Latest reviews from Dorking
| 46 /100 Denbies Wine Estate Farm Shop (Grocery Store) DENBIES WINE ESTATE, LONDON ROAD “Typical farm shop, had about 10 different beers that was all local to the area.
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| 74 /100 THE MILLSHED, GOLDENLANDS FARM, PUNCHBOWL LANE “The brewery is located just outside of Dorking on what appears to be a working farm that has then leased out spare outbuildings. At first it was not obvious which building was the brewery until I spotted the sign on a old looking timber building. Up some a couple of steep steps and there is a wooden bar with six taps. A fridge to the right houses their canned beers. The brewing equipment is behind the bar. Outside there is a mixture of picnic tables and large cable reels that have been converted into tables. The view of the Surrey Hills would be nicer minus the muddy farmyard with random equipment, a cesspit and the brewery's portaloo. I then realised there was an upstairs which is nicely decorated with multiple old leather sofas and flowers in vases. Just avoid the low beams - although I did check the padding on them with my forehead and it was adequate. All in all, in good weather it's actually quite a decently sized venue. Although on a drizzly Sunday afternoon it wasn't too busy. Pity it's out in the sticks.
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| 50 /100 DENBIES WINE ESTATE, BRADLEY LANE “Basic brewery shop and tap set up. The shop is the office just off the main unit. Drop is the only bottled beer. There are then four casks available to drink at one of the three exterior picnic tables or take away. Really hidden away at the rear of the building and only a couple of smallish signs so could be easy to miss. To get there you walk past the service doors, etc, for the winery complex so I did have slight doubts that I was in the right place. They are a really oldschool brewery so unlikely to introduce any new beers. The NEiPA they featured on Twitter recently was washing up liquid or such like. Managed to grab the one beer that I'd not had before so no need to go back here again unless they get around to brewing anything new. Friendly enough guy serving. 3 guys sat outside with beers who all just stopped talking and watched me approach. £5.00 for 2 pints“ |
| 60 /100 Denbies Wine Estate Farm Shop (Grocery Store) DENBIES WINE ESTATE, LONDON ROAD “I've changed the name from Gift Shop to Farm Shop. The main gift shop no longer stocks beer but the range mentioned in the previous ratings is now available at the estate Farm shop. About 10 beers from Surrey Hills (they only bottle the one beer), Dorking, Hogs Back and Hepworth. Around 6 ciders and also Mead from a new Hampshire meadery. Anyway a typical smallish farm shop. Pick up some Rick's and sausage rolls, pork pies, etc, to do with it. The staff were very helpful. Talked my wife through the range of local gins and offered tasters.“ |
| 68 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Currently the highest rated shop/bar in Surrey but with new places opening this may be changing. We have to factor in the current Covid-19 times but I was not overly impressed. I knew it would not be a big place but it was smaller than i was expecting and the range of beers was not not great. Also there were multiple beers from various breweries so a decent amount of beers but not a great range of different breweries. A few local Surrey beers, a few Belgian and German trad beers (suspect these may have all been impacted by the current climate) and then decent array of UK and European craft. Didn't have time to grab a beer in the nook of a bar but I know they have less beers on than usual at the moment. I actually really liked Dorking - it's the town Guildford wants to be - and will be back so it's cool that there is a crafty place in town but it is a small scale place. Staff not particularly welcoming, purely business like.“ |
| 72 /100 DENBIES WINE ESTATE, BRADLEY LANE “At least yesterday, a Saturday, the brewery, which is located around back of the Denbie Estates winery building, was also serving beer to drink outside the tap room or to take away. I did not notice any real space indoors to drink, but it was sunny and there were some chairs outside. Not sure how regular this is, but there were 4 beers on tap including the Champion beer of Britain and a 10% RIS. Great beers, all of them, and a fun place to hang out and drink pints for 2.70.
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| 80 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Bottle shop with small room out the back to drink in. Good range of mainly UK beers with some from the Continent. Friendly service and good value.“ |
| 62 /100 Cricketers Inn (Fullers) (Bar) 81 SOUTH STREET “Traditional pub clearly popular with (friendly) locals (and their dogs). Reasonable range of Fullers beers. Patio garden at back. Bit pricey. Worth one visit if in town.“ |
| 76 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Good bottleshop with drink in option and also some taps. Good quality beers available. Service was good. Seating was mediocre.“ |
| 76 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Small bottle shop with a really good selection of local beers and beers from neighbouring counties as well. Good service and drink in, but the toilet was pretty dodgy.“ |
| 84 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Compact micropub and bottle shop, worth making a detour to Dorking for. Friendly service and regulars. Very good selection of bottles, not much from Surrey but plenty from the likes of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Berkshire plus a decent quality selection from further afield. Closest station is Dorking West about a 5 or so minute walk, but as we were heading back to the main station Tim the owner kindly called us a taxi and it was less than a fiver much better than making the walk in the rain with our bags of beer. Good visit, certainly a place I'd like to return to. (PS -
whilst there, visit the loo, it's outside and adorned with hundreds of bottle tops and pump clips making it surely the most attractive outside loo in the world!).“ |
| 70 /100 Cricketers Inn (Fullers) (Bar) 81 SOUTH STREET “Visited on 1st August 2017. Large pub on the busy South St toward the edge of town. Inside the venue is pretty nice and traditional old boozer, food is served too. Decor is nice and homely. Plenty of seating. Beer range is from Fullers so was solid enough, the beer was well kept, service and prices were decent enough. Another GBG entry and a solid boozer, not sure I’d rush back again but handy to know it’s there!“ |
| 78 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Visited on 1st August 2017. Nice bottle shop and bar in the town centre in Dorking. It’s a really smart store with beers on a central stand and on tidy shelving. The beer range at the bar was pretty good with a mix of styles. Place was popular with locals, service friendly and prices are good. Definitely one to return to.“ |
| 84 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “A real find. A combination of old-fashioned bottled ale shop and craft beer micropub. A world away from the post-nuclear dystopia of the trendy craft bar, it feels like drinking in someone’s back room. They obviously love what they do here: not so much friendly as ebullient. You can choose from more traditional brewers (focusing on local), or the likes of Thornbridge and Weird Beard. Beer available in key keg, cask and can/bottle although there is a 50p drinking in fee. They’re advertising an upcoming De Molen takeover. In Dorking. Awesome.“ |
| 68 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Small shop really, beers displayed are by styles. Decent selection of beers from England and some foreign beers as well. No car park at the shop.“ |
| 36 /100 Denbies Wine Estate Farm Shop (Grocery Store) DENBIES WINE ESTATE, LONDON ROAD “Denbies is England’s biggest vineyard and worth a visit to see the process and sample some sparkling wine. It is located about 15 minutes walk north of Dorking Train station. The shop itself is rather large....as well as wine there is a very small beer selection i.e. less than 10. Considering the building is located right in front of the Surrey Hills brewery I found it weird that there was none of their beer on offer (& the brewery shop was closed). Range was a couple of surrey breweries, but mostly Hog Back. Your best bet is to buy beer at Cobett’s instead of here.“ |
| 78 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “Cobbett’s Real Ales is a rather great combination of beer shop and "Micro Bar". The shop section has a great range of about 300ish? bottles. Plenty of local stuff (including their collaboration with Surrey Hills), great UK breweries (like Kernel, Weird Bear etc), Belgian, US and further afield. As well as bottles they have 6 draught beers (keg & cask) available to take-away in growlers or drink in. The back room of the shop offers seating and a small patio area to drink in. Had a couple of Kernels on draught, as well as Cobbett’s collab beer. Only negative was there was a bit of stinky stench coming from the drains in the patio area, so we moved indoors. Friendly and helpful staff. The only place to go for good beer in Dorking.“ |
| 48 /100 Denbies Wine Estate Farm Shop (Grocery Store) DENBIES WINE ESTATE, LONDON ROAD “Perhaps a surprising location to find on ratebeer as Denbies is renowned for its wine with one of the biggest vineyards in England. However, Surrey Hills Brewery have been brewing behind the main shop/restaurant/visitor centre for a couple of years now. The shop itself stocks a reasonable selection from hogs back, a couple of Sussex brewers at last visit as well as cider from the garden cider co which is based in Surrey. Prices are pretty steep but it’s to be expected for the location. Food is also served in the café but I have never tried it.“ |
| 80 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “An oasis in a desert called Dorking (aside from the Red Bar), Cobbett’s have a compact store with shelves bottled to the hilt with local, national and international selections. Pleasant friendly service, rounded prices and a few rarities (quite a few from Brewdog on my visit). It’s about 15 minutes walk to the Main station (bear this in mind when lugging your beer stash back)....“ |
| 86 /100 Cobbett’s Real Ales (Beer Store) 23 WEST STREET “My local beer shop. Great choice of beers including a couple on tap - always nice to have a pint whilst browsing the shelves. Excellent service with an extremely good choice of local beers and a fair few from further afield.“ |
