Clava Restaurant in Woking

Visited for the first time on a Friday night with friends and wow do they get a lot right. The food is very very good (take a bow chef) and the sommelier excellent. Prices are also more acceptable than most places and the wine very reasonable with a more than adequate choice. In fact it is a very good wine list. But they need to get their act together when customers first sit down at the table. It's OK and understandable if on a busy Friday night there is a little wait for food, but take a drinks order straightaway. Then customers can relax with their drink looking at the menus. Stress released. And there is no point having 'while you wait' food options if you wait so long to order them that you might as well order your starter and main and forgo the while you wait options. And please don't put the cutlery on the table mats so that when you open the menu you wipe the cutlery with the menu covers that have been touched by others. The table mats you have fit the menus perfectly so simply put the cutlery by the side of them. Small point but nonetheless important from a hygiene point of view. All that said, the front of house staff were really very good and chef surpassed himself. The Chateaubriand was truly excellent. We considered having the tasting menu for four but note, it's not really suitable for vegans or pescatarians and you cannot order the tasting menu for three people. It's either two or four as they split portions when serving. There is easy parking in the nearby (3 mins walk) station car park and it only cost £2.90. We will return to this restaurant as there is much to like and a great find. It's just across the road from West Byfleet station if you dont want to drive. A starter and main will cost around £40

For anyone who has looked at the reviews for Clava you will have seen several from me extoling the virtues of this fabulous restaurant. Well “Hold the front page”, we have just come back from their New Year celebration and WOW. The food was exquisite, the service was second to none and the entertainment was wonderful. With Valentino, creating and preparing these incredible dishes and Giulio serving up some really fine wines and controlling front of house, these two are a match made in heaven, between the two of them they create one of the most incredible gastronomic experiences in the most wonderful environment with the best service you can find.

We had the tasting menu with flight of matched wine and this was a revelation - what a find for a restaurant I West Byfleet. The menu was adjusted to take account of dietary requirements and the wines were introduced with great local knowledge and done as an excellent accompaniment. I will definitely be back at what must be one of the best restaurants in Surrey

A group of us went to Clava on a wet Saturday afternoon an enjoyed the tasting menu. Only one word comes to mind to describe it "superb" There was nothing that was put in front of us that everyone didn't devour! I especially liked the venison ragu with fettuccini. The lunch was a culinary delight and we will be making a return visit in the new year.

What do you really want from a restaurant? Maybe a warm welcome, comfortable and stylish atmosphere, attentive service, talented chef, knowledgeable sommelier, clean toilets? Sounds easy but so often I’m disappointed by places that can’t deliver these basic elements. Clava, in West Byfleet, opened a couple of years ago by Chef Valentino, does all of this with effortless competence. It becomes self-evident when you’re eating food that takes years of training and practice, days of preparation and moments of brilliance to deliver. It doesn’t want or need Michelin praise, it’s so good. I hesitate to share this because I want to be able to get a table before word gets out. Try it while you can.

Skilled Italian food. Delicious, beautifully presented and served with gousto. A very very impressive restaurant that I wish was my local. The daily set menu is incredibly reasonably priced.

Excellent food and drinks. Attentive but discreet service with a Chef and team in the kitchen who clearly know their business. This is a real gem. We have visited before and will do again. Their dishes rival and exceed Michelin Star.

This place serves very good food and has a good wine list, there is a fair range of wines available by the glass. The staff are friendly and the right level of attentive; the service was fine. The venue is smart, certainly a step up from many around here. There is a fixed price menu and a la carte choices too. We had the fixed price, the portion sizes were perfectly fine. The menu had some less commonly seen items, I had a very successful dish of Cornish sardines, while my wife had pancetta which she said was delicious. Overall, we definitely enjoyed our meals and our time there. Slightly on the down side, the room can be quite noisy if there are children present, and we had 12% added to our bill as a service charge (although we were only a group of three). This latter might be becoming more common, but it seems a bit off to me.

A great fine dining experience thoroughly ruined by a regular family customer with a screaming child throughout the evening. We went to celebrate a birthday and have an an adult evening out. Very disappointing.

My friend and I came to this restaurant to celebrate our birthdays. I Would recommend the tasting menu. Excellent menu which included prawns in tigers milk, pasta in pecorino and broccoli sauce and lamb cooked to perfection. We also had the wine pairing, which perfectly complemented each dish. The staff are friendly and professional and really cared about our experience. We will be back to try the al a carte menu.

Had the tasting menu and accompanying wines. Absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. Staff are welcoming and friendly

We went for the tasting menu the food was fantastic and the wine complimented the food would definately recommend booking great food great service

We had few lovely drinks / cocktails in there. Always great atmosphere and great wines / drinks. Would highly recommend. We will be back soon for proper dinner etc.

We have booked for my brother's birthday and arrived 30 minutes prior to our booking. We had a drinks while waiting for the table after which the hostess told us that we cannot have a table at all because the previous table of 4 is taking longer than expected. We ended up leaving even, as no tables were available. Very unprofessional staff!

Probably the best restaurant locally. Relaxed ambience, effortless service, food spot on, portion size, taste, all alligned, chilled wine and acceptable value. Genuine hospitalty too.

If I could give 6 stars I would. My wife and I have been here several times in the past 18 months, and each time was better than the last. The food is so flavoursome, elevating Italian food to a new level. The ambience is buzzing and the staff, in particular Michaella, are friendly, attentive and they go above and beyond, making you feel special. Michaella’s cocktails are also to die for! Our favourite restaurant in Surrey and will be returning again very soon.