The Dining Room Hersham

I had fairly high hopes for this restaurant for my visit with my 6 month pregnant wife after just moving to the area, ill try and break down each aspect:

Arrival:
Courteous but took us to a table at the window with 90 degree backed bench style seating, going up to shoulder height, totally unsuitable for a pregnant woman.

Aperitif:
Waitress came over and said ‘what do you want to drink?’

I asked for a wine list, which she then produced.

Lots of decent wine by the bottle, when I asked what was available by the glass, as pregnant wife obviously wouldnt be drinking, I was told ‘just the house’, my response was ‘thats not much of a choice’ to which she replied ‘no’.

So I took a glass of the house white: fishy tasting, lukewarm.

Ordering:
She came back a few minutes later to ask what we wanted to order. Fortunately Id caught a glimpse of a blackboard on the wall behind me on the way in so I asked her if they were the specials (as she hadnt actually told us about any specials). she merely replied ‘yes’.

Service:
The tables have very nice wooden plate rests on the table, with the cutlery, starter and main, wrapped in napkins, placed on top,
The waitress turned up carrying our starters and stood there waiting while we had to remove the cutlery and napkins off of the the plate rests ourselves.

For the main course I ordered surf and turf, I had to ask twice for a steak knife, I would have expected this to be given as standard as soon as you order a steak.

Overall, service was beyond amateur, food was quite good, but by the time it arrived you just wish youd stayed at home and not bothered. Decent wine list but nothing if you dont want a bottle is cheap, you get a better choice in a wetherspoons pub.

The food is what you just don't get anywhere else. Wholesome English food with modern twists or just how you remember a good old steak and kidney pudding. The desserts I just don't know where to start. My friends have been to there pudding nights and say they are brilliant, around 8 Puddings each!

If I had one moan about the place it would be the front of house staff just don't match the excellent food.

Service indifferent , food poor, seating uncomfortable. Wine was slammed down on the table with no attempt to check it was as ordered and no offer to taste. A steak was good quality but the “gourmet” burger was anything but – dull , bland and totally ungarnished. The cheese board consisted of dried up relics from the back of the fridge. No comment from staff when it was virtuaIly untouched – even a suggestion that the chef should be told that it was unacceptable prompted no apology or offer of an alternative or reduction in the bill.
Complacent ,mediocre and overpriced