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Disappointment of the week with Gann
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The Hare & Hounds, Esher
Claygate
Postal town: Esher
KT10 0JL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Hare & Hounds
The Hare & Hounds now has a large marquee covering much of the front area, allowing for alfresco drinking and dining without the possibility of getting wet. With the sun blazing (maybe a slight exaggeration), we chose to be away from the shelter.
As with many pubs these days, the ale choice was not immediately obvious. We enquired to be told that Tribute & Landlord were the options. I'd been hoping to find something from the local Brightwater Brewery.
A trip to the toilet revealed a Brightwater Daisy Gold pumpclip with a glass over the handpull. In addition, there was Brightwater Claygate Cider. We decided to stay for a second to sample the cider, only to be told that it too was unavailable.
Food smelt very tempting. The second lady we spoke to was clearly of French origin and sure enough, the restaurant here specialises in French food. Not a bad pub, with friendly and accommodating staff.
On 23rd April 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Hare & Hounds
A substantial pub in the heart of the village, with a very floral exterior. Inside is pleasantly aged with plenty of dark wood, albeit with a lowish ceiling painted white. Behind a rustic-style brick fireplace is a side room with a French flavour, dark red walls and pictures, used as the restaurant (which indeed has a French basis, but with substantial English content too). Outside there are rows of tables at the front and further patio and garden space round the back. On handpump were Tribute and a local ale from nearby Brightwater, plus Brightwater's cider. Food is not cheap but good.
On 12th October 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Hare & Hounds
From the exterior The Hare And Hounds looks to be the most pubby of the three pubs I passed by on the main drag through Claygate, It is however quite food orientated with a fair bit of the inside area set out for dining, there are though,bar stools along the bar area so it seems drinking only is also welcomed.
Six Hand Pumps all in operation with the choice of London Pride ,Tribute,Old Peculiar,6x,Brightwater Daisy Gold and some beer from Caledonion I now forget.
I tried a pint of the locally brewed Daisy Gold, a 4.0% beer fairly average as it turned out, the most remarkable thing about it was being charged £4.20 for the pleasure.
Its a nice enough spot for a pint if you are prepared to pay the ridiculous prices,I think I will pass it by next time.
As Rex discoverd some five years ago there were a few "bonjours" flying around, marginally better than "have a nice day" I suppose.
On 13th June 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Hare & Hounds
A long space with the formal restaurant bit at the right, partially separated by hiding behind a large brick chimney and fireplace. The bar is on the back wall, the ceiling has dark exposed wooden beams and the floor is carpeted at the drinking end, wooden boarded elsewhere. It felt fairly homely with a smell of wood smoke and a friendly little white dog roaming around checking people out; the corner TV was off and background music was playing at a lowish volume. Mostly standard seating for the drinkers at square tables for four although there was one high table with a few newspapers scattered across it.
I didn't check out any menus as I didn't see any but a chalkboard listed rather upmarket sandwiches for between £6 and 7.50 although they do come with soup or chips. The vinegar and ketchup on the tables suggest the English menu may be more pub grub than the French version.
Decor is not much more than a few framed prints and cartoons although there were a few Champagne bottles on the window cills as well as the obligatory white candles here and there.
For somewhere like this the beer range was pretty reasonable if not adventurous, Pride, Tribute, Old Peculiar, Youngs Bitter and Bombardier with Thwaites Wainwright advertised as next on.
Certainly more of a place for a meal than a session but it was fine for a quick half of Tribute (£2). The outdoor terrace to the front looks like a good spot for a nice day too.
On 8th January 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about Hare & Hounds
Pleased to report that as at yesterday's visit, this pub had started speaking English again and didn't display any of the pretentiousness that Rex encountered previously. It is still doing its "L'Auberge" foodie thing, but that seems largely to happen in the room to the right, whilst the main pub feels like, well, a pub. The five handpumps were serving Thwaites Wainwright (a good pint of which I had), Spitfire, Bombardier, and Courage Best (x2). Service was friendly and efficient, and custom was comfortably steady. I would come here again if passing.
On 27th June 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Hare & Hounds
This pub is now branded as “l’auberge at the Hare & Hounds”, but the predominate signage remains of The Hare & Hounds. The right hand side of the pub is effectively a restaurant, but there are a good number of tables and chairs, plus a couple of sofas, on the left of the pub in the immediate vicinity of the bar counter. There was also a log fire alight in the bar area, which seems to be something of a trait in Claygate. There are some picnic benches outside as well as some parking at the side. But I though the “Frenchness” to be a bit over the top - the girl who served me greeted me with “bonjour”; I got a “merci” when I handed over my money; and an “e voila” when she handed me my change. Being the sort of “bah humbug” person that I am, I refused to go along with this Gallic charade, and all she got from me was a “cheers love”. Maybe some people appreciate this sort of thing in a French restaurant, but it does come as something of a surprise to those who just come in for a pint or two. On the plus side they did have a couple of decent ales on – Surrey Hills Shere Drop, and Tintagel Brewery Gull Rock, with nothing from the mainstream breweries. The Shere Drop was at a top of the range price of £3.50 a pint.
Unsurprisingly this is not a pub grub type of place. The menu has separate sections for “Le France” and “L’Angleterre”. I shan’t bother with the le France section, but as an example L’Angleterre included “Steak and Guinness pie, with vegetables, mashed potato and gravy for £11.00. I also spotted a sign for a set menu of two courses for £10, or £12.50 for three courses. But I didn’t see what was being offered as the set menu, or if it came from the a la carte menu.
The beer was good, but this is mainly a food led establishment, and not the sort of place to go for a real pub experience.
On 18th November 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]