Falkland Arms, Dorking

A proper locals' pub on the south edge of town. Two bars, one with darts and TV, the posher side with TV and table football in the annex. Lots of pastel painted wood with lots of sports memorabilia - ok scarves, flags and stuff. The three handpumps offered Young's Original, and Surrey Hills Shere Drop and Ranmore in good condition. A worthwhile local.

A backstreet Youngs pub set on a corner, two opened out rooms with a modernish feel. Wimbledon Tennis was on the TV, and the pub also boasts a dartboard. Two beers from three hand pulls, Doom Bar and Pedigree, not an unpleasant place but not the proper pub it could be.

A backstreet Youngs outlet set over two rooms. A few quid spent here recently on refurbishment (decimation?) - eg snazzy floorboard effect floor and snot green paintwork. Seating in the right bar consists of sofas and chesterfields (with sports TV and a jukebox; not exactly your average public bar) and the left room is for dining. Decked outside area at front and a pleasant rear garden. Three ales, Youngs Bitter (not tasting right, with bits of sediment for company), St Austell Tribute and Waggle Dance. It's all a bit soulless really and the beer put me right off (half of it ended up in a plant pot).

Slightly off the beaten track, this side street local is situated a short walk from the town centre. There are two rooms split by the bar, the front room is boarded and has limited seating in the form of a couple of sofas and armchairs, a solitary high table and a handful of bar stools. There is a brick fireplace and a dartboard in here, but you would have to move the sofa to have a game. The rear room is posher, carpeted and with red roses in small vases on the tables, I'm not sure if this is intended to be a dining room, the tables weren't set and I saw no menus apart from a chalkboard offering a variety of toasties with salad and fries (£4.50). Beyond the back room is a sizeable garden, outdoor veranda seating also available to the frontage. The roses, lilies on the bar and fancy venetian blinds suggest that the pub is trying to pitch itself as being upmarket however it didn't succeed as far as I am concerned. The ambience was however not enhanced by the loud builder at the bar who managed to make every fifth word begin with "F", even while chatting to the young barmaid. It's a Young's pub, three handpumps in the front room, one had a towel over, the other two had Ordinary Bitter and Winter Warmer. Further pumps in the back room were unclipped. Apart from the aforementioned sweary bloke it was pretty quiet, the presence of a large wall mounted TV, a fruit machine and a juke box suggests it might not always be so. Good to see an old school back street pub still going though.