The Guildford Arms

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses: £13/14 (lunch) / £13/14
• House wine: £10.50 per bottle

• High point: An architectural historian's dream
• Low point: Running commentary from the open kitchen door
• Food served: Mon-Thu noon-2.30pm, 6-9.30pm; Fri 12.30-2.30pm, 6-10pm; Sat noon-10pm; Sun 12.30-3pm, 6-9.30pm
• Bar open: Mon-Thu 11am-11pm; Fri/Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 12.30-11pm
• Open since: 1896

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

You can't get more pub-like than the Guildford Arms. In fact, next to 'pub' in the dictionary there should simply be a picture of this place. That's no bad thing. From the gantry bar to the dark woods of the interior, the Guildford is really quite beautiful. The real treat, though, is the ornate gold and red glory of its Victorian ceiling. Odd then, that the owners have created a 'feature' eating area in an upstairs gallery space which goes for a very contemporary beige and brown leather look. The food echoes this tension between old and new. A rotating menu of pub standards (steaks, fish and chips, etc) vies for attention with a specials board offering more adventure. This makes for unusual contrasts. A starter such as the vegetable broth is a reassuringly robust affair, as is a main such as the char-grilled mixed vegetable toasted panini with masses of fries. But other mains such as the fillet of sea bass with a smart mustard cream sauce prove the kitchen is not one-dimensional. Finish it off with a quite excellent dessert like the pear and almond flan, then settle back with a foaming ale and talk about the old days.