Skimmington Castle

Featured reviews

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “Now air conditioned in the coffee room annexe. Great tasting coffee, great views. Toilets inside the pub, always clean etc.”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “We enjoyed the 30 walk from Reigate. Lovely sunny evening but managed to get an outside table. My cider was crisp and refreshing. Plenty of chips with cheese and pulled pork.”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “Very poor experience, hard eggs, peas like bullets, spoke to server, u cud tell not really interested. £15 for a gyro,seen more chicken in a kids meal Would certainly not return for food, gone down hill. Definitely not recommend”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “Went there on recommendation of the fish and chips. It didn't disappoint! The fish was very fresh, good amount and battered lightly. Had the panna cotta for dessert, which was amazing. Very friendly staff on a very hot June day!”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “Sat in the ‘conservatory’ with the aircon on full. Didn’t seem to be working though. Seats were hard. Tables were old and had writing on. Food was poor. The roast dinner my Son received looked like it had sat on a hot plate for best part of the day. Potatoes were dried out rocks. I had the BBQ pulled pork flat bread. The pork was more like paste. The BBQ sauce was not BBQ sauce. Hot. Stuffy. Thrown in corner with the rest of the room filled by a large group. Positives: Waitresses were polite, quick and worked hard. Drinks were nice and cold. Skimmington Castle should be renamed Skimmington cells. Ruined my Father’s Day. Won’t be returning.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “all started so well at The Skimmington Castle. Friendly staff, a lovely atmosphere, a buzzing Sunday lunchtime vibe — the kind of country pub experience you hope for. But the cracks started to show almost immediately. We arrived at 2pm on a busy Sunday and, although we all ordered from the Sunday lunch menu, I quickly began to suspect they had taken far more bookings than they could actually cater for properly. The menu proudly advertised “bottomless” or “unlimited” roast potatoes as part of the roast dinner offering. Crucially, nowhere did it say “subject to availability” or describe them as “complimentary”. They were presented as part of the meal you were paying for. Then the food arrived. My husband’s lamb portion was absolutely tiny — genuinely mean for the price — which immediately suggested they were running low on food. My pork belly consisted of more fat than meat. The roast potatoes? We were given about two each. So when I asked for more, fully expecting what had been promised on the menu, I was bluntly told they had run out. Barely an apology. No attempt to make things right. At that point, I suggested — politely at first — that perhaps they could offer a complimentary pudding or coffees instead, given that they had failed to provide something explicitly included in the meal description. What followed was astonishing. One of the women in charge became more interested in arguing semantics with me than actually resolving the issue like a professional. She repeatedly insisted the potatoes were “complimentary”, therefore they were “free”, therefore they somehow had no obligation to provide them. Except the menu never described them that way. They were clearly marketed as part of the roast dinner package. I even showed her the wording on the menu, but she simply would not back down. What could have been handled in thirty seconds with a bit of goodwill and customer care instead descended into an embarrassing battle of wills. Rather than acknowledging they had overpromised and underdelivered, she seemed determined to “win” the argument at all costs. And the chaos continued. We ordered puddings. Two arrived. Ours didn’t. By the time our friends had finished eating theirs, we were still waiting for ours to appear. The whole service had completely unravelled. Look, places get busy. Staff shortages happen. Kitchens run out of things. Most reasonable customers understand that. The real issue here was the attitude. There was no ownership, no genuine apology, no attempt to recover the situation — just defensiveness and poor customer service. It’s such a shame because the pub itself has potential, and the experience started positively. But the combination of poor food portions, failure to deliver what was advertised, chaotic service, and an aggressively dismissive attitude towards customer complaints means I will absolutely never return. BTW I emailed them with my complaints. They never replied. I've been left with no choice but to make my views heard this way.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “Hidden away from the main road, this is a nice pub to enjoy food and drink at very reasonable prices. They don't add service charge direct to bills either. Very large car park at the rear which is free. There is a coffee shop too. Large portion of half roast chicken with separate cauliflower cheese and gravy. Seating outside too.”

• G

  Google user

  ·6 months ago

  “Very unfriendly, very rude. Food took 2 hours, unclean, cobwebs etc in pub, very scruffy. Outside is beautiful and coffee shop staff were really kind and welcoming. Unfortunately inside main pub, lady was incredibly rude and unwelcoming. Waitresses were ok,just very inexperienced. Food took 2 hours to arrive, nobody came to check drinks whilst we waited. Burger was dry. Friends who had fish were happy as there's was fresh and tasty.”

• G

  Google user

  ·6 months ago

  “15th Century Pub where you go back in time seated inside. A calm, peaceful atmosphere with efficient and seemingly happy, friendly, warm and welcoming staff. Although we've only been here once and just Fish and Chips + a Pear, Apple and Blackberry Crumble, all of it was superb”

• G

  Google user

  ·11 months ago

  “I haven't been to this pub for years, but it was lovely going there for lunch. It's a tricky place to find, but as long as you use a sat nav you'll be fine. The people serving were very friendly and helpful and the food was delicious! It's good pricing and definitely worth the money!”