Watermill Inn

This was very nice to stop by and have a nice lunch with the very quick to order and it was good to have a warm welcome to be seated. The view at the outside back seating area was good for the box hill view and just relaxed atmosphere, I would come here again to enjoy the great British summer outdoors.

In our quest to find THE replacement for our now discontinued salsa class at Bourne Hall on Friday evenings, my salsa friend Hilary suggested a Wednesday evening class in Dorking this week.
Knowing I’m a keen Unilocaler, she mentioned the bonus of opening up a whole new range of restaurants to try out down Dorking way.
We opened our Dorking account with a meal at Watermill Inn, a pub overlooking the picturesque rolling Surrey hills.
Dionne, our waitress, told us that the restaurant had just launched a new menu 2 days previously. The food consist of a lot of pub classics on the main menu supplemented by specials on blackboards up around the pub. There are interesting options like boar on the menu and for those who are indecisive, most sections offered a sampler platter of several of the dishes in that section.
We shared a pork and honey terrine to start, which was served with some nice bread that tasted house-​made. Satisfying pork flavour which was really enhanced with the onion based chutney
Hilary got the burger platter — one each of boar, spicy cajun and beef. All 3 burgers were distinctive in flavour and the chips were good too.
My roast pork came on a mound of mash and braised red cabbage. The meat was lovely and moist and there was a good square of the crunchiest crackling!
Only the thought of having to dance imminently stopped us having any dessert.
A good start to potential salsa in Dorking!

We rediscovered the Watermil when the Arkle Manor, just up the road, was being refurbished. At the time we were impressed with the menu choices, prices and service.
Then after a year or so, it seems to have changed hands, menu choices became very limited, prices rocketed and staff became miserable. The food itself was good, but the rest of it meant we stopped going, plus the fact that our car door was ‘dinked’, but to be fair that could happen in any car park.

We visted the Watermill last night and it was brilliant. The pub was packed and we only just managed to get a parking space which in the middle of January tells you just how popular this pub has become again following its upgrade & re-​launch in November 2010. The food was very good, excellent service with friendly staff who couldn’t do enough for us. Very very impressed with how they have turned this pub around. We will be returning again very soon. My congratulations go to the chef, manager and all his staff.

On our way to London-​Gatwick airport we took a rest at this site beside the road. The restaurant interior has dark furniture and poor light. Behind the building there is an outdoor garden with nice looks to Boxhill mtn. — we ordered ordinary pub food and tap beer which was ok but nothing more. Service was average but not too well prepared for not native speakers like us. One mile ahead eastwards there is another option at the right.

quite a poor range of food service quite good but bit pricey for quality of food wouldn’t really recomend it

The place is dirty and if you are lucky enough to sit out the back and enjoy the beautiful views of Boxhill, you will also enjoy the awful smell of old fat coming from the kitchen.
The menu is all preprepared and out of a packet.
Décor is very old fashioned with that fake dark wood that was used about 20 years ago. It’s very dimmly lit and the tables have that horrible sticky feel.

Good pub food here. Unfortunately they dont take bookings but I’ve been a few times and this wasnt a problem as long as you dont mind waiting at the bar for a few minutes. They have a large outside area with great views of Box Hill. Perfect for children in the garden.

Large Chef and Brewer pub on Reigate Road — about ¾ mile from the town centre. Friendly and efficient service and good choice of drinks including Staropramen and two guest beers — currently Wells Bombardier and Bushys Castletown bitter. I made the mistake in choosing the latter of the two — one of the worst beers I have tasted since Worthington E. Described as ‘a light, golden beer full of floral and citrus hints’ — I thought it sounded quite appealing. However it had an awful acidy kick which made me wonder whether it hadn’t been well kept. But as I haven’t had any problems with any of their other bitters on I’ll give the Watermill the benefit of the doubt and blame the beer.
Although I usually go just to drink and socialise, many tables are taken by people eating food and it can get pretty busy sometimes, especially in the summer. This is one of the better pub chains and on the odd occasion when I have eaten the food has always been enjoyable and well presented.