we were staying in the nearby Wotton House. Although this is a pub it is more set up as a restaurant. Only the 4 tables closest to the bar were not set up for dining. There were a couple of large parties dining and they looked like they were having a good time.
A couple of decent ciders on draft and in the fridge and with a cocktail menu that the missus made good use. With only 2 ales on tap I had them both but had to send the Young's bitter back as it was awful. This was blamed on it being a new barrel and I was offered a replacement of a different pint with no fuss.
If you are looking for a place to have a quiet beer I would not bother with the Wotton Hatch, if you want gastro style food then give it a go.
|
Beautiful location, bloody awful pub ( if you can call it that ). Would love to try it when they have a complete kitchen overhaul so they could cocentrate on the main thing in a pub, the bar.
|
Just to add one further note to my January review. If you visit on a Sunday afternoon (not during the actual lunchtime) be prepared to wait if you want a drink. One such visit a couple of weeks emphasised what I have seen before: a row of customers trying to buy drinks waving �10/�20 notes in the air but nobody was serving behind the counter: you wait until one of the waiters becomes free from serving duties.
When will the Wotton Hatch learn that the bar is a profit centre too and appoint a (or designate) a barman/barmaid?
|
Never eaten here (it's not exactly welcoming), but it's a rubbish pub. Staff none too friendly, beer never great - on several occasions they've managed, somehow, to run out of beer completely. This is lovely walking country but rubbish pub country, sadly. Neighbouring Westcott and Abinger don't have much to offer either.
|
This yet another 'pub' that is 90% restaurant and 10% pub. The beer is generally good but at busy restaurant times and other too I would add you can forget about them putting a new barrel on when one runs out.
The food, while not cheap, can be very good.
In short, if you go in just for a drink it can be just a little intimidating in such a foodie environment. Staff are usually very good.
|
Three quarters of the way through a monstrously tiring walk from Holmwood to Gomshall, this pub came as a welcome relief after the rigours of climbing Leith Hill - South East England's highest peak, especially after the faffing at the nearby Stephen Langton pub in Friday Street had denied me a square meal.
It's got one of those supsicious 'chain by stealth' menus with pizzas on it - come on now, at least you knew where you were with a Firkin - and to say the portions were measly is something of an understatement. Clearly devised with the help of focus groups.
|
Well 'mines' - how do you scan their card when there's no WiFi? No rating left.
|
I'm confident that I would not be alone in suggesting that the provision of WiFi in premises such as this is purely for people who are not 100% au fait with what a pub is for. A minor inconvenience perhaps on your visit but not a 'downside'.
|
Went for a Monday lunch. Considering it was quite chili outside sadly there were no fires lit but the waitress was kind enough to find a table next to a heater that was on. The starters - red onion tart with gorgonzola & the lamb koftas were delicious. The main course of Linguini , tiger prawns, chorizo & chili was ok. Had the starter size which was more than enough, even maybe a little too large. The spit chicken with piri piri sauce was tasty but nothing to shout about. One downside, there was no wifi. A bit silly as they give you a card at the end where they want you to scan but how are you to scan the code if there is no wifi connection. Would like to re-visit for an evening meal to see if the ambience would be more on the warmer side.
|
Large food orientated pub with a pleasant garden to watch the traffic on the A25. Shere Drop (�3.30, ok condition), Landlord and Broadside.
|
More a restaurant than a pub, but quite a lot of room for those not eating. Have been there many times for a light lunch on walks from Ranmore Common. Pleasant young staff. Good garden, but rather noisy from A25.
|
Very nice gastropub - with enough of a 'pub' element to keep me returning - especially as the choice of beer on offer is much better the the usual. Can get busy, and is often a base for wedding parties attending the nearby church. Worth stopping in if your in the area.
|
We use the car park on a regular basis to head off for a walk but haven't popped in the pub for a couple of years as they never had a good range of ales and don't offer sandwiches. This time we were lured in by a board out the front of the pub advertising 4 real ales and sandwiches and ploughmans. I tell you what i'm glad we went in. The Pub looks imaculate and there are indeed 4 real ales on including surrey hills 'shere drop' which i have to say tasted great. We both had a ploughmas which was exactley what we wanted and served in good time, with what has to be said with very friendly service. They defernatley seem to be much more in tune with what poeple want from a country pub than they have been the last few years. We will be popping in much more often from now on!
|
Just popped in here on Sunday on the offchance - it looked very busy with lots of diners and as the Stephan Langton had just stopped serving we thought we'd give it a try.
The bar staff were friendly and helpful (shame about the fellow in charge who didn't make eye contact with a single person he spoke to), ie when they didn't have any roast potatoes left for the lamb roasts we ordered they sorted it out pretty sharpish. Unfortunately it went downhill from there, we waited 50 minutes for our food, which isn't suprising considering my girlfriend's �12 burger (which was missing the chorizo and had the mustard mayo we asked them to leave out) was rediculously overcooked... Oddly enough though the chips were still partly frozen and the wafer cheese wasn't melted. I have to say my pizza was lovely but at �9 you expect that nowadays.
Very nice atmosphere and if I lived locally I'd land up in there for a drink or two every once in a while but I'd advise avoiding the burger and arriving early if you want to eat on the same day.
AdamM - 13 Sep 2010 16:44 |
I visited this pub at lunchtime on the 22nd September to take my mother out for a meal. I`ve not been there for a few years but it used to be very good. It`s been totlly refurbished and has lost its country pub feeling.
The food was very poor, my mother had fish with the head still on it which in good european resturants isa BIG no no. I had a burger which was only half cooked and quite frankly a health hazard, a burger must be totally cooked as the mince it is made from could be contaminated through handling.
I told the staff about the burger and they were totally disinterested. It`s a shame my partner was not with me as she works for Worthing Enviromental health and would have had a thing or two to say about it.
The eating area was very large and the other dinners were VERY loud. This was not a nice expernece and I regret going there.
The beer was standard stuff, the best thing was the view towards Ranmore and an excellent pudding. Shame the main course was such a let down. I won`t be going there again, which is a shame as it used to be an excellent pub which I recmmmened to all my friends.
Finally I am not a moaning old git either, please see other entry, just an ordinary guy trying to have a nice meal to celebrate his mothers birthday.
|
JG123 - you would say that, wouldn't you? - wouldn't any GENERAL MANAGER?
|
I find it incredulous the amount of miserable old gits on this website.. Look at most of the pubs comments nothing but complaints. I think the WH is stunning generation of new pubs. Sorry there is no spit or saw dust, but things have moved since skol was served. Great pub, great food, great drink and great staff !!
JG123 - 24 Aug 2009 21:11 |
I have now been there twice in the last 2 months. I was a regular many years ago.
The food is fairly good, the views are great of Ranmore although it is right on busy A25. But very poor wine, which as returned.
The problem is the staff. never have I been to a place where some of the staff are consistently rude, and really couldn't give a dam.
The first time I congratulated the manager, who managed to turn our anger into just complacency. because of a young member of staff who told me the chief was going to charge me for two meals anyway. We hadn't even ordered them!!!!!!!!!
The second time the restaurant manger just lied to my father about his booking which was done in person the day before, no apology then pushed pasted my 74 year old mother nearly knocking her off her feet. If I had known that at the time I would have got the manager, Again, there and then.
We have used this chain for many years, even know the designer from Stratford on Avon. Is this vision turning into another Weatherspoons? I will never us the Wooton Hatch again.
We went to Gomshall Mill instead for a meal. Which I highly recommend. So may be the Hatch did us a favour, it's well worth the extra journey. And ask for Dan , Dean or Ed.
Conclusion, Lovely veiws, ok (if pricey) food, Staffed by incompetants.
|
Visited here on a Thursday evening after work for a beer and some food.
Although initially quiet, by the time we left, it was quite busy.
Had a couple of pints of TEA. Food was good but a little pricey.
The decor inside is..interesting. Chains anyone?
Theme & styling is typical gastropub and is similar in many ways to the Arkle Manor over in Betchworth which isn't suprising..because, as stated before, it is a M&B chain pub although the bar maid wasn't allowed to admit it (?).
Large car park to the rear of the pub and a small outside hut in the garden for placing food orders.
anonymous - 26 Jul 2009 10:04 |
I popped in on Saturday for the 1st time since I worked there 12 years ago. I feel that Bass (ok, M&B now) have made a dreadful mistake in converting this into a gastro pub. The place was dead quiet - ok I know there's a recession on but even so... It used to be packed on a Saturday afternoon/evening.
The pub looked cold with its dull paintwork. It did however look great from the outside and on the approach from Guildford.
One wierd thing, the (closed) public bar area is still in situ despite a major refurb. Perhaps they might contemplate opening it again, to get some real local trade back!
Lastly, the barmaid pulled a very flat pint of pride for my friend, whist pouring a lager at the same time. Not a good move!
|
I'd agree with the recent comments - this place was better before the refurbishment. That said, it's not awful but I don't especially care for this style of pub. London Pride and TEA on offer for the ale drinkers, which were ok but not top quality.
|
A country pub spoilt (or enhanced, depending on your viewpoint) by a Italian-esque 'makeover' inside. There's nothing traditional here. The food is trying to be special. It's quite pricey. We had a pizza which was pretty good actually. The beers are premium and pricey. Aspall cider. It's not really a pub any more.
|
I can imagine that many people looking for a country pub will be disappointed by the interior design, but personally I quite like it (and, yes I can recall the days of a proper public bar which was great) because they have not tried to simulate ye oldie worldie effect.
The food is OK the staff are, generally, good the beers are good but some of the adequate wines are very overpriced: �4 for a standard glass of Pino Grigio out of a box is extracting the Michael.
|
My husband and I have been going to this pub for years (we planned our wedding in this pub :) - Since its refurbishment this pub has been ruined. It has been turned into a pretentious gastro-nightmare - complete with glass doors with the pub name etched on them , cow hide chairs , rams skulls on the red painted walls , asking if we had booked ( on a quiet Wednesday evening) - and then going off to ask the permission of the manager if it was ok that we could come in. Serving oven chips in a bowl with aioli along with a greasy chicken covered in tomato puree does not a gastro experience make. Then there were the arty photos in the toilets of naked women with rams skulls on.... When my husband said he would be disappointed if he got this food in Harvester - he was told by the waitress to go there in future....Nice :)
|
Alas, another great ruination of a beautiful pub. I have been using this pub since the late 1970's it was beautiful. Proper public bar, saloon bar, cocktail lounge and restaurant. It was a Fuller's gem and served a great pint of ESB. Many a pint drunk here over the years and some interesting?? 3 mile walks home afterwards. Under the leadership of Bob abd Julie B it was simply the best. They left the pub in 1985; then Fuller's started the trend downwards here with some very bad choices of management. When the pub began to fail they introduced their Country Fayre dining, gone forever was the silver service at very reasonable prices. Then a sale to Bass as a Vintage Inn and now M&B. Need I say more and no Phil isn't there anymore he went before the last refurb. This is very much a restaurant with a bar, if you want classical English pub this is not it. My rating would be zero for atmosphere and 8 for the beers which are well kept and well priced. The TEA is particularly good. The food is overpriced and pretentious, another zero there then.
|
Why M&B think that The Wotton Hatch is a suitable venue for their �Fine Dining� concept totally escapes me. The customers at this pub are predominately walkers, older folk and families looking for traditional pub fare which in the past this pub provided. What a disappointment to find this had all changed on my recent visit. We were greeted with a �shabby chic� refit and not allowed to sit where we requested. We then had to wait three quarters of an hour for our overpriced food as �the kitchen was busy� despite the pub being more than half empty. �Haven�t you got any pies!� exclaimed the man on the next table, desperately searching the pretentious menu for anything remotely resembling a pub meal. Any attempt at up market ambiance is ruined by the fact that anyone in the garden has to walk through the restaurant section to get to the bar.
Come on M&B, you must be losing money, have a rethink and get this pub back to what it should be. I�m sure I�m one among many who won�t be back until you do.
|
This is as far away from being a trad.English pub as you can get well done M&Butler another nail in the coffin of pub`s i hope this makes you proud.The place inside is alright as a restaurant but a pub it aint the prices reflect this as well �10 for a burger be blowed.The staff are a mixed bunch some friendly most not.I would sujest keep on driving find some where else to eat and drink.
|
The latest refurb seems to be taking if further from a relaxed country pub. Inside it's gone modern with most laid out as a restaurant with bookable table (Ok for a restaurant, but this is a pub!).
The beers seem better than before - with T.E.A. available, which was nice. But the previously home-mixed fresh fruit juices seem to have been replaced by standard bottled overpriced J2Os etc. When we went for lunch there were no sandwiches, the food had rocketed in price - now a bowl of "Belgian Frites" costs �3 and seems to be a small bowl of bog standard frozen chips with a dollop of mayonnaise!
Bar service off hand and bar staff as scarce as before so it can take ages to get a drink at the bar. We deliberately asked for one snack early (before the crowds and as one person needed to head off soon) and they were about 10 minutes late. As I believe the food is mostly premade and delivered from a central factory, there really was no excuse for this.
|
I'm suprised to hear it's being refurbed again. Perhaps they'll reinstate the public bar that was forced out when Bass bought the pub from Fullers?
Is Phil still in charge of the pub - does anyone know?
|
This pub is now closed and is being refurnished as an "up market eating place"
|
Very pleasant looking pub situated on the A25 in Surrey, right next to the entrance to Wotton House. I attended the Volvo Freedom day at Wotton House with a friend of mine and we decided to walk up to the pub for Sunday lunch.
The pub has a comfortable interior very much in the style of the restaurant-chain (e.g. Harvesters) establishments. There is plenty of seating together with a large beer garden to the side to cater for the pub's popularity as a meal-time venue. Given the glorious weather we sat in the garden which by 30 minutes after opening time was full, although the tables are spaced far enough apart for you to not feel crowded. I opted for Turkey 'Sunday Roast' and my friend had (Sea) Bass with mashed potato and wild rocket. Service was very quick with the food appearing about 5 minutes after ordering. While the portions were huge, my turkey was rather dry and over-cooked, and the brocolli was turning to mush. The rest of it was fine and my friend had no complaints about her meal. I even had to offload some of my roast potatoes on to her as my plateful was so big!
What let the pub down for me was the beer. I had one of the most incipid pints of Bass I have ever tasted. It had a sweetly metallic flavour and was much too warm. However if you just want lager or a soft drink and a reasonably good meal, and maybe have a family in tow then The Wotton Hatch will probably tick all the boxes. For me I'd be more inclided to drive the extra few miles to the excellent Plough Inn pub/brewery at Coldharbour.
|
JonRS2 i take it your the new manager then!!!!!!!
|
I have been to this pub quite a bit in the last few months and have held 2 car meetings there aswell and personally I found the food there was really good and so did the other members of the group. I found the Landlord very hospitable and the prices are not that bad compared to my local pubs and if you want cheap food you get what you pay for. And then again for the food we all had there there was plently of value for your money.
Keep up the good work.
|
Pub is ok, nice inside. Shame they had hardly ANY vegetarian options, about 2 out of the whole list! was not too impressed by this
|
Why are you all complaining? It's a Vintage bloody Inn. What on earth do you expect?
|
We'd called at the Abinger Arms about 3pm on a warm October Saturday only to be told that they'd stopped serving food, "Try the Wotton Hatch" they said.
Used to motor out to said pub years ago, it used to serve pretty good food and was, sort of, comfortably shambolic with a good buzz about the place. How times have changed! Considering the location and the weather we should have been fighting for the seats but the place was practically empty. Now, for better or worse, I enjoy a cigarette after eating and although there was a machine selling fags and no signs forbiding smoking there wasn't an ashtray to be seen so I asked the only member of staff in the pub whether there was a section for smokers? "No smoking in the pub" came the surly reply. "Fine" says I, "we'll eat outside"
"No you won't!" comes the reply, "we don't serve food outside"
I won't be returning to the Wotton Hatch even after I've kicked the smoking habit!
|
Used to go there on a very regular basis, but no more. The food is rubbish and typical of some Vintage Inns. The Oystercatcher near Climping, West Sussex is not bad, and the Sunday Roast is excellent value. The service can be painfully slow (at the Wotton Hatch)and served on occasions by some dippy little bint that practices "Enjoy your Meals' in front of the mirror every day. They sem to haunt the places I go to. Young blond with a Pony Tail...thousands of them, maybe clones? However, they are always polite, never rude and they are only doing their job,
The food is well below par, and the salad is weeds from the garden and no doubt Diuretic. The cost of the drinks, like most pubs is way over the top, but you know the price before you buy, so it's up to you.
Good location, nice place but looks are only skin deep.
|
Ihave to agree with the review of may last year,must be the same bloke serving or they train them like this always busy doing nothing, no hello kiss my arse when you arrive puts you off from the start.
|
One day I'll figure out why people even bother stopping. You know exactly what you are going to get from a Vintage Inn, and they helpfully put a big sign outside to warn you off.
|
Used to come regularly but quality tailed off a couple of years ago. Thought we'd give it another try. Shouldn't have bothered, its even worse! A big cold pub, virtually empty on a chilly night. Sat near radiator for warmth but it was turned off. Beer ok, service pleasant but food appallingly bad. Pie burnt outside, dried up inside, vegetables stone cold and semi cooked. Waitress took plate and was heard to exclaim to her colleague "he (chef)shouldn't be allowed near the kitchen". Waitress returned and apologised and there followed this surreal conversation:
waitress - "would you like to try our deserts?"
me - "no thanks"
waitress - "oh,its ok, they're bought in. The chef won't have touched them"!!
At least they had the grace not to charge us.
Deeply depressing experience - avoid.
|
Mixed reactions to this place. Positives:-
- restaurant does great food and no complaints there
- location, despite being next to A25, very pleasant, and the garden has views over the Surrey Hills
Negative:-
- don't know why but the barman in the pub part always seems so sullen and offhand
Overall I'd recommend it - sit outside under the parasols on a summer's day and it's great
anonymous - 12 Jul 2005 21:33 |
Appalling. Sadly a typical Surrey pub. Only interested in shifting shedlaods of indifferent mass produced food and ripping people off. I have never forgiven them for closing the nice little public bar at the eastern end of the building several years ago. It was a small amnd pleasnt little adult drinking environment where one could escape from the loud families with their irritating kids.
|
If you want rudeness and short measures, this is the place to go. Although I live within quarter of a mile of this pub, I rarely go there, preferring to go to other pubs in the area. This is because three years ago, I was addressed so rudely as I stepped over the pub's threshold that I left without buying a drink. Yesterday evening, I made the mistake of popping in for a swift pint and was served by a humourless and surly individual who glared at me when I made an inoffensive remark, and I'm sure knows how to pour a pint of Guinness but poured it straight out without waiting, point blank refused to top it up when it has settled, even though it was obviously short by the time it had done so. Nobody needs to receive this kind of treatment because there a plenty of good pubs in not far away, in the Westcott, Abingers Hammer, Abinger Common, Gomshall, and Friday Street. Go to one of those instead. Unless, of course, you fancy having a stand-up row as part of your evening's entertainment programme.
|
Good pub to go to if your into Lotus & Caterham 7's they meet up there every 3rd Thursday evening, quite a spectacle in the summer months. Beers not bad either.
neilt - 28 Jan 2005 14:05 |
Indeed a Vintage Inn. Some people are easily pleased.
anonymous - 10 Jan 2005 14:49 |
Tasty, reasonably priced food although menu doesn't change as it is part of a chain. Good for young children (highchairs available). Good setting, views from garden, although by busy A25, and conservatory inside. Relaxing atmosphere inside. Good stopping off place on walks.
Steve - 18 Oct 2004 10:19 |
Really nice pub, good food served promptly and with a smile.
Alec. 29 July 2004
alec yirrell - 29 Jul 2004 20:23 |
Food service was slow and hamburger very dry - all the food seemed to be mass produced from frozen - would NOT go back again
Henry - 28 Jul 2004 21:37 |
This is one of the 'spoon' pubs - is it the Vintage Inn chain? - and all are the same wherever you go. Food is OK and reasonably priced. In general the atmosphere is relaxing and staff friendly. Biggest gripe is the "fresh seasonal vegetables of the day". These are always the same and always terrible - mangy baton carrots, soft tiny bits of brocolli or cauli. These may well come out of a packet as they are the same at everyone of the chain I have been to, so now I try to have something without the horrible veg!
Andy - 12 Jun 2004 14:18 |
Yep, definetly a restaurant/pub and I'd agree the food is excellent and bar not overly expensive.
monty - 5 Mar 2004 13:11 |
I'd call this a restaurant/pub but great food and the bar's fine.
Vindaloo - 28 Aug 2003 15:39 |
