Watching the rugby? Feeling patriotic? Catherine Whyte advises you to scrum down on the best of British at the Emlyn Restaurant in Dorking
I’ll be the first to admit that I was caught off guard by the tide of excitement that swept in on the back of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
This month, I am expecting a similar swell as the nation hosts the Rugby World Cup. So when not in the pub or glued to the big screen with a pint or four, why not pledge your allegiance with some high-scoring British cuisine?
You may wish to charge down to the Emlyn Restaurant near Box Hill in Dorking. It may not be kicking distance from Fortress Twickenham but it’s about as British as it comes. Well, the cuisine is British; the setting is English countryside at its bucolic best. Jane Austen imagined Emma and Mr Knightley picnicking on its slopes and John Keats penned Endymion in its shadow.
Chef Nick Sinclair is kitchen captain at the Emlyn, which occupies a sizeable chunk of the ground floor at the Mercure Box Hill Burford Bridge Hotel. You’ll find classic elements to his ‘contemporary British’ fare, but there’s a sense of adventure, too. Ingredients are paramount and dishes pared down.
There was lots of variety and colour throughout the meal, starting with home-baked rolls with a choice of wasabi, sea salt or red pepper butters. Chosen from the a la carte menu, the starter – risotto with truffle, confit egg yolk and Pecorino – was jolly tasty (£10).
The main of hay-smoked sirloin, Jacobs ladder, with seared onions, flavoured with horseradish and ale hit the spot (£26). Savoury and sweet panna cotta amuse bouches peppered the courses. If the a la carte is a step too far, there’s also a good Market Menu with two (£19.95) or three courses (£23.95).
Too often hotel restaurants seem sterile and devoid of atmosphere but the Emlyn just about holds its own thanks to its smart sitting-room chic. The secluded but sunny terrace is a huge bonus and very pleasant.
For those still pining for sporting action, there is a heated outdoor pool for hotel guests, complete with nostalgic lido-esque changing cubicles. Or simply take a pew by the window and watch the MAMILS whizz by.
Emlyn Restaurant is at the Foot of Box Hill, in Dorking
