The Jovial Sailor Public House in Guildford

Very efficient and friendly service. Lots of choice on the menu and the food when it arrived was excellent. Sorry I cannot remember all the names of the lovely waiters who served us so efficiently. Will definitely be returning.

Fantastic service from Dan and Tavia. We had a pizza party to celebrate a christening , staff were helpful and friendly. Very accommodating for a large family with children and dogs. Useful to have a play park outside. I highly recommend visiting.

Sorry about the long review but there is simply so much I need to cover. The manager of this place really needs to get a grip on how it operates. Three of us came for a celebratory dinner on Sunday, 6th October. We were seated at 7.00.00pm. (The seconds in the timing are important, as you’ll see.) At 7:00.01pm the waitress wanted to know what we would like to drink. We asked for a few more minutes to choose from the drinks list. At 7.00.30pm we were asked if we were ready to order food. Again, we had hardly picked up the menus so had to ask for an extra few minutes. Eventually, we were ready to order. I asked the waitress what alcohol percentage was in the wine that we were interested in. After she had gone away to check, we were informed that it was 11%. “Full-bodied?” I personally think it’s not on to sell wines of such a low alcohol percentage at well over £20 to customers. So, I asked her to check the percentage of the other wines. She reported back that the Rioja was 14% ABV. So, we ordered it. As there were three of us we ordered three 175ml glasses of Prosecco. These were £7.95 each. The waitress then informed me that, as we were ordering three glasses, buying a bottle would be cheaper. I explained to her that three glasses at £7.95 cost £23.85, whereas a bottle costs £29.95 so there was absolutely no saving in buying a bottle instead of three 175ml glasses. She couldn’t comprehend this. After she had gone, another waitress came over and told us that it was cheaper to buy a bottle at £29.95 than to pay for three glasses at £7.95. I simply despaired. When the Rioja arrived it was clearly written on the label that it was 13.5% and not 14%. Never mind. It will do. When the Rioja was brought to the table, it was plainly clear that the waitress had not the slightest idea of how to use a corkscrew. I’m not blaming the waitress here. It’s really down to whoever trained her - or more likely didn’t. Eventually, after a few minutes she broke the cork in half and had no idea how to get the rest out of the bottle. Her male colleague approached and after seemingly laughing at her inability he too had a go but also didn’t have a clue. So, they took the bottle away. Eventually, another young lady with pink hair returned with the wine and was perfectly able to open it correctly. No water was offered at any time. We had to specifically ask for it. Our food arrived. It was distinctly average. We neared the end of our starters and the waitress appeared, seeking to take our plates. After pointing out that we hadn’t finished she went away. Fortunately she returned after we had finished and a male colleague then brought our main courses. When we had finished our starters and main course, it was by now 8:05pm and we then noticed a distinct lack of staff. We sat and waited and waited…..,. Eventually, we stopped a male waiter who was passing by, the very first one we had seen at about 8:55pm and asked if we had been abandoned and whether anybody was going to bring us a desert menu. We pointed out that the service was not good so far. His response? “Oh no! The kitchen closes at 8:00pm. So, there’s no desert”. Firstly, it would have been fairly helpful if someone had actually told us this beforehand. Secondly, if one is using the Barons Card to get the much publicised discount for booking after 7.00pm on a Sunday, how can they hope to clear starters and main course before the kitchen closes, especially when nobody tells them such. We asked the waiter for the bill and within 2 seconds he had hit the till and the bill was produced. “Hold on a minute”, I said. “I have a. Barons discount card”. Clearly this was now a problem as he took away my card and the bill and then started rearranging chairs. My revised bill arrived quite some while later. Did they reduce or remove the service charge, despite us telling the waiter clearly that the service was appalling? No chance. It was charged in full. We left. Not one single member of staff said “Good night”. I’m sorry to say that, after a number of evenings where we have experienced such stellar performance as tonight, we have finally vowed never to return. And, we mean it this time.

The Jovial Sailor is a very good pub. The waiters were very friendly. The menu had a wide range of food for adults as well as children. The only downside was how long the food took to arrive. But overall, it was a lovely meal.

Absolutely fantastic food. A good, wide ranging menu which was reasonably priced. I had the salmon which was beautifully cooked and my friend had the sea trout which again was apparently beautifully cooked. We sat in one of the little huts situated in the garden which was private and didn't attract any wasps and other insects. Perfect and attentive waitress made the whole lunch a fabulous experience.

Hadn't been to the Jovial Sailor for a long time but after hearing good things about it from friends we decided to give it a try. So glad we did because our lunch experience couldn't have been better. The food, value for money and service were all excellent. I would rate the Jovial Sailor among the top echelon of gastro-pubs and will be visiting again!

We have always excellent meals here. We've just had amazing fish and chips - 10/10. We also had lovely service from Ines this evening. She was a great server - again 10/10. Really good place to go either in a couple or with family and friends. Very pleased to have this so close to us.

We were a group of seniors on a lunch trip organised by a community centre. This is a lovely pub. The food was delicious and there was a great choice available. We were looked after very well by Brianna and the other staff members and found them very friendly and helpful. Some of the group have already asked if we can go back again soon!

Elegant pub with wide range of food on offer. The Fish & Chips were superb ! We were served by Lucy who was extremely nice and very welcoming. We have eaten here before using the very spacious alfresco facilities, which are so nice in the summer heat. Great pub, friendly staff, delicious food and tasteful interior.

A really great venue for a surprise 50th birthday party for our great friend, and 22 other guests. The food was delicious and served fresh hot, and efficiently, even for such a big group. We were especially impressed with the service we received from Brianna, and help from all the staff. We had a great evening.

This pub is so welcoming to families, the staff were absolutely wonderful with our children and nothing was too much hassle. Cannot recommend it enough as somewhere to go with children

Lovely pub with friendly service and great facilities for kids. Took daughter for her 7th birthday, booked outside cabin which was fun and staff made her feel special. Good range of menu, catering for variety of tastes and allergies

Amazing service from Holly, very professional and lovely. Nothing was too much for her with our difficult orders, she was very happy to help and always had a smile on her face. Thank you Holly we will definitely be returning!!

The Jovial Sailor do the most delicious carvery on a Sunday. Friendly staff, beautifully cooked range of meats (ham, turkey, and 2 cuts of beef,) and generous portions. I visited yesterday with friends and we certainly will be back again. A convenient place to eat after a trip to Wisley. Thank you all.

Conner was amazing and was so nice to me and my friends, he’s great every single time we visit. He made us feel so comfortable and valued.

Conner was an absolute super star so sweet and helpful for me and my friends I spilled my drink all over the table and gave me so much reassurance!

Had a lovely evening with family to celebrate my birthday lovely food great service by Dans team and our waitress Connie, great atmosphere would certainly go back!

Lunch with a friend, food outstandingly good! Liver dish and salmon dish, both perfectly done and presented and delicious!

We have been visiting the Jovial most days over the last couple of weeks having meetings and catching up on our work. The staff have been absolutely amazing, so welcoming and can’t do more for us. We really appreciate it ❤️

Great lunch on a miserable January day. Fish delicious service great and quality of food excellent....thank you will be back with my 91yr old Godmother.

visited as a family group of 14 ( 8 adults and 6 kids) for a birthday celebration. located over 3 tables ( 2 no 2 seaters and a large table) in the back corner of the restaurant. Could not have asked for a better location as we where altogether and the little kids could get up from the table without disturbing others. All staff were attentive and we not left once looking for service. Food and drink orders were spot on. Food was excellent. arrived all at once. no complaints from anyone about the food. what topped the afternoon was when the surprise birthday cake came in from one of the party. even though staff didnt know about it, they saw it coming in and said no problem we will deal with this and they did in excellent fashion. well done to all. the only complaint is this was mine and the misses pub and we would visit to get away from the family but now the rest of the family know about it and want to come back with us !!!!

Food fantastic, service was brilliant. The evening for 25 people was booked only a matter of weeks before. This was a meal after my wedding. The staff communicated right up until the event - no hassle - 25 three course meals delivered in a timely manner - no mistakes and the food was great. Thank you for making our day so special it was a lovely day. All the guests had a great time and said how the pub did so well putting us in our own space and were so friendly and helpful.

Food and drink perfectly fine. Been coming to this pub for about ten years. For some reason on this occasion the landlord essentially forced us to pay an optional service charge. To my mind a ten per cent service charge on the bill should be...

Thanks guys had a lovely lunch. Excellent food and staff so accommodating! Highly recommended and would 100%go back. Amazing 👏

Lunched with relative on a visit to Woking. The Jovial Sailor has a warm pleasant atmosphere, the staff a cheerful and attentive and the menu extensive. We all enjoyed our meals, the portion size was large, quality good and the food served hot. The restaurant...

We went for a family dinner this evening the food as usual was very nice and the service by one particular staff stood out from the rest for us Connor was excellent his customer service and professionalism was 5***** from someone with customer service background...

What a lovely experience. Liv, our waitress, was amazing. Very attentive and understanding. George and all the bar staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Food and service were top notch. Thank you for making our evening a bit more special.

This is the third of the Baron group pubs I have been to this year. There is no doubt that the group is doing well. On this occasion we were there for lunch with old friends rather than funeral wakes. We were warmly welcomed and...

Brilliant food and service. Group of 18 for a work Christmas lunch. Particular thanks to Jazz and Darren on the day. Communication in the build up with menu choices etc was really easy. Very pleased we chose the Jovial Sailor. Thanks again Chris (visit 05/12/23)

A lovely pre Christmas festive meal. We found the food plentiful and nicely cooked. We enjoyed wine and cocktails in a quiet area of the pub. The staff were very engaging and gave us prompt efficient service with a smile. We thought the meal was...

LOVED IT!!! had the best time thanks to our waitress Olivia, she was just AMAZING!!!! Helped us with all of our needs with a smile on her face and could not have been any more friendly. Truly took our experience here to the next level....

Long wait for order. Ordered drink without ice. It came with ice. Main course fish and batter not cooked . Mentioned it and asked kitchen to be advised. Heard no more. Couple next to us waited and waited. Not a premise for a second visit.

We walked in around 20:35 for a dinner and some drinks. Personal was already exhausted and rude despite the fact it was only Wednesday. Try to avoid late evenings dinner…👎

Well I’m sorry to say that our lunch was very average. We had squid to start ( over cooked & not crispy) lollipop prawns ( absolutely no flavour. Fish & chips were ok, but greasy, pease no flavour. The tartar sauce was absolutely disgusting, mayo...

We booked at last minute for a meal yesterday evening for a family birthday. We had great meals and service was fantastic. Dan was extremely accommodating with our requests for photos and bringing cake out and food recommendations. He was so helpful. We’ve eaten here...

First trip back for a number of years. Staff friendly and welcoming but 45/50 min wait for food not good. Main courses when they arrived looked fine but in reality very average. Chicken and ham pie included whole clove of garlic and BBQ ribs were...

We went back to check if it had improved over the past few months Plenty of other diners but a bit cramped - spread us out please. Food was okay but a bit pricey and starters were expensive/small. It is convenient and lots of staff...

Staff are friendly, however one of our orders was wrong and the roast dinner was cold . Did not eat the roast dinner . A replacement was brought in for the wrong order , too too long so could not eat as a family. Just get the basics correct and you will be fine .

We have always had good meals here - our favourites are the fish and chips and the liver and bacon. The vegan food is also good, especially desserts like the vegan Biscoff Cheese Cake! Our daughter reported that the vegan milkshake is very good. This time the highlight had to be the outstanding service by our server Sophia! Attentive but not too much, very observant and always appearing at the right moment - it's a 10 from us for Sophia!

Connor you are incredible!!! went for a meal with the family and extended family that we haven’t seen in a while. we come to the jovial a lot anyways so it was a no brainier to come here but i we where all just blown away with connor’s helpfulness and his over all kindness. he is exactly what the jovial needs. food was lovely too as always too.

We had a most enjoyable lunch here. A slightly limited menu The food was tasty and freshly cooked. The Liver is recommended. All the staff were friendly and helpful. A nice easy going atmosphere, It was very clean. The only downside was we only just found a space to park in the large car park The restaurant was not full, so it is used by non customers rightly or wrongly. Despite this issue we will probably return

We had two courses on a Friday evening. Food was good and staff were polite and on the ball. We didn’t wait long, it was well presented and I thought it was reasonably priced.

Although the staff were pleasant the service was very poor and the food was nice but took a long while to get. We had a hut booked and maybe got forgotten about as in there…

We just had lunch at the Jovial Sailor - lovely as always. Excellent service and delicious food. One of us is gluten free and there’s always a nice selection to choose from. See you again soon!

My husband and I treated ourselves to lunch to celebrate his five week old bionic hip. The service and food were excellent. Lucy was so helpful and the atmosphere in the restaurant was great. The tables are not too close together and the outside cabins looked fun. Dan was also so friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Masie was amazing, the food was incredible as always, honestly we ne of our best times there! Masie was so helpful and there was no problem too big! Smooth family night with laughter and smiles! Cannot recommend The Jovial Sailor enough!

Our waitress Maise was absolutely fabulous, not over attentive but there exactly when you needed her, polite, had a sense of humour and nothing was too much trouble. I t was my 60th birthday surprise and the children and grandchildren had come down from Essex and I knew nothing about it and maise was in on it all, they sang happy birthday, including the manager when they brought the cakes out, I was just blown away and it made it all the more special. Highly recommend for any function, we also had our wedding reception there 5 years ago. and they are all still as courteous, kind, thoughtful and extremely good at their jobs. We will be back The Wareham clan. xx

This was our first time visiting the pub and we found it to be amazing! The staff are knowledgable and very friendly. Dan looked after us and he was very chatty and made our stay really welcome. The service was very good and the food...

First time at the Jovial Sailor and overall experience was positive. The Sunday carvery was excellent - good selection of roast meats, and excellent quality, well cooked fresh vegetables. Only downside was the queue albeit this was at peak serving time (around 1pm). The pub...

Jovial Sailor - congratulations. It's not about the product It's not about the price But If people don't like you they won't buy from you. Just back from a really enjoyable couple of hours at the Jovial Sailor. Dan welcomed us. Not just hello but...

A family treat out during the school holidays. We booked earlier in the week saying we were bringing three children. Greeted on arrival. Placed on an appropriate table but it was cluttered with wine glasses that were eventually removed. The menu was extensive- almost too...

Excellent food & fantastic service. Staff all very attentive. Perfect stop for lunch. Hats off to Dan, Tillie & Brock.

Jovial Sailor Ripley, Surrey [Barons Pubs] Disappointing. Busy Thursday lunchtime. Sat inside. Booked this after reading the four and five star reviews on here and our experience was definitely the wrong side of average. GOOD: Service was friendly and good overall. Food arrived in a...

It was a miserable August lunch time and we were served by Jasmine in the Al fresco covered setting, she walked back and forth in the rain with a smile and so much willingness to please it was a refreshing ray of sunlight, on such...

Great service & a nice setting. This is the first time we’ve been to The Jovial Sailor for a long time and with this experience we will be back soon. I have to give a special mention to our waiter Luke who was excellent, attentive...

GD lunch here with friends and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Service was attentive but relaxed. Menu had plenty of choice and variety. Our selection varied from chicken burger to liver with bacon and an onion gravy, plus other options, too. Portions were a good dive,...

Excellent service this evening, although very busy when we arrived the food was very good , our waitress Tilley was very polite and extremely friendly. James the manager has a good set of staff working with him, also a very pleasant manager, even managed to...

Our daughter picked this pub out because of the children’s outside play area ,which our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter loved.we all opted for the carvery which also was good with a choice of four meats and plenty of vegetables. I still saw people with...

The staff always friendly and great. Outstanding freshly made pizzas. Lovely outside area for those warm summer evenings.

We were welcomed to a reserved table by the amazing James, under a heater outside as requested. We ordered a drink straight away but we're asked by two other members of staff if we would like to order a drink so all staff were very...

On Wednesday 21st June 2023, we held our corporate Summer BBQ at the Jovial Sailor in Ripley, we had around 60 guests in the garden for dinner and drinks, it was a really lovely evening, Our group had a big outside area under the canopy...

As always great place for a family gathering. Usually inside, but took a big table out under cover which was lovely. Really nice place to eat. Service was good, and food excellent. One issue was that Bubble & Squeak had something pickled / vinegary in...

Not impressed with the service took 45mins to get starter on the table after asking where it was, Fish and chips for the main course bater was soggy and the fish tasted not fresh

Jess Hall is a credit to the hospitality industry. Not only did she remember my order long after I’d forgotten, the atmosphere that she created was second to none. The whole team surpassed any of my expectations, I enjoyed my visit as a stranger to...

Great pub. A number of different seating choices inside and out. We went on a Sunday so we had a choice of the carvery and the main menu. Our server answered all our questions about the food and new all the different drink options available....

The biggest issue here was parking in the car park .the restaurant was not full so we can only assume a number of non customers used the car park. The meals were average nothing special nothing bad. We felt the meals were a tad overpriced

Arrived at 6.10. Seated then. Sat there till 6.45 nobody came to wait on us went to bat and noticed couple of people who came in after us had been seated and on their starters. We spoke to manager who just said sorry. I’m busy...

Charming staff, prompt service, great food and huge selection of it! Venue options to suit all.. indoors, in cabins, outdoors, under cover. Car parking can be an issue as the pub gets busy

We had a lovely meal and especially want to thank Connie for the great service and attention and making us laugh. It made the meal! Emily the manager should also be acknowledged for her great service and attention. Thank you guys 🤗

Once again we visited the Jovial Sailor and found most of the food very well cooked and the service really good. The atmosphere in the restaurant is excellent. The Starters were fantastic and well made, however, most of us that had burgers found them dry...

Excellent gluten free options, and we were very confident that staff were well aware of how to avoid cross contamination. Lovely meal, in large covered area with plenty of room for us and our two dogs, with generous portions and very friendly staff. The '5...

We are regulars at The Jovial Sailor and have been more than impressed since Barons took over. James and the team are always very friendly and welcoming. We came for the carvery with friends and it was exceptional. Recently ordered a pizza via deliveroo and...

Been before but this visit much different…. I ordered the bubble and squeak cheesy skillet … well someone needs to educate chef on what bubble and squeak is !!! It was just watery mash with carrots and broccoli mixed in topped with cheese … not...

We visited Friday evening (07/04/2023). Sat at table 36. Service was slow. We ordered bread and olives. This was delivered after 45 minutes with the starter rather than straight away. 2 main courses came out. Then a dish of onion rings for the table. The...

Usually a favourite of ours. We love this pub and I always order the goats cheese salad. This time however it was a great disappointment, the salad leaves looked tired, it was devoid of any flavour at all. I mentioned it to the server and...

We LOVE The Jovial Sailor! Another fantastic visit on Tuesday evening. We had a choice of tables, quick and friendly service and as always, great food! We always look forward to coming here and can’t wait until we are back again!

The Mother’s lunch today at The Jovial Sailor was absolutely 10 out 10. It was a set menu but with lots of choice, loved the carvery. Well done to all the team delivering exceptional service on the busiest day of the year! Particularly Amber, James...

Lovely atmosphere, friendly , welcoming staff, efficient service with delicious food - we couldn't ask for more!!

Staff are always so helpful and friendly, really noticeable compared to other places. The food is excellent and the atmosphere great. James and Kerry served us and were so on the ball and lovely. Will definitely keep going.

We were really impressed by the efficiency of all the friendly team members. They got us a table within 5 mn, staff were really pleasant and very attentive. Food was divine. We cannot fault it at all. Carry on with the good work guys. We’ll...

We have been here before, but it gets better! They're friendly, efficient and professional. The reassuring gentle smell of good food greets you, if eating inside, just before you're greeted by at least one of your smiling hosts. With the car park pretty much full...

Cote de Beouf is a steak with a large bone & Mine i had yesterday weighed approx 4-5 ozes to-gether with fat so at £28.95 not worth the money ...Also i asked for the tomarto & mushroom to be removed & replaced with coleslaw which...

Lovely experience all round. Started with a phone call 30 minutes before arriving to ask for a table. It seemed like Gemma would have done anything to help us get a booking. Food was great, sat in one of the sheds which was great as...

Today we discovered a gem! Last minute chance for a family get together. We all decided to have the carvery. The choice of meats today were turkey, roast beef, beef brisket and gammon served on a generous sized plate .There was a good selection of...

Just been to the Jovial Sailor and had the Sunday Carvery and have to say it's one of the best carvery's we have ever had. We live in Chandlers Ford Hampshire but have to travel to Send several times during the year and always try...

We often come to the Jovial Sailor for food and today didn't disappoint. We believe it was the second weekend of the carvery option, which we both opted for but with the vegan option. This came out quickly (which is great considering meat eaters can...

We visit regularly and came on the second week of the new carvery. I believe there is a new manager now, I could sense a good team morale and spirit despite being busy. We sat on a high table as we requested but felt as...

Went to the launch of the Sunday Carvery yesterday (29/01/23). I understand that it was the first time the carvery had been done at the Jovial Sailor. I have to say it was the best Sunday lunch that I have had outside of my own...

Had a family reunion meal, very good food, service and company. My brother in law has just moved to the area, This could be his new local.

Lovely evening out with friends. Menu has changed with some lovely additions. Our favourite was the addition to the pudding menu, Biscoff cheesecake, delicious. No need to look at the menu anymore, know what we’re having every time 🤗

Stopped in after a night time visit to Wisley Gardens festive light trail. A warm welcome was well received on a cold night. Super friendly staff made us feel right at home. We were with our two grandkids of 4 and 7 and it was...

I had a lovely evening with Barbara looking after us and Peter making sure we had a table despite the fact that it was fully booked. He managed to accommodate us and move some tables together and all 8 of us had a lovely meal...

Great food and service. I can’t fault the food and the service given by Elizabeth our excellent waitress.

We can't thank them enough for such a lovely evening. We come from 3 different parts of the country (Shropshire, Somerset and Kent) so it was nice to get together. The staff couldn't do enough to make it a memorable occasion. Thank you xx

Very disappointing dinner experience! A long wait before being asked for our drinks order and a long wait between starter and main. Food was poor quality and had clearly been re-heated for too long in a microwave. Chicken burger was flat, dry and tasteless! The...

Just over a year since last we used this restaurant. This visit, with other friends, was not as welcoming as previously. Maybe with the covid scare largely passed, management had taken their eyes of the ball and the downside was a very standard welcome and...

Booked for a family birthday as all previous visits have been first class . Busy as always , and started well with good starters . However all four went for the ' Roast Dinners ' . Very disappointing, with roast potatoes and parsnips very greasy...

The restaurant was extremely busy but we were rapidly shown a nice table. Service was excellent and drinks and fish and chips for two arrived quite quickly considering the numbers being served Regretfully the fish was cooked in a rather firm and fatty batter which...

This place is within 5 minutes' walking time from home so we tend to visit it quite a lot. In fact, I have been visiting regularly for the past 29 years and have seen the place change quite a bit over that time. The place...

The Stag owners club a group of 23 people had lunch at the Jovial Sailor this afternoon (23rd October) we were made very welcome everyone said the food was great and the service from Emily and the team was perfect, we will be going again...