Marney's Village Inn

I came to Marney's on Christmas Eve for some festive drinks. It's small and cosy and was packed to the rafters when I arrived - all added to the atmosphere and made it feel all the more Christmassy.

There's a great range of ales and craft beers here and the prosecco I was drinking was lovely.

I didn't eat here, but I've heard excellent things about their lunch time menus from locals.

Marney's, or The Alma as it is still referred to by Esher stalwarts, is one of the best pubs in the area. It does fantastic trade, and deservedly so. If you are a resident and have never been, shame on you! If you haven't been and are an out of towner then I won't tell you off, but please let me explain why it is worth a visit.

- Its idyllic setting. Esher is a built up town, but this nestles proudly in a little corner of a large common, overlooking a pond and a church, so it retains a village feel.
- The interior. In cold dark months, of which we have many, this is the cosiest, most inviting place you could imagine. Dark floorboards creak underneath you as you head to the bar. The place is alive with the hum and chatter of locals, and there is no jukebox or music playing - you will be required to make the conversation yourself. For a relatively small place, this has plenty of little nooks that you can sink into with a pint or a glass of wine.
- The exterior. There is also a large well kept pub garden with plenty of large tables to sit groups of people in warmer weather. Come summer this place is packed out.
- The food. Freshly prepared I would like to add. The dishes are more sophisticated than usual pub fare, so no burger and chips. But you can look forward to dishes like meatballs, chicken pie, croque monsieur, cheese and meat boards and Sunday Roasts. Plenty of puddings too. At the moment it is just lunch which is being served, but chefs are working on a possible dinner service.

I highly advise a visit to this place. Trust me, you will love it.

Proper English Pub! And there are so few left! Great drafts, great sarnies, good service. Nice barmaids/barmen (depending on your preferences). Dogs welcome - great beer garden. There's even a duck pond.

Local dispenser of drinks, with a garden. Charming hole in the wall, if you're in the area--why not Marneys? After or before, take a gander at the duck pond in front and suburban Esher.

An idilic setting to drink outside in the summer and a cramped and slightly boring place to drink inside in the winter. Marney's is a pub that trades off its location.

Discovered this pub by chance one rainy Sunday afternoon. Even though it was very busy the service and the roast dinners were great. It's one of those special pubs you want to keep to yourself so it doesn't change:-)