The Dabbling Duck in Guildford

We booked afternoon tea here and we were not disappointed. The yurt was beautifully decorated, the food arrived promptly and each piece was lovely. Highly recommended!

Lovely cafe in beautiful Shere. Delicious food with good variety to cater for different dietary requirements. Excellent service. Happy to recommend

THE FOOD WAS AMAZING! Everything was just perfect! Their Tomato soup was perfect! And everything thing else we had there!

Quick service from lovely friendly staff. Tuna sandwich was beautiful and others in our party enjoyed their choices too. Recommend!

Warm friendly and hearty food. Perfect for all the family including your doggy.

Nice setting in the middle of lovely Shere. Coffee was good, cake selection a bit average and so was the cake, service could be better. As there isn’t much choice would probably return but would love this place ti achieve its full potential!

Delicious breakfast, great service and very dog friendly!

The food is cheap produce/ingredients e.g not fresh scrambled eggs and very cheap cuts of smoked salmon. We sat at a table which hadn’t been cleaned from the previous customer. Staff friendly but I wouldn’t recommend, extremely disappointed.

The food is cheap produce/ingredients e.g not fresh scrambled eggs and very cheap cuts of smoked salmon. We sat at a table which hadn’t been cleaned from the previous customer. Staff friendly but I wouldn’t recommend, extremely disappointed.

Did not have a booking but really wanted to try this little tearoom out as we were visiting Shere and had seen good reviews. It was raining, and nothing else was open. So we decided to wait for a seat. The staff were welcoming, but it took ages to be seated. After our food arrived, I could not get thier attention and when I tried to find the staff they where too busy chatting around the side and couldn't be bothered to come round to the tables to check if your food is OK which would have been nice but given that it was very busy and squashed seating plan was less then ideal. Sadly, as we had come a long way to visit Shere Village and this was the only little tearoom that offered what we wanted, so there were no other options. Otherwise, we would not have waited. The panini with chicken was dry the scones where made with a strange type of semi wholemeal flour, and the clotted cream portion was very tiny given the size of the scone, so it was not the authentic cream tea scone we were expecting. All round not a great experience and we certainly with not be back. If you do discide to try this place, make sure you book, but in all honesty, I simply wouldn't bother.

What a delightful find! Despite its size, this cafe packs a punch with its delicious offerings and inviting atmosphere. Definitely a 5-star experience

Good food and great service as usual.

Very friendly and a little bit quirky.

Our second visit and it won’t be our last. It’s not cheap but the quality and freshness of the food was outstanding on both occasions. Was the best egg mayo sandwich I’ve ever had … the truffle mayonnaise and cornbread elevated it to another level! And the sausage roll connoisseur in the family was extremely complimentary about his lunch too! Coupled with polite and speedy service and a warm homely ambiance this is one establishment not to be missed on a visit to the area.

Full marks all round for the Dabbling Duck. We stopped here today for lunch on a busy Saturday, when the village was heaving with walkers. The cafe was full, but the waitress who received us very politely said that we were welcome to sit at one of the tables outside. We said yes, we'd sit outside, as the weather was fine, and we gave in our orders. While we were sipping our tea, but before the eats were served, another waitress came to us, and said that they'd shortly be able to accommodate us in their marquee or tent at the back, a facility we'd hitherto been unaware of. Sure enough, a few minutes later we were moved inside. The tent is amazing, a lovely warm enclosure which doubles the cafe's seating capacity, soothingly illuminated by what appear left-over Christmas lights. In January it's very atmospheric. So the first thing is - full marks to the Dabbling Duck for looking after its customers. The second thing is, full marks for the food. Three of us had soup, one a sandwich, and one a baguette. All were excellent, and served by waitresses who, even under pressure, seemed to enjoy their work. We'll be going back to the Dabbling Duck again.

My friends and I were unable to be seated in the main café as they were too busy but we found out that there was a table available in the yurt outside and we had such a lovely surprise! The yurt is absolutely beautiful 😍 really special and atmospheric. The young waiter who served us was really lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed our hearty homemade vegan meal and lovely cup of tea served in beautiful crockery. Definitely planning to return and highly recommended.

Very popular cafe with good food and coffee, and friendly service. Gluten free options available

Good ambience, interesting veggie options. Felt it wasnt o a cheap side BUT the dish was very tasty and filled me up. My son had a Korean chicken burger but didn't like it much.

First time here and in the yurt after a down pour outside. Great coffee and Breakfast was good if not the biggest. Those was there full adult breakfast and I initially thought I had ordered a kids by mistake. Place seem very popular and quickly filled up when it opened.

Good location in the busy little village. Staff were friendly and service was quick even when busy. Could do with some more vegan options, but the burger was good.

Absolutely gem tucked away in a beautiful village worth a visit

Lovely cafe in Shere. We popped her for coffee and cake and you can’t fault it here. Coffee was decent and the cake was very tasty and fresh. The staff were friendly and it didn’t take long to be served. It gets very busy, so you sometimes have to queue for a table. It’s also not cheap but this isn’t a surprise as Shere is so popular.

Ate here this afternoon and the food was so delicious! We had smoked ham and roquefort on sundried tomato bread and tomato, pepper and basil soup and have to say I can't recall the last time I had such a delicious lunch. Staff were lovely and we followed up with carrot cake and banana biscoff cake. Delicious! Only downside I would say is tye toilets weren't great. It was a rainy day so get the floor would be dirty but the bins were overflowing with paper towels in both loos. Other than that, can't fault the food or service. Doggie friendly too which is a big plus

Good coffee, fast and friendly service by everyone, great selection of food, so many people have told us about this place and it truly doesn't disappoint.

We were seated in the Yurt, which was a lovely setting. Coffee and cake quality was very good but part of the staff were rude. Really messed a otherwise great experience.

Lovely little cafe / restaurant. Prices are good and staff really helpful and friendly had soup of the day which was really well presented on an oval plate with bread and butter lined up along the plate

Staff are friendly unfortunately my mince pie was forgotten so I chased it up .It was then brought to me the waitress said be careful it’s very hot it had been in the oven all the time so was over done and dry . Went back today and the scone was lovely and large but had been heated in the microwave too long which turned the scone all dough like not like a scone at all . The cakes are expensive but do expect them to be served up properly sadly will try to other cafe next time .

Really cute and cosy, friendly staff, a nice marquees put up at the back for Christmas and tasty food

Unprofessional,dishonest, greedy and underhand Scammers who have no idea how to run a business Their attitude and lack of morales will see them lose a lot more customers and hopefully close for good There are so many decent places for afternoon tea etc- sadly we had to find out the hard way this is not one of them

This place is ace. I normally arrive by bike but instead I took my elderly relatives for a cake

Good cuppa and toasted tea cake

Wonderful staff, very cozy vibe, A+ coffee and tasty food! The staff were kind enough to seat me in a four person table despite it being quite busy! I got the whipped brie on toast w/ sweet potato and chilli oil (chef’s special) and a flat white with oat milk. Coffee is strong (their default is two shots) and yum. I thought the whipped brie was quite good - I was just slightly caught off guard with just how much brie there was, and for some reason I had expected the brie to be warm. Still loved it though! Very filling, couldn’t finish it all the way. Next time I’ll be back for your cakes!

A lovely cafe in the heart of Shere with a delicious menu and cake selection! Service was very quick and friendly and prices are quite high (£7 for a sausage sandwich, £3-5 for a slice of cake), but would definitely recommend a visit!

Unreal braised beef, couldn’t recommend enough. Overall lovely experience after a walk

My first time visiting. Was very welcoming place on the outside and inside. The atmosphere from the staff was very friendly and a happy place. I will come again. Only suggestion was missing a nice ambient music to create the amazing christmas decorations around. Would make 100% up to 110% place.🤗 The cake chocolate and walnut brilliant and fresh.🤩 A lovely place to go as couple or family anyone is hilly recommended. Please try at least once in lifetime. Is well worth it.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An excellent cafe with super coffee and the sausage butties were so tasty. Well worth a visit.

Nice in the yurt. Very atmospheric.

Great choice of gluten-free cakes. Scone with jam and cream very good as well.

Enjoy watching British movies? This quaint village café will surprise you in how homely a business can feel. Going early morning you experience kids, dogs, walkers and even locals picking up their orders and enjoying a sit in. Definitely worth the experience.

Excellent food? complimented with friendly service. Good value for money

Delightful place to have lunch. Lovely food and SO friendly. They really do welcome dogs as well

Maravilloso sitio para disgustar un delicioso chocolate caliente o café….

Amazing time today for Afternoon tea and thank you to all the staff as you saved a Birthday treat at short notice after being let down at another venue. I would definitely recommend this place and will definitely be back. Thank you all again

Lovely spot in beautiful Shere for lunch but the real draw is the cake and it’s huge! Staff were very friendly and given how busy it was, they were very attentive too. Cannot say enough about the cake selection. I lost count of how many there were on offer and as soon as one is finished they bring another one out. Not only is there a huge selection but the cakes are very fresh. We had the sticky toffee cake and it was delicious, the sponge was light and the icing was just right, not too sweet. The slices are huge and I mean huge. Highly recommend this little gem and look forward to returning soon

We decided to go back as our first venture was a delight. Our second visit was just not as good. I had a burger without the fancy brioche bun. Nicely presented but my taste buds felt different. Burger very very salty and the bacon had a odd taste. Almost like vinegar. My wife had a potato and leek soup with half a tuna sandwich. Without my prompt she described the soup as very salty. The sandwich which was appeared like the ends of the loaf which had been prepared with the filling in the small side of each slice. Perhaps economics ruled here. A lovely little setting and staff are very polite and happy. We won't say we won't go back but hopefully we do as it's a little gem.

Friendly staff and delicious cakes. Well worth a detour. Park in the village car park a short walk away as there's none on street

The sneaky addition of a service charge - with no explanation, or option to pay or not - means that after years of visiting we will never return to the Lucky Duck, Plucky Pheasant etc. I'd rather patronise businesses who recognise that we are all struggling in a cost of living crisis. No doubt, the owners will add a gratuity option to the price plus service charge next ! Such a pity - and an example of how easy it is to loose a good reputation.

Lovely coffee & cake in the beautiful Shere . . . . Great place for breakfasts too!

The malt loaf was DIVINE. Service friendly and efficient despite it being very busy.

My husband and I ate lunch here and both enjoyed it very much. The service was a little slow but they were packed. He had a hamburger that was huge but still juicy and I had my very first sausage roll. Yumm! WE really enjoyed Shere and this quaint little restaurant.

This is in the beautiful village of Shere. Stopped he for breakfast. This was cooked to order. They use locally produced foods.

Lovely staff , good service , delicious breakfast ,,,,

We have visited this café twice in the last month and I was incredibly impressed both times. The first time was a weekday afternoon and it was very quiet. We had a tomato and basil soup and it was honestly the most delicious tomato soup I have ever had. I then had a lime, ginger and pineapple cake and was immediately looking up a recipe for it - so yummy. The next time I went was on a weekend and it was much busier but they had plenty of friendly staff to attend to all the customers. Wait time for food was a bit longer, but it was all just as delicious.

My friend and I visited the Dabbling Duck in Shere at the weekend. The food was delicious but we were disappointed with how we were spoken to by some of the waiting staff. Very abrupt, unfriendly and made you feel a nuisance when asking questions about how much the cakes were to take away, that were not priced up. Many items on sale around the cafe but you can’t see them easily because items are displayed close to where people were sitting. So disappointed.

Great quiet restaurant with pretty good food.

The breakfast menu (served until 12:00) is absolutely delicious. We had the vegan breakfast, the vegetarian breakfast, and the Eggs Benedict. All were really tasty. Staff are attentive, friendly and helpful. We were seated in the yurt, which is comfortable and a nice place to enjoy a late breakfast.

We had an early lunch here; food was good and the service was friendly and efficient. Didn’t find it any more expensive than anywhere else nowadays! Also dog friendly which is lovely.

Gorgeous cafe in beautiful surroundings. Lunch options and cake were delicious 😋

Little Gem great place for I eat the only had a bacon sandwich Cappuccino elderflower juice but all couldn’t fault plus cyclist & dogs were given free water very attentive friendly staff will visit again

Possibly the best food i have tasted to date, the chef is out of this world the staff are pleasant and professional offers a garden area and is set in a period and quaint setting…Go to Shere and treat your palate to something exquisite..this is a food experience like no other Amaaazzziinnnnggg!!

Afternoon tea, tasted great and so much food

Lovely place in a lovely village, right at the most convenient place; beautifully decorated, clean and neat , very friendly staff, definitely return and recommend!

Great little restaurant in a perfect setting

Amazing place Delicious Korean chicken burger !!!!

I booked a group of 16 film crew for lunch at The Dabbling Duck and we arrived to a super fast and very friendly service (despite height of summer), delicious fresh food, and cakes that reminded us of the best home baked goods we know. Couldn't recommend it enough.

We booked an afternoon tea and it was indeed very tasty. We would have given four or five stars, BUT we have one serious issue with the Dabbling Duck - and that is around disabled access. My husband uses a wheelchair so I phoned in advance to ask about access. I was told there was a ramp at the front and a 2 inch step down into the cafe. When we arrived we realised that the ramp was very steep and not suitable for many wheelchairs, and the step down was more than 2 inches. The staff - who are lovely, by the way, suggested we eat in the yurt. The route to the yurt in the garden was uneven but we made it, only to find a door sill which was another obstacle. Some of the staff came and helped us to get in but it was a bit embarrassing, and shouldn't have been necessary. Then we realised that there were no disabled loos and the toilets were inside the cafe down that step, so we had to negotiate them after all. All of this spoilt what should have been a delightful afternoon in our favourite village in Surrey.

We've been twice and 5* food everytime! Great, friendly service with a lot of variety on the menu.

Well located in the centre of Shere with good options for breakfast and lunch. Went for lunch, great service by the predominantly female team. Food was good with top quality fresh ingredients. Panini was surprisingly good although wish there was more choice of beers. Outdoor seating area is nice and the toilets were clean and well maintained.

Quaint ittle place for breakfast. However, they do state cooked fresh to order, I disagree due to the speed of receiving our order and the fact my bacon was rock hard as so overcooked.

Friendly service with a smile and very good vegetarian breakfast. Definitely one of my favourite lunch stops.

This place does the very best milkshakes , lots of flavours , when your straw sticks up in the middle , unsupported , you know it’s going to be good. Tried Coconut yesterday, strawberry today. Unfortunately we go home tomorrow !

One of the best sandwiches and hot chocolate i’ve ever had!

I actually prefer the smashed avocado breakfast compared to the Plucky Pheasant’s. Way tastier with the spices and minty pesto.

Throughly enjoyed a meal and drink in this relaxing, clean and charming place. Set on the main incoming road to Shere. The choice of food is excellent and I could not fault the service. Would definitely stop here again and recommend to others.

We go here quite often. Food is usually nice, but it isn't cheap. They need to come up with a better way of splitting the bill for groups. Maybe a POS upgrade is in order? Lots of groups go here so it can't just be us. Queuing afterwards at a shed door to pay individually is rubbish and most of the staff don't know how to do it. I must have told the person 4 times what I needed to pay for as she kept getting it wrong and tried to overcharge me by £6. Thinking about it after leaving she still got it wrong and overcharged me £3.

Very nice staff and great food. Would recommend sitting in the yurt or yard

Would give 0 stars if I could, terrible under extracted sour coffee, extortionate prices, bland food and very poor customer service.

Passive aggressive, unfriendly staff who did not give us the option to remove the service charge. Overpriced, small drinks and an overall unpleasant experience despite the lovely location.

I visited Shere recently and came across this lovely looking cafe. We were seated outside in the garden, however were quickly pressured (several times) into ordering by quite unpleasant staff that didn't seem to appreciate customers. My friends and I ordered teas and hot chocolates, but upon paying discovered hidden charges such as additional cost for oat milk with the vegan hot chocolate that we were not informed of. Our unfriendly waitress also opted for us all to pay optional additional service charge. When we asked about the extra 25% to our bills, the waitress condescendingly explained our extra charges. I'm usually happy to pay the service charge but with a very small, yet expensive drink and feeling quite upset with the treatment I received.

Customer service nightmare The customer service was very bad. The staff were extremely unfriendly. They looked as if they didn’t want us there. Our drinks were overpriced for their size and quality. There were lots of hidden extra charges. When we asked to pay the server was passive aggressive in explaining how to pay for our drinks. When we went to pay, they added on the additional service charge without asking us and gave us the card reader so it was hard to opt out. We were embarrassed to ask to remove the service charge because our waitress made us feel as if we were already a huge inconvenience to her. A seemingly £3.75 vegan hot chocolate charged more money to have vegan oat milk with it. The additional 40p for oat milk was only listed on the top of the menu it wasn’t explained that the soya milk was free but the oat milk wasn’t. It was £4.56 for that drink. This is not the service I was expecting for the price we had to pay for it.

Charming café restaurant in a great location in the picturesque village of Shere. Indoor and outdoor seating available, and plenty more tables in the yurt. Stopped in the afternoon for coffee and cake. Appreciated that the coffees are made with two shots - the Americano was one of the best I've had in a long time. Great selection of cakes too. Staff were friendly and the service was efficient. Lovely relaxed atmosphere, not cheap but top quality so worth the price.

What a little gem. Excellent service, great food and lovely location Thank for times 2 😁

Food was lovely has the mushroom soup very tasty

In pretty village of Shere, great food and service

Lovely good and great atmosphere. Eggs poached to perfection and excellent salmon. Highly recommended

Didn't have any food but stopped for coffee. Nice atmosphere. Quick service. My friend had a scone. Freshly baked with jam and cream. Gifts for sale.

Loved the yurt and my breakfast was awesome.

Lovely staff and tasty food. Located in a beautiful setup.

Lovely breakfast in their secluded garden. Dog friendly. Amazing cakes to take away too. Sheer is the most beautiful village for a wander afterwards.

The food was excellent and staff were all great.

Stopped off for a cream tea on a hot Saturday afternoon. I wasn't over impressed with the scone (strange flavour and texture) but otherwise it was lovely. Great service and friendly staff.

Dabbling Duck provided the cake for our wedding and the experience from start to finish was brilliant. It not only looked beautiful, but it tasted fantastic and unlike lots of cakes at other weddings we've been to, our guests really tucked in(no left overs in fact!) Thank you Christy, the Dabbling Duck means a lot to us and we have even fonder memories now. Charlie and Nick x

Thank you for a wonderful Father's Day experience, both myself and my wife we know how tough a sunny father day can be and you handled it brilliantly. The service was great, the food was spot on and the miserable couple next to us who moaned about the wait are to be ignored. Thanks so much for what you do. X

A wonderful place with great food and service in a charming village of Shere

Such a fun place to have lunch! Multiple options as well, you can eat inside the restaurant or in the yurt or the garden. Food was amazing tasting and creative as well. We took a walk through the village afterwards. England is the best!

Staff were really friendly and helpful..enjoyed the food. Would definitely go back again.🙂

Beautiful town and great location for a decent lunch meal

Really lovely little cafe; we had the Biscoff Banana Slice, Lemon Meringue cake, cappuccino and a soda water which came to £17 but worth it for the lovely people & view!

Staff is not friendly, food is meh

Disappointing attitude. Arrived at 16:40 (Friday afternoon) and needed a quick refuel for my 50mile ride. Wanted a drink and a bite to eat… got told “we’re closing in a minute”. Like 1 minute, or 20minutes? “Yes, we close at 5pm”. Explained my situation, just wanted some food and a drink. “The kitchen is closed”. Owwkaayyy then. A sandwich or cake and a drink was all I was after! Takeaway. Took my business elsewhere, £4 meal deal from CO-OP opposite did the job and they were much friendlier there too!!