The best restaurants serving British food in South East

So Disappointing!!! Before I start, I should say we have been regulars at the Sparsholt (even when it was called The Star), however we had not been for approximately six months. We had a restaurant reservation for 19:00hrs for what was my granddaughters 13th birthday treat. We were excited on our arrival, but unfortunately that is where it stopped. We arrived to a virtually empty ( 1 table in use) establishment on a Saturday night, to be greeted by two front of house staff who looked as though they belonged in a local pub. Gone has the smart but casual dress code for the staff. After waiting an age to order our drinks, we then had to ask for the menus, and even then had to ask again to order. There was no ‘table checking’ whatsoever. Whilst we were waiting, another group arrived and went to sit in the restaurant area. When the time came to go to our table, to my astonishment we were asked if we minded sitting in the bar on a table that was just adjacent to us!! The place was virtually empty, we were dressed smartly and we certainly didn’t want a bar meal. The staff were very accommodating and showed us to a table in the main restaurant where there were now two other tables occupied. My granddaughter ordered the prawn starter, which resembled a portion of panco prawns from Iceland, whilst my wife and I had the ham hock. The starters had lost all their wow factor, where very little effort or time was spent on presentation. When the time came to clear the plates, we were even asked to pass our own plates across the table, to save the waitress walking around us. The mains followed, with little improvement. I had the venison pave, consisting of two medallions of venison which turned out to be so tuff I couldn’t eat it, with the whole plate overpowered by the sharpness of red cabbage. My wife and granddaughter had the cod main. As the was no table checking, and not a waiter/waitress to be seen, I ended up not eating my main (was refunded) as the rest of the table had finished their meals. Desserts followed, which were unremarkable. All in all, this was a disappointing evening. We had looked forward to treating our granddaughter but the whole Sparsholt experience has changed. I know times are hard in the hospitality industry but basic service and attention to detail doesn’t cost. We have cancelled our Xmas reservations and unfortunately won’t be returning soon. It’s such a disappointment because this was our destination restaurant (30 minute drive away) as we live in a town full of fast food chain eateries.

Lovely peaceful setting, a stone's throw away from the busy A30 but ,very quite and rural. Sufficient parking right outside and, off the road, Pleasant greeting from the bar staff and providing excellent real ale too . Friendly waitering staff, clean table , clean cutlery Food however, is sadly compromised and rather equivalent to that expected sad Sunday roasts at a Tesco/Asda supermarket cafe - just not "there" unfortunately . Even the roast potatoes were hard instead of just crisp but dry inside ? The vegatables lacked sophistication and cooking techique The price however is alongside those at other nearby eateries ie Red Lion Chobham which provides constant high-end cooking , same price bracket and without the service charge automatically added at 12.5% !!! for what? They never once returned to the table to check if everything was OK but did return to mop up the wine she splilled !!

Wonderful lunch. We had four different main dishes with the Burger, Pork Belly, Macaroni cheese and Haloumi burger all superb. Lovely open fire, excellent service made for a great experience. Highly recommended.

Had a family birthday bash (late lunch), 10 adults, 5 children & 1 dog. Lovely food, very attentive staff, excellent service. Big thank for the flowers for the birthday girl. A fabulous small touch. Will be back.

As part of my birthday treat of visiting nearby Hever Castle, we booked to stay at The Greyhound at Hever restaurant with rooms for the night (September 2024). It’s a delightful little place, with just five bedrooms, a few minutes drive from Hever Castle and well placed for exploring this lovely part of Kent. Our room, number four, was a ground floor room that opened onto the garden where we sat and enjoyed a cup of coffee whilst listening to the sound of birds singing in the trees. The room had everything we needed for an overnight stay including the most important things - a comfortable bed and a very good shower. We ate dinner in the intimate restaurant where the tables were well spaced so we didn’t feel cramped or overheard by nearby diners. The food that we chose was delicious and reasonably priced, as was the wine list. The owner was friendly and welcoming and we felt at ease both at dinner and again at breakfast. Breakfast was another very good meal with a good range of choices. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing stay and if we return to that part of Kent again we’d definitely return to The Greyhound.

Took 25 walkers to the White Hart for lunch in the middle of our walk and pub was excellent. All 25 meals ( were pre ordered) came out quickly. Service was speedy, friendly and efficient. Tables had been set aside and all prepared for us. Booking was easy and food good. Will use this pub again, recommend it,

Warm welcome and changing our table was no problem. The lady looking after us went above and beyond to make sure our visit was perfect. Menu choices were fabulous, our gluten free vegetarian friend was able to have a pie for the first time in years. Furniture was comfortable, we were able to sit at the table for over 2 hours.

This is a fantastic pub - we came for lunch with my little dog - so welcoming- I had the best jacket potato and home made coleslaw - would absolutely recommend

Fuimos a este lugar al final de una noche en Londres, siendo uno de los únicos bares en Woking, nos vimos tentados por el humo espeso y la idea de bebidas a un precio razonable. No hay nada particularmente malo en este lugar, pero encontramos que había más porteros que clientes, estaba completamente vacío aparte de nuestro grupo y tal vez 2 - 3 personas más. Presumiblemente se llena cuando las cucharas de intemperie de al lado echan a todos. Como dije no hay nada malo en ello, pero no hay nada particularmente bueno tampoco, hay una selección ok de bebidas, el servicio fue rápido (porque estaba vacío) , y las bebidas están bien, aparte de que parecía un genérico dingy bar de buceo.

Bottomless brunch last week with friends was fab. Slight glitches as Mel and Jenna were very short staffed but they more than made up for this. Pizzas and drinks were fab and would totally recommend to anyone.

Chinese New Year. Fantastic food and service. Cantonese Lamb Chops were amazing, Taiwanese Fried Chicken sent Col. Saunders for an early bath. Absolute favourite was the egg noodle chow mein with duck. Running Chocolate with Banana foam and roasted banana ice cream a hit too. Service was great. We were served by Nik who was attentive and friendly. Quality of food spoke for itself. I'm sure they haven't drafted in a Chinese Chef, their chef's know what they're doing and don't need it. Thank you.

The menu was gastro pub, ie fancier than normal pub grub. I had the oriental pork belly bites and then the chicken Milanese with fries followed by the biscoff cheesecake. Food was lovely and I was absolutely stuffed. The waiter was very friendly. Lovely lunch overall.

Great bagels, not the best cappuccino, but staff not welcoming.

6 of us managed to book a table at short notice for Sunday lunch. A high chair was provided on request, and food orders taken. The roast beef, enjoyed by two of us was excellent , well cooked , tasty veg and lovely gravy. The fillet steak served on a lava rock was also well received. Overall a good place for a Sunday roast.

Lovely pub, great atmosphere. Management great and staff very friendly. I would thoroughly recommend it to all, families are always welcome and the garden is great when we have sun!