The Oatlands Chaser

The Oatlands Chaser sits on Oatlands Chase, in the residential stretch of Weybridge away from the main shopping streets. It is a British pub that also functions as a restaurant, and the balance between those two roles is the useful thing to understand before you go. This is not a drinkers' local with food attached as an afterthought, nor is it a dining room that happens to have a bar. It is pitched as a premium pub, which in practice means a place you can go to for a pint after work or sit down to a full lunch, and neither feels out of place.

The ££ price band puts it in the middle of the market. Expect to pay more than you would at a chain pub and less than at a dedicated restaurant. For most readers that reads as a place you can take the family on a Sunday without doing the arithmetic beforehand, but not somewhere you would choose for a milestone birthday unless the mood is deliberately relaxed.

Two things it is specifically known for: Sunday roasts and afternoon tea. Both suggest a kitchen set up for the slower end of the week — bookings that occupy a table for a while, groups of mixed ages, that sort of thing. Sunday roast in a Surrey pub is a competitive business, and a place that has built a reputation on it is usually worth a look. Afternoon tea is a less common offering in a pub setting and tends to require booking ahead, though we cannot confirm what this venue's policy is.

Beyond that, it is described as suiting family lunches and after-work drinks. Weybridge has a substantial commuter population, and a pub that works for a Friday evening drink as well as a Sunday with the children is doing something sensible with its space. The surroundings are described as comfortable and well-designed rather than traditional, which is worth knowing if you are after low beams and worn carpet — that does not appear to be the intention here.

What we do not have: opening hours, menu detail, prices for specific dishes, or whether roasts and afternoon tea run on particular days only. Pub kitchens change their offering with the seasons and Sunday service often runs to a fixed window that sells out. Ring ahead or check online before travelling, particularly for a Sunday table or for afternoon tea.

Oatlands is a quieter part of Weybridge, so this is somewhere you go to deliberately rather than stumble across. That tends to work in a pub's favour — the trade is local, the atmosphere is less transient, and the place has to be good enough to be worth the walk or the short drive. On the strength of what it is known for, The Oatlands Chaser reads as a dependable mid-priced option for weekend eating and weekday drinking, rather than a destination in its own right.