The Waverley Inn — Restaurant in Elmbridge

Your own taste of Medieval Dining.

Throughout the Middle Ages in England, onions were widely sought out as a ‘super-food’ and were even used as rent, medicine and a tool to buff a users fight prowess in battle (they’d rub the onion on themselves) Why do I mention onions you ask? Read on and you shall see..

Weybridge was no different when it came to onions, whether it was the monks passing through to Chertsey Abbey during the 7th Century, the Anglo Saxons trading and eating onions for tools and goods in the 10th Century or even up to the 16th Century when King Henry VIII himself began to build Oatlands Palace within ‘Weybrugg’. Onions have clearly formed an invaluable service across England, including Weybridge.

So, with that, venture on down to the Waverley Inn and behold an homage to the Middle Ages, as you enter through the doors the warm wave of bodily heat will hit you as multiple revellers are stuffed into a dimly lit and cramped dining space - just as the medieval taverns of old. Don’t worry about thinking of any conversation pieces, the cacophony of noise and general bustle will make it impossible to hear a thing.

As the staff hand you the menus, you will be a-gasped that you yourself can have a meal handed down through centuries like thousands of Englishmen and Women before you. That’s right, for the low cost of only £18 you too can have a whole onion! Some say that the 4th and 5th inner layers hold the best flavour, others say it is the whole onion that makes the meal. Either way, you’ll be left with a tear in your eye (not just from the onion) as you sign your cheque and realise that you spent £18 on an onion rather than the cuts of meat available - these being available only to noblemen and women (prices on request per weight).

Whilst my party stayed for only a matter of minutes before leaving for another place to eat, we did have an entire evening of laughing at the ridiculousness of the Waverley Inn menu. For that, thank you.

Updated - Jul 2020 Since my review above, I have noticed a change in how the Waverley Inn operates - as well as the menu. Gone are the overly pretentious dishes and in are some nicely refined and well rounded looking dishes. I have been very impressed with the work the Waverley Inn have been undertaking during the lockdown period. Definitely a place I will visit upon...

Bitterly disappointing. Our table of six order three of the wagyu burgers, a main course portion of the mussels, our two children had the children's burger. Someone in the kitchen has an affinity for salt, our chips and the mussels were horribly salty, we ended up scraping the salt from the chips to make them palatable, our waitress who was lovely and attentive did provide us with some unsalted chips which were much better. We were offered pink or well done for the burgers, all of them came out medium/well, no pink to be seen and we're too salty again. If your child is over three years of age, do not order them the burger, it is slider sized, my ten year old son did not know whether to laugh or cry. To the chef, children do not care if the burger is wagyu, they want a reasonable portion. We finished off with the sticky toffee puddings, they were ok, my daughter found a short brown hair 3/4 the way through and was put off the rest. It's a shame, the restaurant has a nice atmosphere, is well decorated and the staff seemed pleasant. It is hugely let down by the prices, portions and...

I’ve eaten here about six times now and the food has consistently impressed me. The produce is clearly high quality and the chefs know what they’re doing, with backgrounds in recognisable London restaurants.

The menu strikes a good balance — not overwhelming, but with enough choice to keep things interesting. Cocktails and wines are well curated, with a handful of great cocktails (though it’s a shame they don’t serve a dirty martini). They’ve got some good beer, too.

Price-wise, it’s excellent value. Dishes come in around 20% more than standard pub fare (30% more for steaks once you add sides), but the flavour and execution are easily 100% better.

The atmosphere hits a nice middle ground: lively without being hectic, relaxed without being dull. They’re also family-friendly, happy to accommodate pushchairs even in the evenings.

Service is friendly, unpretentious, and matches the overall vibe — a good mix of sophistication and casual. I’ve rated it 4/5 only because it’s not quite at that seamless “next level” of service, but it’s still a clear step...