The Cloche Hat in Surrey Heath

We went as a special date night treat - our first since having a baby. The staff were very lovely. I felt the food tried really hard to be something it wasn't. We had the tasting menu but some courses were slightly underwhelming, underseasoned or unbalanced. A shame as I feel the effort was there but needs a bit more experience to be better executed. Prosecco had a dead bug in it but this was promptly replaced. The most disappointing thing about the experience was that the owner/co-owner was there with his two kids. There was only one other table dining apart from us. He made an absolute show about how he was the owner and was actively berating the young staff member in front of us. Whether this was because of bravado or some such I have no idea but it was SO cringe to witness and absolutely ruined our dinner. This is not how you behave in public, and definitely not if you're the owner. For that reason (and not the food) I will not be returning.

We went to the Clouche Hat to celebrate my husbands 50th birthday. We were very aware of all the changes that had happened over the last 3/4 months at the restaurant. Well all I can say is that Jay, put my mind at rest and delivered the most amazing 7 course menu for all 9 of us. The service was fantastic too. I would definitely recommend going.

We have been coming to this establishments prior to the new chef when it was called Stovells and we were very sad to see it go. The restaurant changed is name to the cloche hat however the service and the food was not to the standards the we were used to so when we had an email saying that a new chef was taking over, my family and i decided to give it another try and let me tell you that we were NOT disappointed. The restaurant was clean but unfortunately on a Saturday they only had 3 tables which sometimes can feel daunting however, the service was very friendly and accommodating. The food was superb, we had the tasting menu so that we could try the chef’s special and let me tell you what a treat, the amouche bouche of oyster was very fresh, the bread was of a very generous portion ( so be careful as you might eat too much 😊) and freshly made with three types of butter. The tasting menu consisted of 7 course including two desserts, all and all a little gem that we will definitely visit again. If I was to make it a 10/10 meal would have been to add some petit fours with our coffee. Lovely birthday celebration meal.

We left after two and a bit hours, by which point we were only two courses into a five-course tasting menu. The food was fine – good, even – but the service was painfully slow and very poorly carried out, in no small part because the staff unfortunately cannot speak English very well at all. Example: when an amuse-bouche was delivered in silence I asked “what is this?”, and the one-word reply came back “pork”. OK, brilliant. Thanks. It would have been funny were it not such a shame to see how far a once-great restaurant (Stovells) has fallen. Getting the bill took a further 20 minutes, we had to put our coats on and walk to the front door before they brought it. They tried to charge us for 2 x five-course tasting menus, drinks and a service charge which came to over £130 for this farce. We paid for the two courses we had eaten and our drinks and left. It will be a long time before we come back, if ever – a real shame.

My wife and I decided to try the Cloche Hat after having been to Stovells many times before and having loved it. Sadly under new management the restaurant did not live up to expectations. When we arrived, we were taken straight to the table and sat down with no offer of drinks. There was cutlery missing from one side of the table and when the wine list arrived it was missing a page so only had by the glass options. The only option was the 8 course tasting menu, which whilst fine they should have mentioned when booking. After the first course arrived, my wife had to clarify that she had a peanut allergy as no one had asked and no one had been around to flag down. It took until the 3rd course before we managed to get someone’s attention and ask for water as none was offered at all. Multiple times, we were asked what our last course was to make sure that the next one was right. Not what you expect when paying £85 per person for food. We waited for 40mins between some courses which was better than one of the tables next to us who had waited 1.5h for a single Oyster to come out and was on the verge of just leaving. Given the wait, you would think that they would keep the wine/drinks flowing but alas, that was not to be. Getting a waiter's attention was almost impossible and we were left with empty glasses for half of the meal. We then decided after 3h to call it a day and not wait for the last course given how long things were taking. Rather than being apologetic, the owner then proceeded to argue saying that "this is normal and what you get with a Michelin star chef". Firstly, this is not a Michelin star restaurant and secondly, having eaten at Michelin star restaurants, the service is always impeccable and the food stunning. Whilst the food was good, it was not mind blowing at all and well the service....beyond bad. Finally, he offered to remove £35 off the total bill, which given we didn't finish the menu seemed only fair. However, they did then proceed to add 12.5% service charge after all of this! You know its bad when all the tables are talking to each other and saying how slow and bad the service is and where most tables in the restaurant had no food on it. All in all, not a pleasant experience and will not be going back. Save yourself the money and time and go elsewhere.

The Christmas Day experience was very disappointing. We arrived ten minutes early (an early sitting) and had intended to have a drink in the bar area. Unfortunately, we were hurried to our table and thereafter every course was rushed at us. I understand the staff wanted to go home for their Christmas meal, but it ruined our experience. We were unimpressed with the food; the main course of turkey was smothered in gravy (not a good sign for fine dining) rather than a portion on the side. It was semi-cold on service. That also reflected the room temperature...a cold blast every time the door was left open. It was frequently closed again by an adjoining table, who must have been fed up to keep doing this. Overall we shall not be returning.

A very good lunch with an old friend. The food and service are great . It is a very attractive dining room. The additional complimentary dishes were delightful.

The presentation of the evening and the presentation of the food was what I would expect for the final amount on the bill, however, the food itself was definitely lacking. Although well cooked, the flavours were missing, and the food was distinctly average overall. This was not just our opinion – we overheard another table, discussing problems with the dessert, which the waiting staff agreed with. This exact dessert was then served to us after acknowledging these problems. I did contact the restaurant to discuss this, but even after a follow-up email heard nothing back. Disappointing.

Wonderful dinner at The Cloche Hat. Food was delicious and well presented. Had a Californian wine which was wonderful.

Super value tasting menu and could not complain about a single dish. Well done Cloche Hat, we will be there again soon!

We decided to go to the cloche hat for Sunday lunch. We had a salmon starter and the roast dinner which was a mouth watering Beef, roast potatoes, veg and Yorkshire the beef had a lovely favour and beautifully cooked tender. Finished with the salted caramel cheesecake. The staff are young and are leaning as stated in recent reviews but they are working ,they are friendly so give them a chance. It was an enjoyable afternoon and was well worth the last minute booking.

Strangely we were at the restaurant the same night as the previous negative review but our experience couldn’t have been more different. I had booked the 8 course tasting menu for my boyfriends Birthday. He had the meat option while I had the vegetarian option.He also had the wine flight with the meal which included 4 specially selected wines to compliment the courses. We were welcomed very warmly on arrival and straight away we felt we were somewhere special. The saying of we eat with our eyes as well as our mouth couldn’t have been more apt with the presentation of each dish. Each course of both menus were some of the finest food we had experienced and we eat out a lot at high quality restaurants. The fish course was substituted to haddock but this in no way lessened the experience we had. If you were nit picking there were a few minor service issues which need to be polished before this restaurant becomes Michelin star. Lovely touch to provide a complimentary Birthday dessert. If you want brilliant tasting food presented in style would highly recommend the Cloche Hat

Sadly this was not the fine dining experience we are use to. Elements of what they were trying to accomplish were there, from the amuse-bouche to pretty plating of sparse quantities of food, however, with the hefty price tag attached, the food needs to be of exceptional quality and it simple wasn’t. I could list all the shortcomings but it just becomes an unpleasant rant, so, as I would like to find a positive note to finish on… the Lamb was good and after getting my husbands order wrong it arrived quickly so he was able to eat at a similar time to the rest of us , and the Sole on the menu which we were informed on ordering had been changed to Sea Bream but arrived plated as Haddock, was kindly removed from the bill. I sadly feel I cannot recommend this previously exceptional restaurant. The lack of customers on a Saturday evening could suggest we are not the only ones to feel this way. Disappointing.

Fabulous evening; amazing food, good service and great atmosphere. My husband and I celebrated our anniversary tonight at the Cloche Hat and had a such a wonderful evening. If you are looking for a fine dining experience at a reasonable price, beautifully delicious food and friendly staff then The Cloche Hat is definitely the right choice. We had the 5 course taster menu - I’m vegetarian so the chef whipped up a veggie version of what was advertised and it was perfect! We will be visiting again for sure - highly recommend!

Not the first visit (the place is amazing). Great « pre diner canapés ». Food (we took the 5 course tasting): overall fairly tasty. Salmon was great, rabbit terrine not amazing, burrata ok (very different portion sizes), I strongly believe the sole was frozen and the dessert was ok. I think the chef has some great ideas/combinations, he must be restricted by the owner in terms of cost? Service: a whole bunch of very young people that, although very nice, made a lot of mistakes. We asked for 2 kirs as aperitif and we got 1 elderflower with white wine… none of them knows how to clear a table properly. Our aperitif glasses stayed on the table until the end. The dishes explanation were very short (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). The 2 adults took the wine selection with the menu, first wine was Pinot Grigio, second was some Sauvignon blanc, third we can’t remember and the fourth was a blueberry and apple cocktail (not sure it had alcohol but tasted good). I realise that for £40 you can’t expect finest wine, but come on, Pinot Grigio… Disappointed overall, £415 for 2 adults and 3 kids. It was for our 2 older kids birthday, they will not have a great memory. The booking states that you should be out after 90 minutes, we waited 20 minutes for our single aperitif! Left around 22.15 after multiple failure with the credit card machine (we were told they did not accept Mastercard, which worked in the end!) I think the idea is great and there is potential in the place. The chef clearly knows what he is doing as the combinations are very promising. However, it lacks the final touch. Saturday night, the place has only 4 tables, us, a couple, a table of 6 and a table of 3 (which had the former maitre D and the owner/manager… Make it better, please!

My partner and I came here for dinner and were amazed by the presentation and flavours of the food. We ate every single thing on our plates as it was so irresistible. The staff were very friendly and welcoming and to top it off the drinks are delicious. Would highly recommend to anyone and everyone :)

I had remembered with nostalgia visiting this restaurant in the early 2000s. My visit yesterday, 25/06/2023, was a bitter disappointment. The charges should have afforded a good standard but it was very poor. My partner and I chose chicken as a starter. This was tough and pink enough to worry me eating it. The main course was lamb too tough to cut easily with a sharp knife and too boring to chew. Our other couple chose fish which was eaten without enthusiasm. The two course bill was £197 including £5 for tap water! This was a bad experience never to be repeated.

Last week we went with our family to The Cloche Hat for Sunday lunch. Had the 5 course taster meal which was perfect for a summer meal and as it was a lovely day we were able to sit outside having a pre lunch drink...

Went and revisited the cloche hat for a lovely Sunday lunch. Started outside with pre-drinks while the rest of the family arrived lovely day in the sun with excellent cocktails. We decided to eat inside as cooler we went for the five course menu and...

On arrival our family gathering of 11, enjoyed pre drinks in the sunshine, we then went inside to have the 5 course tasting menu each dish was beautifully presented and delicious, we also added on the cheese board to complete our meal, we left very...

My family and I (3 young children) had been out in the local area and popped into the restaurant to see if they would accommodate us for a drink. We were warmly greeted and sat in their outdoor area. We ordered a round of drinks;...

Truly delicious afternoon tea. For a friend’s birthday, we started with cocktails which were expertly made by Kyle, followed by a bottle of Cava (reasonably priced) to compliment our tea. Lovely sandwiches, excellent scones with clotted cream and homemade jam than the cakes! They were...

My wife and I went for dinner for our wedding anniversary and we are so glad we did. Service was brilliant, food was exemplary. It was well presented and tasted amazing. Credit to the Chefs who obviously take great care and effort in their craft....

I came here with some dear friends at the beginning of the month (May). we were fortunate enough to be some of the firsts guests to try the new taster menu. I have to say from start to finish the whole evening was exquisite, from...

We visited The Cloche Hat on 24th May for our wedding anniversary. This is the first time we’ve visited since it changed from Stovells. We were not disappointed. We had the best time. Head chef Kyle and his sous chef Jason were fantastic hosts. A...

A great spot to discuss confidential business matters Met with great service and enjoyed a fantastic starter of chicken follows by a main of lamb finished with a a mint chocolate dessert Loved every morsel

Well… this is when reading reviews I feel like I went to a different restaurant! We have been to the Cloche Hat in its many guises over the years and unfortunately this was the worst experience yet. First impressions when we entered were the eclectic...

Afternoon Teas wow absolutely fab A lovely mixture of tea homemade sandwiches , scones and cakes Next time will try the champagne version !!!! All I can say is absolutely yummy . Thank you Kyle and your team of bakers definitely going back.

Four of us had lunch here today for the first time. The welcome, the food and the service was excellent. We all had the five course tasting menu, which was delicious and not overpriced. The salmon mousse followed by the purple sprouting broccoli with poached...

Good food but no other people on a Thursday evening. Wife and I went for my birthday got a reservation but felt foolish as we were the only two people in the restaurant.

Oh wow what exemplary food.Thank you Kyle each course was perfect of the eight course tasting menu. We were welcomed by Richard the owner and had a glass of wine in front of a lovely log fire.The dining is simple but elegant and the service...

Working in the hospitality industry i can always appreciate a great experience. Came for Sunday lunch with my girlfriend, ended up having a good chit chat with the owner richard and some of the staff too, Emma, Morgan & Jess They were most accommodating when...

it's a very posh place. one member of the table had a roast beef dinner that looked loverly. We were told this was their first sunday and really couldnt tell as it was so professional. they sat us down for drinks before our meal. most...

After a welcoming drink at the bar, we had a lovely afternoon sampling the excellent taster menu. Staff were attentive, friendly and efficient. The atmosphere was warm and relaxing and a lovely time was had by us all! We will definitely be coming back.

The food was excellent and came very quickly, thoroughly enjoyed each course, the service was very good and I liked the comfortable feeling of the restaurant, would recommend

Exceptional food accompanied by good service The 8 course tasted menu offered a wide variety of flavours to try Would thoroughly recommend

Food was bland, tiny portions, well overpriced and did I mention BLAND?! Evidently seasoning isn’t an important part of the cooking process for the chef. Don’t bother, save your hard earned cash and go elsewhere. Staff were friendly enough but I guess they had to...

I discovered this restaurant by chance when I was looking for a different place to celebrate my first anniversary with my partner. When we arrived there to have our dinner we were warmly welcomed and shown to our table. We decided to try the 5...

We went to the cloche hat for a spontaneous meal. We opted to have the 5 course taster menu, which was a great choice. I've never experienced a taster menu and I was pleasantly impressed. With good size portions for 5 courses, where you felt...

We visited the Cloche Hat on New Year's Eve with friends and was very pleasant. We hadn't been there for a while and was Stovells before, (having originally changed from being the Cloche Hat) As the local kept calling it the Cloche Hat the new...

My friend and i visited the restaurant on Saturday the 10th for the lunchtime tasting menu and were certainly not dissapointed. Just the perfect amount of food in each course so we could still enjoy the lovely wine they had to offer with each taster...

Excellent tasting menu - each course was beautifully cooked and well balanced. Full of autumn goodness! Made an excellent birthday celebration - one of the best tasting menus we have experienced . Well done to all

Fantastic food especially the yellow pineapple dessert Wonderful atmosphere and great service A thoroughly enjoyable experience

The service was poor, most of the staff were inexperienced. The managers felt false, they were loud, called members of staff from the restaurant area and a tad overbearing. It felt as if they were having to apologise quite a few times, for wine menus...

Usually I don’t try new restaurants for a few months as I know it can take a little time to settle and establish. But couldn’t resist and decided to go along a bit earlier…. In a nutshell, food was amazing! When you love your food,...

First visit since the restaurant changed back to being Cloche Hat and we had a fabulous evening. A really warm welcome from Richard the owner who was attentive throughout. The food was excellent: the venison tartar starter and roast duck breast particularly were exemplary fine...

We visited The Cloche Hat tonight to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The meal and service did not disappoint. The executive chef, Kyle Robinson, produced a fabulous tasting menu. Will definitely visit again and will definitely be ordering the poached sea bass. Thank you to the...

It's never a good start when you go to a restaurant and they don't have your reservation, even though my wife had booked with the owner and had a confirmation. She had booked for 14th October and the Manager made some excuse about a new...

Outstanding new menu/new owners. Highly recommend the octopus starter and stone bass main. Service impeccable. Staff are a credit to the establishment - very attentive and our dinner was value for money. Will be returning and recommend to anyone who wants great food and ambience

The welcome was warm, great cocktails in the bar first (The Cloche Hat house cocktail is lovely!). The menu is nicely compact but three of us struggled to choose starters and main courses torn between delicious descriptions. Venison tartare, Octopus and game terrine did not...

We booked this restaurant thinking it would be outstanding food as it had previously been when it was Stovells & the original Cloche Hat. We couldn’t have been more wrong! The service & greeting was great & very friendly. We ordered our starters, I had...

We had a lovely meal at the Cloche Hat last week. The taster menu was very varied, and incredibly tasty. Some of the dishes I would definitely order as a starter or main, some maybe not, but it was good to try. The interior is...

Had a lovely lunch at the (new) Cloche Hat with some delicious food beautifully presented. We had the £40 lunch tasting menu and they happily swapped a couple of dishes in for me as I don’t eat meat, including some amazing monk fish. It was...

With new owners, spruced up interior and a new menu, it is definitely worth giving The Cloche Hat a try. Their official opening is on 1st October but already serving new dishes and refining their style. Gave 4 stars rather than 5 as there are...