The Rubbing House in Epsom and Ewell

It was a very special birthday treat for my aunt 81 birthday

Absolutely shocking customer service, bar staff were rude from the moment we walked in the door and everything seemed to be too much trouble. Will not go back.

Very good customer care and yummy food

Excellent host very welcoming. The burger was dry and bland. Not value for money, this was the worst burger I have ever purchased.

Staff were fantastic, on two nights running, thank you.

My family and I went to get a meal in this restaurant, until we heard the manger talking to the staff, we were shocked at the way he spoke to them. We would not go back due to the rudeness that was expressed. It was really disappointing as we expected much better. Really disappointing!!

My friend and I had lunch. Liver, bacon & onions it was cooked to perfection. Melt in your mouth with a creamy mash & green beans. Our server was very professional. Great service. We highly recommend.

We visited the here for an impromptu lunch in April. We asked to sit in the bar area which was quite at the time as my adult daughter has Autism and Learning Disabilities, so manages better when it is quiet. The manager ( we assume, as he was standing at the door when we arrived) was quite blunt and rude when he said it didn't matter if we sat in the bar, but it was still waitress service. Not the welcome you would hope for. However, we sat down and a very lovely waitress came and offered us the menus. I explained my daughter, who was wearing her hidden disability lanyard at the time, had some dietary requirements and struggled with lots of food option, so just in case we can't fine anything on the main menu for her, can we please look at the children's menu and we can always add extra sides if we needed too. She said that was absolutely fine and brought over the children's menu too for us to look at. We were then approached by the manager to say that we couldn't order from the children's menu for her as it was for under 9s. We politely explained that she prefers plain bland food, is sensitive to food textures and is quite rigid with food options due to her disability. They refused to let us order from the children's menu and offered to give us smaller portions of the main menu instead, totally missing the whole point. This proved that they were not listening to our explanation at all. On top of that, they were very rude about it which increased our daughters anxiety. We were left with no option but to leave. Despite the fact we were about to order three, 3 course meals with drinks, they really didn't want our custom, over what was a totally unnecessary issue. The whole situation caused her great distress and left us with a difficult situation to manage. Her world is very limited and challenging and eating out with us is one of her few pleasures in life. They were quite clear they didn't care and were extremely rude. Luckily the neighbouring pub restaurant had no issue with us looking at the children's menu. In 25 years I have never had this situation before. We often eat in some of the best restaurants in London and have never experienced such a blatant disregard for her dietary needs and disabled requirements. We were not asking for a ramp to be put in to make it disabled accessible, just a children's menu. That's all. Such a sad and very disappointing way to treat a vulnerable adult.

Friendly staff. It would be great if the chips were made fresh like a proper chippy. The vinegar was in a glass container used for oil dressing. Fish was tasty.

It was one of those cannot make up you mind days and the steak was a bit to pricey days. The waitress efficiently steered me towards the pork chop I have been eyeing but was also feeling like fries, she ensured that it would be the pork chop with fries! Pork chops are tricky to cook, typically and traditionally they are well done but then end up being overcooked which is a very easy thing to dp with a pork chop. This one was a nice thick cut and was cooked perfectly! Should also metion that the music selection was spot on the day.

A rather late lunch booking but Jenny and her team were able to accommodate a group of 25. Great service from Mario, attentive as always , even with large group the food was well presented and most importantly hot and fresh. Great service with great food

Very nice food and great staff. With amazing scenery!

Warm welcome first I was solo this night i.the meal I had was really good (chicken kebabs with salad,pita bread & chips keep up the standards and cheers

Lovely meal & excellent service by all staff.

Food was amazing nice friendly staff. Atmosphere was ok

Very nice meal pleasant company and an all round great venue.

Lovely pub in beautiful surroundings. Staff friendly, service very good, food tasty and generous portions. Slightly on the pricier side but you get what you pay for. We’re very friendly with our baby as well.

Great food, great service would definitely go there again

Rude, unwelcoming staff. Having been on a lovely walk, it began to rain and we spotted what looked like a cute pub and went in to shelter from the rain. On arrival, the front of house staff bombarded us with questions about whether we wanted food or drink. We explained we were yet to decide. We were heavily encouraged to order immediately at the bar but we wanted to sit down first to look at the menu. The food looked appetizing so we were set to order two meals. A different waiter came and started taking our order for food and drinks. He was rudely interrupted by the front of house staff and told we could not order food and would need to wait to be seated in a different area. It was very confusing and poorly explained. We found it extremely rude and we were left to feel so uncomfortable we simply could not order. Really disappointing as food and restaurant looked lovely but was spoiled by such an unwelcoming host.

My family have been coming to the Rubbing House for many years. It was my Dad’s favourite restaurant and he loved the great food, the excellent service and the beautiful views over the Downs. We lost our Dad recently and he wanted his farewell celebration to be here which the Rubbing House were more than happy to accommodate. I have never left a review before but was so moved by the extra mile that Zack, Jenny and their brilliant team went to make the occasion absolutely perfect that I felt I must. All of our family and friends were also extremely impressed. They also serve the best pint of Timothy Taylor.

Stopped here for desserts which were great. But massive THANK YOU to the team who was so kind to come out with a candle and sing happy birthday to my mum. The manager/owner also brought a lovely glass of bubbles for her! Hospitality skills like these are rare to find these days. Thank you all!

Took my mum here for a belated Mother’s Day meal. She said it was the best lamb shank she’s ever had and hasn’t stopped talking about the place since! I had the chicken curry which was authentic and sizeable enough that I couldn’t finish it all! 10/10, servers are polite, food is excellent, I highly recommend

In respect to the pricing and the menu, this place has a prime location, but doesn't give prime location vibes. The service wasn't good, the table staff were quite abrupt and not very personable. The food was nothing I haven't seen in a good bar/pub setting before, I wouldn't call this a restaurant as such, the detail was missing.. As the images show, chicken was undercooked, mussels were musselless, empty shells, although they did bring out a second serving that was exactly the same. It was excused by saying it happens when they are cooking, as if I've never cooked them myself before and for the record they never fall out of the shells fortunately, and they are usually much larger in size too The fish and chips didn't come with Tartar sauce, I had to ask for it, it's Fish N Chips, I asked for vegetables instead of mushy peas, I was told I would have to order a side of vegetables at £5 for the privilege. A few frozen peas had to be my greens for the day instead. The Bangers and Mash dish was delicious. The Sausage was very good, the gravy was delicious, seasonal vegetables were good, would have loved broccoli in there too but overall a very nice meal We ate our evening meal here three evenings concurrently as it's the closest establishment to the hotel I was staying in, so I feel this review is worth it. I wasn't offended by the place at all and it was ok overall as to why it gets 3 stars. The service/table staff really let it down for me. Although the front of house team seemed welcoming, it wasn't reflective of the service/table team. Because we had questions regarding some of the food it was like they had an issue with us being there again, I work away all over the country, so after work I don't really want to be searching for places to eat and travelling all over to find places, I go for what is close and convenient to the hotel. This way I can decompress after work with a meal and a drink with colleagues. I can see a lot of hard work goes into keeping everything running as a business, but maybe the detail has been lost due to the fact they just need to get as much out of you as possible while you're here, this was especially clear throughout the time given how many times we were asked if we would like more drinks. A farewell was offered also, I thought was nice 😀

Called them twice today to book a table for 7 people this weekend. Not only did they not answer their phone, but I was shocked to be greeted by a message that effectively just said ‘we’re busy, go away’ ! No option to leave a message or offer receive a call back, just an arrogant message telling me to phone another time. Could a restaurant be more conceited or less inviting? They clearly feel they are doing you a favour by even talking to you and thought that I should jump through hoops to spend £300 with them. No chance! I’ve now booked at The Derby Arms across the road which is lovely anyway and were warm, welcoming and appreciative of the booking. Something is seriously wrong with a ny hospitality business that allows this to happen

Visited twice this past week due to our first time being amazing with work colleagues group of 25 of us and the food was absolutely beautiful and all came out the same time and was hot and very delicious and presented excellently. The service and ambient is brilliant, welcomed by all the staff and made to feel special. The view of the race ground is brilliant, wasn’t a race event on but excellent location for the racers. Thank you for making us so welcome!!!

Very wet and dark night and FIRST time I had been to this pub. Parked very close to entrance and ran into pub in the rain. Had a nice meal. A little bit pricey, but it is Epsom race course. Drove home (Northampton). 2 weeks later £100 fine!! For parking. Photos sent by Countrywide Parking Management of signs in bright sunlight and of my car at night, hardley visible. No mention at the table by the staff that you have to register your car for parking. I appealed and as a good will gesture they reduced it to £10. I.e. they agree that my appeal was good but just wanted something for nothing. I can understand this on race days but otherwise it's a con. I'll not go to this pub ever again.

Have been here several times and always loved the food. However we ate there today and was very disappointed. I ordered fish and chips (after a very long wait). When it arrived the fish was small but delicious and the chips were solid and cold. We were unable to get the waitress attention and so I ended up eating the fish and d”some of my husband and sons meal. When the waitress eventually did come over and I told her I was unable to eat any of the chips she informed us that they had accidentally given me the chips that had been partially cooked earlier in the day and not cooked through again as they should have been. She was very polite and apologetic then offered me more chips. I told her I’d eaten some of my husbands and sons and didn’t want any more as at this point everyone had finished eating and we had to be somewhere. Despite acknowledging they accidentally served me with uncooked food they still charged me full price. I didn’t want to cause a fuss and paid. However it has left a bad taste and we won’t be returning.

Terrible service and attitude. We went at a quiet time between the lunch and dinner phase. Restaurant was at about 30% capacity. The outside dining area is ideal for dining as it catches the sun perfectly, but there are 'rules' on where you can drink, eat starters, and then mains, all a bit bizarre and unnecessary We paid and left after waiting 50 mins for the main course. The starters were prompt, although I would add that they were not value for money given that the portion size is small. The tzatziki was a generous tablespoon size with one pitta bread, and the calamari was only four rings. We enquired three times during our wait after finishing starters as to where our mains were, ordering the moussaka and soulvaki, the time waiting did not seem proportional to the complexity of the order (a batch cooked dish needing heating and crisping with grilled chicken dish). Staff do not approach the table when waiting and had to find someone to enquire, inconsistently being told the food was on it's way now or it was going to be collected now by the person I spoke with. Quite keen at each interaction to sell more drinks but not explain the delay, it felt arrogant and pushy. After waiting 50 mins and a consideration for how busy the restaurant was, we deemed this unacceptable, and the apathetic nature of the staff did not help to placate the matter. Payed for the starters and left. Staff were apologetic, and the decision to leave was not met with any resistance.

Terrible service and attitude. We went at a quiet time between the lunch and dinner phase. Restaurant was at about 30% capacity. The outside dining area is ideal for dining as catches the sun perfectly, but, there are 'rules' on where you can drink, eat starters and then mains, all a bit bizarre and unnecessary. We payed and left after waiting 50 mins for main course. The starters were prompt, although, I would add that they were not value for money given the portion size is small. The tzatziki was a generous tablespoon size with one pitta bread and the calamari was only four rings. We enquired three times during our wait after finishing starters as to where our mains were, ordering the moussaka and soulvaki, the time waiting did not seem proportional to the complexity of the order (a batch cooked dish needing heating and crisping with grilled chicken dish). Staff do not approach the table when waiting and had to find someone to enquire, inconsistently being told the food was on it's way now or it was going to be collected now by the person I spoke with. Quite keen at each interaction to sell more drinks but not explain the delay felt arrogant and pushy. After waiting 50 mins and a consideration for how busy the restaurant was, deemed this unacceptable and the apathetic nature of the staff did not help to placate the matter. Payed for the starters and left. Staff were apologetic and the decision to leave was not met with any resistance.

Absolutely beautiful, food was lovely, lovely friendly staff, views across the downs was amazing, and a good price 💗

We stopped by here for lunch. It was a busy, sunny day but the team kindly found a table for my mum and me. Nice vegetarian choices. We had good service despite it being busy and were well looked after.

Quite simply the worse sunday roast I have eaten in a long time. Cheap vegetables. Peas. Old cabbage and mashed swede. Awful tasteless beef. Reminded me of school dinners..

Dinned here tonight to find that the older gentleman who was assisting with food was disgusting. We witnessed him walking out the way and putting his hand down his pants and scratching himself. Shocking behaviour and to finish he went on to continue serving customers.

Went for family birthday celebration excellent service great food .

Visited here midweek in February. It was my second visit and I had exactly the same as the first time since I’d enjoyed it so much. I had the fried halloumi and a regular sized portion of the Fillets of Sea Bass. The food is good here and the service excellent. There was no atmosphere on the night we visited but I put that down to it being midweek. I’m sure on a race day it would be pretty lively! It’s a great setting on the edge of the racecourse and only a very short walk from the nearby Epsom Downs Holiday Inn Express which has a VERY limited food menu so I’d highly recommend a walk out to the Rubbing House. Relatively well priced considering the location and setting although it was quite a large bill for a weekday night work meal … maybe the bottle of wine didn’t help. I did have a fly in my first drink but it was swiftly replaced and the staff were very attentive. I’ll certainly be back again soon.

Came here on Sunday with the Mrs and her friends. We thoroughly enjoyed our time. The food was absolutely delicious. The service was first class and very professional. I've not been here for years so to find it was just as good as 15 years ago was great. Deffo recommend it but as it can get very busy on a Sunday I would highly recommend pre-booking.

Came here on Sunday with the Mrs and her friends. We thoroughly enjoyed our time. The food was absolutely delicious. The service was first class and very professional. I've not been here for years so to find it was just as good as 15 years ago was great. Deffo recommend it but as it can get very busy on a Sunday I would highly recommend pre-booking.

Linda is the star of the show , she was great and the meal was good. MENU NEEDS A REDESIGN - it looks plain and tasteless and terrible font + unprofessional. THEY DON’T TAKE AMEX!? In an establishment such as this!? Crazy town.

Lovely visit weekly thing for the family..very enjoyable 😉

Lovely pub Great location Great food friendly staff

Slow, and the restaurant is ice cold. we where the first to be seated and that was the end of it.

Simply put: spectacular, service super attentive and the food to die for. It was nighttime so no had the chance to experience the fabulous views to the race courses but we will coming back for lunch soon.

We were a party of 5 and this was our first visit. The service was without fault. The waiter was charming, welcoming, and attentive without being intrusive. The food was delicious and hot. It's obviously a very popular venue and was therefore very busy with a lot of tooing and frowing and at times quite noisy. I would definitely recommend it though and it's position on the edge.of.the race course provides great views.

£6.50 for a pint of Landlord is way too much and £1.50 for a packet of crisps is a total joke. No wonder there aren’t many people in here. The Derby Arms and Tattenham Corner are packed, maybe they have all been here first.

Reasonably priced with some great dishes. However not all were superb and some were inedible, some of our party were unable to eat their desserts and when asked for alternative or to not be charged we were met with mumbling excuses. Service from most staff was great, but our waiter had clearly woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.

Good selection of vegetarian and vegan meals

Always very good food. Lovely staff.

Booked a table for 5 to celebrate my mum's 93rd birthday and we were not disappointed. The food and service were excellent. Because some in our party had hearing loss issues, I had requested a table in a quieter corner of the restaurant. That is exactly what we were given. Very pleased

This is our first visit to this restaurant and we will definitely return if we are in the area. Our friend had booked the table and we would suggest this is a good idea - the restaurant was busy at lunchtime. The service was excellent, professional but friendly. We all had a main course which were delicious, the portion size was substantial leaving no room for dessert. The Beef Bourguignon, Pork Medallions and Calves Liver were all excellent.

Only 3 stars as last orders were called at 10. 20 pm on a Friday.

Food probably 3.5 out of 5. Gave the extra .5 for the service which was good with very friendly wait staff. We had Artisan bread for the table which was nice but I would not call artisan - 3 small slices of white and 3 of brown. No butter although we could have asked for that I suppose just oil and balsamic vinegar. I had Moussaka which was okay not amazingly tasty and a few frozen chips and salad. Salad was nice but disappointed that the olives on the salad had stones in them! Husband has chicken and mash which he enjoyed. Overall a pleasant lunch but nothing amazing.

Over charged for drinks, staff not on the ball as previously visited.

Absolutely shocked to find that I have received a parking ticket for parking in the pub's own car park. The car park is not well lit at night and signs were not visible. Would not recommend going back again.

Best Christmas dinner ever had, food was so delicious, staff were amazing and a lovely atmosphere. Definitely highly recommend and will be back very soon.

As we were staying at the hotel opposite,we walked over for our evening meal. Very prompt service. Was busy with Christmas get togethers,yet we still had a quiet table. Main meals were very tasty. One of the steak and mushroom pie,other spaghetti Bolognese. Very very nice. Puddings,one of cheesecake,other chocolate brownie. A little disappointed with the brownie,as for me personally,a bit bland. Lovely waitress,good customer service. Overall a nice meal

Had our big family Xmas meal here yesterday and we were so impressed. We’ve been coming to your Rubbing House for many years with varying degrees of success but this year was brilliant. Jo was our server and she was fantastic - especially when faced with our table of 20! Nothing was too much trouble and really added to our overall experience! Thanks Jo!

Pricy, but very good quality. Lovely place.

A really good place, lovely food and staff great.carnt wait to go back

Very lovely lunch with my sister

A group of us meets up around Christmas time and we generally choose the Rubbing House as our preferred venue. It's conveniently located for us, with a decent sized car park, and pleasant alcoves and semi-private areas where we can sit and chat. The food is good, the prices acceptable, and the service fairly prompt, even at busy times. They have a decent selection of vegetarian and vegan options.

Very disappointed, I went with five members of my family on Sunday evening, the Resteraunt wasn’t busy, food was not great and service awful, the bill was £380, not value for money. Will not be visiting again.

Great location, views across green open spaces. Warm atmosphere, good food with varied menu, and excellent service. Our waitress Gabby was very attentive, friendly and efficient. Altogether a memorable experience.

Busy on a Friday lunchtime, good choice of beer's very nice 4 pints 25 quid.

Enjoyed another lovely meal at this establishment, was served by Mario, so friendly, always smiling and happy to have a quick chat when time allowed. Food was excellent and you get what you pay for.

Rubbin House is a must-visit for anyone in Epsom looking for delicious food in a welcoming setting. I can’t wait to go back and try more of their fantastic offerings!

Always popular and busy. Would advise booking prior to arriving. Food is OK and the service usually friendly.

Great food, atmosphere and service. Stopping in nearby hotel on my own so a single diner. This was considered with the table I was shown to and service was spot on - thanks Ayse. Food was great too. Would recommend

The calves liver is great, it was worth the wait, a mix up on the ordering? Will go again.

We had a wonderful lunch with friends. The food was excellent, as was the service and table position. We were never hurried and the whole experience was relaxed and enjoyable.

Great, food always good and very friendly staff.

Relax atmosphere. Good for a drink

Set in a Beautiful setting of Epsom downs, found service to be slow on this occasion. Food was good as expected. Really nice to be back for the views

Arrived on a perfect sunny October day, was greeted by front of house and shown straight to a window table with an amazing view over the racecourse. People were sitting outside and there was a continuous feed of people coming through the door and seated, by about 1:30 all tables in and out were full but the service never slipped. Garlic Cheesy mushrooms were ordered by two of us and were fantastic. Mains consisted of Roast Beef, roast pork and traditional fish and chips. Not huge portions but perfect in size as way too many places are giving a HUGE plate where half is left. Puddings were the caramelised biscuit cheesecake and chocolate ice cream which once again were amazing. I have lived around the area for over 40 years, first visit and will so be going back regularly now.

Extremely rude manager, told us as we had a child with us (one well behaved 11 year old) we could only sit in the cold empty room in the back with views of the road, rather than with the rest of the customers overlooking the racecourse. Tried to tell us this was for licensing reasons but then admitted it was just his own rule. Ruined our afternoon to be treated like second class citizens, as if other customers would be put off if there was a child in their presence. Like something from Victorian times. Do not recommend.

For the 2nd time in 4 weeks I have visited this marvelous restaurant with wife and a different couple. Both times all members of party had different meals, and without exception all meals were perfectly cooked and so tasty. Puddings are also excellent. All staff are very friendly, but professional, and I have been lucky to have Gabby as my waitress on both visits. She is very attentive and professional. Highly recommend, because of the quality of the establishment I have no objections to paying slightly more than maybe an average restaurant.

Avoid. Extremely rude manager, told us as we had a child with us (one well behaved 11 year old) we could only sit in the cold empty room in the back with views of the road, rather than with the rest of the customers overlooking the racecourse. Tried to tell us this was for licensing reasons but then admitted it was just his own rule. Ruined our afternoon to be treated like second class citizens and upset my son too.. Very child and family unfriendly, avoid. Much nicer pubs in the area that welcome families.

Great service , great food and very friendly staff.

Lovely place lovely staff food is lovely as well been quite few times an never disappointed

Great service and friendly staff

Phenominal cuisine, great prices. I highly recommend

My family took me to the Rubbing House on Thursday 17th October for a birthday celebration. The food was fantastic, hot and all meals served together, all the staff were lovely and welcoming. We were made so welcome and we look forward to our next visit. Well done.

Food and service was excellent. It's a bit pricey but great for special occasions.

What a wonderful evening we had at the Rubbing House. The service was excellent, the food fantastic lovely and hot. The four of us had a main meal and dessert. Wonderful location, great view. A little bit pricey but well worth it. We will definitely be back.

Free parking (but you MUST enter your registration on the tablet at the bar), good service, superb food, but very pricey.

Great food and service, I always like to reward this with my gratuity, I briefly checked my bill which appeared in order, however on reflection I re checked the menu the following day and noticed in very small print that a 10% charge had been added I therefore ended up paying over £35 tip be aware this charge is already included. If these charges are to be added they should be in bold print, a little underhand I believe.

It's a Spoons, always busy, but nice pub.

Food is great and a lot on the menu ! The Rubbing House is at a great location, I like sitting outside if the weather permits! Only negative is that service has been a bit slow on several occasions for me.

Being at the end of the race track. Nice views across the downs. Staff are very friendly, and nothing is too much trouble. Seating inside as well as out. (Dogs not allowed in the eating area outside) Nice choices on the menu. Nicely presented. A wide variety of drinks. If out walking your dogs in the afternoon ,nice place to stop for a coffee.Highly recommend.

Great menu selection, excellent service and great beers

4 of us great food lovely people great time had by all

Great food & great service, worth a visit

I was well impressed with their food

A wide and varied selection menu, which was surprising, but more surprising was how tasty and delicious the food was! The service was also very attentive and with a smile. The Venue is also very nice. Will visit again.

We have been here before and enjoyed it during the summer with friends outside. This time we were sat indoors which was incredibly noisy and uncomfortable to even hear the person opposite. Service was a little slow to start with. Food was cooked well. Very generous portion sizes for roast pork.

Quick birthday celebration popped in for lunch great meal and service

Outstanding food and service in a great setting. Parking is a challenge for disabled persons as pub allows anyone to use the spaces not a single blue badge in every disabled space. Owner should advocate for all guests and not just protect the bottom lines.

This restaurant has been consistently excellent since it first opened, I have had some wonderful family meals there.

Usually good but tonight we waited almost an hour for our main course having sat down at 6.40. My moussaka was tasteless and wishy washy. My wife had the tenderloin of pork with apple and cider sauce. The sauce tasted very odd, fatty but acidic. The pork was dry. I'll give this place a miss from now on.

We were hungry the service was quick, food was fantastic. Waitress and waiter were really friendly attentive

1st time at the Rubbing house.. Eat outside.... Bit windy... But what a nice setting.. Overlooking the racecourse and downs.. Food very nice... Staff was on the ball.. And we will be definitely going back there...