Sorrel
Dorking, Surrey
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Steve Drake is a local legend in Surrey, having spent 14 years at Drakes in Ripley before decamping to Dorking in 2017. Since then, Sorrel has become a real asset to the town and continues to go ‘from strength to strength’. Occupying a series of smartly turned out, low-ceilinged rooms in a Grade II-listed building complete with beams and standing timbers, it’s a thoroughly agreeable spot. Proceedings revolve around a multi-course ‘Discovery’ menu that runs effortlessly from ‘departures’ (exquisite mouthfuls such as apple and curry meringue) to ‘journey’s end’ (jasmine and lemon bonbon, miso fudge etc). In between, the cooking is of the moment, subtle but also razor-sharp when it comes to teasing out flavours from the finest seasonal ingredients. Pork belly might be paired with mussels, raw broccoli and piquillo pepper, while guinea fowl could be given the ‘coq au vin’ treatment, with parsley root and chocolate adding their own unexpected notes to a reinvented classic. Hand-dived scallops feature regularly (perhaps with crushed apple, turnip miso, Ortiz anchovy and turnip leaf oil), while dessert often heralds a voguish sweet-savoury confection (grapefruit, shiitake, coffee, peanut and passion fruit, for example). A more manageable three-course option (also framed by 'departure' and 'journey's end' nibbles) suits the lunchtime crowd. The whole package is enhanced by efficient, considerate staff who explain everything in knowing detail and serve dishes at ‘just the right speed’, allowing diners time to take it all in. A constantly evolving, contemporary wine list aims to match the flavours of the season, with quality and value across the board, and plenty of accessible by-the-glass options for easy drinking.
