Claygate Averna in Elmbridge

We arrived early on Halloween and had the place to ourselves. The crew doted over us and made us feel like the real deal. As the place filled up they didn’t skip a beat. Families with small children, so called grown ups like us alike, the place was bustling with laughter and good times. The food was classic Italian and done to perfection. I had the carbonara and it was silky smooth and delicious. My wife’s clam spaghetti was fresh and the pasta was cooked perfectly. And the truffle pizza did t disappoint. Last but not least, no words to describe the deserts… so I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Good prices, amazing food and friendly service. Loved it!

Great service, kids enjoyed calamari and pizzas, Dad loved the liver & I had beef carpaccio to start which was really good. Nice wine too

Some of the nicest Italian food I’ve had. Service was amazing, our server was Andre and he was brilliant.

Family outing. Excellent food. Every item ordered was delicious. Very good service, pleasant servers. Didn't realise it would be noisy over the weekend. Could barely hear each other. Best to go weekdays if one wants a quiet relaxing meal.

Good pizza, home made pachero, and service was also very attentive. I'm unsure why so many reviews criticize the staff, but we had a totally ok time! We also went on a Monday evening and it was definitely slow (though still 5-6 tables for dinner). Spent ~£24pp.

The food was excellent. However I noticed as we were eating one of the staff started to march around the restaurant pointedly more towards our table, walking past and scowling.They did this several times.This was unacceptable I think it was because we arrived at 8.15 and closing time was 8.45.Customers should always be made to feel welcome, even if they are relative latecomers.

Nice restaurant with great food. One or two members of staff seemed a little tetchy (though not the person who served us, who was very pleasant). We were there 45 mins before last orders and didn't order anything big (plate of food each and a bottle of wine) so not too late but got the impression we were imposing on them. A smile would have been good.

Came here for our anniversary dinner, it was perfect. Lovely atmosphere, good food and friendly staff. Couldn’t ask for a better experience. Thank you all 🥰

Delicious, well presented food, amazing cocktails (the espresso martini was perfect 👌). Atmosphere was fabulous - very attentive entertaining staff. Well worth evert penny 👏🥰

Lively & sociable owner serving very tasty food in pleasant surroundings

Fabulous food great service in a truly lively restaurant. Staff were do lovely and friendly

Many years later, the team at Averna continue to deliver great service, amazing food and a brilliant experience for both couples and families.

Delicious food lovely setting excellent service and excellent staff 😀

Fantastic service and amazing food. We enjoyed a meal here as a big party for a special birthday. We had children with us and they catered for all and made us very welcome. The food was brilliant, the tiramisu was delicious and the wine was top! We will definitely Come back.

A perfect family meal with two children under 10. All the staff were fantastic, especially the way they engaged with the children. Together with lovely food and a good ambience, it really was a perfect family meal out - something that is often undertaken with a little trepidation!

Food and service were absolutely amazing. Definitely coming back again soon!!!!!

Delicious food! The calves liver was delicious. Fun, vibrant atmosphere and great service. Will be back

delicious meals and friendly service, definitely recommend and will be back

Authentic Italian food of exceptional quality, by authentic Italians! Bravissimo!

Really nice place, everything was good even if one of the waiters replied badly that he was bald.

Avoid terrible staff. And service from the lady and the manager, towards me and my small kids yesterday . Disgusting . This restaurant does not like kids !

The service and food is always top class

Only nice thing is the pizzas. All other food is average quality, presentation and portion. Staff is impolite, you are rushed to order, eat, and leave as quick as possible. Even when it's not heaving days and hours of the week, you're treated like a £££ number - in/out as quick as possible. It felt like I was competing against something, only I didn't know what. I was still chewing my last bite and the waiter was already asking me if I am finished so he can take the last plate on the table that's left, simply because they kept coming and clearing plates immediately after you put the fork down, throughout the night. This kind of experience happened for a third time now, so I can confidently say I am not going there anymore. Dining is all about the experience, and you need to be made feel welcomed, looked after, and not rushed around like you're just a number. What a shame.

Lovely food and lovely service. I've tried several dishes, all cooked perfectly.

My nephews wanted me to share this. It was the best birthday for our Nonna. They were extremely friendly, especially Luigi’s brother! They looked after us, made us laugh, AND the food was fantastic. They deserve 5 stars. From Artur and Elliotto. X

Three of us dined for lunch earlier today. The food was very nice, the service was great and it was a nice atmosphere.

We went here yesterday and I have to say this is a strong 5* all round! The food, the service by every single waiter, the manager made it such a lovely atmosphere for NYE. it was such a family friendly environment with excellent food! They even put on a firework show at midnight for a surprise. They had a DJ which were playing amazing songs and happy to take requests. Considering it was supposed to be a quiet meal we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I'd go back without a doubt! It was £85 for NYE with flowing drinks and a 3 course meal so a normal dinner would be approx £50 per head so excellent value for money! Thanks for a great evening! Excellent food choicrs and a great al a cart menu!

Rude on the phone - took the call but then said “I’m in the middle of something, haven’t decided if we will open today” - appalling way to treat customer for a local restaurant

A last minute find and worth it. Delicious food, service friendly, location pretty in Claygate

Great Pizza, lovely kid friendly owner, who even when busy takes time to share a laugh. Would highly recommend.

Popped in to play for a party here. Nice stuff and atmosphere.

Lovley food with a relaxing atmosphere 👌

Great place for Sunday lunch, menu gave one so much to choose from and the food was amazing. We had garlic prawns and apple and blue cheese as starters. Followed by fillet of beef, calves livers, lobster ravioli and seafood risotto. Never had I tried roast pineapple, it was amazing. Staff were super friendly , can’t wait to return. Mo

The best Italian for miles. The guys there are so welcoming you immediately feel like family! The food, service atmosphere and attention to detail is second to none!

Very nice birthday meal- busy Friday night. Lots of people. Lovely staff. Good food. Will return

It could be that my expectations were too high given the 4.6 Google reviews and the location. I had the lobster linguine which was quite nice but fell a bit short on taste possibly because the bisque was over oily. If it hadn't cost £30 I'd have been less disappointed. Not at all bad on the whole , just lacked the je ne sais qua

Deliveries got a side entrance, but not many spaces at the back. Reverse n drop off.

Enjoyed a lovely meal here this evening just in the area visiting. All adults & children had a lovely time. Well worth a visit.

Excellent Italian Found this on Google and didn't regret it Top food and service

I was one of 8 customers . We all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch . I didn't see the bill. Good food ,good service . I recommend it .

The food quality is fantastic and delicious!!!!!

Always dined here with a larger party which did not disappoint on the entertainment front. Today it was just the 3 of us and we all agreed the quality of the food was exceptional. The whole vibe of the place was on point . Thank You.

First time at Averna. I had a family dinner, amazing foods top-notch service definitely regular customer

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to order a last minute takeaway as we had a guest for dinner and I had been unable to prepare anything. We have dined at the Averna and it has always been delicious food along with great service. On my daughter’s recommendation (As she has ordered takeaway a number of times) we decided to order from their takeaway menu. It went down so well with our guest that I was forgiven for failing to produce the promised home cooked meal. I can honestly say that it was delicious, very generous portions and such good value for money. I would highly recommend and will definitely order again as makes a nice change to the traditional takeaways. 👍🏻

Wonderful lunch as a table of 12 family. Always have the best time. Brilliant hardworking staff and grwat quality food. Thank you.

This is a lovely local Italian. Really great, fun staff, and despite a few reviews saying to the contrary in our circle it’s known as being a great place to come with kids too. I feel interiors could do with warming up a little to help create a more intimate, warm ambience. A gripe with friends or family we’ve come with does appear to be a lack of decent pasta options (as you might expect for an Italian) for veggies. So this is something they may look to re- consider. As who honestly likes a mushroom risotto?! No body we know!

Had a friends 50th here, was a great night, all staff very friendly and helpful, particularly the two guys behind the bar, a real laugh, great space for a large gathering, a running buffet, with a good selection of tasty dishes, would definitely go back.

Went on Friday evening with family. We’re treated so well as always. Had the best fillet steak for a long time and the Seabass my wife had was amazing. Staff so friendly and attentive. Thank you Nick and you staff

My family and love this restaurant. The food and the service is amazing. My favorite is on the menu is lobster and the children love the pizzas. Looking forward to our next visit

Not a restaurant to take children. We were a group of 7 adults & 7 kids, as advised in the booking at 12noon, but I think they expected us to sit in complete silence. Never have I been treated or stared at with such contempt. Lovely food, shame about the hospitality!

This restaurant is JUST brilliant, the service is excellent, the food delicious and the staff so friendly and welcoming that they make a wonderful atmosphere. Would highly recommend it.

I have award this to averna because they deserve it staff excellent great service friendly atmosphere great waiters and waitresses und the food out of this world do not take my word for it go and try it out for yourself well done und belisma und vonderbark service ja

Staff great fun and food delicious

Such a lovely place. They get everything just right Great food of first quality, friendly, helpful staff and something for eveyone to enjoy. Have been here several times and taken family and friends. We all love it. Try it you won't be disappointed

Cancelled our booking to celebrate a birthday the night before (booked a week in advance and confirmed). Didn’t bother calling us to apologise just sent email cancelling it. My partner then called them to ask why and told a large private booking had been made so our booking cancelled, again no apology. Clearly don’t want our business so we’ll go elsewhere! I’ll share this experience of unacceptable service with friends and family Averna.

First time here in a long time. 4 people, 3 courses each, 2 rounds of drinks just over £200. All dishes were great quality and the service was swift and staff polite. Good spacing between tables, good atmosphere. Will be back here again soon.

Such a treat to have a very well prepared vegan main course. Amazing flavour and extremely helpful staff.

Always great food. Great service and the atmosphere is lively. Would highly recommend

authentic Italian place. Loved the food and ambiance a lot. super friendly staff and the value you get is awesome! Big recommendation!

Lovely little restaurant in a picturesque village the girls and us loved the food and all of the staff were very friendly would recommend thanks again.

Many thanks to Mario and staff for a lovely evening, excellent food / service /atmosphere it’s a gem of a restaurant Jenny & David

Friendly staff & good Italian food

Another fantastic meal tonight at Averna! Nothing was too much trouble - they always remember our favourite table, wine and meals. We recommended to friends last week, who were also very impressed. Thanks guys!

Lovely restaurant, good food and attentive staff. Took my 3-year old for a birthday dinner with the family. Staff made real effort to make her feel special and really got involved to sing her happy birthday and dance as well - turned it into a real celebration that we will always remember. Thank you!

Fantastic food complimented by the unique Italian atmosphere. A genuine Italian experience that is rare to find. Mario is unbelievable. Siete forti

Absolutely wonderful service, atmosphere

Brilliant Sunday roast and kids meals. Friendly staff and easy parking close to the church. We'll worth a visit.

Great local Italian restaurant with a wide range of dishes to choose from at very reasonable prices

Group of 15, food was all so good and the manager was ace!

Great food, very friendly lovely atmosphere for a good night out

Nice restaurant, good food, nice atmosphere, friendly staff.

First visit which is criminal as I've lived in the area for 4+ years. A great atmosphere, welcoming and I guess you may say "very Italian"! And that is, a great atmosphere, welcoming and warm, with some really very good food indeed. It's a fairly lively restaurant hence the atmosphere, but the staff never forget why they're there - to be accommodating, appropriately attentive, and for all the vibrancy, they provided just the right level of service, never missing a beat. If you want a pause between courses, then no problem - you're not rushed in and out at all (I don't get the odd comment on here about that!). We didn't go for pizza as although I'm sure its great, as there's a lot more to Italian food. We had a few of the mini starters to share, all of which were great, with sea bass and the lobster spaghetti for our mains.And really don't skip the starters - Buratta, Bruchetta, Chorizo... we could've had a whole load more frankly! I can't recommend it highly enough and definitely be returning now.

Fantastic food. The classic dishes were superb. Hosted 3 adults and a 2 year old with warmth, dealing with a toddlers mess with smiles during a busy evening for them.We will be back!

Fab Christmas meal - great service and atmosphere 👌

This is a gem of a find. Fantastic Italian restaurant, great food and very friendly staff. We were here for 4 nights and ate her on third night. We were so impressed with it we went back the next night. We will be back when we are down here next.

We visited on someone else's recommendation... The food was alright, expect for the Carbonara which I'm convinced had cream, which is a big no-no for an Italian restaurant. There was also an hour wait between the starters and mains

Delicious food, lovely staff. I'd happily eat here again.

Oozing humorous Italian charm with cuisine to match! We return Saturday for lunchtime clams with caviar, etc...

Came here for my Dad's birthday tonight, and had a great evening. The food and service was incredible, it's always a joy to return to the Averna and see Nick and the team

Lovely local restaurant with real Italian vibe and they brought out decorated desert for our anniversary! Would rexommend

This was our first visit and wont be our last. The food and service were excellent. We were in large group but didn't have to wait or question anything. The place.has a nice vibe and and welcomes families as well as couples.

Mario is the funniest person ive met in a long time

Fabulous fun for the kids. Lots of different areas to explore.

Good food but wasn't very busy whilst we were there, felt like we were a bit rushed

The food was top notch with incredible service. The ambiance was great and the staff were really friendly. One of the hidden gems in Surrey, will definitely visit again 😊

Great food and service. We had a lovely evening.

Great food great atmosphere and fantastic hosts .

Kicking ourselves we didn't find this restaurant sooner. Pick up service is great also. Highly recommend.

Excellent service and the staff very friendly. The food delicious and worth every penny

Absolutely fantastic food, fantastic enthusiastic staff. The staff were so warm and welcoming and very good with our children. From start to finish they were all very attentive and couldn’t do enough for us. The food was delicious. We love going there and will go back very soon!!

The best Sunday roast in Surrey! I really recommend to anyone.

The food is wonderful. The service is attentive without being too over whelming and the atmosphere is great for both families and couples alike. Thoroughly recommended. They also deliver which in the current circumstances is keeping us sane!

Simply put: the best takeaway Italian food that you can find in Surrey, and we've looked long and hard. Not only are the pizzas exceptional, but the salads are fresh as delicious, the wood oven baked pastas are exquisite, and the deserts are to die for. Do yourself a favour and order from here.

The best pizzas and service in Surrey! I really recommend!

Lovely lunch at this welcoming restaurant.

Unfortunately I needed to go gluten free 3 months ago and in that time I haven't had great experiences of going out. I was so excited to hear that I could pretty much have anything on the menu, I had prawns to start, as did my hubby and it was wonderful as usual (we have visited many times pre my need to go gluten free). I then had a gluten free pizza which was amazing, I will definitely try their gluten free pasta next time and of course all of the meat dishes can be ensured to be gluten free. They have someone who is coeliac in the team which gave me the confidence that they knew what they were doing. I also found out that they have a great vegan menu, I'm not vegan myself but thought it might interest others. I asked Mario what desserts were "safe" and he came back with an amazing mango sorbet, served beautifully in a martini glass with fresh fruits. My family had a great night and enjoyed the fresh homemade bread, stunning pastas and desserts. It is absolutely a family favourite of ours and most importantly for me no adverse reactions, they know what they are doing!!

Beautiful Sunday roast lamb delivered to my door. Everything was cooked to perfection.

My husband and I stumbled upon this restaurant and we're so glad we did. We have been twice now and each time the food has been absolutely delicious and the staff extremely friendly. When you walk in, the staff are charming and the atmosphere welcoming. Fabulous wine list and mouth-watering menu. The portions are generous, and food is superb. A truly wonderful, authentic Italian restaurant.

Had a great takeaway. Large portions and good quality food

Incredible food and friendly staff. Everyone loved what they ordered, including the Sunday roast. The wild boar ravioli is now one of my all-time favourite dishes. The homemade bread and pasta really makes the difference.