The Plough Inn, Downside, Cobham — Restaurant in Elmbridge

Bemused by the reviewer who stated "Not worth the wait"...

On the contrary, The Plough Inn is absolutely worth the wait, I challenge the aforementioned reviewer to take the risks, invest the cash and dedicate their life to building a unique business offering as The Plough Inn.

The Plough Inn has dared and succeeded to be different in a consistently challenging and changing environment.

The Plough Inn has been open in its current form less than a year, in this time it has found its feet, albeit with a quiet start but has demonstrated what can be done.

I have had plenty of fabulous Lunches, Dinners (same thing) and breakfasts at The Plough and have never been disappointed.

John the Chef is a man with a mission, this shows in the food going over the pass, front of House is staffed by a solid team who want to work, and want to work at The Plough, a fundamental key to any establishment.

To those who have not yet experienced The Plough, when you do arrive, take a moment, have a look around and then sit at the bar and enjoy a proper Bloody Mary, an Organic Red Wine or like me...... a pint of Guinness.

I whole heartedly recommend you stay for Lunch or Dinner (same thing) and try some of the ever developing menu, a maturing menu.

The Beef is something to savour, John and his kitchen understand beef as a component to a great meal, I have enjoyed 60 day aged Wagyu on many an occasion, and there is even a Wagyu Beef Chilli Dog, designed to be consumed at the bar with a cold beer...... seriously.

If Beef is not your thing.... don't worry.

I may sound like someone who is supporting this business a little too much but bare this in mind:

Not too long ago approx' 50 pubs a week were closing in the UK; Many of those pubs are now houses, flats, squats, Krispy Kreme Drive Throughs and other abominations we do not need; The Plough Inn itself was closed and even condemned structurally; The risk one has to accept to fund and deliver such a venture is unacceptable; The Plough now creates jobs for good people; The people of Cobham have a choice that is not Pizza or Pasta (with the greatest of respect); The Food is real and your beef is local; The People of the Plough have aspirations and work very long hours to serve us, even when we have probably outstayed our welcome;

So, this is a short review, however, in summary The Plough Inn is doing exactly what the Pub Trade, our local and national economy needs right now, and they are doing a first class job, 10/10.

PS: I will happily wait for a table to become free at The Plough let alone for it to open in the first place, and yes The Plough is now my local Hostelry and I take pride in supporting local business, not deriding people that are brave enough to make...

Had dinner on the outside patio area. The setting was pleasant, and the food was quite nice. Sadly, the poor level of service spoiled the evening. The three young waiters were pleasant enough, but they had no idea of how to do their job - clearly no training whatsoever! There was a litany of failings. For example . . . . . . Delivering food, to a breezy outdoor table, before the cutlery was provided. Delivering the meat before the vegetables, leaving it to get cold. Long waits for eveything. Not clearing away empty plates for a long time, even leaving a large table uncleared for ages after a noisy group left. Serving the man first instead of the woman, and serving across the table when from the side would be appropriate. Even asking whether we needed new cutlery for our chicken main course (after delivering it) when we had clearly left our old cutlery with the messy remains of tiger prawns on the plates which we had pushed to the edge of the table, naively hoping they might be cleared away. Having to look for a waiter as no one came to check whether we would like a desert, ages after we finished the main course. Having to ask for the bill as soon as the deserts arrived as we could not afford another long wait; even then we had to ask twice! The waiter asking if we wanted to pay without seeing the bill. And so on, and on, and on . . . . . . To cap all of this the place is expensive. It is priced comparable to the nearby Ivy Brasserie, where the service was tip-top on a recent visit. It will be a long time before we...

Driving past The Plough, on our way to stay in Chatley Heath Semaphore Tower, it looked like a traditional country pub. So, on Sunday evening, we set out walking across the fields, hoping for a pleasant drink. The warning signs came when we could hear thumping music from over half a mile away. We were shown to an outside table (not offered the option of sitting inside), where we were subjected to awful piped music, superimposed on the other racket. The website mentions local ales, but I was offered only one actual beer, a very light IPA from London, other than lager and Guinness. The prices are astronomical - my pint was £5.80, my wife's Prosecco £8, and they added 12.5% service without asking. I didn't get this taken off, because the only positive part of the experience was the friendly and efficient staff. In reply to the Regional Manager's response: I didn't go out of my way to review - I was prompted to do so by Google. Having been very disappointed, I felt the need to tell the truth, from our point of view. Others may enjoy having different sources of music in each eardrum, and happily pay £6.50 for a pint (including service). I can't speak for the food, as we were visiting only for drinks. The garden was pleasant, apart from the noise, and the staff were helpful and friendly. You are right, this is a very hard time for pubs, and we do our best to support them. We wish you every success with your business and your target audience, but I would ask you not to bombard the otherwise peaceful surrounding countryside...