Lakeside Restaurant in Guildford

This restaurant is amazing! If you’re thinking you can’t have a top class restaurant on a University campus think again….. it was some of the best food we’ve ever had and presented so well. I wish I could’ve had everything on the menu! The chefs ate very very talented and would not be out of place working on some of the top restaurants in the world. We will definitely return

Excellent friendly service, beautifully presented food and drink and terrific small menu with high proportion of local sourcing. Excellent views and ambience.

Have attended the lakeside restaurant a few times now and it is always fantastic. Staff and food are both excellent.

The Lakeside Restaurant on the University of Surrey campus is a hidden gem. The food is amazing, beautifully presented and high quality ingredients. It is a bargain compared to restaurants providing a similar experience. I highly, highly recommend it.

I've come to this restaurant many times over the last few years and never thought to provide a review given that it's just "a place at work" however knowing that this is open to all it only seems fair to recognise the amazing food, service and ambience that Lakeside provides. The service is good, at it's best it is totally invisible however as this is used to train students in the art of hospitality it does vary and at times it is a little more "clunky" however the managers do ensure that this never detracts from the experience. The ambience of the place is relaxed, it feels "proper" and it is, nothing is rushed and it always feels as though you have time to enjoy the food and drink. The menu is small, there is always a choice of 5 or 6 dishes for each of starter, main and dessert. The choices are seasonal with menu changes through the year. They handle allergens well with clear listing and options (although I was really disappointed there is no dairy free dessert currently listed!). The food is always stunning. Beautiful to look at, hot, well presented and tasty! Yesterday was no exception with sweet and sour dressing across the squid which was tender and crisp with a great topping of salad bits, chilli, etc. The main was also great, I never go for the vegan option however on this occasion I went with the Tofu noodle bowl and it was fab, tasty and full of textures. My colleagues had a lamb dish (well received) and an amazing looking trout which all looked amazing and disappeared without delay! An excellent coffee rounded off the whole experience! The last word should be on the price, although this is excellent food with high quality food and excellent service, the prices are amazingly reasonable for what you get. I really can't fault this place!

Amazing food for an amazing price, I got the lamb rump and rhubarb and gingernut cheesecake, both were delicious! I'm already booked in to go again.

A great place to impress your visitors with amazing food and services! Wish they did dinner as well!!

Fantastic food and fantastic service. It’s refreshing to be able to find a restaurant where the food and drink can be such good quality but so accessible.

Great food and great service. Definitely going back. Also very reasonable for the quality of food delivered. We got served by Tony, he made us feel very welcome and did a outstanding job on making our experience one we will always remember.

Our fourth visit to this gem of a place, and once again we thoroughly enjoyed it. Food is of the highest standard, with an excellent menu. The service is excellent too. We will be back!

we met here and 50 years later we celebrated my wife’s. Birthday. It could not have been better. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife and I came along for lunch today, and were very impressed. Only found out about this gem recently. What a nice surprise! The food was excellent, as was the service, and in such nice surroundings. We will definitely be going again.

The Lakeside was recommended to us by a neighbour who works at the University. Wow, what a find. Well we didn't find it so can't take any credit. The food is not just beautifully presented, it is exquisite. The menu is not extensive, but each dish is designed and delivered with such attention. Food of this calibre if consistently delivered in a private restaurant would see the establishment recommended in the Michelin Guide. Perhaps not a Michelin Star, but getting close. Starters and dessert are priced at £6. Mains at £12. This is top quality food at affordable prices. Dishes are not large, so you have room for 3 courses. Have three. If you've not been, please go. But leave us a table as we are going again this month

We visited this well kept secret of a place for my wife's birthday. The food and service were top notch and we were extremely well looked after by Head Chef Dave and front of house Ruby. This place is part of the University of Surrey campus and is only open to the public on Monday to Friday lunchtimes but thoroughly recommend it.

brought a colleague who is now most jealous of our hospitality: the degree, the students, the food, the fine service. thanks guys - helped seal a research deal!!

The food is always incredible here, so tasty, beautifully presented and great service. The prices are really reasonable and the food never disappoints. Highly recommend a visit.

This is an ideal spot for lunch with views overlooking the stunning lake at the University of Surrey. The food is always delicious with a seasonal menu that changes regularly and is always beautifully presented. Service is first-class and professional. A hidden gem

Lakeside restaurant is consistently excellent - delicious inventive dishes and friendly service at great prices.

Arrived on recommendation from a friend. Food was absolutely fantastic. Presentation was awesome, taste and service was awesome. Highly recommend the desserts, will be back as soon as you open!

Spent 50 minutes waiting for a parking space to become available in the tiny pay and display car park. Unfortunately not one car budged and there were around 12 other cars waiting. In the end I had to cancel my booking. Apparently the University do not want to provide parking for the restaurant. Even though this would be an additional revenue stream. Best to get a bus from the town centre. Or just go somewhere else easier to get to.

As a hospitality professional of many years, it was an absolute delight to dine at the schooling restaurant on campus. The student staff were very friendly and the menu was well appointed. Everything tasted fresh and had a professionals touch. Love visiting Lakeside restaurant and...

Amazing value restaurant on the University of Surrey campus. They only operate a lunch service, and bookings are required, but the quality of the food and presentation is excellent. Originally a teaching restaurant for students on hospitality related degree courses, you can be assured that...

This restaurant on the University of Surrey is well worth a visit, although sadly it’s not open at the weekends. The presentation of the food is excellent and service good. I’ve eaten here on several occasions and never had a bad meal. Would highly recommend.

I enjoyed a very enjoyable business lunch with 2 faculty members at this restaurant. Ideal also for parents or anyone wanting a high standard of service for business or for some special occasion.

I was blown away with the value, quality and service at Lakeside Restaurant. The staff were very welcoming, with the decor and view of the lake adding to the experience. The meal itself was some of the best presented food I have seen, with the...

The food is excellent and staff very friendly. Lovely surroundings and view. Presentation is great and plenty of choice.

This is a must for anyone to try. It is part of the catering school at the University. Spectacular dishes and service and I would thoroughly recommend that you reserve a table for the lunch menu. Portions are on the small side but this is...

Really nice birthday lunch. The service was prompt and friendly. The food was really nice. Would recommend to anyone.

Not only was the quality of the food excellent but the presentation and service quite exceptional, not to mention the outstanding value for money! A great find and we would highly recommend it. We will be back! Well done to today's team, excellent in every...

Could not fault this restaurant when we visited with friends for lunch. The 3 course meal was delicious, great presentation, very good service, in all a very pleasant lunch, we all agreed we will be going back.

The restaurant was very pleasant with plenty of guests and a nice atmosphere. We visited with our friends from Staffordshire and they were impressed with the choice and quality of the food. Another good visit.

Very nice staff and atmosphere. Festively decorated and clean and tidy. Excellent menu choices and it was all delicious. Catch of the day (it was Hake the day I visited) and wonderful rum raisin ice cream. Yum! Staff very attentive throughout.

Have been to Lakeside several times and always have a memorable meal. Lots of recommendations to friends who have also visited and been impressed. The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. I cannot recommend this place enough

We attended an invitation event as volunteers with a Guildford mobility charity for their fortieth birthday celebration. There were maybe 50 or 60 of us there, together with the Mayor of Guildford and other worthies in all their regalia.I was looking forward to sampling culinary excellence from a hospitality teaching/training body. What a disappointment.From its appearance and taste, I conjectured we were on bought-in fare from somewhere like Tesco's. It was served in cardboard boxes just pulled out of a fridge, The mini sausage rolls were cold and flabby, just like as everything else. The same applied in a different way to the taste. I was astonished to learn it had been prepared in house.If that is the standard of culinary excellence they aim to teach, I don't give much for the career chances of their graduates.Up your standards. Your students deserve better.Remember for every bad experience you give someone you have to attract about five new punters.

Mejor comida para el almuerzo en guildford por mucho. Almorcé con mi cuñada y todo era perfecto. La comida era extraordinaria y el servicio perfecto. El restaurante está gestionado por estudiantes de la universidad y hacen un trabajo increíble y muy profesional. Altamente recomendado y pastel de calabaza. soufflé

This unique and affordable restaurant, located on the beautiful grounds of the campus of the University of Surrey in Guildford, is managed by the Hospitality School. Students cook in the kitchen and students serve the patrons. Served in a chic and airy room, overlooking a lake and surrounded by trees, the food is sophisticated and the students who serve you are just darling. All for a bargain price. Highly recommended.

All five of us enjoyed our experience at Lakeside Restaurant on Thursday. The charcuterie board starter was excellent as was the main of Italian Beef Olive. We all thought the desserts were really nice (I had Cassis Roulade with a vanilla cream core and dark chocolate ganache). Already looking forward to our next visit.

I came here with a friend yesterday for lunch as they had never been to the University. Excellent starters and main course. We did not have dessert as we did not have time but they looked delicious. Food very very good as I remember from a few years ago and very peaceful unhurried atmosphere.

I managed three courses as the portions are fairly small but ideal for lunchtime. The menu is varied, the food looked beautiful, tasted wonderful and the service was very friendly and attentive. There are no evening meals but special occasions can be discussed by contacting the team. The University of Surrey sits within beautiful grounds just 15 minutes from the town centre so you get a nice view of the lake and surrounding area whilst enjoying your meal. Would highly recommend.

Excellent food and superb service. Often here you will be waited by students studying hotel and hospitality management- No 1 discipline in the UK

Right in the heart of the surrey campus a great spot for lunch which is served very promptly, you can get through 3 courses in under an hour if you can't linger but the staff don't rush you. FOH and kitchen run by the students very competently, really nice well thought out menus, always something a little different. Menu changes monthly and 3 courses is usually about £15 so really good value too.

Great food and the staff are really pleasant and helpful The chef was happy to adapt the chicken menu to exclude mushrooms and it was delicious. I had the pork terrine starter with gooseberries and would recommend it. My husband had the home made carrot and orange soup which he enjoyed too. The chocolate dessert was very nice.Hope our next visit will not be far away.

Was visiting another department at the university and they'd booked this place for lunch. Wasn't expecting much from a campus place but then was told this was run by the school of hospitality and it all fell into place.The food was excellent, I had a great soup for starter that was well seasoned, schnitzel for main with a very well balanced sauce with just the right amount of kick and then a fairly impressive desert with some really good chocolate work - glossy and properly tempered. All for £15 - a bargain!Service was good too, the future of the restaurant business is in good hands if everywhere is this good!

This was our first visit to this restaurant which had been recommended by a friend. The service and food were first class and we're looking forward to going there again soon. My husband had the beef which was delicious and the sea trout was the best I have ever eaten.

Having a lovely break in the sunshine during a busy day so had lunch at the lakeside restaurant. The menu always contains some surprises and we were not disappointed this time the fish was well cooked and the vegetables also ..finished off with a peanut butter mouse yum

During my visit to University of Surrey I also visitwd the Lakeside Restaurant. Food was really good and the prices werereasonable. I alsoloved the location of the restaurant.

I visited this restaurant for lunch. The service was attentive but relaxed. The food was interesting & delicious. I would thoroughly recommend either a business lunch or a relaxing meal with friends. The venue is perfect for either! An enjoyable experience.

I was working at the university last month and met up with a friend at Lakeside for convenience. Stunning views, we were the first to sit on their brand new rattan furniture outside on the patio. I was a bit concerned that we would be forgotten about as everyone else was eating inside, however I needn't have worried, the waiter couldn't have been more attentive and made us feel very special. With stunning views of the lake, and their own home grown pots of herbs on the patio, you know everything is freshly made (even the pasta) and well presented. Highly recommended

Brilliant food, amazing service (both quick and friendly), relaxing atmosphere and reasonable pricingThoroughly enjoyable experience, would highly recommended.

I've eaten in here a few times...tbh the food isn't anything special...but the staff and ethos are...I love the setting overlooking the lake...and the people who run it....some of the upcoming hospitality students gets involved and the management can't do enough for you...if you want to have an event or change the layout they will bend over backwards...its somewhere I would take clients because of where it is located and the positive philosophy the managers embody....

I had lunch in the Lakeside the other week with a colleague. The venue must be one of the best in Guildford, with a view of the lake on the University of Surrey campus, where the restaurant is situated. The food was of a very high standard and the service was excellent. The wine list embodied a judicious range of good wines - my sauvignon was superb. Although the restaurant is not open in the evenings, it is well worth paying a lunchtime visit to this very relaxing and spacious venue overlooking the pleasant campus just outside Guildford town centre.

I fully agree with the previous review about the Lakeside at The University of Surrey - good food, plesant surroundings, great view across the lake. Staff very polite and attentive. But what a pity the restaurant cannnot be open in the evenings. Good for couples and larger numbers and no loud music! A real find on the outskirts of Guildford.

What a lovely restaurant in the middle of Surrey University Campus in Guildford. We had a table by the window and could enjoy looking out at the lake and beautiful grounds. The decor is modern and clean and I liked the fact that there is plenty of room between the tables.The starters were excellent. I had fish tortilla and my husband and my daughter both had ham hock terrine. All were beautifully served and delicious. I then had the beef stir fry which was superb. My husband had pork belly and tenderloin which was good, although slightly fatty. The main courses cost about £10 each. Vegetables and salad were extra, at £2.50 each. We had one desert, chocolate and mango entremet - a perfect end to the meal. Portions were just about right for us, neither too large nor too small.This restaurant is open 12-2pm Monday to Friday and is part of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Service was generally good and friendly.I look forward to returning before too long.