It is Saturday night and we are visiting friends in Surrey for posh dinner at The Lickfold Inn in Petworth. Following an afternoon in the sun by and in the pool – I know it sounds like the Med but once in a while we do get a half a decent summer in the UK – the appetite is big and the venue sounds promising.

There are no designated drivers tonight as the taxis in the sticks are inexpensive and we are waiting our ride whilst enjoying the beautiful summers’ evening. Darren, our taxi driver, arrived on time and gave us a lovely ride through Surrey’s country lanes till we arrived at the junction – in the middle of nowhere – where the pub is located.

The place looks even more promising as the pub has retained its original style which is always a good sign. We take a few photos outside and proceed to announce ourselves to the waiting staff. As soon as we walk in I realise that this place is probably not a gastro pub but a restaurant operating in a building that used to be a pub. The interior is beautiful but unfortunately the bar/pub part of the establishment is eerily quiet, we are in fact the only people sitting downstairs – the restaurant is upstairs – having some English sparkling wine and perusing the – very promising – menu, whilst we are waiting for our table.

As we are sipping the wine I notice at the corner of my eye a little cupboard with cured meats, I am feeling envious I would love to have one of these at home!

We are escorted to our table, through a fully packed restaurant which – surprisingly – had very generous spacing between the tables (sounds alien for London restaurants!). The restaurant had a relatively quiet atmosphere but it was full – huge contrast to the ground floor bar which was still empty when we left.

As soon as we sat at our table there was the uncovering of the homemade chicken infused butter with crumbs of chicken crackling, unusual but really nice, especially since it was escorted by a freshly baked sourdough boule, yes a whole one! It went down really well and it was soon accompanied by amuse-bouche. First, deep fried whitebait with aioli and shortbread discs filled with goats cheese and, secondly, corn 4 ways which was absolutely divine! So far the food was faultless but the atmosphere of the place still lacked.

My starter was mackerel with alliums and ransom (which I forgot to photograph… I am still a beginner and dig in straight away!), followed by the sirloin steak with grilled gem and beef fat chips. Both dishes were cooked to perfection and delivered great flavour whilst melting in your mouth. The restaurant is definitely on its way for a Michelin star as Tom Seller’s other restaurant in London.

The dinner closed with a generous platter of British cheeses and a glass of port before it was time to go outside to meet Darren to take us back home.

When we got outside Darren had not arrived yet and the pitch-black country lanes made me feel like Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and a Funeral but it was short-lived as the cab arrived and I did realise that I lack the British accent!

I was left debating with myself whether Lickfold Inn should feature in the blog, as it is more of a restaurant, but I thought it was too good a place to be left out. However, I would not recommend it for a beer and a bite as it is not that kind of place, but if you are after a great culinary experience around Guildford you should definitely visit, I will definitely visit again and hopefully they would have livened up the ground floor!

The Lickfold Inn

Highstead Lane, Petworth, West Sussex GU28 9EY
T: 01789 532535