The Running Horses
Surrey, Mickleham - Modern European - Pub with rooms - ££
A proper English country pub with all-round appeal
The pub’s name references the Derby, which has been run for centuries up on Epsom Downs racecourse, so it's no surprise that the interior of this pleasingly spruced-up, 16th-century coaching house is stuffed with memorabilia – our dining booth featured a fascinating display of race day badges. An old-school bar at the front is regularly filled with families and their dogs, while the separate restaurant area is lit by a skylight that illuminates the dark wood surfaces and eclectic furniture. Pub classics such as sausage rolls with Dorking sauce, homemade pies, rare-breed steaks (cooked ‘nicely pink’) are balanced by a roster of more ambitious dishes. A fistful of tapas-style small plates double as starters (Dingley Dell charcuterie, burrata and roast pumpkin with crispy buckwheat drizzled with hot honey), while mains hop around the globe – from comforting slow-cooked lamb shank with chive mash and roasted heritage carrots to five-spice duck breast with che...
The pub’s name references the Derby, which has been run for centuries up on Epsom Downs racecourse, so it's no surprise that the interior of this pleasingly spruced-up, 16th-century coaching house is stuffed with memorabilia – our dining booth featured a fascinating display of race day badges. An old-school bar at the front is regularly filled with families and their dogs, while the separate restaurant area is lit by a skylight that illuminates the dark wood surfaces and eclectic furniture.
Pub classics such as sausage rolls with Dorking sauce, homemade pies, rare-breed steaks (cooked ‘nicely pink’) are balanced by a roster of more ambitious dishes. A fistful of tapas-style small plates double as starters (Dingley Dell charcuterie, burrata and roast pumpkin with crispy buckwheat drizzled with hot honey), while mains hop around the globe – from comforting slow-cooked lamb shank with chive mash and roasted heritage carrots to five-spice duck breast with cherry gel or corn-fed chicken leg presented as a confit alongside girolles, broad beans and fino sherry sauce.
On Sundays, the chef brings it all back home with a trio of traditional roasts served generously with ‘epic Yorkshires’ and plenty of trimmings – the cauliflower cheese is an outright winner. Desserts keep it homely too, with the likes of apple and blackberry crumble or sticky toffee pudding often showing up on the menu. Service gets full marks all round, as does the drinks list – whether your preference is for locally brewed ale, reasonably priced wine or a zesty cocktail.
VENUE DETAILS
Old London Road
Mickleham
Surrey
RH5 6DU
01372 388422
OTHER INFORMATION
Accommodation, Private dining room, Separate bar, Family friendly, Dog friendly, Credit card required