REVIEW: The Richard Onslow, Cranleigh

This is the experience I enjoyed when my wife and I went to the Richard Onslow in Cranleigh this weekend.

Sitting right on the High Street, The Richard Onslow is a busy pub with 10 beautiful bedrooms. The owners have clearly worked hard to retain the period features of the historic building.

And recent decor change is modern but unfussy.

After looking at the menu I thought it would be prudent to ask manager Terri Dell what her recommendation was.

Luckily the starter and main course Terri had recommended is what I had already selected.

Being a Sunday I thought it was obvious to pick a roast - from a choice of beef, lamb, pork and vegetarian - I chose the lamb.

For starter I went for Pan-fried Scallops and Monkfish, Bombay Potatoes and Indian Salad.

My wife Amanda went for Free-range Duck & Crunchy Vegetable Salad, Toasted Cashews & Oriental Dressing for start at the Chicken Caesar Salad for main course.

The two starters we picked also came in a main course helping.

In my experience, in some high-end gastro pubs portions can be on the smaller side, but we found the servings very generous at the Richard Onslow.

Both starters were full of flavour and left us salavating for the main courses.

And we were not disappointed. The Caesar salad had beautifully cooked chicken and bacon while the roast was sublime. Every detail was perfect, especially the Free-range Pork and Sage Stuffing, which was quite simply the nicest stuffing I have had.

For pudding Amanda went for the crumble of the day (apple) and I went for the summer pudding.

The summer pudding was a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds.

It was bread wrapped round summer fruits, soaked in the syrup of those fruits and with a generous helping of clotted cream with it. A truly delightful dessert.

There is a huge variety of dishes to choose from at the Richard Onslow. It is not cheap, but the quality of the food is well worth it.

This was an exceptional dining experience.

Lobster season

It’s lobster season and The Richard Onslow in Cranleigh is marking the occasion with a month of mouth-watering weekend specials dedicated to this amazing British produce.

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening in August the chefs from The Richard Onslow will be creating a special dish made with the best, freshest native lobster they can get their hands on. There will be a different dish each week, chalked up onto the specials board until it runs out.

“We’ve been on the hunt for the finest native lobster to serve our guests and have found it caught by local fishermen off the Brixham coast,” says Ray Brenner, head chef of The Richard Onslow. “We’re proud to work closely with one of the most experienced, lobster fishermen in Devon, Rob Adams, who is born and bred in Brixham and has been fishing the local waters for over thirty years.