The Bird in Hand

The Bird in Hand is a country pub that takes its food seriously. It is listed as a bar, but the description that comes with it, British gastropub, three distinct dining areas, meat and fish sourced daily, points to somewhere that expects you to sit down and eat rather than stand at the counter with a pint. Both are possible in a place like this. It is worth knowing which you are going for before you book.

One thing to sort out first. The listing records the town as Woking, while the address given is Godalming. Those are not the same place, and they are not close enough to guess between. Ring ahead or check the pub's own website for the exact location before you set off. We would rather flag that than tidy it away.

The price band is ££, which in Surrey terms means a proper meal without the occasion-only bill. Expect a pub kitchen doing pub cooking with some ambition, rather than tasting menus or small plates at large prices. That band tends to suit a family lunch, a birthday that does not need to be a production, or a straightforward dinner out where the point is the food and the room rather than the theatre.

It carries a Best in Surrey badge, having been named Best Restaurant in Surrey at the British Restaurant Awards. Awards like that are a signal rather than a guarantee, but it does mean the kitchen has been noticed beyond its own car park.

What it is flagged for is Sunday roast and country pub dining. That is the shape of the visit to plan around. Sunday lunch at a pub with a reputation is a booking you make early, not one you chance on the day, and roasts have a habit of selling out. If Sunday is what you are after, get a table well in advance and confirm sitting times.

The three dining areas matter more than they might sound. Pubs split this way usually offer rooms with different characters, some better for a large group, some quieter, some closer to the bar. If you have a preference, say so when you book rather than taking what you are given.

On the food itself, the pub says it buys meat and fish daily and keeps the menu as local as it can. That is a kitchen that changes what it offers according to what arrives, so the dishes you read about online may not be the dishes on the board when you get there. Anyone with a specific dietary requirement should call ahead rather than assume.

Surrey has no shortage of pubs that have added a menu. The ones that stand out are those where the buying is done properly and the rooms still feel like a pub. On the evidence of the award and the daily sourcing, The Bird in Hand is aiming squarely at that second group. Check the address, book for Sunday, and go hungry.