please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nice pub for a meal, but book a table if there is any chance it will be busy. A bit too restaurant-y to be a really good pub, but still enjoy going there.
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New friendly management - Debbie and Mick.
And a new head chef.
Most pleasant spot for a beer or meal.
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Well kept beer from a pedestrian selection (Pride, Youngs, Doom Bar). Somewhat tepid welcome which was surprising bearing in mind other reviews. Good amount of pleasant outdoor space. Probably a nice place to come as a group in warm, sunny weather.
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The website goes on about how they use local produce and that this extends to supporting local breweries. My arse. The only beers on sale were Pride, Doombar, Youngs and Adnams.
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I've been going here on and off for years. It was taken over by new landlords last November. It was a good pub before; it's even better now and stays open more often and longer. Beer is just as well kept: it had T.E.A. on when I visited, (which is almost a local brew and was excellent), as well as London Pride and a couple of other stalwarts. Plenty of seating in spacious and attractive areas outside. There is a new menu with some excellent offerings and the cooking is restaurant-standard with fresh ingredients. Service was immaculate. Definitely worth travelling to for a good meal in a friendly pub-environment and with good beer albeit from an unimaginative selection.
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Paid my first visit to this pub on a sunny Sunday lunchtime. Quiet rural surroundings in leafy Surrey, a large garden to the front and side as well as a spacious and pleasantly decorated interior make this a pub that certainly looks the part. Beer choice on my visit was a wee bit of a let down with only Old Speckled Hen, Fullers London Pride and Youngs Bitter, what with the wealth of marvelous local ales available in Kent, Surrey & Sussex. That said, the Youngs Bitter was well kept. The range of ales aside, the food menu was interesting and varied with something for everyone and I plumped for their 'house' burger (that they get fresh from the butchers... I saw the delivery!), and very tasty it was too. Service was relaxed and friendly and there was a definite air of wanting to please.
So all in all it's a good pub to visit, and while I'll keep exploring for those wonderful local ales, this is a pub I'd happily return to if I'm in the area again.
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In the Stars again the other night for the usual - delicious food, charming surroundings and excellent service...never been disappointed!
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Love this place. Landlord and Landlady are totally professional. Locals are just wonderful to talk with - even though you may be a stranger - they are happy to join you in conversation. Speckled Hen is pretty good and the food is terrific. Best of all, dogs are welcome . . .
Spend your money here . . . you will not be disappointed.
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Large car park in front. Pub divided into two distinctly different areas. When you enter the pub from the car park through the door situated fairly centrally in the front of the building you are then faced with a choice of doors to your left and right. The left door leads into the general bar which has plenty of seating in a relaxed atmosphere with a large open fire going at one end of the room. We tried the Old Speckled Hen which was in good condition. The door on the right leads into a large, quite formal, dining area with many tables laid ready for dining for two or four people.
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The Seven Stars continues, as always, to be a great pub. The landlords are absolute professionals. It's an incredibly clean pub. Great food. Superb Sunday roasts. Really nice locals.
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Good friendly country pub. Shame they let dogs in. I know some are well-behaved, and I don't object to dogs when I'm just drinking, but I really don't need some uncontrolled slobbering hound from across the room begging for food off my plate, but I wasn't there on 13th Sept, so I'm not accusing 180pie! I'm sure their dog is lovely, well-behaved and under control :-)
I agree with alan that the Heckled Spen was excellent. The landlord pulled a pint for a regular when he was still parking his car and was ready with a wine glass to hand waiting to check which wine she wanted :-)
My father and his mates go out once a month, and this is one they keep coming back to. Others of this ilk nearby are the Surrey Oaks (outside Newdigate) and both the Dolphin and the Red Lion in Betchworth.
The Stars has been a good pub for as long as I can remember, sunny afternoons in summer or cold winter evenings.
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Went for the fist time on Sunday. Great that you can take a dog in to the bar and still eat. The couple running the pub and the staff were all really friendly. No trouble for them to take drink orders from the table (getting harder and harder lately). The Youngs Ordinary was kept well. The food was really good - i'd say best from all the pubs in the brockham / betchworth / leigh area and good portions. Service was quick too.
Cracking pub all round.
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Excellent pint of speckled hen. Also had Pride & something else on. Main meals are a little bit pricey but there's a "lite bites" menu that's fine for lunchtimes. Quite a large restaurant type room and a smaller bar area. Nice big garden as well.
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Hadn't been here for about 30 years. Not much has changed, which in my opinion is a good thing. A proper country pub, with good service, good ale, and good food. The London Pride was well kept and the food very tasty with big portions. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Nice gardens around the side and back, lovely place to spend some time.
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This is a great little jewel. Unfortunately, I don't get here often enough. From the landlord and landlady to the people (regulars I guess) who stand near the bar, everyone is friendly. Such a good atmosphere.
They serve a good pint of beer and the food.... well it's terrific, whether you come here midweek to treat yourself or for Sunday lunch.
It's a pleasure to spend an hour or two in this pub.
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I have been to the Seven Stars many times before but this is the first time I have got round to posting a review. I popped into the pub on a friday evening with my sister (she lives locally) and both the restaurant and bar were packed but we managed to find a table in the corner in the bar. The service, food and ambience were all very good and cannot wait to return!
willn - 13 Oct 2010 09:48 |
whatawasteoftime maybe not all kids misbehave or are monsters, sadly far too many of their parents are that way inclined.
I have lost count of the times a visit to the pub has been ruined by the obnoxious behavior of the illeducated offspring of the local chav breeding program.
I whole heartedly support pubs that do not welcome kids. Take the irritating brats to the local Wacky Warehouse and leave the decent pubs to be enjoyed by the rest of us.
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Visited last night with seven friends (average age just over 50). Couldn't fault a thing; the ales were excellent, the menu sufficiently diverse for most tastes (but not so as to imply vast freezers and banks of microwaves), and the food way better than average. Best of all though was the superb attention from the landlord and landlady who are consumate professionals. If you are looking for the best in a traditional pub, that serves great food and beer and is devoid of all that is tacky then I can't recommend this place highly enough.
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Called in Friday evening 4th June, 2010. Waited nearly an hour for food. Could not quite understand why when pub was only half full. Very disappointed and over priced. Roast potatoes with roast beef were tasteless, reminded us of frozen roasties, dreadful in fact which is a shame when you think that the season offers lovely new potatoes. The veg (cabbage and peas) also seemed to be out of a packet. What is all the rave about this pub? Will not return or recommend. Feel that children are not welcome at all, except if kept in the garden in the dark! Not all children misbehave or are monsters.
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Spot on pooying.
I get totally hacked off with these self obsessed parents and the horrifically badly behaved off-spring.
These sorts of parents should be restricted to the Wacky Warehouse type of establishments and leave quality pubs like this to be enjoyed and not endured. Rant over.
Excellent pub pub serving good beer and great food. Keep upthe good work and the brats out.
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pooying, how refreshing, you have saved me a blood rushing rant about other peoples children! This is indeed a great place to have a quiet meal, do the crosswordd and generally enjoy a well kept, well run, CLEAN pub. Top marks David and Rebecca, we will always come back.
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To "milkorplain" re children: A very large percentage of parents these days have no clue how to raise well-behaved kids. Those parents seem to think that simpy because they managed to breed .... they and their little darlings are something special ... and the little darlings can run around, shrieking, whinging, whining and complaining. We see it all the time at pubs out here in the villages.
The fact that you can't see the other side of the coin shows how out of touch you are. People are tired of the frequency with which thoughtless parents with bratty kids ruin other's pub experiences.
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This is a lovely pub. The landlords and clientele are genuine and friendly. You always feel welcome there. The beer is well kept. The Sunday roasts are fantastic. No puny, thin slices of meat here! It also must be one of the cleanest pubs in the land.
Added bonus .... Shakespeare may well have had a drink at the Stars.
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Went here yesterday, they had Youngs Bitter, Old Speckled Hen and one other on tap. Had the Youngs and it was in decent condition also had some food in the restauranty bit and this was very good, although the area was a little chilly. Probably good if theres a crowd of you, would recommend.
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The restaurant will not admit children under the age of fourteen. I discovered this when I rang to book a table for Sunday lunch for four adults and their four extremely civilised children aged 9-13. It seems thoroughly unpleasant to me, excluding families. What is it with this dislike of young people? Do we want to pretend they don't exist, or is it the idea to make them feel like pariahs and drive them into developing bad behaviour in order to fulfill these expectations? Were we not all under 14 once?
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The restaurant will not admit children under the age of fourteen. I discovered this when I rang to book a table for Sunday lunch for four adults and their four extremely civilised children aged 9-13. It seems thoroughly unpleasant to me, excluding families. What is it with this dislike of young people? Do we want to pretend they don't exist, or is it the idea to make them feel like pariahs and drive them into developing bad behaviour in order to fulfill these expectations? Were we not all under 14 once?
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A few weeks ago now my husband, two friends and I had Sunday lunch in the Stars. We all went for beef. Unbelievble...... not the usual sniffy little portion of super thin slices that you get from many "chain" type pubs, instead beautiful thick slices of sirloin. Yorkshire puds, gravy and vegetables with a little bit of bite - just how I like it. Top notch!
We come here often living close as we do, but usually just for a drink as the pub has such a good atmosphere. From the landlord and landlady to the locals/regulars, pretty much everyone comes acoss as frindly and genuine.
If only Youngs would take a look at this pub and use it as a model for how it should be done and then perhaps the Dolphin would be somewhere decent to drink. But then again maybe not.... maybe it is best that the riff raff have somewhere to hang out so that the Stars can remain a little jewel in the area.
Keep it up guys.
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Visited at lunchtime today. A very nice, clean and welcoming "proper" pub. No loud music, big screens or fruit machines just a perfect country inn. The dog was allowed and promptly recieved a fresh bowl of water! The beer was well kept and the food home cooked and excellent. Will be back soon!
hydec - 23 Jul 2009 17:22 |
A warm welcome, some very well kept ales[the London Pride is always very good] and the pub itself is always clean and the facilities always hygienic.
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I think the couple who wrote the previous review must have been exceedingly unlucky as I have been to this pub on numerous occasions over the past few years and have never experienced anything except great service, quality and ambience. There is an excellent selection of fine wine and ales which can be enjoyed in the charming bar or along with the fantastic food they have on offer.
Good value for money, courteous staff, traditional and welcoming atmosphere.
svb_4 - 20 Apr 2009 15:13 |
My partner and I went here on Saturday night on the recommendation of the Good Pub guide 2009. The staff when we were arrived were welcoming and attentive. We sat in the bar as the restaurant was fully booked. Nice interior but the food IMHO was overpriced, around �6/7 for a simple starter- prawn cocktail, and �15 for liver and onions. I ordered pate, they didn't have the one on the menu so they offered an alternative of chicken&pork pate. When it came it was the first slice off the block, so it had a type of crust or jellified 'edge' to it, which wasn't to my taste, but worse was to come! Although it had a wonderful flavour whoever had made it wasn't fussy about the chicken that went in it, so we had to pick lumps of cartiledge (feet?!) out. Double yuk. After a few mouthfuls we gave up as it was rather revolting. When our plates were cleared I mentioned this to the manager (?) to be met with a smile and the assurance he would tell 'them'. I would have thought an apology and a deduction off the bill would be more to the point. Anyway, next was the liver- artistically arranged, wonderful gravy, great onions, ok mash- but the liver (we'd asked for medium) was too soft and sqidgy but worse, had grim patches of chewy 'ugh' which you had to either swallow in a hideous lump (me) or spit (my partner). It actually ended up putting us both off and we were left feeling nauseated. Urghhhhh!!!!!
I don't know whether we were really unlucky or what, but we won't be returning. You never know, you might be luckier!!
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lovely destination/village pub, went for dinner last week on someones reccomdation and we wernt disapointed, specked hen in good nick and lovely food, had to leave a bit of the main course to leave room for the jam rolypoly. excellent all round!
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we visited this pub this evening accompanied by my dog and were most pleased to be able to take the dog in and eat, the beer was good, food great and staff both attentive and non-intrusive...we will definately be returning soon as we hadnt left room for pudding this time round!
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I am so happy to have looked at this website. I worked at this pub for a little while after university. The land lord and lady are two of the nicest people you will ever meet, who are not only accomodating to customers, but also to the staff. I very much enjoyed working here, and I am glad people enjoy it so much!
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Popped in one sunny, weekday lunchtime for a couple of beers. A beautiful building, in beautiful surroundings. Staff were attentive and polite. The selection of ale & wine was good and both tasted great. This is the sort of pub that really comes into it's own in winter, with it's low, beamed ceilings and fireplaces. I will return to try the food.
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Nice pint of Speckled hen and some of the best "pub" type food I've tasted.
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Fantastic! This is a classic traditional Surrey pub with great atmosphere, delicious food and a wide selection of drinks. Good selection of beers and they even stock local wine from Denbies. The staff are always welcoming, friendly and accommodating. No juke boxes, background music or games machines - this is a proper pub! We will go back many more times!
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Half a dozen friends and I rolled up at this pub at 10am on Saturday 16 February with the intention of going for a 5 mile stroll before returning for lunch. There was movement inside the pub so we knocked for attention and asked to reserve a table at 1pm and permission to park 3 cars in the car park. Both requests were courteously agreed. We then went for our stroll.
On our return we were met with a roaring log fire, a nicely prepared table and a refreshing selection of beer, cider and soft drinks. The food was varied and excellent and we all succumbed to the temptations of the dessert menu. And we were grateful we did so: my bread and butter pudding was scrumptious. The landlord and landlady were helpful and welcoming, and their staff cheerful and well trained. Definitely a pub to return to another time.
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This is a gorgeous pub. In a lovely part of Surrey, in the heart of the Surrey Hills, the pub itself would be a great watering hole in its own right - wonderful ancient wooden beams crossing the low ceiling creating a cosy atmosphere, loads of room in the bar areas and a wonderful beer garden to the side and the back. It is the perfect place to spend a lazy summer afternoon/evening. However, what really takes it up a grade is the food - imaginitive, classy, well-cooked, well presented food it takes the best elements of restaurant food and puts in a lovely pub setting. The prices are those one would expect from a good restaurant - �5 for a starter and �12-15 for a main - but my wild boar terrine with toast and chutney was fantastic (toasted thick chunks of farmhouse bread) as was the lamb shank I had. The staff are nice and the management completely wecloming. This is a pub worthy of a detour. We have to drive for 30mins to get here and we'll come again and again.
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Very nice pub. Helpful staff and very tasty food. I have stopped here many times and found that it's a most welcoming venue. A real country pub. Keep up the good work.
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FOOD 3/3: Excellent Sunday roast (nothing else served on Sundays). Brought within 15 minutes of ordering.
LOCATION 1/1: Countryside with nice garden. Inside is separated into a bar and restaurant area. Children under 14 not allowed inside.
SERVICE 2/3: Everyone is very helpful, but garden tables could be cleared faster.
DRINK 1/3: Good selection of beer and soft drinks. Only English wines loses it two points.
Kokan - 29 Apr 2007 15:48 |
Cold wet Friday evening, inside warm and welcoming, snug table tucked away in the corner of a not overly crowded room, warming glass of the house red followed by steaks for us both, food was most noticeable for its quality rather then quantity, plates themselves noted for there warmth.
Most convivial atmosphere where I believe we were served by the mother and daughter of the family run pub / restuarant.
Both self and lady friend will definately revisit.
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We had a lovely night here on the day that England was knocked out the World Cup. We were made to feel so welcome by the bar staff and the regulars. The beer and cider was served perfectly and a good price at that. Food menu seemed to be ok but a bit pricey. Nice country old pub which we will visit again
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If you enjoy a locals pub don`t bother, they only want food sales
anonymous - 9 Jul 2006 21:28 |
Most of it is gastropubby for my tastes but there is a proper smokers' bar on the left hand side. Unimaginative beer range and don't bother if you want a basic sandwich. However in an area with a lot of decent pubs this one is very attractive and not to be left out if you are having a tour round.
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Situated in the lovely Surrey countryside this is an attractive two bar tile-hung inn dating from the early 17th century. A fire, rumoured to have been started by a chef, all but destroyed the building. It has since been tastefully and sympathetically restored. Open all day Friday to Sunday and during the summer. Plenty of seating outside.
Good food and well kept beer. Worth the visit, especially in fine weather.
David Peers - 29 May 2005 08:14 |
