The Cricketers — Restaurant in Guildford

My friend and I are local, and recently started going to this pub in the last month or so. We have become committed regulars, and I don’t even drink! From the moment we walked in we were welcomed by the landlord, and all his staff are super friendly too. The food is great, the chef really cares about your dining experience and has proven to be very committed to our enjoyment of our food. I have taken another friend and my parents there since and all enjoyed it. There are good choices on the regular menu, as well as a light bites menu. The Christmas menu starts 1/12 but due to our own circumstances chef agreed to allow us to experience the Christmas menu early. Last night we arrived to a reserved table with crisp fresh white linen, a reserved sign, Christmas crackers, a candle and party poppers. My friend had chosen the traditional Christmas turkey meal and I had the cod with prawn sauce. Both meals were mouth wateringly good, so good in fact that we have requested the same experience for next week and chef is happy to oblige. They go out of their way to ensure we are happy and comfortable which is much appreciated. The pub puts on various events like monthly pub quizzes, discos, prosecco nights, and so far we have had such fun there. Tonight is a disco, next Friday is a pub quiz which we are going to participate in, and fast becoming regulars. It isn’t a packed pub, which in Covid times is appreciated, but it has a great atmosphere and a warm welcome is guaranteed. Just felt the need to share my experience as it is such a positive one. I’m not a pub person but I love going to the Cricketers, and look forward to spending a great evening there once a week and any spare time in between eating and chatting, and generally having...

We stayed there on two occasions in carpark in our motorhome, on the first night we have spend £300 , at the end of the night I asked barman if I could charge my battery and he agreed with no hesitation ( at the end of the day we spent a lot of money that night in this establishment). We called back few days later and asked if we could stay, to be told by Kevin that is fine but he didn't appreciate me stealing his electricity and he would like some kind of contribution...now I thought spending 300 pounds was enough of a contribution on a night where there was no one there. Anyway I agreed, but I didn't pay any money for electric as we didn't use none, what we did do we spend there over £600 second time around. Luckily the unpleasant owner was away at the time and all the staff that was working on the night were voicing their opinions on Kevin, nothing nice to say... making his chef work while she had a massive bruise on her head with no time off. Ignoring the poor management, staff seemed to be OK until we called again and wanted to stay with them again and of course spend money at the pub, we were told no from Chucky, the one who was complaining so much about him to us seemed to told him that we called him a greedy sad man. Not too worry I have booked in up the road from cricketers and the pub owners are delighted to have us here with much more pleasant...

What are the odds? You travel 6,000 miles from Vietnam, and the universe decides your reunion with work friends should happen not in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh—but in The Cricketers on Aldershot Road, Guildford. And what a choice.

Picture-perfect hedges trimmed with the kind of precision that says “we care, but not in an overbearing way.” A garden that could moonlight as a National Trust site. A proper pint served in a dimpled glass that screams “this is Britain and we know what we’re doing.”

Reconnecting with international colleagues over cold drinks, sunshine, and pub benches—what could possibly go wrong?

Well… keys. We left ours behind. Yes, the house keys. The kind of mistake that turns a charming countryside visit into a 160-mile round trip back from Portsmouth. But in true Cricketers fashion, the staff didn’t just hand them in—they held them like the Holy Grail until our sheepish return. Cheers to that.

So yes, we saw The Cricketers twice in one trip. Once for friendship, once for forgetfulness. Both times—absolutely worth it.

If you enjoy beautiful pub gardens, excellent drinks, and the opportunity to test your memory (and your mileage allowance), this is your place.

Would “lose” our keys here again....