Guildford’s dining scene mirrors its Surrey charm: a mix of cobbled history and modern flair. Fancy a proper Sunday roast at a countryside inn? Or maybe sushi paired with rooftop views? That’s the beauty of hunting for the best restaurants in Guildford—you’re spoiled for choice. You can either have an authentic bacon breakfast in the local pub or savour fresh seafood scallops in the dining room, which is covered in floor-to-ceiling windows. Between heritage pubs and plates that’d impress a London food critic, Guildford restaurants prove you don’t need to trek to the capital for a memorable meal. Grab a fork—let’s dig in.
Best Restaurants in Guildford
In this guide, we’ve rounded up 15 crowd-pleasers that locals actually book weeks ahead for. Whether you’re looking for £5 lunch specials or a splurge-worthy wine pairing, these best places to eat in Guildford prove good taste isn’t just a London postcode game.
Raviz
In Guildford’s food scene, Raviz has quietly become a favourite for its unique Indian cuisine. It’s neither a replica of a traditional curry house nor an attempt to be new, with the chef team blending centuries-old recipes with contemporary aesthetics. The lunchtime set menu features a three-finger wide rack of lamb on a gilt copper plate, an eight-hour lentil bisque still steaming, smoked eggplant puree coated in walnut crumble that blossoms into layers of wonder on the tongue, and a spoonful of saffron rice to finish off the meal – at £12 per person, the neighbourhood’s white-collar workers have become regulars. Instead of the oppressive feeling of a Michelin star, it’s more like visiting the private home of a spice-obsessed gourmet.
Address: 8/9 Jeffries Passage, Guildford, GU1 4AP
Tel: +44 1483 497219
Features:
- Cuisines: Indian, Asian
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Red Lion
On the corner of Guildford’s gravelled streets, the cast-iron sign of the Red Lion pub is always misted with water—a subtle hint of the steam rising from its kitchen. Push open the oak door with its brass knob, and you’ll land somewhere between a Dickens novel and a modern top restaurant in Guildford: foxhunting paintings watch over corgis snoring by the hearth while the scent of aged oak-barrel sugar from the daily toffee pudding mingles with seared rib-eye. That vegan Wellington? A geological marvel—purple pastry splitting to reveal beetroot-stained morels, convincing even the staunchest meat-eater to swipe a forkful. Regulars clock in before 3 pm not just for the pudding but to catch Gryff’s deadpan quips about “portion control” as he slides plates wider than the pub’s original 16th-century beams. It’s this clash of cobwebs and culinary ambition—where dogs gnaw roast-themed “pallets” and brown sugar’s older than the building’s foundations—that cements the Red Lion as more than a pub. Call it Guildford’s edible time machine, with Michelin-worthy gravy.
Address: The Green Shamley Green, Shamley Green, Guildford, GU5 0UB
Tel: +44 1483 664161
Features:
- Cuisines: Bar, British, Pub
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours
- Special Diets:Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Positano
Step into Positano and the terracotta walls, strung with copper pans, could fool you into thinking you’ve stumbled into a Sicilian farmhouse. Staff greet regulars by name, sliding plates of Pennette alla Calabrese (spicy enough to warrant the carafe of house red) alongside lunchtime bargains like £13.50 two-course specials. That “holiday in Italy” vibe? It’s in the details: nonnas nodding approval at the tiramisu’s espresso-soaked layers, managers weaving between tables to check if the osso bucco needs another shaving of gremolata. Forget tourist-trap garlic bread—here, it’s charcoal-grilled focaccia with nduja butter, served by waiters who’ll debate pasta shapes like football tactics. When the sunset filters through stained glass onto plates of lemon-zest ricotta dumplings, you’ll get why locals slot Positano among Guildford’s best restaurants.
Address: 124a High Street Tunsgate, GU1 3HQ
Tel: +44 1483 563277
Features:
- Cuisines: Italian, Mediterranean, European, Neapolitan, Campania, Sicilian
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner
- Special Diets:Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
The Long Bar & Grill
Friday nights at The Long Bar & Grill feel like Guildford’s worst-kept secret—bartenders shaking passionfruit-infused negronis while regulars jostle for another basket of that sourdough baked locally. Go big on mains: the whole seabass grilled with lemon char marks, not those sad fillets masquerading as “portions.” Staff grin as they’ve just unlocked the secret to hospitality, sliding plates through the buzz without spilling a drop of that £12 cocktail. Sure, skip dessert and double down on the rosemary-olive oil martini instead—this isn’t a chain-slinging frozen tiramisu. Between the open kitchen’s sizzle and tables crammed with birthday sparklers, it’s clear why locals wedge this spot into one of the best restaurants in Guildford debates. Just book ahead; even the corgis know it’s packed by 7 pm.
Address: 3 Alexandra Terrace, High Street Harbour Hotel Guildford, GU1 3DA
Tel: +44 1483 792306
Features:
- Cuisines: Bar, British, Grill
- Meal types: Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegan options
HarBAR Kitchen, Bar and Terrace
HarBAR’s terrace is where Guildford’s sunset crowd flocks—retractable canopy cranking open as Fahd slides another kofta platter onto tables. Skip dainty hotel portions; here, the mixed grill could feed a rugby squad, with rib-eye so juicy it threatens the linen napkins. Afternoon tea? Swap finger sandwiches for “cheeky gin” pairings, while regulars hoard sourdough from the breakfast spread for later dunking in harissa mayo. It’s this unapologetic more-is-more vibe—towering seafood pasta, takeaway boxes for leftover tiramisu—that cements HarBAR among one of the best places to eat in Guildford, whether you’re nursing a negroni under heat lamps or bribing toddlers with chip mountains.
Address: 3 Alexandra Terrace High Street Harbour Hotel Guildford, GU1 3DA
Tel: +44 1483 792308
Features:
- Cuisines: Bar, British, Grill
- Meal types: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Kinghams Restaurant
Tucked into Shere’s postcard lanes, Kinghams turns 17th-century beams into a stage for dishes that twist local ingredients into surprises—think partridge with blackberry glaze, plated like edible Still Life paintings. Summer lures diners to the heated gazebo where herb gardens scent the air; winter huddlers score the marquee, fire crackling like it’s gossiping about Tudor times. Yes, it’s a splurge—but when four courses leave you stuffed yet craving more, and the bill feels lighter than chain-pub, you’ll crown it Shere’s culinary time capsule.
Address: Gomshall Lane, Shere, Guildford, GU5 9HE
Tel: +44 1483 202168
Features:
- Cuisines: British, Healthy
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Gomshall Mill
Gomshall Mill’s stone walls have seen 400 years of soggy Surrey walkers thawing by its fire. Post-ramble rituals: crack into a steak pie crust flakier than the footpaths outside, wash it down with rosé blush chilled just shy of glacial, and let the 16th-century beams creak approval as your spaniel commandeers the water bowl. Birthday squads? You will be ushered to window nooks where trout sizzles beside rugby on mute while staff juggle roast orders without breaking a sweat. Pro tip: book the cauliflower starter—it’s basically a veggie conspiracy to upstage mains. Rain or shine, this mill grinds out cosy like it’s still powering the village.
Address: 52 Station Road, Gomshall, Guildford, GU5 9LB
Tel: +44 1483 340231
Features:
- Cuisines: Bar, British, Pub, Gastropub
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Gurkha kitchen
Tucked behind Guildford’s high street, Gurkha Kitchen operates in stealth mode—dim lights, zero neon glitz, just a handwritten “buffet” sign luring locals into £10.95 three-course miracles. Mondays mean dal bhat feasts big enough to silence hangry office crews, while takeaway regulars know to request extra Timur pepper in their momos (kitchen obliges, no questions). Toddlers hold court here, too, bribed with golden nuggets, while parents tackle goat curries that cling to roti like edible Velcro. Pro tip: phone orders get the “uncle treatment”—portions balloon, and spice levels auto-adjust to your sweat threshold. For a canteen that moonlights as a flavour bomb, this spot’s the covert ops of Surrey’s dining scene.
Address: 111 Aldershot Road, Guildford, GU2 8BE
Tel: +44 1483 449044
Features:
- Cuisines: Indian, Nepalese, Asian
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options
Shah's Secreto
Sitting around the corner from G Live, Shah’s Secreto is a connoisseur’s secret favourite for ‘Guildford’s best restaurants’. As the crowds from the theatre next door roll in, Shah, in his gold-rimmed glasses, personally mixes up the spice levels – from spicy prawn puri with Mumbai street style to tender lamb chops marinated in yoghurt for 12 hours and even the spiced fried rice can be broken down into a gluten-free version. The masala curry we packed turned out to be richer and mellower when reheated the next day than the dine-in version, so it’s no wonder people often make the drive to stock up.
Address: 260-262 High Street, GU1 3JL
Tel: +44 1483 565777
Features:
- Cuisines: Indian, Asian, Balti
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options
Theion
Theion is the glamour of traditional Greek cuisine—smoky tzatziki dolloped onto seared octopus tacos, crab spaghetti spilling from its shell like Poseidon’s lunchbox. Regular stage-whisper orders for that red blend wine (cherry notes, price tag that won’t murder your card), while newbies gawk at dips that shame supermarket hummus. Yes, they’ll charge you extra for pita, but when the chargrilled squid could convert seafood sceptics and the aubergine starter’s basically a carb assassin in velvet sauce, you’ll forgive the bread hustle. Book the brick-walled nook, let the Santorini-white decor fool your Instagram.
Address: Centenary Hall, Guildford, GU1 3UH
Tel: +44 1483 579786
Features:
- Cuisines: Mediterranean, Greek
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Olivo Ristorante Italiano
Olivo’s crisp linen and glittering cutlery set the stage—not for Shakespeare, but for scallops seared to golden-edged perfection and sea bass fillets that flake like they’ve got something to prove. Regulars here play a game: order the melanzana parmigiana starter, then try not to Instagram it mid-bite (spoiler: you’ll fail). All servers wield wine lists like Italian uncles—generous pours, zero pretence—while lunch specials leave Guildford’s chain pasta joints blushing. Yes, portions veer into carb-coma territory, but when the amatriciana sauce clings to rigatoni like a Neapolitan love letter, you’ll forgive the stretchy trousers. Book the corner table, toast Tomas’s charm, and join the locals slotting Olivo among the best restaurants in Guildford—no Armani suits required, just an appetite.
Address: 53 Quarry Street, Guildford, GU1 3UA
Tel: +44 1483 303535
Features:
- Cuisines: Italian
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
The Weyside
On the outskirts of the town of Guildford, at the bay of the river, the rough stone walls of The Weyside are always covered in water vapour. It’s the floor-to-ceiling windows that steal the show – as the ducks swept through the reeds, the waiter arrived with a cast-iron skillet, the charred marks of mashed potatoes wrapped in sausage still sizzling. Regulars know to take the wooden table by the window in advance, and with the £12 lunchtime set menu, they can try the day’s freshly caught trout, paired with a home-brewed beer to watch the canal barges slowly sail past. The chef’s secret weapon in the back of the kitchen is the ‘death fries’, rough-cut skin-on potatoes triple-fried and sprinkled with sea salt from the chef’s native Cornwall, which has the suits at the next table licking their fingertips in disbelief. On Thursday charity nights, the restaurant quietly slips an extra basket of garlic bread to the volunteer tables, which is more desirable than a Michelin star.
Address: Millbrook, Guildford, GU1 3XJ
Tel: +44 1483 568024
Features:
- Cuisines: Bar, British, Pub, Gastropub
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options
Turtle Bay Guildford
Turtle Bay’s jerk-spiced aroma hits before you spot the door—follow the reggae bassline past sneaky corridor pongs to a cavern of rum punch sloshing and ribs so tender they’ll slide off the bone mid-brag. Brunch warriors swarm for bottomless Plantain Pancakes, but savvy locals sneak in post-rush. The seafood bowl’s a coconut-milk hug for £21, while curried goat converts even die-hard roast dinner fans. When the soca beats drown out cutlery clatter and servers fist-bump regulars dodging hen parties, you’ll get why this Carib hideout muscles into Guildford’s best restaurants debates. Just wear elasticated shorts—those saltfish fritters are addictive.
Address: Dolphin House, 1 North Street, GU1 4AA
Tel: +44 1483 300307
Features:
- Cuisines: Caribbean, Bar, Jamaican
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Jeita
The smoky aroma of Jeita’s olive charcoal grill in the stone lanes along the Guildford Canal is a constant draw for diners. Push open the copper studded cypress door, and the white-hatted chef pours virgin olive oil over the hummus. The sound of the grill mixing with the meat makes you feel like you’re in a Beirut market. Regulars know to book a window seat in advance, and the Lebanese platter of shoulder of lamb covered in pomegranate molasses and served with mint yoghurt neutralises the dampness of a rainy British day. The manager serves complimentary fried chickpea croquettes for birthdays, a Middle Eastern secret on the ‘places to eat in Guildford’ list, and even vegans can try the freshly baked za’atar spice bread – hot from the oven; it melts the mist on the glass windows.
Address: 50-52 Chertsey Street, GU1 4HD
Tel: +44 1483 567813
Features:
- Cuisines: Mediterranean, Greek
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
The Jolly Farmer
The Jolly Farmer is located between Bramley’s free car park and a library that smells of 90s paperbacks and serves Ploughman’s platters, so hefty you’ll eye the doorframe on the exit. Sundays see roast carvers wielding Yorkshire puds like edible frisbees while regulars hoard ham-and-egg leftovers in Tupperware smuggled from home. Sure, the “garden” is three picnic tables guarding the Ford Focuses, but when gluten-free fish pies arrive on plates wider than the Surrey Hills and staff remember your autistic son’s seating quirks, you’ll clock why this family-run boozer tops Guildford’s go-to places to eat for unpretentious gluttons.
Address: High Street, Bramley, GU5 0HB
Tel: +44 1483 893355
Features:
- Cuisines: Bar, British, Pub
- Meal types: Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, After-hours, Drinks
- Special Diets: Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Find the Best Student Accommodation in Guildford
For students savouring Guildford’s vibrant dining scene, booking student accommodation through uhomes.com ensures both comfort and culinary convenience. Their curated student accommodation in Guildford strategically positions residents steps away from gastronomic hotspots — imagine finishing lectures and strolling directly to artisanal coffee shops or riverside bistros. Beyond location perks, uhomes.com streamlines the process with multilingual agents who handle everything from room matching to utility setups, freeing you to explore the town’s Michelin-guided eateries. Reviews highlight seamless experiences, like securing south-facing rooms with kitchenettes perfect for recreating that Bella Italia pasta dish, while free parking near properties means weekend food adventures are always within reach. Whether you’re craving late-night kebabs after pub crawls or hunting for brunch spots, uhomes.com provides Guildford listings that blend homebase practicality with epicurean accessibility.
Conclusion
Every neighbourhood on this town’s gourmand map hides a taste code. The best restaurants in Guildford are like prisms of light, accommodating both the rustling farmer’s platters of riverside pubs and the flames of rum blazing to the sound of Caribbean steel drums. When the sommelier quietly adds a spoonful of garlic bread for a charity night, Michelin standards and downtown warmth come together in a marvellous symbiosis. The delicacy with a smoky flavour is perhaps Guildford’s philosophy of the table for the world: it’s not just the food that you cut up with a knife and fork; it’s the folded flavours of an English town.
FAQ
Does Guildford have a Michelin-star restaurant?
As of the latest available data, Guildford does not have any Michelin-starred restaurants. The closest Michelin-starred options are in London or other nearby cities.
What are the best restaurants in Guildford?
Top choices include Raviz (elevated Indian cuisine), Red Lion (hearty British gastro-pub), and The Percy Arms (countryside inn with local fare). These are praised for quality and ambiance.
What are the best restaurants in Guildford that deliver?
Gurkha Kitchen offers authentic Indian-Nepali dishes for delivery, with customizable spice levels and generous portions. Some hotel-based venues like Harbour Hotel & Spa may also provide takeaway options.
Does Guildford have pet-friendly restaurants?
Yes! Red Lion and Gomshall Mill welcome pets, offering water bowls and even dog-friendly roast “pallets.” The Percy Arms also accommodates pets in its outdoor areas.
