Drake's - Woking

For Emma’s birthday this year, I chose Michelin-starred Drake’s in Ripley, just south of Woking. One of the things which puzzles me is why there is a dearth of top class restaurants in Surrey. The place is awash with rich commuters and the county is poorly served by the meagre offerings. I’m convinced that anyone brave enough to invest in the right fine dining restaurant can probably make a killing.

The Discovery menu is amazing. Great feast for the tastebuds, excellent presentation and a very personal service. The Mango dessert is my favourite but to be honest, for my taste, it was all good.

I had invited David to visit Surrey and try out some of the restaurants in the area back in November. However because of how busy both our lives were, it was not until February that we were able to meet up for lunch. We had initially agreed that we would pay a visit to 2* Michael Wignall at the Latymer. However, as I was making the booking in January, I noticed that the restaurant website had removed Michael Wignall’s name. After a little investigating, I found out that Wignall had left the Latymer at the end of December and has now taken over Michael Caines to head up the kitchen at Gidleigh Park. In his place, Steven Edwards (best known for winning Masterchef Professionals) has been temporarily holding the fort until Matt Worswick starts at the end of March.

For my 200th review, I've been considering a few contenders but in the end, I decided to go for a local restaurant.

This restaurant is simply fabulousThe chef is a genius! It is expensive, but well worth it.