please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This really is more a reasturant that serves good beer than a pub that does good food as every table is laid out for eating and it is made quite clear that is what they are for. If it's a nice day, you can always sit outside, or if you have the legs for it you can glass hang around the entrance. It is a great shame they have decided not to keep a few tables free but I guess £10/£20 per head spend for drinkers opposed to £40-50 for diners they have done the maths. The beer range is very good - every one I've had has been well kept and the staff are nice enough. Food is high price but high standard - but why do these places all want to serve food on a block of wood instead of a plate! Bloody Jamie Oliver has a lot to answer for.
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Booked a table for two on a wet autumn Sunday as we were planning to visit Clandon Park. Hadn't been to any of the three pubs in East/West Clandon so it was pot luck and The Queen's Head sounded OK.
The pub itself is easy to find, looks 'interesting' from the outside and has ample parking. In fact the huge car park is the first clue as to what to expect - a very busy pub. As we opened the door to the bar, any hopes for a pleasant quiet pub lunch were instantly dispelled by the cacophony that assaulted our ears! This may have been a pub once but it's now a popular family restaurant that happens to sell beer, reminiscent of the Beefeaters and Harvesters one finds. Don't get me wrong, if you like that sort of thing it's fine, it's just not my cup of tea.
We were quickly ushered to our table by a polite and friendly host, to enjoy the racket of kids screaming (and I really do mean screaming!), the noise of handheld games machines and people quite literally shouting to make themselves heard. The interior is pleasant if a little incongruous, mixing fake beams and halogen spotlights alongside real beams and fireplaces. We perused the menu which looked pleasant if a little unadventurous and waited for the waitress to return. After five minutes I decided to go to the bar in the hope of at least slaking my thirst... what I didn't realise was that this apparently isn't the done thing. The lady behind the bar ignored me, instead serving the waitresses coming to place drinks orders. I was eventually tapped on the shoulder and told to return to my table where my drink order would be taken. Sadly the pint of Shere Drop that materialized was not the best I'd had being over-chilled and metallic.
I ordered roast beef and my friend the roast pork. A 15 minute wait ensued which was fair given how busy the place was, and I was then presented with a plate sporting two 4" x 2" strips of beef, three of the smallest roast potatoes you've ever seen and a dry looking Yorkshire Pudding. This was accompanied by a very small bowl of veg to share between the two of us. On the plus side the beef was nicely cooked and tender. On the minus side it was covered in a very dark, extremely salty gravy that smothered the taste. Likewise the potatoes tasted like they'd been rolled in salt and we both agreed that the meal was far too salty.
I skipped dessert or the opportunity to sample another pint, preferring to beat a hasty retreat.
Had it not been for the overpowering noise and the rather salty meal I wouldn't have minded too much. They're obviously doing something right to draw in the punters and on other days it may have been a completely different story. Service was polite, the facilities are good (nice clean toilets!) and maybe my choice of beer was just unlucky. I will endeavour to try the other two pubs in Clandon but probably won't be returning here any time soon.
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Nice pub. Food good at prices you'd expect round here.
3 ales on on a Thursday lunchtime. I had a pint of the Adnam's mid-strength Sole Star which was in good condition and tasted good for a 2.7% ABV. Only bugbear is that this cost me �3.80 - the low ABV means low duty* yet rather than pass this on to the customer, the landlord has decided to trouser it.
*mentioned as a positive on the Adnams' website
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Squeezed our family of five in on busy Bank Hol lunchtime after walk at nearby Clandon Park. Friendly, smiling staff, tasty food (good duck breast with interesting flavours, delicious cheesecake, generous kids' portions). Will definitely return in summer.
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Came in here on evening of 7 July. Shere Drop, Brakspear Oxford Gold and Ringwood Best. Lots of people eating and a bit of a crush in the small bar area. Not so close to Surrey Hills Brewery now they've moved!
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I was in East Clandon, for a weekend last June ( 2010 ), from Northern Ireland, with my wife and two daughters, and not only had lunch at the Queens Head, but attended a convention barbeque on the Saturday night.
I cannot praise it enough, the pub itself, is set in a quintessential English village, in georgeous countryside. The ploughman's lunch, was one of the best I have ever tasted in my life, with an excellent choice of ales. The barman was very friendly, but cannot recall his name. Would thoroughly recommend this place, either for a pub lunch or couple of drinks. Best of British, and a 10 out of 10.
The only dampener on this fanrastic weekend, was England being dumped out of the World Cup, by arch rivals, Germany.
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Popped in here briefly on my day off. Had the Winter Veg soup which I have to say was really good. Chatty smily staff even though they seemed quite busy with food orders. It's what I would call a really tradtional village pub. Can't comment on beer I'm afraid as I don't drink it but I did get told that the pub was the closest to Surrey Hills Brewery and that the Shere Drop was good...I'll stick to wine :)
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Great staff,Great food,Good VFM. Went on a recommendation , will recomend to others.
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Rather like 'Beersupper' I find some of the reviews for this pub rather suspicious. The one by Lenka reads like an advert. I can state that I have not yet visited this pub & will now take it off my list of prospective haunts. I am currently looking for the best pub in Surrey, as a Hampshire lad they seem to be lacking. Although the Kings Head 'Holmbury St Mary' looks promising.
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Mmmmmmmmmmmm
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The Queens Head is the perfect place for a stop on the way round the Surrey Cycleway - very friendly staff, good food and a lovely beer garden. Everything a country pub should have! And, no, I don't work for the brewery... I am a very happy customer :-)
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Of the comments for this pub nearly all are from people who only use one place which makes me disregard them all, if the management of this chain want to advertise (and they have done the same thing for their other pubs ) don`t think we are all stupid,2 people have put something which i will take on board and thats Biker & Beersupper as they at least use other pubs and restaurants.
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Ahh.....yes beersupper, several others have done similar daft things in the past and all made fools of themselves ! New users to this site, best to click usernames and you'll see where others have been and what they've said about a wide variety of other establishments. No rating left, I've not been in the Queens for several years.
Biker - 26 Jan 2008 08:22 |
Sorry folks to come back on here so soon but i have just noticed something very strange about entries for this pub all the people who have made comments (good ones)have only ever done so about this pub no others, makes you think that a cheap advertising stunt is going on here by the managment.
Isuppose it`s a coincidence that Lenka and Janep use the same 3 pubs all of which are in the same chain.
Don`t take us all for idiots.
Wonder how long this comment lasts!!!!
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Great pub in a super location. Very friendly welcome awaits all that visit. The food is delicious, chosen from a compact and well balanced menu which is supported by a number of seasonal and fish specials.
Keep it up!!!
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Ask Arthur he`s been a local for years not no more says it all really.
anonymous - 29 Jun 2007 15:42 |
This is a great pub, great food, great atmosphere, great landlord. You are always made to feel very welcome...we've been going for the past 2 1/2 years and always take friends from outside of the area. Well worth going to.
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Not a village pub anymore,just another one changed to an eating place.If you want a pub carry on to the next village.
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We found that this is not a pub as such but a restaurant.Two real ales on which were good menu limited so did not eat here.
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Closed on Sunday night - bid odd but it is out in the sticks so fair enough I guess.
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First Class!
We enjoyed a great meal here on friday and couldn't fault it at all.
The pub itself has a very welcoming feel and the food was excellent.
I recommend you visit; especially whilst the fire is roaring, it was so homely, i didn't want the evening to end!
anonymous - 26 Nov 2006 18:29 |
A thoroughly nice pub, the staff always make you feel welcome, the food is excellent and original and they serve the local Surrey Hills ales, make sure you book if you go for Sunday lunch!
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This pub deserves its reputation; it is excellent.
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I heard about this place from a friend and came down from London specially. It was well worth the trip. It is one of those places that you can walk into and really feel like you are a local by the bottom of your first pint. It had a great atmosphere and has obviously been subject to a recent and tasteful refurbishment. Food was very good, with plenty of choice, avoided the cliches of pub (and gastropub) food and instead went for simple and really well cooked dishes that were full of flavour. It is really well worth travelling for
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We had a lovely evening at The Queens Head last night after it was recommended to us by friends. The food was delicious and we loved the idea of encourging the use of local produce in the menu. The wine was really good too!! Very much looking forward to returning again soon.
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My family and I visited the Queens Head at the weekend. The old owners seemed to encourage heavy drinkers, but things have changed considerably since our last visit a year or so ago.
The new owners have discouraged louts and encouraged fine dining. Our food was outstanding, far beyond pub standard, and the same goes for the service, thoroughly attentive and very knowledgable.
We shall be visitng again very soon
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This pubs changed hands in november 2005. It was nothing special then but the new owners have really turned the place around. The food is first class and is complemented by freindly and relaxed service. It has a great pub atmosphere inside and is very worth a visit if you are in the area.
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Was a great pub when Steve & family had it but that was then & this is now
anonymous - 1 Jun 2006 18:27 |
