Acorn Restaurant — Restaurant in Waverley

Bang average, I'm afraid. Top-drawer prices for a mid-drawer experience. 2.5 out of 5.

Food was fine, nothing mind blowing, but definitely overpriced for what is essentially decent gastro-pub fare. My steak was cooked well as was my wife's fish, and the dauphinoise was great, but this was countered by the somewhat watery tasting and microwaved mash and the over-ovened dry "Catalan bread" starters. Overall definitely more positive than not, but nothing particularly memorable either way.

However, it was the extremely underwhelming service and poor atmosphere which let our evening down. The staff are nice enough but woefully inexperienced and trained. A Saturday evening meal out with £30 - £40 mains deserves more than a few teenagers running around managing the floor. "Sit over there", "what you after?", "I don't know what that is, sorry", "here you go", "are you done?"... You get the idea; they didn't exactly inspire confidence in their competence and certainly didn't add to any sense of occasion.

The restaurant had a Saturday staff coffee shop vibe rather than a professionally staffed Saturday evening dining out experience (as the prices would seem to suggest). To make matters worse the head waitress (I presume) made it very clear that she was unhappy with us for not paying the service charge, although not once had we been asked if everything was ok, "how was the food" etc.

Also, whilst I have no issue with a £30 cancellation fee, in hindsight it does seem a little optimistic and pretentious for a restaurant which was only a third full and had food and service of this standard.

Unfortunately, the whole experience was lack lustre and disappointing and put a real damper on our anniversary evening. We shall...

We visited the restaurant the other night and had a really disappointing meal.

For our starter, we ordered the mixed tapas. The separate tapas menu included lots of exciting options so we were looking forward to trying a selection, but what arrived seemed like it was just come straight from a 3 for £8 supermarket selection - stuffed cherry peppers, artichoke hearts and a dry square of focaccia. The beetroot gravlax just tasted like vinegar. I believe the menu suggested a cured fish, but this wasn’t included. If anyone is thinking of ordering this, I recommend you just pop to the local supermarket and buy the components yourself to save £20.

My husband was excited to order the Fish of the Day which was cod and mussels in a lobster bisque. The bisque was watery, bland and had no discernible lobster flavour. The mussels were inconsistently cooked too - one seemed grey and undercooked. He had to send the whole dish back after a few bites, which is the first time he has ever sent a dish back in his life.

I had the pork which was well cooked, but a little over seasoned. My one qualm with the dish was that it was advertised as coming with a truffle mash, but I couldn’t pick up any flavour of truffle in it. If a restaurant wants to justify their prices by offering high end ingredients like lobster and truffle, it really needs to make sure these flavours come across in the food.

I have given the restaurant an additional star because the staff were helpful and took it seriously when my husband mentioned the quality of his dish. They offered to cook him something else, but the thought of waiting for something else that risked being equally disappointing just...

An Exceptional Culinary Experience at Acorn

From the very first bite, the food at Acorn was nothing short of phenomenal — the kind of meal you never want to end. Dish after dish delivered with flavour, finesse, and flair. I could’ve happily kept eating all night.

A special shoutout to the chef, who not only crafted a stunning menu but also took the time to come out and speak with us. His passion for food and storytelling behind each dish elevated the entire experience — creative, insightful, and deeply inspiring.

The service? Impeccable. Attentive without being intrusive, friendly yet professional. Every detail was thought of, and the team made us feel genuinely looked after throughout the evening.

Standout recommendations:

The scallops — perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth.

The prawns — bursting with flavour.

The seafood platter — ideal for sharing, beautifully presented and incredibly fresh.

The sourdough with various butters — surprisingly memorable.

The tart to finish — the perfect endnote.

And the sardines… hands down the best I’ve ever had.

The only dish I wouldn’t go for again was the soft-shell crab (a special that night), but that’s purely down to personal taste. Everything else was faultless.

Acorn is a gem — highly recommended for anyone who appreciates top-tier food with warmth, creativity,...