One of the many benefits of living on the London/Surrey border is that we’re spoilt for choices when it comes to eating out – yet more often than not we find ourselves opting for the same restaurants out of complacency. When we were invited to review The White Hart on Godstone Green I was keen to discover what they offered after re-opening after an extensive renovation and rebrand last year.
As the name suggests you’ll find The White Hart on Godstone Green, Surrey with a more than adequate car park to the rear. Once a 16th-century coaching inn is a Grade II listed building with a warm olde-wolde welcome with all the charm of period features like beams and low ceilings coupled with a laid back modern take on furniture that is surprisingly complimentary to the building.
There is a bar and restaurant both offering the same menu with table service in the restaurant. We were greeted by the manager, Liam who showed us to our table and talked us through the menu. Our waitress was Charlotte who I must say was fantastically attentive without being intrusive.
The menu is comprehensive with a few surprises showing the new chef is keen to stretch the palettes of diners which is very much welcome. For starters, I ordered Burrata with prosciutto on sourdough and my Mum chose the arancini – both were really nice with great presentation.
Both our main courses were the real stand out winners I opted for the pan-fried duck breast with honey and sesame glaze and yes the tastes on the plate were well thought out but the duck breast itself was cooked to perfection and that’s coming from someone who’s super fussy about duck.
My Mum went for the herb crusted rump of lamb and again the meat was absolutely perfect – so much so that she was still singing it’s praises on in the car on the way home.
Desserts were a great way to round off our meal; with us sharing peanut butter & chocolate mille-feuille – if you’re a lover of peanut butter this one is for you and vanilla cheesecake – a really good solid cheesecake and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all desserts are made fresh on site.
The children’s meal ticked all the boxes you’d expect and went down a storm with Boo. She began with dough balls and crudites, a crowd pleaser of a cheeseburger for main and finished with a dessert of ice cream with hot caramel sauce. All this plus a glass of squash makes it a substantial choice for children up to 10.
The White Hart on Godstone Green is a great destination for casual dining that carries gastronomical clout and is a welcome addition to my little black book of dining in Surrey.
Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary meal for the purpose of this review.
