The Royal Oak Inn & Meerkat Retreat in Brockham — Restaurant in Mole Valley

Wonderful Experience – A Hidden Gem with Meerkats and Outstanding Hospitality

This pub is an absolute hidden gem—and not just because of the meerkats (though they are a delightful bonus)!

I’ve genuinely never received better customer service. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the friendly gentleman behind the bar. What truly stood out, though, was the incredible care and attention from Chef Claire. She came out personally to discuss my dietary restrictions, and went above and beyond—checking every detail to ensure I felt completely safe and comfortable. As someone who usually avoids eating out because of these concerns, I was deeply touched by her thoughtfulness.

I’ve since returned with my partner, and the second visit was just as positive. From ordering to the food itself, everything was handled with the same level of care and quality. Claire’s cooking is delicious, and her kindness shines through in every part of the experience. She even offered me a takeaway container so I could enjoy the rest of my meal later—a small but incredibly thoughtful gesture.

Claire truly creates a warm, inclusive atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. I can’t recommend this place and her...

Where to start? The pub is located on one of the most idyllic village greens in England. I mean, Brockham itself is a particularly pleasant village, a very nice place to go for a walk, followed by a nice drink at the tables out front of the pub, overlooking the green - something we do quite often. Which is how we managed to not notice for an age that if you sit in the back garden, there's a meerkat run. So: plenty to enjoy. (The meerkats are descendants of a "rescued" pet colony - there's an info board with the full story. Allow a full day. Or maybe two.)

The pub itself? Kind of old fashioned, in a good way, in keeping with its location. Very friendly, good selection of beers and ciders, a menu of popular dishes, and a complete vegan/vegetarian menu to go with the regular ones (!) It's decent pub food at a very...

I welcome the fact new people have taken over running this pub as it is has a traditional look and good selection of beers. We ordered the Sunday Roasts and were hopeful they would taste good following the views. The veg tasted nice but the potatoes, roast beef, gravy and parsnips were all served on a cold plate meaning a cold roast and no one came to check, which was disappointing. We left most of the meal and though we were given free drinks it was not a great experience and they need to make changes to improve the customer experience.

I note the response received but may I suggest you ask customers once they have started eating so you can promptly correct any issues and not wait until they finish and leave disappointed or attempt to pay, or in some cases not want to pay if they do not feel they have...