Royal Oak Surbiton

"Situated roughly halfway down Ewell Road, not too far off Tolworth Roundabout, overseeing a consistently busy, yellow hatched intersection, this detached grey building with green bricked exterior sticks out among the diverse range of regionally specific convenience stores. The exterior evokes a particular, arguably unfair, "rough" pub stereotype. Expected stunned silence and outsider status on arrival, instead met with spacious seating, table service and extensive food and drink options. Quite the juxtaposition. Grand Funk Railroad plays out on the speakers, I opt for a Guinness (excellent pour), take a seat next to the meat fridge, and peruse the menu - steaks, burgers, fish, picky bits - it's a gastro pub menu but looks fancier. A £99 steak sticks out to me, "Has anyone ever finished this?" I ask. The server says "It's meant for 4 people". I've been watching too many BeardMeatsFood videos. My Richard Holmes history books do extend to Tolworth, and The Royal Oak is rich in history. Dating back to 1861, it had Tolworth Fountain opposite (1903-1936) before being demolished for road widening. In 1931, then Landlady Florence Wedderburn was convicted for selling diluted whisky, a hefty £10 fine was issued. Moving swiftly to the 1990s, and the pub was run by Leila Williams, Miss Great Britain in 1957, and a Blue Peter Presenter from 1958-1962 no less, and her husband was Fred Mudd, former singer of The Mudlarks. The inferior whisky was only served to those not allowed in the saloon bar, and while the booze quality improved, the divide remained until 1984 when it was then made a single bar. Sold to Scottish & Newcastle in 1998, it's unclear who owns it now, but the current management look to have been there for 6-8 years judging by the socials. I sent this pub on to a few people, and it seems like I'm the last to discover it. A good reminder to keep an open mind and the joys of just "dipping" into a pub for one. Definitely a case of not judging a book by its cover, but beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder after all."

"Much improved, nice atmosphere, good staff. Great garden and outside BBQ. Steaks and burgers look great. They had Timothy Taylor and Doombar but both were in good fettle. Plenty of room and very quiet on a Monday late lunch."

"Fantastic place- comfortable to sit inside and with plenty of space to sit outside. Staff is very welcoming and knowledgeable and can advise when it comes to drinks, cocktails and food. All food was delicious, fresh and just what we needed.parking might be a bit challenging so give yourself extra 10 minutes to find the right spot."