The Ivy Castle View in Guildford

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.

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

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..

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Great food and great service by Benjamin

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!

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.

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!

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.

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 🏰

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!

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 ❤️

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 :)

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

Everything was amazing for my Grandma’s birthday, Poppy was a wonderful waitress and super lovely to talk to.

Artistic pieces presented as food. Be sure to try the Zuchini frites, the steak, the cod, and the blackened Mexican chicken.

Nice restaurant and friendly staffs. Food is fantastic 😋. Enjoy the meal so much.

Brilliant view and good service

Don’t be fooled by the surroundings, the service has gone completely down hill. If you look for a brand that is caring and inclusive then avoid at all cost. What was meant to be my birthday lunch quickly turned into an absolute nightmare experience after I was pretty much made to leave half way through my meal after my young son had a meltdown - partly due to their own fault (didn’t offer child seat, didn’t bring small spare plate for him to have an appropriate plate to eat from, no spoon was offered given cutlery was only adult size etc etc ). The most shocking part was the manager who had no skill whatsoever to deal with the situation or show any empathy- absolutely shocking. Avoid if you care how they treat other people.

This was my first visit in over 6 months and how shocked I was to see how things here have fallen. Previously, the food was excellent, prices reasonable and service attentive. Not any more. It seems past successes have led staff to become snooty and aloof, with service suffering as a result. I was particularly disappointed with the poor service and value for money now. The bad points - customer service and pricing Despite having more than enough staff, our meals took well over an hour, looking around, we weren’t the only ones. From a customer point of view, it would have been nice for a server to provide more regular updates rather than keeping us in the dark. And then the food, which is reasonable quality but not refined Michelin restaurant standard. Most dishes are decent gourmet pub food fare, charged at fine dining prices and so represent poor value for money. What shocked me most though was the response from the manager (foreign guy with tight navy suit and ear ring) who despite asking if everything was ok, was unable to accept our candid feedback, choosing to walk off in a huff. And the Good points Views and Decor Food is decent (but not exceptional) Conclusion Sadly I don’t think I can recommend this place now due to the service and pricing. It’s a shame because there are now a dearth of quality restaurants in Guildford High St.

Really lovely birthday lunch , staff friendly ,attentive and welcoming. Relaxed atmosphere , beautiful views ,love the art deco aesthetic . Fabulous theatrical puddings well worth trying the made fresh to order apple tart flamed with calvados and the chocolate melting bomb . Really good full of flavour vegetarian food too which is always a bonus .

Really nice, could not fault it at all.

I usually love The Ivy Restaurants - have been to several and have had great experiences. The one in Guildford has really gone downhill. The setting is superb but the service and food leaves a lot to be desired and is not worth the money. Our actual servers were nice and friendly but they were just not very attentive and left us sitting there for ages. No one poured wine so we only had one bottle in the end between us as they just didn’t refill our glasses. The food was overcooked and dry (chicken Milanese) and the side of creamed spinach was almost inedible and drowning in liquidy sauce with some weird smell. Actually felt a bit sick after eating it. They’d then run out of stuff to make the cocktails we wanted so we ended up having some rather average (but hugely expensive) Irish coffees that were served at different times and sloshed all over the table by the waitress. It was just a little underwhelming and overpriced / and the staff all came across a bit arrogant and ‘haughty’. It’s a real shame as we chose the Ivy as we usually have such a lovely time there and it just wasn’t an experience we will repeat. I probably won’t be back

Excellent atmosphere and food. Service was ok. Could have been amazing with a better server.

Lovely view, airy, spacious and well-designed restaurant. Staff were excellent - courteous, friendly and attentive. Food is good - excellent salads, shepherd's pie (though i wish there was more of it!), sea bass was perfectly cooked and delicious, white chocolate mousse was v tasty. If in Guildford do visit this place. Also do afternoon/high tea.

If I could give more than 5 stars for service I would. Benjamin M was our server and could not have been improved on. Really really professional. Made the meal!

Really well looked after for a birthday celebration. Took our preferences into account wrt table and looked after us throughout. Food is always consistently high quality. Special shout out to Anthony who was friendly, helpful and looked after us fantastically including advice on allergens. 5 stars all the way - thanks Ivy Castle View.

Went for breakfast. Excellent food and very sharp service

Had a great dinner, the carpaccio was delicious. Especially good service from Eli who was very friendly and brought out a treat for our anniversary.

The food was nice however the service wasn’t great today. Very slow. No pepper on the table. Items of food arrived after we’d finished eating. No front of house staff to welcome you or indeed a ‘Thank you’ for visiting when departing. Staff didn’t even mention ‘Happy Birthday’ despite noting this was a celebration meal when making the reservation - Not the usual experience. Having said that - It’s a lovely venue in a great location and it’s usually lovely so we will be back - hopefully with better luck next time.

“The Ivy” Expectations? Warm, welcoming, great food and service? Not in Guildford! Attitude, missing drinks, cold food, even the cloakroom attendant couldn’t bring himself to say please or thank you! A birthday ruined, would have rather gone to KFC or McDonalds and therefore not been disappointed!

Once again on Saturday 4th May we had a wonderful evening of dining and enjoying the company of splendid and friendly Staff. I don’t actually like calling the Team staff because they make us feel like friends revisiting. This evening we met Kirstin, bubbly and with a smile that lit up the entire restaurant. I cannot emphasise how fabulous this branch of The Ivy is. Thank you all.