The Dolphin, Betchworth

A fantastic example of a 17th century pub. Set in a beautuiful village. Great beer gardedn with fenced off area to keep the kids safe. Great real ales and a good selection of fizzy beer too, plus good food and the occasional hog roast make this pub a real destination. However, the service can be a bit slow, which on the average day is no problem as this is a lovely place to spend time. However on busier days, the wait can be extremely long and you can spend longer waiting at the bar to order you drinks than you spend outiside in the sun! Worth a risk as when it's good, it's great.

10 Apr 2011 09:29

Ye Olde Windsor Castle, Bookham

I'd like to give this pub a higher rating as it has loads of potential that it doesn't take advantage of. It is a short walk from the local station and countryside so makes for a good stop off after a walk with the family, it has a large beer garden, outside seating and heaters for the chillier evenings. However, the rear garden is not well maintained and their dog is constantly using it as a toilet, so your kids can't run freely around without you worrying about them getting covered in dog mess.

However, they do run an annual beer festival with loads of local brews to sample and the food isn't bad. The staff are generally friendly and overall we still enjoy going.

Shame they got rid of the pool table about 15 years ago when it went through a referbishment to make it look more like 'Ye Olde Windsor Castle' rather than simply the 'Windsor Castle'. The owners must think we all want to live in a Disney World version of England, so re-branded the pub with the stupid 'Ye Olde' prefix. Perhaps I'll try joining in with the faux Ye Olde nonsense and try paying for my 'honey mead' with a Shilling or a Groat and see what the landlord has to say!

8 Apr 2011 10:04