Surrey's Michelin Star restaurants
We all have an idea about what a Michelin starred restaurant should look like: breathtakingly posh, teeny tiny meals on huge plates served up by snooty waiters.
But Surrey now boasts, if not a galaxy, then certainly a sprinkling of Michelin stars – and they definitely deserve a look, serving fresh, seasonal food that’s been locally sourced and expertly prepared, presented to you in a range of gorgeous settings. Here’s our guide to every Michelin star in the county…
1. The Latymer Restaurant at Pennyhill Park
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Pennyhill Park, London Rd, Bagshot GU19 5EU
The Menu: www.exclusive.co.uk
Close your eyes, summon up an image of a Michelin-starred restaurant, and you’ll probably have imagined something a little like The Latymer. Located in the ancient heart of Pennyhill Park - a grand hotel, country club and spa – this stately restaurant comes complete with wood-panelled walls and an oak-beamed ceiling. Mullioned windows command views over rolling gardens and terraces. Luckily, the food on offer is more than a match for the imposing setting.
The menu is masterminded by award-winning chef Matt Worswick, who earned his first Michelin star at Glenapp Castle when he was only 26-years-old. His food is simple, earthy and bold, crammed with locally sourced ingredients and bright, punchy flavours. Try the likes of salt-baked celeriac with rémoulade, lavage and truffle, or munch on chocolate délice with milk crumble and yoghurt sorbet.
2. Sorrel
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77 South St, Dorking RH4 2JU
The Menu: www.sorrelrestaurant.co.uk
Tucked away in a sleepy market town, surrounded by the beautiful Surrey Hills, Steve Drake’s Sorrel has taken everyone by surprise. The intimate venue earned its Michelin star in under a year and has received enthusiastic critical acclaim. Housed in a 300-year old building with exposed beams and uneven floorboards, the décor still manages to be contemporary.
Expect a light, airy space upholstered in cool grey velvet, entered through a greenhouse where Drake grows fresh herbs for the restaurant. Menus are presented to diners inside pale green envelopes, and the food is prepared before your eyes in a state-of-the-art open kitchen.
The discovery menu includes a pudding of carrot tobacco, a blackcurrant waldorf, or an item that’s simply called ‘green, green, green’, but which is revealed to be an airy broccoli mousse spiked with lime and kiwi. No wonder Sorrel has been named AA’s restaurant of the year 2018-19.
3. The Tudor Pass at Great Foster
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Stroude Road, Egham TW20 9UR
The Menu: www.greatfosters.co.uk
The Tudor Room at Great Fosters lives up to its name: set within a 16th Century mansion, it boasts crackling log fires, beamed ceilings and huge antique tapestries hung on silk-lined walls.
In the midst of all this ancient grandeur, the food may come as a surprise: simple, seasonal and contemporary fare served up by head chef Douglas Balish. Dinner could be sea bream with cucumber, caviar and sea herb; or gnocchi with cauliflower, truffle and chestnut.
The ingredients are hand-selected, organic and locally sourced, with vegetables and salad ingredients picked daily from the Kitchen Gardens. The estate’s rare pigs provide meat, and honey is made on site. There’s also a full vegetarian menu, so no one will go hungry.
After dinner, you can walk off your meal in the estate’s 50-acres of gardens and parkland, or explore a house that has played host to film stars, celebrities and royalty.
4. The Clock House
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The Clock House, High St, Ripley, Woking GU23 6AQ
The Menu: www.theclockhouserestaurant.co.uk
The Clock House has a dramatic past. Once known as Drakes of Ripley, the restaurant lost both its name and its Michelin star in 2017 when its husband and wife owners divorced.
Now rebranded as The Clock House (after the clock which hangs above its door), the restaurant has retained its Michelin star and continues to bring international standards of fine dining to the pretty Surrey village of Ripley.
The décor is a little simpler than some of the other restaurants on this list, more chic neutrals than Tudor splendour. There’s no dress code, and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.
In the warmer months, you can even enjoy an al fresco meal in the walled garden, or take your drink onto the leafy terrace.
Head chef Fred Clapperton has created an evolving seasonal menu, using fresh herbs and vegetables that are grown in the restaurant’s well-stocked garden.
Vegetarian and pescatarian menus are also available.
And a little further afield…
I know it's not in Surrey, but those on the hunt for fine dining should take a trip a little further afield to Bray. The tiny Berkshire village which boasts a whopping seven Michelin starred restaurants (including two of the five restaurants in Britain with the full complement of three Michelin stars).
Don't mind travelling then why not try the experimental food at The Fat Duck, legendary French cuisine at The Waterside Inn or authentic Italian fare at Caldesi In Campagna: it’s a culinary destination that’s not to be missed?!
