The Bear in Elmbridge - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great service from The Bear in Esher yesterday. We had a work meeting for a small group of people and we had lunch there, which was great. They also provided a projector for no additional cost. Food was very good, and we are definitely pleased we chose The Bear. Thank you very much.

Had a great meal at The Bear, there were 10 of us in varying ages from 2 to 90, everyone had an excellent time. The food was outstanding, most of us had roasts and the service was perfect. Service charge was high but then again so was our bill, its just a bug bear of mine I'd rather pay higher prices so its included and not have the service charge added at the end. Certainly one of the best roasts I've had out for ages.

One of the best spots in Esher! Atmosphere amazing, food is top tier & the staff always attentive. Shout out to Charlie, Jacob, Olivia & Harrison the dream team! See you soon

The Sunday roast was absolutely awful all veg was mushy and watery tasteless gravy only 2 potatoes on the plate worst Sunday roast I've ever had wouldn't feed it me dog

A disappointing stay - room was clean but tired .. few things needed attention eg toilet flush was coming off wall, ripped carpet Breakfast was mediocre … pastries being served came with a side order of mould .. The rate being charged did not reflect the service /quality.. won’t be returning

Did not use rooms but Pub its self was good Very Friendly staff Food service was good and quick Also food was very good and not to expensive

Only, Charlie and colleagues personify the meaning of hospitality. Friendly, welcoming, funny, accommodating, relaxed. Our evening was made all the better, wuth the staff being allowed to be themselves, creating an atmosphere made for relaxation and enjoyment. Congratulations and thank-you all. 🤝👍

Good value Sunday Roast and service well organised and quick. Definitely will go again - easy to book as well. Wouuld definitely recommend it.

A big thank you to all the team at The Bear. We held the reception after our Dad's service at Randall's Park (a 15-minute drive away) at The Bear, and it was a perfect setting. We gathered with a group of about 20 of us in the private Claremont room, which was relaxed and just right. The buffet table was in the middle, a drinks table down one end, with room to mingle and chat as well as seating. The food was lovely and the service from Oli and the team from start to finish was wonderful. Friendly, attentive and caring. A great send-off for our Dad; thank you so much.

Went to watch an England game, sitting outside. Music playing through the speakers, no cover from the rain and couldn't hear the game commentary as the outside TV wasn't connected to the speakers. Very poor experience.

Purchased a beer, paid for it then told that that particular beer had run out. Barbies flailed seeking a resolution and I had a beer with a cheaper price just to make her stop. Never have I been in a pub where I pay for the beer before it has been poured, strange way to do business.

This is the second time I have stayed here, loved it the first time but this time was disappointed. The food seems to have changed, the quality of the meal wasn't great. I had a steak with rocket salad with parmesan and chips. The salad was not a rocket salad, it was a horrible lettuce. It wasn't even mentioned that it had to be substituted and when I raised it, it was just brushed off with an 'oh sorry'. It's a shame as the food used to be fantastic here. The rooms are always great, spacious and clean. The showers have a very low pressure though due to 'the age of the building'. Overall a pleasant stay.

We've been to The Bear (for food and/or accommodation) many times and have always been satisfied and impressed with everything they offer, the food has always been a big draw for us, not tonight though. It started well enough with a member of staff taking the food order and organising the drinks. Then the poor sized portions arrived, the fare was reasonably good, just miserly... OK it was probably busy earlier, the England/Denmark game had been on, did they run short of food? We were then ignored or forgotten! After around 20 minutes I went in search of a dessert menu even though the plates from our food still sat on the table. The plates were eventually cleared and someone came to take the dessert order. Over the next 10 minutes the server returned several times.... no ice cream left, no cream left so no Eton mess, last piece of brownie, no more cheesecake, that left a cheese platter which I reluctantly accepted because I was still hungry due to the starter sized mains..... cheese platter! 3 dairylea sized pieces of cheese, a few grapes, chopped celery and 2 small, dry pieces of bread! For 3 adults and 2 children it took them from 7pm to 9.30 pm to serve us and it wasn't even busy between those hours. The Bear was really poor tonight, maybe they don't need our fortnightly visit, maybe they don't care, they probably had a good night, what with the football earlier no doubt bringing in the custom.... maybe after tonight's experience it's time we try somewhere else!

The Bear is a lovely pub, however the last 2 times we have eaten in the restaurant the service has been awful. The service is usually good right up until you get your food, and from then onwards it feels like you’re forgotten. On both occasions we’ve had to ask for our plates to be cleared and have had to find someone to give us the bill. It’s such a shame as the pub has a lovely atmosphere, great beer garden and the food is delicious! Just massively let down by the service in the restaurant side of the pub.

Amazing food, especially the whitebait. Really enjoyed our time here. Sat in the lovely pub garden in the sun after our meal, was great. Thank you!

Myself, my partner and two sons popped in on Fathers day without a booking and the gentleman behind the bar kindly and promptly got us seated in their gorgeous restaurant. The Roasts were a sight to behold and absolutely delicious, and service with a smile from start to finish!

Beautiful pub with rooms. The pub itself was great, with a very good live band. The rooms were really well done, very comfortable. The staff and team were great. Overall a brilliant stay

Came yesterday with family for Sunday lunch for Father’s Day. Had made the booking earlier in the week. Upon arrival no one around to greet us to show us to our table. Waited for nearly 10 minutes before the guy behind the bar was free. He checked for the booking and then told us that our table was in the main bar area. The table had only stools which wasn’t acceptable for us or our family member in their 80’s. We asked for another table preferably in the main restaurant but were told that nothing was available. We found a table in the main bar area with proper chairs and sat there. Menus were given but no one came to take our order despite the bar area itself being very quiet as was the restaurant. Asked one of the staff to take our order. The food came and it was so disappointing. Everything was so dry. We had the roast pork and the beef. The vegetables were soft and slushy, watery gravy, no flavour. The only reason we ate some of it was because we were hungry and our booking was for 3pm so we had waited to eat until then. In short a disaster. Bad food, service not good.

Attended a party here last weekend, location was great and the venue room was great vibes! Service was friendly and attentive, our waitress Eliza was super ⭐️ will be recommending to friends!

I had a party in the function room, a great night helped by the attentive staff. The food and atmosphere of the pub worked well, and a big thank you to Oli, Ben and the whole team for helping to make a great evening

We just had lunch here. It’s a good location although parking wasn’t easy. Service was fine and they accommodated us even though we arrived early. We both ordered scampi, which was chewy lumps of white fish on a thick and over the top batter. Chips were good but no veg. Not a good experience I’m afraid

April 2024 - Attended the racing and stayed at The Bear on a Saturday night and had dinner in the restaurant in the evening. Although the pub was very busy the restaurant was empty with only 4 or 5 tables dining. Unfortunately the meal was not good with issues with stone cold Mussels needing to be returned and the soup was very average quality. A round of drinks ordered did not arrive and we had to chase for them. The mains arrived with the plates from the starters still on the table and no new cutlery presented (had to be asked for). For the mains the gravy on the pie was very poor quality and the peppercorn sauce for the steak very runny and did not taste of anything other than cream, we asked for the sauce to be thickened up but by the time it arrived the meal was over. The Manager and Server were very apologetic (with a round of drinks given for free) but the service and quality was disappointing. The hotel room was small but the bed was very comfy with a large bathroom, however there was a lump of plaster missing in the corner with some water stains so clearly a leak had been there previously. Given the price of the room (£280) it seemed pricey give the room size.

We celebrated my partner's 40th birthday and Ben from the Bear has been amazing! great spot for it it was perfect Thank you!!

I came to this pub for dinner with some family and friends and was delighted by how hospitable and attentive their waitress 'Bo' was. She welcomed us into the restaurant with a smile and ensured everyone had what they needed throughout the meal. As part of our gratitude, we left her with a nice tip after a very pleasant experience. Great place for drinks and food, would certainly recommend.

Large table for a school reunion in the restaurant. Booked for 10 and they even set for 12 of us, under beautiful chandelier. Staff couldn't have been nicer.

This was a frustrating stay as so much was good but the pre-authorisation charge was a pain. Beware!! The staff were lovely, the room very clean, comfortable and stylish, ( a bit of droning machine sound going all night, room 1) the breakfast delicious but the charge spoilt the stay. There was a whopping £80+ deposit on my card to ensure, presumably, we didn’t make off with the mini bar. (Not sure why the mini bar is needed as you are staying in a pub). It took a week to get the £53 they owed me back as the money didn’t go into my account. In the end after several interactions with hapless but pleasant staff and a long call to my bank the manager finally gave me a refund over the phone.

Hi - hadn’t been to your pub for a while but thought i would try it as it was a great location for a first date with someone. I booked a table and was surprised it was so quite / which was nice!. I was a bit concerned as we was the only ones in the restaurant and thought the chef might be fully prepared- the food came and if im being honest it wasn’t the best! - but i felt embarrassed to complain because being on a first date - plus the guy serving us was very polite and helpful!. Im sure the food on normal busy occasions is really nice, but was disappointed in paying £80 for a meal that wasn’t great!. Regards Nick

What a great place! The atmosphere was lovely as were the staff. The menu was perfect. Not too big but every dish really delicious. It was amazing to find a pub that has a good children's menu that isn't too expensive. They also allow dogs everywhere which was great for us. Everyone I was with really enjoyed their food. I had the chicken roast and it was yummy!! Highly recommend.

Great pub with a good outdoor seating area. I was served by both Hayden and Ethan who were both very friendly and welcoming when returning to my old local.

The friendliest of teams, the best food in town. And the beers bubbly and cold. Incredible beard on that manager aswell. Great pub.

Stayed here on a buisness stay over Great food, even better beer; and the staff were all helpful We will be back again Thanks again

Really nice place to chill and eat

Great easter lunch food was lovely great service and friendly staff Nice atmosphere and surroundings

Brunch menu was good, staff were good. great music on first thing in the morning and more importantly the coffee was great and not expensive!

Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, great drinks, delicious pub fare. Shoutout to bartender Ethan for his top-notch service!

Fish was battered by an ex hospital plaster of cast employee 4 inch thick batter

Stayed at the Bear in Esher for work recently. My room was lovely and had a really cosy atmosphere being just upstairs from the bar. I didn’t eat here this time but will next time I go (soon). A recommended stay if you’re in the area.

Arrived at the bear for an overnight stay, was welcomed by a met of staff (tall guy with a long beard) who could not have been more helpful to ease our hotel introduction. We were more than impressed by the room and quality of furnishings, this is definitely a pub/hotel we will be staying at again, again and again. We would like to thank the staff for making our stay enjoyable(room 9) John & Jacquie

I was by myself so felt forgotten. Ordered food and drink at bar, asked about seafood special, was told a certain fish, I said yes okay. He only charged me for drink and starter. When he came to clear my dish. I ordered the fish and a glass of wine. Wine came, I saw him looking at me, pretty sure he forgot to order it. When it did come, not the fish I was told, very undercooked, i picked at it, not in mood to complain. My starter, chicken pate was bland, unimaginitive and the cheap triangles of bread was shocking. Quiz night was boring and her microphone squeeled horribly. For the price I paid, I felt like I was completely ripped off. Will not be visiting again.

Very quaint pub in a love semi urban location the friendly an attentive staff. Service was quick and the food was good. Perhaps there could have been more choice on the menu but there was something to cater for most diets.

To start with, the service was confused, I didn't know if it was table service or order at the bar. When I asked the staff, I was told I could do either which seemed odd to me when I had to reserve a table, surely it would be table service? The tables weren't clean, my napkin was literally stuck to the table as was my elbow. I went to get some salt from the next table as ours was empty and I literally had to unstick it ... I ordered the special of the day, duck in a cherry gravy. The entire dish was tasteless, the gravy was more like tasteless water, the duck skin was unpleasant and not crispy, the broccoli had barely been cooked and the mash potato was dry and unseasoned, not what you expect for £25. To be fair, this was removed from my bill with no issues. Such a shame as the food here used to be really good, I won't be returning for food ...

March 2024 am walking 100 miles for "Mind" My walk 2 days ago was from Cobham to Kingston. I stopped at The Bear Esher where I met the friendliest staff members. Olly the manager was so welcoming along with a lovely young man also working. I had coffee and a fabulous breakfast. Gluten free toast with avocado + egg. Delicious. Loved the atmosphere + food was excellent . I will be visiting again. Thankyou

The atmosphere was good , with new decor etc . However , the food was very disappointing ! First the 3 Pork roasts were cold , they were taken away & replaced . This again was not good ! The vegetables were either hard or pale & insipid ! The Deserts were better , with a good size potion of Crumble . The Staff were so very helpful , eventually adjusting the Bill to reflect the standard of the Food ! We were all very disappointed !

I came for Mother’s Day with my mum and it was amazing, Ben was really helpful when picking wines and what food to start with. After all the roast pork was amazing and my mum loved the roast chicken all staff were really professional and everything was exactly as I would want it to be. Cole gave his name as one of the bartenders and he was very helpful with talking me through what beers I would like as I’m not a massive beer fan but he said I would love the Brooklyn beer and it was quite amazing . Overall a great place to go and I would recommend a million times over

Waited 30 mins for service and ended up leaving. Two other parties did exactly the same thing as well. Shambolic is an understatement. Appreciate they were likely short staffed for whatever reasons, but some communication would have been appreciated.

The Sunday dinner was low quality, cold plates, cold veg, weak gravy, tough beef. Service was excellent though, we explained the issue and they took the food off the bill. I really hope they can improve the food.

Surrounded by dogs, with two on owners laps slobbering on their tables. Nothing against dogs but not in a pub/restaurant. Dog behind us had a flatulence problem. Awful when your trying to eat a Sunday roast. Food was lukewarm at best. Cheese board was completely overpriced. Third visit and will not be going back.

Brilliant place to stay and food and drinks amazing . Always try and stay when racing on as location spot on . Staff and manager superb can’t do enough for you .

Amazing Toad in the Hole! The best ❤️

Had a Saturday family lunch in the back restaurant - place was full but we still had great service - the cauliflower soup was gorgeous, and the lunch menu was plenty big enough for the main courses and the drinks were good and the prices reasonable for Esher. Rugby was on in another room. One person had a few undercooked peas and they refunded her whole meal. And our little dog was allowed to snooze under the table. We will be back again soon.

We were a party of 20, Ben and the team handled the evening superbly she’s not easy with 20 Men. Great evening, great pub, great stuff

Amazing service even down to being welcomed at the door by security and helped out by security to locate the correct person to speak with for my reservation, amazing food and quality. Highly recommend

Great staff. Food was delicious. Pate as started and steak and kidney pie mains. Delicious and reasonably priced.

Staff are wonderful, food is fantastic and the atmosphere is perfect.

Great, cozy pub! Three of us tried the new family sharing roast. Generous portion size for three adults, would definitely feed a family of four. Food itself tasted fantastic with lots of variety of meats and veggies. Staff are always friendly with a lovely atmosphere.

The Bear is a fantastic place to stay. Our room was spacious with great big windows letting the light through. The room was extremely clean and our massive bed was very comfortable and we enjoyed great nights sleep. The restaurant down stairs had a wonderful atmosphere and the staff we're very welcoming and friendly. We chose Dinner from there excellent menu and our food was fresh, beautifully present and tasted exceptional. For breakfast we enjoyed an array of juices, cerials, yogurts alongside a wonderfully fresh cooked breakfast. I would highly recommend The Bear for great food, ambiance friendly staff and great night sleep.

A typical youngs on tap pub. The food was nice. The menu is a bit small.

Lovely pub in Esher with exceptional customer service.

Lovely quiet birthday celebration dinner with the family. Food was lovely, the service impeccable and we love visiting here. One of my favourite pubs.

Skimpy mean portions, over and under cooked, though a companion was satisfied with their fish. Poor follow through by overly familiar waiting staff. I'd go back for a pint, but nothing else.

Ben and his team were brilliant hosts for our family Christmas Eve lunch. They were attentive and very warm ensuring we had everything we needed. The pub is spacious and beautifully decorated with tasty food! We will definitely be returning. Thank you again Ben and your lovely team :)

Staff were very friendly and helpful which added to a very enjoyable stay. Good value for money.

Brilliant meal with my son as.part of a large group of geeky Pokémon fans , was a brilliant pub and brilliant atmosphere , food was great 👍

Newly moved to the area and was in search for a warming pub to visit. The Bear had a fantastic atmosphere and our server for the evening, Ethan was fantastic. He had a friendly persona, was really helpful and never stopped smiling the whole evening, thank you for a brilliant experience Ethan at a lovely pub, can’t wait to come back soon!

Excellent venue for a private party - food was excellent and service brilliant!

Nice pub for a quick drink.Plenty of people considering it was about 4.30pm.

Jacob made the most amazing margaritas. The garden had heaters and good music

Great stay with friendly and professional staff. Delicious food too!

Probably the worst breakfast I've ever had. Poached eggs were seriously 'hard boiled' :(

Really nice pub. Very comfortable, friendly staff... great garden

Amazing service from Jacob and team. Highly recommend this pub for food and service

Shocking service, dirty tables.Poor attitude from drip behind the bar.

Myself, my wife and a close friend had a lovely time at The Bear Hotel in Esher. The food was really first rate as was the level of service. I thoroughly recommend dinning here.

Placed an order, 10 minutes later we were told they were out of an item, which wasn’t great to start with. My bread was dry and stale. Not much service going on. No check back was done where this could have been pointed out. The cocktail tasted nice at least.

Nice place for relaxing outside, and drinking a beer 🍺 👌 😎

Great food decent selection of beers.

Great Sunday lunch in a relaxed atmosphere. Really friendly and helpful staff.

The environment outside is super cool. I spent a nice evening with my family.

Great service and very efficient Millie was excellent and we were well looked after !

Great place to stay. Great service and clean rooms with air conditioning. Special thanks to Persia who was really attentive and friendly.

Amazing place to stay, short walking distance of Sandown Racecourse. Food was brilliant and even got a guest appearance from Bobby George. Staff were really friendly and even joined us for drinks. Special mention to Persia who seemed to work every hour we were there but always had a smile and gave amazing service

Very lovely decor, very clean and comfortable

We hosted my sister's wedding at the Bear. We're not local and so Ollie and Josh kindly jumped on various zoom calls to plan the day, accommodating all our wacky requests (including tweaks to the menu). On the day, Josh and Max really looked after us to make sure everything happened just the way we wanted it. They were a perfect level of attentive, as well as being super smiley and personable. Marius, the chef created the most delicious food and built the cheese cake into a work of art, and Persia was great too, making sure everything we took home at the end was carefully wrapped and labelled. For a small wedding reception (we had 35-40), this was a fantastic venue!

We had my partner’s 30th birthday at The Bear and it was a fantastic night. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful in the build up and on the night. We had regular communication and they were incredibly accommodating to any requests and answered questions promptly. On the night of the party they were very good at checking whether we needed anything and went out of their way to make sure we had a special night. Can’t recommend them enough, they were the perfect venue for a special occasion!

Good pint of Young's bitter and nice venue to meet friends and chat.

Good pub, good. Service but fairly expensive.

Mixed impressions. Good room but to get to it you have to go through a doorway less than 1.7m high. Surprised they don’t keep getting sued for damages. Room was overcharged meals, currently going through dispute resolution.

Service was great however the food is well overpriced for a Sunday lunch & warm vegetable salad comprising mostly lettuce & tomatoes! Would not recommended if vegan or vegetarian.

Pleasant surroundings both out and inside. Didn't sample food but nearby diners appeared happy. Drinks pricey but this is Esher!

Went here on a Sunday for Sunday Roast and it was a huge disappointment. When we walked in no one welcomed us and despite having a booking and waiting by the host laptop, no one seemed to care or even acknowledge us. We order the Sunday Roast Trio and also the Beef. Both very very poor I must say. The trio was a whopping £29 and I would have not paid even £15 for the quality of what I got. Such a shame as they have such a great location and potential.

A good venue, which serves great drinks. The food is okay. We had to send our food back as it was cold but we did get a replacement quite quickly. On another visit, we asked for the football on, impromptu after another event was finished, and were told they have sky sports but they wouldn’t do it due to “the crowd”, but then proceeded to play Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway across the TVs, as opposed showing sport to a crowd that was already there for sport. The staff mentioned they’d put it on but when asked again, they couldn’t do much, but when the manager was asked, he was rude and abrupt which was unnecessary. Overall, an okay pub, with okay food. But don’t ask for anything over and above!

Food quality not really what was expected. Nice environment and staff.

Visited twice and both times got impressed with the food quality, professional manners of the staff and excellent choice of drinks. Will definitely go again and recommend it to anyone who enjoys good food. On the last visit I tried roast chicken and it was divine. BH had fish and chips and it was cooked to perfection.

Nice beers clean glasses and warm cozy ambiance Need more seating

Wry nice pub in the centre of Esher. Staff excellent, beers good and atmosphere perfect.

Friendly staff good atmosphere 👌

Tricky review this. Yes the burgers were served up as the equivalent to beef crisps (twice), but each time an alternative was offered at no cost. I think my main gripe is that they were offered the first place and and the excuse for the cremated remains of the burger was "a new meat supplier", unless he was the chef too it is a pretty lame excuse. Anyway it all worked out in the end, but I ended up eating on my own rather than with the rest of my party.

What a miserable manager. Not a smile or a greeting. Glum! Shocked to find out he was a manager. Other staff really nice.

Nice atmosphere but very expensive

Quality, friendly local pub. Been coming weekly since March and every visit is a positive experience. Tonight was a huge highlight, the chef made a gluten free batter for my fish and chips and it was heavenly! The staff really do care, and put a lot of effort in. The atmosphere is great, you can find a cosy corner (near the fire) or go out in the garden, lots of tables to find somewhere comfortable. We love the live music which is on frequently too. A great place to spend your time, to eat, drink and enjoy the ambience.