The Gosling — Restaurant in Woking

Been here on a Friday night. Our first time. What a surprise. We had seen the place under refurbishment for a while and after reading the good reviews we decided to give it a go. Me and the wife had a very good night out. Nice welcome at the door. We been offered to sit at the bar if we fancied some drinks before dinner. Asked for a couple of cocktails outside the menu and was no problem for the barman. Drinks were actually pretty good. Had some nibbles at the bar before proceeding for the table. The ambience is modern and cool. It was buzzy. You don’t find many “city vibrant” places like this one outside London. Food was great too and service was lovely. There’s an outdoor area which I think will be great for lunch or early dinner during summer time. Very likely that they will see us again. Recommend.

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Before I dive into the details of my updated review, I want to get straight to the point: The Gosling currently has NO competition in Woking and the surrounding areas when it comes to food, atmosphere, and staff professionalism. If you're looking for a modern venue for a private or casual lunch or dinner, look no further. Here’s why:

After a delightful second visit with friends, I chose The Gosling to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday, and I couldn't have made a better choice. From the moment I booked, I knew I wanted to do something special, which required effort from both me and The Gosling staff. Since my first email, Catarina promptly addressed all my requests with professionalism, coming back point by point, ensuring every aspect of the special night was covered.

Their garden and open area are perfect for private events, and the private room opposite the main dining area adds a touch of privacy and exclusivity. I arranged for a florist to set up the room beforehand, and she was granted entry without any issues. I also requested drinks and canapés before dinner, which is not standard at The Gosling, but Catarina and the team accommodated my request without hesitation. The chef promptly suggested on a canape menu suitable for the evening.

From the moment my guests and I arrived, we were wonderfully taken care of by Nick. Everyone in my group was thrilled with the venue and the attention they received from the staff. The welcoming drinks and cocktails were exceptional and served promptly, with no one left without a champagne top-up. The canapés were incredibly fresh and tasty. The weather helped us to enjoy the outdoor area, but in the event of rain, the open gazebo with a large table and heaters at the end of the garden would provide a comfortable space for a big group.

After the initial part of the evening, we moved to the beautifully prepared private room. The wines I had selected from their menu for the starters and mains were ready for the guests. The pre-ordered starters (and mains) arrived as soon as the group settled at the table, and the food was superb. The chef did an amazing job, especially pleasing our partially Italian crowd. Following the cake, the evening continued with more drinks and cocktails, and all guests left happy.

Overall, the night turned out to be an incredible success, and I couldn't be more grateful for the efforts of Nick, Catarina, and the entire staff. Their dedication and attention to detail truly made the evening unforgettable fur us my guests.

Thank you once again for making my wife's birthday celebration so special. I look forward to many more memorable experiences at...

Firstly, the restaurant and bar have been nicely decorated and it is a pleasant clean & modern environment to be in.

The drinks menu could benefit from a little more choice in terms of draft beers in my opinion, however the bottle of Rose we ordered was lovely, and the waitress looking after us was very attentive in keeping glasses topped up.

We all ordered starters, 3 ordered Sunday Roast and I ordered the steak burger.

I would say the starters were in danger of taking too long to get to us, landing just in time as looks were being shared. The two people having Tuna were very happy, my partner had the lobster crumpet, which though nice was £16.50 and served on a basic supermarket crumpet. For that money, we would have expected the kitchen to make their own. I had the lamb, which again, whilst nice, felt slightly pricey for what I received.

We then waited again for mains, having to ask the waitress to check on them.

When the mains arrived I have to say I was disappointed with what was presented. The steak burger comes with "Rosemary & Thyme Salt House Chips". These turned out to be just plain old french fries. I cut the burger in half and ate half of it, it was dry, bland and to be honest just tasted of the grill. I decided not to bother with the other half as it just looked so dry and uninviting, not the juicy burger I had been hoping for.

The Sunday Roasts looked good, I tried my partners chicken and it was nice enough.

It is worth mentioning there were two ladies at the table next to us, one had already sent back her main of cod saying it was far too salty and had been offered another meal and chosen the burger. When her burger arrived (just as her friend was finishing her meal), I overheard her saying it was overcooked and dry. I told her I felt mine was the same.

When the waiter who I believe was one of the managers came over, the lady spoke to him about her burger. After she had finished I got his attention to say I felt the same and that my burger was pretty miserable. He apologised and took my plate, but I was not offered any replacement or asked how I would like to resolve the issue, as such I just sat and watched everybody finish their roasts.

It is fair to say that the manager did remove the burger as well as a couple of drinks from our bill by means of an apology. There was some talk about investigating what had gone wrong, and how they don't know whether the burger will be dry or not when it leaves the kitchen until the customer bites into it (Not sure how that works. Just glad I didn't order a steak!) but I honestly feel that looking at the quality of the burger it was never going to be the best burger in the world.

During our discussion I did mention it was our first time visiting and at no point was there an offer for us to come back and try again etc which felt like a missed opportunity on their behalf.

That, and the fact that I think there is definitely an element of style over substance here means that I probably won't be back to give it a second shot. There are plenty of equally nice, more casual pubs in the area serving just as good, if not better food for...

We celebrated Collette’s 60th birthday at The Gosling, and what a night it was! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm, the food was top-notch, and the cocktails? Let’s just say they disappeared faster than a magician’s rabbit.

A special shout-out to our wonderful server, Tash, who was absolutely brilliant all evening. She handled our lively table with a smile (and the occasional hilarious facial expression—particularly when she was opening our rather posh Italian wine). The look on her face said it all: part admiration, part suspicion, and a hint of “are these people really going to appreciate this?” Spoiler: we did.

The food was outstanding—every dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. If we could have licked our plates without causing a scene, we probably would have. And the cocktails? So good, we briefly considered moving in.

But the true highlight of the night? The moment right at the end when we started talking about OnlyFans. Poor Tash’s face was an absolute picture—somewhere between shock, amusement, and a deep-seated need to clock out immediately. She powered through like a champ, though, proving once again why she’s an absolute legend.

All in all, The Gosling is an absolute gem in Woking. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone birthday or just looking for an excuse to drink fancy wine and accidentally traumatize your server with unexpected conversations, this is the place to be. We’ll definitely be back—possibly with an even posher bottle next time, just to keep Tash on her toes! Highly...