The Ivy Castle View in Guildford

The food was really delicious. The rendang duck and black cod fillet were super tasty. Service was good and efficient. Nice castle view. Price was reasonable too.

Had great experience when we visited The Ivy Castle View. Staff very attentive. Spectacular views of the Castle.

Great atmosphere for a special occasion but food average for the price. Ivy Asia is better.

Went to the ivy on New Year’s Eve food was very good and the atmosphere was great. Had a few drinks after at the bar also where the bartender who served us did an excellent job. I didn’t get his name but he had a buzz cut would definitely recommend.

James and amelia behind the bar are the ones we return for.

Emilia and James behind the bar were absolutely fantastic. Got surprisingly seated at the bar on NYE without a reservation. The bar and restaurant were absolutely heaving. Both Emillia and James had time to talk with us, make us feel welcome and help us choose what we would like. Nothing too much trouble, and acted like we were the only punters here. Will come back exclusively to see them. 5*, thank you to both.

Finally, at my fifth Ivy visit, they got it right and thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast.

Love The Ivy castle best fish & chips on earth ! Fab service . Even got a delicious pudding bought out for my Birthday 🎂

I go to The Ivy for special occasions or a treat. This time was for our wedding anniversary and was not disappointed; so close to Christmas it was very jolly and busy with only minimal seasonal decor (great). We had lovely cocktails (margarita and espresso martini) to start. My starter, the cheese and walnut soufflé was gorgeous- I haven’t tried it before but will be again. Then fish and chips - crisp and flaky fish. I had flambé Christmas pudding for dessert, again delicious. With an additional beer, glass of port and glass of wine + sparkling water, the total was £156.00 for two which was reasonable. The staff are fantastic- a combination of efficiency and friendliness that they always get right.

Amazing special drink for Christmas 🍸 and lovely New Year's decorations.

We had a wonderful afternoon tea at the Ivy. The service was excellent and Mia looked after us throughout. Very attentive, pleasant and always there when we needed something keeping an eye at the table in case. The afternoon tea selection is more balanced towards the sweet treats and I would suggest a bit more savoury options added. The vibe was really nice, with Christmas decor throughout.

Starting with a friendly welcome and efficient service, The Ivy, Castle View followed through with splendid food and drinks. The restaurant was filling up as we left with an associated increase in ambient noise but whilst we were there, it was fine.

Festive menu is much more expensive than standard menu. Food is average...you must work on getting the basics right.

I visited the Ivy Castle View with a couple of work friends for a social lunch. The decor in this place is quite striking and nicely executed, with the bonus of having a view of the old castle from some of the tables. I have read various reviews complaining about the service, but I have to say from my experience that this was pretty good, being neither slow or rushed, despite the restaurant being fairly full. The food is quite expensive overall for gastro-style cooking, and adding a few side dishes to the main courses soon cranks up the meal cost considerably. That said, there are plenty of choices on the wine list at reasonable prices, and everything we ate was nicely prepared and presented. The roasted scallops starter with the truffle and parmesan emulsion is worthy of mention as a stand-out dish. Likewise, the soy-glazed blackened cod is well worth trying. Overall, this was a pleasant, if not somewhat pricey, dining experience.

Totally dumbfounded by what all the fuss for this place is?? Yes the food was lovely but so are a lot of gastro pubs and they are half the price! Service was also good but no better than other decent places. Not been before and thought it was a high end place with dress code etc… thought we were going “posh for the night”!! Sadly not to be, men in jeans, no fancy attire on half the tables, a large group of raucous young women behind us, volume so high we struggled to hold a conversation at times. Wouldn’t rush back as didn’t get the upmarket over inflated prices at all, so really rather disappointed. Woman’s toilets also very grubby, need a good scrub in the corners with a small brush. Watch yr bill as well, we paid a £10 per head deposit in advance which they accidentally forgot to take off our bill until luckily we spotted it!

Food at The Ivy was good but a poor service. Didn’t realise there was a time restraint on the booking. We waited quite a time before getting our meal, table was cleared before we had even finished our mouthful and then told we had to vacant the table. Several tables were empty. A very rushed experienced, not one I imagined at a higher class restaurant with prices that reflected its status.

The Ivy chain boasts lovely restaurants, but the heavy standard menu needs rethinking. Not a salad in sight unless you just want a starter. Service was slow and ungracious - we were made to feel it was a nuisance our being there. But, the restaurant itself is lovely, the atmosphere great and if you want cottage pie etc, you’re in the right place!

The whole experience was exactly what I've come to expect and love from The Ivy - creative and tasty food served with a smile in a beautiful setting. We went for the festive set menu and no complaints from any of us. Our server (unfortunately didn't catch their name - hooped earing, we sat on the banquet in the far left corner near the windows 1800-2000) was an absolute dream. Highly recommend. Actually out of all The Ivy's I've eaten at, I think the service here has been the best.

Beautiful location and view. Food was excellent quality, well presented and in generous portions. Service was friendly and speed of food delivery very good. A good quality restaurant, all round which must be borne out as it was really busy! One minor thing though, I thought the, albeit discretionary, service charge was a bit high at 12.5% considering the overall cost of the meal (which was about right in price in itself). Maybe this could reviewed down to a more reasonable 10% or left at the customer discretion?

Really poor experience all round I’m afraid. Turkey ballotine from the festive menu reminded me of university Christmas dinners where a kitchen has the impossible challenge of turning out 200 portions of turkey to serve a hoard rather than the quality you would expect from the Ivy. Utterly bland and just as tasteless. Our son’s pasta with tomato sauce came with small bones and clearly a piece of anchovy in it so had to be sent back. The waitress made a point then of coming back to tell us it wasn’t anchovy but was “something from the tomato”. All I will say is that it must have been a very strange breed of tomato as (a) smelt like fish, (b) tasted like fish, and (c) clearly had bones. Service in general really poor. When I politely asked for a different salt dispenser because none was coming out the waitress shook it hard over her hand, said “well, there is a little bit coming out but I’ll get you another one anyway”. Thanks for making us feel so welcome and listened to. £275 for 4 adults and a child. Really very poor.

When we first arrived ,I wasn't impressed at the reception desk staff ,they weren't at all welcoming ,no smiles etc ,and then we were left sitting ignored for a while,but I said to my daughter let's give it a chance to improve and it did,one particular server was lovely and really helped make a difference and nonething was to much trouble ,so weldone to that person ,maybe they could teach some of the others a few things in customer service .The food was nice but not as good as I thought it was going to be ,but we did mostly enjoy it and glad we tried here .

Lovely dining room, but the Ivy menu is heavy, predictable and unexciting, and the sauce on my flat iron chicken was uninspiring. Not a main course salad in sight, which was a problem for me at lunchtime. The service was very slow, with a gap before our order was taken, before coffees could be ordered and before the bill was brought. Needs to do better in our view.

Very bad experience, would never be back ! booked a table for 2 for steak supper ( 2 hours before arrival) ..when arrived haven’t been offer the steak supper menu , just a’la carte ,we asked for 2 steaks from the steak supper menu waiter asked us which wine would we like … what side dish do we want ( all included in the deal )… never asked how would we like our steaks cooked ( which I thought that’s the first question should be asked) … 10 min later he brought our wine and said there is no more stakes for the deal we booked … the only steaks they have is filet or ribeye which are around £40 each so they can give us free wine and we can choose £40 steaks …. +side dishes at the full price….While we were having our meal there was a men ordering sirloin steak …. !?…Please tell is the steak supper a scam just to get people in or did we look too good so you had to get some more money off us ! … what is going on ( I used to work at the restaurant if there is no steak you should inform customers at their arrival!…it wasn’t busy at all! I am confused! What was all of it about It wasn’t Saturday night, it wasn’t a date , we just simply wanted to get a steak and chips with glass of wine ( quick dinner) ! Very disappointed

Amazing friendly staff. They squeezed us in without a booking, served us really quickly and made us feel great. The food was excellent, the choice is great and the portion sizes are spot on. Book to avoid disappointment!

Staff need to be more in tune with their customers, we felt rushed and that makes you feel uneasy. When you spend over £80 per head, the customer is always first..

I booked afternoon tea for a friends 70th birthday on Sunday 3rd November. Sadly everyone in our party was disappointed with the meager savoury offerings, 2 choices of sandwiches, cucumber or smoked salmon and a brioche bun with chicken and truffle oil (yuck!) the cakes were sickly however the scones were passable. The teas ordered were mixed up caffeinated with Earl Gray etc. for albeit £35 per head it was very poor. Won’t be returning again :( I have since heard stories from others who had similar experiences to ours.

I'm a usual customer of Ivy Castle View, it's my favorite restaurant. However, experience this evening tells me their food quality is getting worse. The restaurant was only half full this evening, but there was short of staff. Recent menu is a bit boring. To be fair, I'll try that again in short time. If there is no improvement, I'll take out from my list.

Bit overpriced and service erratic

Celebrating my mums 80th. Had a lovely lunch. The food was delicious, the service great and the atmosphere, wonderful.

We loved everything! The attention received from the person behind the bar was top, food was very well presented and also very tasty! Restaurant itself is very beautiful!

Fabulous place. Better than Ivy Brasserie Soho. Shame that the truffle Arancini portion size seems to have shrunk but flawless service and well priced Prix Fixe.

We are regular & enthusiastic diners at other Ivy restaurants. Our first time in Guildford. Dreadful & humiliating dining experience & an upsetting waste of over £200 for 3 drinks (2 of which were soft) & 3 mains. We won’t go to that location again nor would we recommend. We booked a late supper (after the theatre) on a Friday evening (surely what The Ivy was designed for). We arrived before 10pm, earlier than our 10.15pm booking. We ordered our drinks immediately. We ordered our food as soon as the young female waiter asked us. She was clearly bored, wanted to go home or was upset about something. Every interaction with her seemed a chore. We remained cheerful & polite at all times. We were aware the restaurant was beginning to empty. We knew we couldn’t expect a coffee or dessert when we were the only patrons left but it was only just after 11pm according to the receipt & it would’ve been nice to be asked. As we got to the end of our meal we noted that no one at any point since our food arrived had taken the time to check on us at any point. Most of the details of our order were either missing or incorrect. We had to leave the table to get the attention of the waiting staff who were gathered around the bar area doing a sampling or tasting of drinks. We paid the bill & as we left we were greeted by a member of staff ‘Whoo-hooing’.

Fantastic vegan Gnocci! Really enjoyed

A well-balanced service - always present, at the table at the right time, but didn't pester. Food mostly excellent - duck salad did not disappoint - though we weren't fans of the overly buttery fish main (flavour of fish lost out, sadly). Great range of drinks.

Sublime. Cannot recommend highly enough. If you enjoy the Thai modern fusion, this is for you. Ivy deliver style, welcoming service, and a really professional team. Great work in the heat of the kitchen. Genuine caring front of house.

Great business lunch. Enjoyed the last of the summer sun on the terrace. Slight problem with one if the dishes, rectified immediately and without fuss.

This place is my favourite! The food is always high quality and staff are really good, I’d you want to have a nice evening enjoying amazing food and view, you definitely need to visit this place!🫶🏻

We have a great time in Ivy Castle View ! we came here to celebrate, we were served by an amazing host named " Yasmine ", She deliver the best service experience, prompt , friendly and approachable. Ambient is amazing too with beautiful castle view, definitely we will be back again !

Delicious food, Excellent service in a really lovely setting, not the cheapest meal around, but you pay for quality and that's exactly what we got.

I think it’s one of the best restaurants in guildford, nice food nice live music and table number 1 has a great view!

Booked afternoon tea at the Ivy and was very impressed. Staff gave us a warm welcome and we were quickly shown to our table with a great view of the castle. We had contacted the venue prior to our visit to discuss dietary and sensory needs regarding food and they were very accommodating! Staff were attentive but not over bearing. Food was fantastic as always and have already booked our next visit for afternoon tea.

My family and I dined here for lunch today and really enjoyed our experience. I booked our table using the Ivy Rewards App which was quick and convenient and I was able to earn rewards points for our visit. We received a fabulous and warm welcome from Toby which set the scene for a great lunch. We were seated in a corner booth which was comfortable and had a beautiful view of Guildford Castle. We dined from the 1917 set menu (£19.17 per person) which we found to be exceptionally good value for the quality of food provided. Service was also lovely from the wonderful Hector who was very accommodating, friendly and professional. All in all, it was a super lunch in a beautiful venue with great service and good value. We will definitely be returning. Thank you to all of the team for a wonderful day.

I chose to book this venue for our friend’s engagement drinks. (Which I mentioned in the booking) Only 5 of us in total. We had full intention of staying for cocktails and food. However after a very cold greeting and being told ‘we can just sit anywhere’ We sat in the bar, we understood to order drinks from the bar but this did take an awfully long time. We had a bottle of bubbles to celebrate the occasion which was delivered by the host telling us to be quiet. We totally understand it was a Monday it was happy jolly occasion which 5 friends wanted to celebrate and catch up. We decided not to stay as we felt unwelcome. We went elsewhere and had cocktails and food. Service charge was also added to our bill, when quite frankly we did more of the service. I was embarrassed that I selected this venue for a such a lovely occasion. A smile from staff goes a long way. Hope you take this on board.

All round amazing! Food, staff and atmosphere! Will always return!

Great food, great decor and lovely service. Shoutout to Keiran for taking such good care of me and my friend.

We tried 2 Ivy restaurants in UK during our visit. This was our 2nd visit where we tried the afternoon tea. It was a great experience, they were very sensitive with food allergies that they even provided a separate serving for the one that has no nuts. We appreciate this a lot. Pastries and sweets are all great Ambiance was amazing, very fancy with a great view.

What a beautful view whilst having top quality food and service. I have been to the one in Covent Gsrden which I found abit pretentious and the atmosphere became a bit uncomfortable. But the Guildford one has really transformed my view of The Ivy into a very positive one! I recommend!

My wife’s birthday so fillet steak at The Ivy for us. Unfortunately it was our first (since it opened) visit which overall disappointed us. We both ordered fillet steak (extremely well done) along with thick cut chips, peas, Broad beans and red wine sauce. When our meals came, my wife’s was perfectly cooked but mine was still pink through the middle. I asked the waitress to return it to the kitchen where they heated it through a bit more. All this time of course my chips were getting colder. My wife had started her meal while it was still hot. When my meal was returned it was still not fully cooked through enough for me so I asked to speak to the manager. He came over, looked at the steak and said “it looks alright “. He offered to heat it through yet again but I didn’t want a steak which had been reheated twice so I asked for a freshly cooked one, along with fresh sides (as by now the first lot were barely warm). I also asked for the steak to be butterflyed. The manager agreed although he said that it would take 30 minutes. So I waited and after about 15-20 minutes my meal was brought along with fresh sides. By now of course my wife had completely finished her meal. This time the steak was sufficiently cooked but disappointingly it was nowhere near as tender as previous fillet steaks had been. So overall a disappointing experience all round.

the zucchini fritti is bar far enough for 2 if not more. the squid is not far behind. but, where does it say anywhere on the menu does it say that the john dory fillets are deep fried battered fillets. it does not. this was very disappointing. if i wanted fried fish and chips i would have ordered it. disgusting and way off what is mentioned on the menu. the trifle dessert is bland and not worth the money. service is good.

This was my first visit to this branch of the Ivy and though the decor and ambiance is perfect, the food is average especially the fish and chips I opted for, with portions small, the fish oily with not much fish and the chips not fresh at all. The service was good and we got a warm welcome upon entering. Its a shame as for most Ivy represents quality but on this occasion the quality was lacking.

My friend and I had a superb lunch at the Ivy Castle View. It was our first visit but it won't be the last. The food and service were wonderful and there are lovely views of the castle from the restaurant.

We have visited the Ivy in Chichester on a number of occasions and found it really pleasant. Sadly we weren't as impressed with Guildford's Ivy. It seems to be much busier than Chichester and as a consequence we went for ages for our order to be taken. It was only when what appeared to be a new member of staff said I can see you've been waiting to place your order for a while did someone actually come and take the food order. The food was nice and we all chose from the set menu. However when the bill was presented the food had been added up individually rather than part of a set menu. The bill was therefore £30 more. I'm not sure if this is a regular issue as when I said I had an issue with my bill the member of staff knew the problem without me elaborating.

Excellent meal, great table and ambience. First class Service, thanks to Yasmin. First time back in Guildford for many years and certainly a treat

Excellent food & service - shame you can't bring birthday cakes in of your own but not the end of the world.

Lovely family meal. Friendly service from our waiter Louis . Great food and drinks.

Good food. A shame the service was lacking

Wonderful location, the 1st floor was reserved for a private party. The food was extraordinarily good, elegant, tasty. Friendly staff. The location has a balcony opening to the castle. I also liked the interior decoration, colorful, cheerful. Very nice

We came for a 50th birthday meal today and were really disappointed. Firstly, the service was really bad. The food was slow to come and the staff were not attentive and were rude at times. You can’t justify paying £70 service charge for the service we received. Our waitress got our drinks order wrong and didn’t do anything to rectify the situation until we spoke to her about it the second time. The food itself was average at best, not worth the money. The fish was dry. The chicken Milanese was quite pink which was a bit worrying and the sauce didn’t go with the dish. Lastly, it was 27 degrees today and we were put on the only table in the sun. We asked for the awning to be put out. Unfortunately it was on an automatic switch if the wind got too high which is no one’s fault. However, we weren’t even offered by the staff if we wanted to move tables when they could clearly see we were uncomfortable in the sun because we kept asking for it to be put back out. We came last year for a meal and it was so much better. We will not be coming back.

Great location and views. The Ivy continues to impress, at the upper end of gastro pub pricing but very good food, and relaxed good restaurant feel.

Ask to sit on the balcony for the views.

Lovely Champagne afternoon tea served on the terrace with views of a big tree with the castle hidden behind it. Being picky, more savoury and less sweet would be nice.

Went and had a lovely time here!! Freddie made our experience so enjoyable and the food was fantastic. Will def be coming back

I had a lovely time when I visited this lovely establishment. The wait staff was amazing. The host of the evening was very gracious. But the name that sticks out to me is Freddie. They were hard at work and always kept a bright smile on their face the entire time I was there. Would highly recommend this place to anyone I meet.

A totally amazing food experience, wonderful service and a great view.

I happened to visit during a trip, it was such a good experience. There was this person named Freddie who made sure we were taken care of and it was great!

Great food and great service by Benjamin

Lovely meal here as always. Special thanks to Freddie who was an absolute star the whole night, really made our evening. Thanks again!

What is there not to like here, Poppy our waitress was lovely and knowledgeable, guided us through our meal perfectly. It was a great meal indeed. Thank you.

Fantastic experience here yesterday- beautiful view, lovely decorations and atmosphere. Food was excellent and service was great. Hannah was a fantastic waitress, so friendly and attentive.

Excellent food & great service (from Hannah) on Friday 18th July. Highly recommended, and good vale set lunch menu.

Bonus star if I got peppercorn sauce Kieran

Afternoon tea - the cakes were too big, somewhat tasteless, and the balance of sweet and savory options was missing. The cucumber sandwiches were like door stops, and lacked any taste whatsoever.

The food was fantastic (set menu steak and chips) and the decor was interesting and underscored the atmosphere well. Hannah, our server, was attentive (but not excessively), helpful, and always seemed to come to the table at exactly the right time!

Amazing meal out, Louis was a brilliant server, very attentive and great fun. Food was spot on, would recommend to everyone. 🫶🏻

Nice atmosphere Nice staff Beautiful view Every time enjoy having breakfast there

Lovely place with a beautiful view of the Castle, which is lit up at night so don’t worry about it being dark it enhances the experience and atmosphere. Highly recommend a visit.

The setting is beautiful, the decor is stunning, food was delicious and the service was just great!

Fabulous early supper on the balcony in the sunshine near the castle before GLIVE concert

Great view overlooking the castle 🏰

Well what can I say, we were well received and quickly shown to our table. Hanna & Annya looked after so well with drinks delivered and food order taken served in a timely manner, we certainly weren’t disappointed scallops and squid starters were exceptional followed up with ribeye steak on the bone and fillet of salmon as mains. I mentioned Hanna & Annya earlier as they were brilliant but all the staff were very attentive and made the whole occasion special even making up cocktails to our spec ! Thank you The Ivy ❤️

Visited The Ivy on Saturday night (just past) for a special date night, to celebrate my partner's new job. I'm local, but hadn't gotten around to visiting here yet! I truly cannot fault anything and we had a wonderful time, with delicious food, a fabulous atmosphere and opulent decor (including the WC facilities!)! The service was fantastic; efficient, polite & friendly but not obtrusive, just right! It was very, very busy but we didn't have any issue with slow service (food or drink). The music playing was just on the right side of audible - loud enough to invoke a sense of fun and 'party time' but very much still able to have intimate conversation with my partner. We had the crispy squid and chicken skewers to start, both delicious and wonderfully presented, followed by steak (partner) and shepherds pie (me) for mains. The steak was cooked to perfection according to my partner. The pie & gravy was delicious and a great portion size, no extras needed. I finished with the melting chocolate bombe and oh my goodness, what a finale! I would certainly get again, but insist on two spoons as it was a generous size and very rich (not a negative by any standards... just... had to let my belly bloat out after two previous courses & drink!) 10/10 overall and will definitely be one to visit again, for a special occasion; everything feels that little bit elevated in comparison to other establishments and it was definitely a treat!

4th time we have dined here and it never fails to live up to the standards it has established.

It was a birthday cream tea. Delicious.

Great hospitality. Fully professional

Beautiful place with lovely food and great service. We enjoyed smoke salmon and duck salad for starters, and both dishes were delicious and very well presented. For mains we had a monkfish and prawns curry, and the Ivy Burger and we equally enjoyed the mains. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and the staff surprised us with a lovely desert that was decorated with a “happy anniversary” chocolate, which was a really nice touch. All staff member are really nice ie and clearly strive for good service. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has a really nice vibe to it. I highly recommend this Ivy for a nice we evening out.

Out shopping and thought we’d go for some food and cocktails at the bar. Have always thought the Ivy is a nice setting and our welcome was lovely. However having sat at the bar and ordered two drinks, the barman was only interested in another couple sat at the bar. He was obviously very excited to show off his knowledge of tequila and look up prices for them whilst chatting instead of actually pouring our drinks order. After 20 minutes of waiting for two gin and tonics with no actual pouring we just left. Really disappointing and not what I’d expect. Went down the road instead and had a lovely meal and drinks. Not sure I’ll be back, which is a shame as a returning customer.

Dan was lovely! Best barman that made us the loveliest drinks :)

Went for breakfast and had some fantastic food served by a very polite & friendly member of staff. Was a little disappointed that we were unable to select from the full breakfast menu as there was a fault in the kitchen. Also surprisingly it was very quiet in there for a 9:00am breakfast so atmosphere was a little lacking. Will return again.

Visited many times over the years, each time we are made to feel very welcome. Nothing is too much trouble. Highly recommend!

Disappointed. Pre catered, warm, microwaved food. £7.50 for a bottle of I PA and £12.50 for a medium rose is really taking the p***.

Brilliant service by Anya will be back!

Delicious meal for a special occasion with attentive staff. A cosy atmosphere with everybody dressed for the occasion. Location is amazing with a great view from the balcony seats. Would book again.

Amazing view, nice food, and nice service, definitely will come again.

Menu, food and cocktails were great. Service was very rushed, meals came out before starter was cleared. The table was a bit small for 2 with dinner and drinks.

My favorite restaurant in Guildford!

Avoid this place if you are a family with young kids - NOT TWINS family friendly !!!!. This place and their emotionless staff made my wife cry when we went there to celebrate her birthday. From the moment we entered this so called faux bistro, we were clearly not welcomed. The staff couldn't be bothered to offer us child seats for our twins and didn't even give us the kids menu for our toddler. We beg to get additional plates and the party killer was when they told us that customers were complaining by one of the twins that was crying because he didn't feel well, while there were other kids around that were are crying or dropping bottles on the floor. This was the final straw from my wife, she left the restaurant and the worst is that this appalling service was included on the bill, that I refused to pay. We have been to several Ivy's before but for sure now we are not going to this chain again with our family but for business purposes too.

Food was lovely and well cooked cocktails not so great couldn't tell if there was alcohol

Popped in for breakfast before dress shopping... Food was better than the exceptional service... Worth every penny!

Great food, great service and lovely venue.

Had another fantastic night with friends. Food was great, as we're the staff!