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Detail Pages
The Foley, Esher
Claygate
Postal town: Esher
KT10 0LZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Foley
Prominent corner Young's pub that doubles as a hotel.
As is Young's policy, the track and trace policy is a bit over the top. You're welcome to use the NHS app, but they also take name and contact details separately, that have to be entered into a computer.
Pump clips displayed were Young's Ordinary & Special & St Austell Proper Job. I opted for the latter, which was not on. Second choice was the Special, but apparently they're not brewing that until the autumn! So, having already had the Ordinary, I went for a rather poor Orchard Thieves cider.
The interior is fairly spacious and modern, with plenty of wood. There is also a variety of outdoor seating on a patio and in a garden. As such, it was fairly popular on our weekday lunchtime visit.
A nice spot, but not too much else to recommend about this place.
On 23rd April 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Foley Arms
The Foley has been paid a visit by the Wells and Young's makeover department, which to any traditional pub must be like getting a 2am knock from the Stasi; there are no longer two separate bars sadly, we now have a large elongated U-shaped space with a long central bar cutting through the middle. The pub has also lost its "Arms", rather needlessly in my opinion, although the coat of arms does remain high on an external wall. An annexe has been constructed to the rear to provide accommodation.
Internally we have a part boarded and polished floor with a smaller area in slate grey tiles. Light walls and ceiling, occasional tables with large table lamps, all manner of seating from traditional with carefully mixed up chairs to sofas to benches to high butchers block tables. To the far right end is a food servery, separate from the bar where the seating is more suited to formal dining, this area extends on further to the right where there is then an extensive area of high quality outside seating on a raised deck. Various framed prints, a display wall of wine bottles, a through log burning fire and the obligatory posies of flowers on some of the tables. There was a TV, switched off but be assured this is not your typical Sky Sports pub I have no doubt.
Paper daily menus on the tables, upper end prices eg "The Foley Burger" with hand cut chips and garnishes, £11.25, sandwiches £5.45 to £7.25. There was also a specials chalkboard menu but I really couldn't be bothered to go over and read it.
Newspapers and boardgames were a softer, nicer touch and I spotted a shelf of books too.
It's a Young's pub with Young's beers, no guests, standard range including something called "Foley Gold", clearly the standard London Gold rather than a special.
I'm glad it is open, it had been reported closed, and it should do well here in affluent Claygate but it is rather too sterile and corporate for my traditional tastes.
On 10th January 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about Foley Arms
As of a couple of days ago this felt like a slightly down-at-heel old Young's pub. There was a handful of evident regulars playing darts in the public bar, and a few groups of people on some of the tables in the large garden. Special and Ordinary were the only draught ales available - a seasonal would have been nice, even/especially if Young's don't want to push the boat out with a guest beer. My overall impression was that this pub has a lot of historic character, but is stuck in a bit of a rut and needs to find a way to recover some life. A sympathetic bit of brightening up and another beer would be good ways to start.
On 27th June 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Foley Arms
This is a Young’s house with Bitter, Special and London Gold on, but no guest ales. There were some menus on the tables – main meals were around the £7 - £8 mark, and sandwiches around £4.
The pub still has two separate bars – what would be the Public Bar, although it wasn’t labelled as such, is traditionally bare-boarded, and contained what looked to some local, and probably serious, drinkers. A dartboard, a couple of tables and chairs, plus a few stools at the bar sums it up. The “Saloon Bar” can be reached by a short corridor from the other bar, although it does have its own door to the street. This room is a fine example of faded splendour, with furnishings of settles, normal tables and chairs, all of which have seen much better days. The carpet’s in reasonable nick, but the wallpaper is stained and torn, and the skirting board and doorframes are chipped. It’s probably due for a refurb. There are the usual sort of miscellaneous prints on the walls, and a large garden at the back, although I didn’t visit it on this occasion. But a couple of important plus points deserve a mention – the real log fire on the go, and the adequate supply of London Drinkers on a shelf in the Saloon Bar.
This struck me as a pretty ordinary no-nonsense pub. It’s not worth seeking out, but OK for a pint or two if you happen to be in Claygate, and are happy with Young’s ales.
On 18th November 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]