The Best Restaurants in Dorking, Surrey, United Kingdom (2025)

An outstanding evening meal for a family birthday. This is the second time I have eaten here and it really is superb. Beautifully decorated, with luxury touches. The menu is detailed so needs to be studied. The food is cooked and presented to perfection. Even the salad leaf, tossed in oil tastes amazing! We were a party of 5 and ate starters, mains, just 1 dessert and coffees. Everything we had was exceptional. The owner greets you like family and really makes the experience a special one. We visited on a Tuesday evening and the restaurant was busy.. this isn’t surprising considering the quality of food, service and ambience. One of the nicest local restaurants I have been to. Highly recommended.

Thank you for that wonderful meal and service! Absolutely recommended! Brilliant, tasty food, funny and polite waiter! 5 stars place!😍

Best restaurant in Dorking! Another great evening and amazing food at Rooster Kitchen. Always friendly and good service. Food portions very large and tasty. Thank you for the great service and food. Shame we will be away from Dorking soon but will definitely be back again when we are in the area.

I don’t normally ever leave reviews but I drove over an hour to meet a friend for dinner and it was well worth the drive! The staff were lovely and attentive and it had a few parties even on a Tuesday night. All of the food was delicious and really generous portions. It was easily located with free local car park close by. We will definitely be back!

Super yummy Sri Lanka food a real depth of flavour and incredible service, extremely attentive staff. It appears it might be fun later into the evening too, cocktails and darts became popular and the music ramped up as the evening went on…

Great bar - the drinks were a reasonable price. Best part was the food. I ordered the chicken pasta and you could taste how fresh the ingredients were. My friend's pizza also looked good with a crispy thin base. We ordered the calamari which was also good. All in all a great night out.

So happy to have found this gem. Welcoming, beautiful venue, with easy parking and space to enjoy a peaceful meal with a friend or have fun in the bar area. Wonderful food, and not too spicy, just delicious. The staff were extremely helpful and kind, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the prices. Impressive menu options and a good vegan selection too. They've obviously put a lot of thought and care into all the details.

Four of us visited for dinner on Friday evening. Delicious food, beautifully presented and all with the loveliest smiles. Sadly, there was hardly anyone else there, so we are really hoping they are able to survive. Having never had Sri Lankan food before, it's definitely now our new favourite cuisine.

The menu features a wide variety of delicious Indian dishes, from curries to flavourful tandoori specials. What sets this restaurant apart is the exceptionally friendly staff, who provide attentive and personalised service, making your visit enjoyable. Whether you’re a fan of Indian cuisine or trying it for the first time, Tikka Nation ensures a memorable meal with its great food and welcoming hospitality.

If you’re looking for authentic Indian food, I highly recommend Tikka Nation Restaurant in Dorking. The food is delicious, with a wide variety of options available. The staff is friendly, and the prices are reasonable. It’s a great place to visit with family or friends to experience the flavors of India.

A Family-Friendly Spot with Flavorful Fare Tikka Nation offers a great option for a quick, family-friendly meal. The diverse menu, including unique street food options, caters to a wide range of tastes. The staff was friendly and helpful in explaining the menu. We enjoyed a delicious meal, with highlights being the butter chicken curry, chicken tikka loaded fries, and chaat platter. The chaat platter was particularly impressive, featuring a combination of flavorful dishes like samosas, chickpeas, and puri-based treats. Our daughter's chicken tikka nan wrap also looked appetizing. While the parathas decent, the naan breads were a bit disappointing, being flatter than expected, the overall meal was tasty and reasonably priced. I would rate this restaurant 4 stars.

Great little cosy pub with great selection of beers and friendly staff

Lovely pub with some great features! Food great and huge portions. Because of where we were seated (tucked away just outside Narnia) I think the service could have been better. But not really a problem. Would recommend.

Been to this lovely pub many many times and plan on going there many more! Good prices and as lovely as it is inside the outside area with the little booths takes the cake for me! Tried one of their hot dogs on my most recent visit and it was huge as you can see from the pictures and absolutely delicious! Messy to eat but it was honestly so good I didn't mind one bit!

A few weeks late in writing, but as promised here’s our review.. After a long walk around the Dorking countryside we ended up here .. amazing food, we all had the roast chicken and all throughly enjoyed it, large portions and crispy potatoes. I would recommend a visit maybe book before .. we were lucky and they had a free table but it was very busy.. the pub had a good vibe and really friendly staff.

I wasn’t expecting much from this cafe/restaurant, but they definitely delivered. Good value for money, quick service, proper portions! I am impressed, this is very hard to come by these days, Dorking has a star here, will definitely comeback :) thank you! I had the Hawaiian Burger! Comes with Side salad and portion of chips and some onion rings, very good portions :)

Stunning roast chicken dinner the chicken melted in your mouth the veg was fresh gravy was delicious potato perfect honestly this is the best roast dinner I've ever had from any cafe also £9.95 a bargain They also do nice omelettes :)

Despite arriving 40 minutes before closing, the staff warmly accommodated us. The friendly and welcoming service added to the charm of the place. The food was delightful, and I was particularly impressed by the fair pricing. A truly pleasant dining spot with a welcoming ambiance, delicious food, and reasonable prices.

Little trip to Dorking from London. No idea what to expect frankly having little experience outside London. Cozy pub with a great progressive menu, starring vegan, dairy free options, and wines by the glass via coravin. Would recommend the beetroot hummus for sure. Though they need to include double the amount of pita with it. We had to order another serving of pita. The short rib was huge and may be shareable if not starving.

The Queen’s Head did an excellent job of accommodating our choir’s party of 25 people (under a time deadline as we were due to be performing in the nearby St Paul’s Church). The service was friendly and the food good - most of us had the fish and chips which was super-tasty. Most impressive of all was the way they successfully dealt with the bill, with each person paying separately!

Great roast. Tender beef, rich gravy, perfect pudding. We also got crumble for dessert and it was one of the best I’ve had. I ate it before I could take a picture, but it had a perfect balance of fruit and custard. It wasn’t too sweet, which is perfect for me.

This was our first time visiting the Queens Head, me and my mum are moving to the area soon so we thought we'd check out the local pubs. We were so glad to come across this one, not only was it accommodating for our dog, the tipi where we were situated was perfect! Cozy, warm, festive and friendly. A special mention has to go to our waiter Zeke, who was brilliant! Super attentive, ever so helpful, and friendly, when you come across someone like this it makes all the difference! And definitely makes us want to visit again which we will be doing once we move. Thanks Zeke for being so great at your job, we hope there's a Xmas bonus coming your way! And what a great pub, I forgot to mention the food was amazing! I will be recommending this place to everyone.

What a fabulous hotel, bar and restaurant! The rooms are beautifully decorated, a great size and extremely comfortable. The bar is atmospheric, warm and cosy with fabulous drinks and charming service. The breakfast was plentiful and honestly quite perfect!! Already planning my next visit! Thank you- it was just what we needed!

Went for lunch and absolutely loved it. From first greeting the staff were great, the room was warm and comfortable with a nice atmosphere. The food was delicious, freshly cooked and quality ingredients, way above normal pub food standards. I would highly recommend the Guinea fowl starter and the pheasant main. All cooked to perfection. Sadly we were too full to have dessert but the ones I saw looked amazing so next time I won’t have a starter!

I recently had the pleasure of staying at The White Horse in Dorking, and I can’t recommend it enough! From the moment we arrived, the staff were incredibly welcoming and attentive. We were lucky enough to receive an upgrade to a beautiful room, which was both stylish and comfortable—perfect for a relaxing stay. The highlight of our visit was joining in the Christmas quiz, which was a fun and festive way to spend the evening. It added such a lively, community feel to the atmosphere. We also enjoyed a couple of delicious cocktails from the bar before sitting down to a fantastic dinner. The food was exceptional—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Overall, our experience at The White Horse was wonderful, and I’ll definitely be returning. Whether you're there for a cozy stay, great food, or a bit of holiday fun, it's the perfect spot in Dorking!

We have had a number of meals here since it opened and the quality of food and service has improved each time. It is dog friendly too. They have good offers to entice us to come back and whether a Sunday Roast, mid week lunch or evening meal it has always been an enjoyable visit. Staff are friendly and efficient. We live locally so have not stayed here.

My wife and I have been to the Rialto Lounge restaurant several times in the last two years and were always happy with the food and service, but on our last visit I ordered veal. I thought it looked like chicken as the colour of it when I cut it was white. I queried it with the staff and they said it was veal. Now I am a regular eater of veal at home and this was nothing like it. So I ask the person that cooked the food to explain what was going on and admit that a mistake had been made, or they will lose two happy customers.

We were passing from the area and it was recommended by another store employee. The place inside is simply but nicely decorated with the murano glass chandeliers and the wall painting indicating where its name come from. The Italian style burger was simple and nice, as were the pastas. The gelato was also nice and in decent quantities. Paid 120 gbp (including tip) for a company of 4 but didn't get antipasti.

We got the seafood spaghetti and the veal. I loved the generosity of the seafood, I kept finding more Mussels. I veal was a bit disappointing, but overall happy our meal. The gelato is a must! So many gorgeous flavours to choose from.

Had a really solidly good meal here. Between us, we had tasty pasta, pizza and a veggie burger, followed by gelato and cannoli. Really good virgin mojito. I didn't get a photo, but the interior is painted like Venice - nice touch. There's a little bit of outdoor seating for the good weather too. Totalled about £90 for two adults and two kids.

What a wonderful dinner at The Watermill, It's well worth a visit, I would fully recommend it. The food was delicious. I had Venison Pie with mash and gravy, which was sublime. I was also particularly pleased because it was a full pie rather than just with a pastry top. The pie itself was delicious, and the mash, cabbage and gravy were also excellent. The portion was a good size too, and reasonably priced. I had an Elderflower Spritz mocktail to drink which was also excellent. For dessert, I found it incredibly difficult to choose as they all sounded great, but in the end had the Toffee Apple Arctic Roll, which was very nice and not too heavy. The service was excellent also, the staff are very friendly and attentive. I will definitely be back, if only to work my way through the dessert menu, as there were so many delicious sounding dishes to choose from. I would definitely recommend The Watermill.

Beautiful pub by Box Hill! Lovely outdoor garden terrace overlooking the hill. It was a very busy Saturday but the service was still friendly and efficient. The food was amazing - the Dressed Devonshire Crab was very refreshing and the truffle mayo was amazing! The baked Camembert went really well with the apricot jam!

Lovely pub, great food. We popped in for Sunday lunch before a trip to a nearby winery. They are running a really slick operation, service was on point, and food was delivered very quickly. We had one of the Sunday roasts which was very nice although my personal preference is for the veg to be a little more cooked (a minor complaint). After lunch we went out to the lower terrace to enjoy a drink in the sun. Can't fault the place, good food in an excellent location with fast attentive service. Everything was great!

The Watermill has always been my go-to pub in the summer, but this was my first time visiting during winter, and I’m so glad I did! I booked a Christmas brunch with friends, and the entire experience was fantastic. From the start, Daniel made us feel incredibly welcome. He had thoughtfully booked us a lovely table, keeping in mind that we had three toddlers with us. His friendly demeanor instantly put us at ease. Peter, who served us, was equally amazing—so kind, patient, and attentive, even amidst the inevitable chaos of having little ones at the table. He went above and beyond to make sure we were all comfortable and enjoying ourselves. Offered to click our pictures as well. The food quality was great as always, and the staff’s warmth and attentiveness really stood out. To top it off, they had a charming Christmas market in the outdoor area, with lots of cute things to browse and buy. Overall, it was a delightful experience, and I can’t wait to come back again—whether in summer or winter! Highly recommend The Watermill for its great food, friendly staff, and cozy ambiance.

I went to Smith and Western on Boxhill for a birthday lunch, the menu was creative and well-put together. From stakes to spare ribs To chicken and burgers... the presentation of each dish when it arrived at our table was first class. Everything was nicely cooked and really enjoyable. The restaurant staff are very friendly and tentatively made sure we were enjoying our experience. It was a memorable lunch. Thank you to the staff at the Smith and Western

Great place to go out with friends, Christmas lunch or birthday. The service is very helpful and the decor in the western style. Highly recommended, affordable prices

Absolutely the best birthday place! I had such an amazing time and felt super celebrated. Tabby made my day absolutely fantastic. Her and another lovely colleague sang me happy birthday so nicely, and it didn't feel like they did it just because they had to, it was lovely! The atmosphere in there is so cool, really commits to the vibe while not being too cheesey and the food is fantastic! I had one of the best vegi burgers I have ever had! Overall Absolutely amazing! Couldn't recommend more!

We went tonight for my daughter’s 16th birthday, the food, the service and the atmosphere was 5 star. By far the best food we have had there over the past 5 years there. John our waiter was on fire, he gave a fantastic rendition of happy birthday ever with the birthday dessert surprise. He was a little run off his feet but looked after us so well. Highly recommended and thank you to the whole team.