When you’re famished after a mountain bike ride in the Surrey Hills, all you may want to do is eat for food that is simple, pure, nourishing and lots of it. The Wotton Hatch pub with its 300 year history was only a stone throw away seemed to fit the bill. Recommended by a fellow rider as a really nice rural pub with good food, real ale on tap, craft beers and cosy setting – we’re all bought in.
Mountain biking is a way to get the blood flowing, explore the countryside and eat guilt free! I can’t recommend it enough.
There’s no denying that the multi-roomed pub is a lovely place to be with it’s stone slabbed floor, farmhouse style furniture and large panelled windows letting sunlight in. Of course there’s a pruned garden and terrace outside made for long-lingering.
Siren Craft Brew – I loved this brew, with its fruity palate reminiscent of grapefruit to me.
I went for the Wagyu burger with smoked cheddar, crispy onions, relish, sweet potato fries and aioli (£15.95) with half a lobster tail (£5.95).
Visually is was an ok burger with a well-seasoned brown textured crust. But that’s where the goodness stops as patty is engulfed by a generic bun, it’s like wearing a shoe 5 times your actually size – it just won’t work. Whereas the beef, albeit a nice mahogany colour was dry and cooked to a level beyond well done in spite of asking for a medium one with none of the falling-apart juiciness hall-marked by a good burger. It was fair to say that it was a dry beef sandwich.
The half lobster tail which has probably spent too much time in the freezer as well as the deep fat fryer wasn’t here to make a lasting impact but cheer-lead the crispy onions and sweet potato fries which were much more appealing to eat.
The verdict:
When did I go? June 2016
The damage: Expect to pay £25-£35 per head with drinks.
The good: The venue is everything you need from a country pub, for all its cosiness, open log fire and craft ales it makes for a good escape from the city. It has potential, I’d be up for giving it another shot.
The bad: Please don’t order the wagyu burger, you can get better elsewhere for £20+.
Rating: 2/5
Address: Guildford Road, Wotton, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6QQ
Closest train station: Dorking
01306 887694
http://www.wottonhatch.co.uk
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