Marneys Village Inn, Esher

Pub SignMan left this review about Marneys Village Inn

This is a cosy, two room, traditional pub on the fringes of Esher, located next to a golf course. You enter via a small front patio seating area, into the compact main bar, with a scuffed lino floor covered by a huge rug at one end, dark wood panelled walls and ceiling beams and a small servery on the back wall. The bar has a plain tongue and groove counter, simple mirrored bar back and decorative filigree metalwork pot shelves. A brick fireplace to one side is filled with a large stove and has an unused TV screen above. Seating is very limited in here, with only enough room for two tables to the right served by tub chairs, under walls lined with rural themed paintings, an old map and a modern art drawing of a sausage dog. A door to the left takes you through to a split-level side room which was full of reserved tables for diners. Banquettes run along the front wall and basic chairs fill the remaining space, all formally arranged for dining. More rural paintings cover the walls here, including a large picture of a stag's head above another fireplace, a small plate collection and a barometer. Plenty more outdoor seating can be found down the left side of pub and to the rear in a very nice garden with colourful flower beds and lots of sturdy garden furniture across decked and grassy spaces.
They had three cask ales on the go when I arrived - Fullers London Pride, Twickenham Naked Ladies and By The Horns Stiff Upper Lip. I gave the latter a try and thought it was in pretty good shape, having been served to me by one of the very efficient barmaids who were doing a good job of keeping a packed house fully refreshed on a hot summer's evening. I say "packed house", but perhaps should say "packed garden", as the dining room was empty but seating outside was at an absolute premium.
I thought this was a nice pub to visit on a warm evening, as their garden is a great place to enjoy some of their well-kept beer, but I wasn't too sure about the interior, as the dining side of things seems to take up too much space, leaving drinkers confined to the less comfortable main bar area. It worked well enough for me on this occasion but the jury is still out as to whether this is a pub for all seasons.

Date of visit - 17th July 2024

On 31^st October 2024 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]