Residents' Association Forum

In my head I've been compiling the TD top Sunday roasts.. thought I'd share and people can add their experiences, doesnt have to be limited to Sunday Lunch.

Here are mine so far..

Ambience: the Swan,  about £10 - carvery, 3 choices, cooked well, fun atmosphere, Mike has turned this place around.

Value for Money but also taste : The Holiday Inn - Carvery, Great quality of meats and outstanding veg £12.95 for three courses, kids free

Quality of ingredients: The Ferry £10.85 from memory - you can tell Tom is a proper proper chef and buys the best ingredients & knows what to do with them

Environment and views: The Albany. £13.95 though. Great service from front of house staff but food VERY slow. Great taste but not great portions (swiftly rectified after a word with the very accomodating manager)

anyone care to add?

as an aside, shame Tryst has gone and also James who had the Crown, they both did a great lunch.

Well for us its the same distance to the Prince of Wales (on Hampton Court bridge road) as it is to the Holiday Inn.

So I would include that in the list and as it happens we went there yesterday.

Nice enough Sunday roast for £7.95 - so I would say thats a challenger for value for money if you don't want three courses (we were pretty stuffed as we ordered extra vegetables).

And they do two veggie options (my other half is vegetarian) -> a tart and a wellington pie type thing. And they also consider vegetarians by providing veggie gravy (as does the Swan I should add).

The only down side is that there were only two meat options: beef + turkey but as beef is my favourite roast I was ok.

Interesting .....but according to their website it suggest Sunday roast at £8.95 per person .....that £1 makes all the difference in these tough times!! ::)

bridge road is includable!

we sometimes go to the Kings arms behind HCP, that does a good roast too, cant remember how much though.

TBH if bothering to go out and buying drinks and maybe pudding, coffee's etc,  I'd rather spend £10-12 for a great roast than £8 for an average one (not suggesting any mentioned are average, just what my perspective is)

Hmm interesting-> I have to confess the other half bought lunch this Sunday so it could have been 8.95 -> but I am 90% sure I saw it on the menu @7.95 ! I'll double check next time I am there.

The reason we went there was more for the other half who fancied a change from the veggie option at the Swan. She rates the suet option at the Swan as ok. I still maintain its not a proper roast if there is no meat involved but there you go... ;)

Whilst we are on value for money - surely the best value for money has got to be the Swan if you have a late roast (after 5?) - when they used to do 2 roasts for a tenner? Not sure they still do that... and even when they did you took a chance that late (as either the meat was gone or it could be not as good as when it was fresh).

Colets have started to do Sunday roasts (for members and guests - social membership costs next to nothing btw - but we haven't tried that yet.  Anyone been there for Sunday lunches?  I know they are keen to be competitive.

But the best value happens to be at home when The Woman I Adore is roasting something, I make the gravy and the kids clear up....

ha yes, unfortunately I'm the only chef in our household and I simply cant be bothered on Sundays!

I firmly believe that the best Sunday Roast is at our house when my other half cooks.
Do not normally admit to him being better at anything then me, but he takes pleasure in cooking and is much more accomplished then I am!! ( shame he's not like that with the cleaning )!!
If we didn't live in a one bedroom cottage, I would invite you all round to get your opinions too!
Must hasten to add that the meat is normally a really good cut from Peter Dales in HC and the veggies from Paulls in the village - never thought I'd hear myself say it but the standard and variety of fruit and veg available has really improved!

agreed home cooked always tastes best!

Whilst we seem to be relatively spoilt for choice when it comes to Sunday roasts I'm still surprised its quite hard to get a decent fry up.

I admitedly - haven't got round to trying dish yet on bridge road but I'm sure a morning sat/sun fry up would work in Thames Ditton proper (village bakery? lunch? one of the pubs?)...

http://residents-association.com/forum/index.php?topic=514.msg4625#msg4625

Was a real treat when the George was open early for the rugby and a bacon sarnie!

dish is about the best around.

The Mitre does a good one in a lovely setting but the management of that hotel are so abysmally useless and incompetant that i wont give them any more of my money.

I cannot agree with the comments about the Mitre.I went over there for our works xmas do.The food was not Michelin star standard but the service was prompt and the portions were very big  and that was for a party of about fifty.I could not fault them.

The Kings Arms , i would not even take a dod there to eat. The food takes ages to arrive after you have ordered it and is always luke warm. Dont even start me on the standard of the state of the glasses in there.We ordered a glass of wine and finally got a clean glass on the fourth attempt.

not faulting the Mitre's service or quality of food if you see what I said, I wont go there on principle because the management are inept.

kings arms Ive only been a few times and it was good so i can only go on that

So often experiences vary.  On that other institutional British dish, fish and chips, many speak well of Christie's on the Portsmouth Road.  The one time I went there for family fish'n'chips it was inedible and we had to throw it away - soggy chips cooked in fat that had gone well past its reasonable use and tasted foul and burnt.  Of course, we didn't find out until they were on the table at home.  The only time I have ever had to throw fish and chips away!

However, others say they have found it good, on other occasions.  Should I give them a second chance?  Or should I continue to go the extra mile to the Surbiton chippie on Brighton Road, unpretentious to say the least but crackin' good fish and chips over many years.

go the extra mile, no second chances! ')

I'd be inclined to tell them of your experience and see what they do abt it

Well, it was three or four years ago now, and we didn't find out till at home, so any complaint would be deflected with ease.  That's why I am interested to learn of others' experiences lately, and maybe I will give them another chance (unannounced) and report back.

Re: Christies

I have to confess of having had great chips there on two occasions and then the one time I got fish and chips it was miserable - both the chips and the fish...

I partially blamed teh very cold weather for this (as it was around about this time last year) but I think it was just late in the evening and I got a batch that had been sitting around for a while.

Like you - I ended up having to throw it away (the fish ranked of bad oil so much so it was horrible to taste) and bought frozen fish fingers and frozen chips from the corner store...

I do believe in second chances but will pick my moment carefully !

i.e. a freezing cold late evening is not the time to buy fish n chips!

no excuse for crappy oil, thats the core of their business, should be perfect at all times

Went there for the 1st time over 11 years ago and ate in the restaurant, it was brilliant. ( we were both living in Ham at the time, but had friends living in Surbiton ).

We then went back once having just moved to TD about 10 years ago, and had the most awful fish and chips - same oil problem. I agree with Craig, no excuse for cruddy oil, considering the majority of the food they sell is cooked in it!

Sadly haven't been back since, like Juninho, myself and other half should give them a 2nd chance really.

Have been a couple of times to the fish and chip shop in Long Ditton ( Chinese one ), not sure what the name of the road is, but it is just near the church before you get to Squires. Same parade of shops as Lazeez Indian restaurant.

interestingly it only gets great reviews online. Someone should show them this thread, at least they could address it then

Not meaning to come across as cynical or suspicious, but maybe they are posting their own reviews on line!!!!???

Has been known on Trip Advisor for rival hotels to post pretend / dishonest reviews for other hotels. As well as hotels posting anonymous good reviews for themselves??!!

Well, that makes three separate reports here of denatured burnt oil ruining fish and chips, Juninho's being the most recent, and as Craig says decent oil should be a fundamental of the business.

There were off days but recently I have had good fish & chips from there.  It's usually packed out so much so that I gave up as had to wait outside.  Fish really hot, even walking home!

Mind you mine was last year during the cold snap!

Gosh how time flies...

I think some of the confusion arises from the change of ownership. Up until about three or so years ago it was owned by a flamboyant Irishman called Christy. The fryers used beef dripping, which some consider superior, but doubtless calorific and gave a distinctive taste. The quality was generally excellent (he was sometime spotted buying at the fish counter in Waitrose!!) and I think they wanted to be considered as more of a fish restaurant.  Unfortunately Christy was not as good a businessman as he was a host and had to sell up. The shop was taken on by a nice Turkish family. I've had mixed experiences since but they seem to be getting more consistent lately and use vegetable oil now.

I've had good fish and chips from Andy's on Hampton Court parade, which back under the ownership of the original Andy and his wife last time I went in there.

I have also heard very good things about the place on Brighton Road, but when I walked in was put off by the "no frills" look and went to Pisces just up the hill from Surbiton Station which serves 'posh' fish and chips and is always excellent.

for chinese you simply cannot beat good earth in Esher

I had a good roast dinner at The Ditton about a year ago, but not tried the brasserie.

I know exactly what you mean but I have always had cracking good fish and chips there (though I don't like the look of the saveloys...)

It may be because of the downmarket look, good prices etc that they have a fast throughput and so it's always fresh and good and, when I've been there, pretty much cooked on demand rather than sitting in a tin.

If you have to get off the train at Surbiton and walk home on a cold night, that shop is a great consolation!

I can also recommend Andys in the parade at Hampton Court which is the original Andy apparently? Went and had lunch in there the other week with work colleagues, good amount and gorgeous chips.

is that a fish and chip shop?

btw, heard last night, the Swan are now doing takeaway fish & chips!

Not worth my making a New Year's resolution then....  This will be a must-try.

Which reminds me: back on topic:  I was just now in Stephens the good Hinchley Wood butchers, collecting our Sunday sirloin for Christmas day (was fabulous last year, properly hung etc).

With rocketing Waitrose prices, Stephens are now quite competitive and their quality, when I have bothered to try them, has always been excellent.  I asked them today whether they will deliver, and for reasonable orders within a reasonable local radius, which includes TD, they will (free).  They seem to do well enough in Hinchley Wood, enough to employ three stripey aprons and the older fellow there could be straight out of Dickens.

I wonder whether we could entice them to do a Saturday morning van or delivery in the village?  If they get enough custom from TD, they just might....  or even open a tiny branch in one of the new small retail units...  just dreaming...

And for that reason I am breaking a rule and 'advertising' them here: http://www.stephensfinefoods.co.uk/

great idea, i'd support that.

I'm in if they have a van on a saturday!

Not until next year mind!

Great idea!  I've got to go and pick up the turkey from them tomorrow.  It would be great if they could deliver it!!

I can confirm the takeaway fish and chips from the swan is very good indeed (especially if washed down with a bottle of champagne)....well it is Christmas ;)

Andys is a fish and chip shop restaurant and take away.About four shops away from the BP garage.

Must give it a try then! Thanks for the tip, temptation not to eat on the boat on way home will be high though!

http://www.elmbridgeguardian.co.uk/news/9487906.The_hunt_is_on_for_Elmbridge_s_best_chips/

Not Christie's one feels.....

Louise is covering a lot of ground for the Guardian - admirable!

she's going to need a trip to colets if she keeps trying all those chips!

Didn't someone suggest Andys?

Apparently he serves batter fish n chips than Christies ... !

Though his plaice is a little far for us so reckon we're probably more likely to be hooked on the Swan's offerings


(yes yes I know all the above fish puns have been done to death before - but here is your opportunity to improve on them)

Fins ain't wot they used ter be.

Fins?

Has anyone tried the Sunday carvery at Colets?

First rate supper at The Ferry yesterday evening: Chicory and Stilton Salad, followed by Salmon with Langoustine and Fennel, rounded off with Passion Fruit Souffle (the latter beautifully light and fluffy).

Although there is still a pub bar, the restaurant is the main feature.

Excellent, gourmet standard food and presentation, excellent service.  Very highly recommended - premises owned by chef who trained with Gordon Ramsay.   

Owned and run by the chef, it is more akin to those French neighbourhood restaurants catering for locals who just want to pop out for delicious food on any night of the week: rather than the more typical UK idea of a restaurant as a place to splash out on occasionally on birthdays, anniversaries and other festivities.

Went to the Red Lion last night for Thai with a few chums, and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food, and the pub in general.  It may not be 'Michelin quality', but it's not bad at all, and prices are reasonable.

The pub decor may be a bit rough around the edges (well, in actual fact it's pretty shabby really), but in addition to the good food, the beer selection was excellent.  What other local pubs have good beer, a pool table, dart board, open fire, Thai food, and jukebox?  When so many other pubs have been 'gentrified', it's very refreshing to find one that still offers everything that makes a pub great.

honest appraisal and i good tip, I should try it, maybe I judged too soon.

It does have its own distinctive charm, and I like the Lion......and,  moreover, they eventually complied with regulations over signs, and made an effort to clean up the cigarette butts that used to litter the doorway...so have earned our custom in that respect too!

The Red Lion is another fairly historic pub in the village.  Alas the freehold is owned (when last I looked) by the Wellington Pub Company, which is more of a real-estate company than a pub company and no doubt has its eye on eventual redevelopment value, given the yard that goes with the pub and its High St position.

that chef who was looking to gastropub it hasnt appeared yet then.

Doesn't look like it.  It's still up for rent:

http://www.wellingtonpubcompany.co.uk/properties_view.asp?id=87

Not sure what the current lease is.  Carl the landlord a few years ago (?2006/7??) told me it had 30 years to run at that time.  The numbers don't look very enticing.

Sad fact is that there are probably too many pubs for the pubgoing population in TD&WG.  We are lucky  that we have some good ones, including several good old ones (Swan, George, Angel) that seem viable.  But a couple or three have struggled to survive.

I think for that to survive it would need a total change in order to differentiate itself from the Swan et al. As you rightly say, so much competition

We also only recently tried the thai food at the red lion (thanks to a top tip from some friends in East Molesy) and got take away from there last week!

Was really nice and very good value we thought!

Hmnnnn  to make £70K pa after paying the rent (and before other bills, insurance, repairing, maintenance) you'd need about 55 customers every day of the year averaging £10 per head spend.  Assuming a profit margin of 100%.

you sure about that?

Im not convinced by your maths there Admin!

;D

If you had 100% profit on spend (impossible but hey was your supposition) then 55 people, every day of the year (366 this year!) * £10 = more than 200k!

Though I do think the Thai needs more customers.

We were the only people there on a Friday evening and that was to get a take away. We overheard the chef saying she was working on the 'big' order and it turns out she meant us - and we were only 6 people (perhaps we eat too much though).


Edit: OOPS apologies your post said 70k AFTER paying the rent... is the rent 130k per year?

LOL: what have I done wrong in this quick and crude estimate then, o beancounter?

70k plus rent 30k = 100k net income required
profit margin of 100% means you need to take 200k gross to get 100k net
200,000 at £10 per head spend of customer = 20,000 customers
20,000 divided by 365 days of year rounds to 55 a day

Looks like hard work to me.  I worked at The Mill in Cambridge for three months to pay my way in the summer of '69, and lived in the attic.  And vowed never to run a pub!

100% profit margin means 50% of takings are profit.
£200k takings = £100 gross profit = £30k rent + £70k profit before other bills.

Maths looks fine to me!

Thanks tdres !!

I'll get my coat...!!

Apologies Admin -  I will never doubt you again!

I'd misunderstood the initial post but yeah you're pretty close although i think you'd pay less tax than 50% if careful

I seem to recall that profit on wines and spirits is at least 100%, less on beer, food it depends on you.  An average profit margin of 100% is probably on the high side - only a landlord could tell you (if they would!)

Those figures are before all other outgoings e.g. staff, plus aforementioned insurance, maintenance (a full repairing lease), council tax/business rates, energy and comms bills etc. etc.  So I think the figure of 55 customers a day, every day, spending an average of a tenner each is very much the low end of what would be required even if you and family did ALL the work

....so really, running a pub is virtually a charitable activity and we should all give thanks to landlords!

ha indeed ;)

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/chips-are-down-as-britains-diners-lose-taste-for-eating-out-6804815.html

We need to rally round our eateries that have earned our custom - particularly the old pubs which serve good food.  Many of them still play a part in community life too - the Swan gave the High St Christmas Tree; the Albany promotes the hanging basket and box competition and threw a party for residents of Queens Rd and Alexandra Rd last summer, and is also the landlord of the peaceful and bucolic River Club on the river bank next door, where locals can go boating for very little money and thank God it is not a huge car park for the pub!  There is Joe at the George & Dragon who is always sponsoring community and charity events and the George is a key part of the Christmas Fair.

Then we have traditional pubs like the Angel (venue for meetings and other activities that add to community life - Class Comedy for example), and Marneys, serving good honest pub fare, along with the Greyhound, not flash but all with a great English atmosphere of well-worn comfort.  The Ewe is worth a visit and the Ferry is well spoken of - I must try it.  We have The Rose too, which plays a part in the High St Christmas Fair and has become part of the village in many ways.

What's more, when there have been planning issues (in recent years the Rose and the Swan) they have been good citizens and have complied.  And the Lion eventually complied in the matter of oversized signs on the pub.

So let's make sure they survive.

'Twould be nice to have a good classic fish restaurant though...!

I don't normally like any negative reviews/postings but we went to the Ewe yesterday (after looking at the photos in the church - which is well worth a visit btw whilst its on) - and I was a bit disapointed with the 'homemade' apple pie (as advertised on the board as we walked in). We only went there for coffees but I was enticed by the homemade deserts!

The apple pie was:

a) pricey for what it was (£4 for a tiny sliver of apple pie plus a small dollop of ice cream)
b) not 'home made'
c) the pie itself was a little cold in the middle (semi frozen)

On a plus side the coffee was nice.

Hoping it was just an off day as the carvery looked good.

They should be glad for honest feedback like that. 

It's a couple of years since I ate there.  Like the Red Lion, the Ewe (originally the Lamb and Star) must be one of the places more vulnerable to a declining pub market.

did you tell them Juninho?

I did try and politely ask the girl working there if it was truely homemade (expressing my doubt that it was definately not). She did say she would check but she didn't come back to us (it did get a little busy).

My cousin who was with us said she found it funny that I was so nice when effectively I was complaining - so I am hoping I was super polite.

They do do a bargain deal of £7 for two courses, either a starter and a main or a main and a desert and if that was my desert on that offer I would not have minded (well actually I would still object to it being described as homemade..) - but paying £4 for it was a bit of a rip off ! When I describe it as tiny it was about about the length of my finger and about three finger widths wide at its widest point. We actually ordered two portions and I would not have been surprised had someone told me they ran out so split a portion in two.

Anyways - the size / money proposition is opinion but they should not advertise it as home made (in fact all their deserts are advertised as such) if its not...


If I find myslf back there I'll give their carvery a go but I will save the desert for when I get home - as I can bung in a supermarket bought pie into the oven as easily as the pub can and I can serve myself up a more generous portion to boot!!

for me the size and the price is less important than it being as described, also, being cold in the middle is rubbish

yes totally agree - that was kind of my complaint really !

hey ho

the food at the Ferry was yet again utterly brilliant last week. Its streets ahead of anything else in the area.

Dont get me wrong, I really enjoy eating at most of the other places the village has to offer but for quality and brilliance of cooking the Ferry has the gold.

Did they warm the plates? That has been my only criticism in the past - beautiful food spoiled by being served on cold plates.

Hmm, I'm normally quite hot on that too (pardon the pun) but I honestly can't remember

Congratulations to the French Table in Surbiton on winning the Good Food Guide's regional restaurant of the year award. (http://www.standard.co.uk/news/forget-soho-best-london-venue-is-in--surbiton-6464842.html?utm_content=buffer6e854&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

Ah thanks! I think we should try it one day!

Whilst we are passing on tips we went to L'Affamato last night (in east molesey) and had a lovey meal.

I think it's just Fridays and Saturdays that it's open in the evenings? By day it's a cafe.

They had a very simple Italian menu but everything we had was really good and excellent value. It's byo for the wine and no corkage charge.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g504169-d3455865-Reviews-L_Affamato-East_Molesey_Surrey_England.html

I noticed the Ferry now has a Gurkha kitchen/restaurant. Anyone tried it?

what is one of those? sounds interesting!