A truly beautiful county situated in the South East of England, Surrey is home to some of the finest restaurants in the UK. Bordered by Greater London to the North and Kent, and Hampshire and Sussex to the East and South, Surrey is the country’s most wooded county, with stunning views of rolling countryside hills and valleys that stretch on for miles. Within the glorious green, there are picturesque villages flanked by larger, vibrant towns. Surrey is rightly renowned as a diverse county to explore with plenty of hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Top Restaurants in Surrey
This sentiment applies most definitely to Surrey’s culinary scene, which boasts AA Rosettes and Michelin stars aplenty. Home to some of the best restaurants in the South East of England, Surrey has a splendid range of eateries serving cuisines from around the world, typically crafted with locally-sourced produce, reflecting the area’s fertile landscape.
Here is just a sample of what Surrey has to offer the foodie with a taste for the finer menu, backed up with reviews, rewards, and recommendations. Reserve a table for the most delicious food and drink, the plushest and most interesting surroundings, not to mention impeccable service. Bon Appetit!
The Latymer, Bagshot
This Michelin-starred restaurant is housed within the five-star luxury hotel, The Pennyhill Park. An atmospheric setting, the restaurant is led by multi-award-winning Steve Smith, widely hailed as one of the most talented chefs of his generation. The fine dining experience at The Latymer is characterised by big, bold flavours, achieved using locally-sourced ingredients inspired by the seasons. Very much modern cuisine, a sample menu would undoubtedly feature Brixham sea bass and Herdwick lamb. The all-important Michelin view is that there is nothing ‘superfluous on the plate’. The menu offers classic combinations that have been refined and reworked in a creative, contemporary style, raising the bar for foodie excellence in Surrey.
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Dastaan, Ewell
Delivering superb Indian cuisine with a contemporary twist in a rustic but cosy setting, this Surrey restaurant received the impressive endorsement of ‘good quality, good value cooking’, by the Michelin Guide. With an emphasis on Northern India, the background of this restaurant is deceptively simple. It possesses all the hallmarks of a prestigious London restaurant but without the hefty price tag.
Dastaan means ‘story’ and this highly respected house of fine Asian dining is the story of two friends – chefs Sanjay and Nand. This restaurant may be a simple neighbourhood establishment, but the food is way above that with superb spicing, complex layers of flavour, and generous portions. The sauces are particularly memorable, and the side dishes add to the experience with inventive dishes as well as familiar Indian favourites with a twist. This is not your standard curry house.
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Sorrel, Dorking
With a Michelin star and four AA Rosettes to its name, Sorrel offers a unique approach to modern dining, with a menu celebrating British cuisine. With some innovation, Roux Scholarship-winning chef Steve Drake has crafted an enticing menu that continuously evolves with the seasons. For a new and exciting experience, Sorrel offers a six-course lunch and a nine-course dinner where each course is a choice of two carefully selected dishes taking in the incredible tastes of produce from Surrey, Hampshire, and Sussex. With just 40 covers though, Sorrel – named after the chef’s favourite herb – is small and select, so you’d always be advised to book early to avoid a big disappointment. This restaurant regularly tops the list of restaurants to visit when travelling to Surrey, so enough said.
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The Tudor Pass, Egham
Undoubtedly one of the most intimate, exclusive restaurants on the list with just seven tables in its refurbished dining room, The Tudor Pass on the Great Fosters estate is headed by supremely talented local chef, Alex Payne. Set in stunning gardens and parkland, the restaurant (formerly known as the Tudor Room), holds a Michelin star among other notable awards. Everything about the setting exudes elegance and exclusivity, while the food itself is delightfully exciting and creative, with the option to choose either a four-course or a seven-course dinner served by the kitchen staff themselves. This interactive element fits in perfectly with the intimate feel of the restaurant, and according to the Head Chef, the food is designed around classic dishes but with a view to refine and modernise them for a more exciting experience.
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Maison, Wrecclesham
Maison is not only a superb restaurant, but a brilliant culinary project too. Chef Ben Piette and his wife, Lornette, opened up their beautiful 15th century house to serve their customers in a converted downstairs dining area. As they’ve continued to live in the upstairs area, they still view the place as home. It’s less of a surprise that the dishes have a French feel to them, but as the Michelin Guide says, ‘the constantly changing surprise tasting menu features plenty of local ingredients in assured dishes’. And, if you book the prime spot, ‘Ben’s Table’, in front of the open kitchen, you get to bring in your own ingredients which the truly ‘resident’ chef will use to create an extra course. His wife treats guests as if they were old friends, adding to the ‘dinner party’ feel of Maison. This is as personable as a restaurant gets, uand while unique is a word that’s sometimes overused, in the case of Maison, it’s a word that’s entirely fitting.
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Final Thoughts
These five restaurants are just a small sample of the choice of fine restaurants on offer in beautiful Surrey.. Their menus display the range of cuisines and styles that are currently on offer throughout the county, each paying homage to the rich agricultural bounty of the area. They demonstrate that the experience of fine dining is not just about the food and the chef who prepares it – the location and ambience are paramount to making the experience something more than just eating out. And, Surrey certainly delivers on that front with some of the most beautiful settings to be found in England, not just across the county.
