The Percy Arms
75 Dorking Road Chilworth Surrey GU4 8NP
Beautifully positioned beneath the Chantries and St Martha's – two eye-candy vantage points along the North Downs Way – in the Surrey hamlet of Chilworth, from the outside the Percy remains the quintessential English village pub that it was for the vast majority of its life. Inside, however, things have changed. Big time. Now, with energetic and innovative South African owners at the helm, the pub is more of a classy grill and restaurant than a traditional boozer. The bar is still there, it still serves a good range of ales and lagers, and there's a cracking beer garden from where you can admire the lovely Surrey Hills. But it's the food that will turn your tastebuds here. As anyone that's visited South Africa will tell you, Saffas know their beef cuts like no one else, and while there's a good selection of other meals on the menu – including some great fish and veggie dishes – carnivores should really sink their canines into one of the steaks. The wine list, while also featuring reds and whites from both the antipodes and Europe, is really a stroll through some of South Africa's best vineyards. Wine is taken seriously here, and there are regular tasting evenings. With a belly full of biltong and bobotie, washed down with a few glasses of Pinotage, you might be getting into the African vibe. If so, you'll be pleased to learn that the Percy also does excellent African-style accommodation – in the form of sumptuous hunting-lodge-esque rooms uptairs.