Last Updated on October 3, 2025
A Classic English Pub That Goes Above and Beyond: The Victoria
4.0 out of 5.0 starsOn the edge of Oxshott village, in a pretty village setting close to the Surrey Hills, The Victoria is a welcoming country pub that combines traditional charm with a modern touch. Set against a backdrop of rolling countryside, it offers a relaxed atmosphere, thoughtfully prepared food and a well-curated selection of drinks. Whether you are stopping by after a long walk, meeting friends for a leisurely meal or simply looking for a cosy spot by the fire, The Victoria captures the essence of a classic English pub while adding its own contemporary flair.
It’s a pub that punches high, with 3-AA Rosettes and a Michelin Guide mention. Led by Head Chef Daniel Lee, who joined in August 2024, the restaurant offers a selection of modern British classics, while the adjoining bar provides beers, wines, cocktails and soft drinks with a bar menu that includes freshly baked pizzas, burgers and of course, fish and chips.
But, we were heading to the restaurant where we found a table close but not too close to the roaring wood burner and settled down to pick our food from the à la carte menu.
The Victoria offers sharing steaks as a ‘special’ – there’s 40-day aged Wagyu sirloin on the bone or 45-day aged Black Angus Sirloin on the bone, each in various sizes from 770 grams up to a whopping 1560 grams, but neither of us was in the mood for such a meatfest.
We did, however, indulge in some fluffy, crisp-crusted, perfectly cooked sourdough with Ampersand cultured butter.
As a starter, my companion picked a dish I remember well from a previous visit. The mushroom parfait with sweet and sour onions and brioche was just as stunning and just as delicious as before, with a meltingly soft, buttery parfait garnished with shards of fresh mushrooms and all served with brioche toast.
My home-smoked chalk stream trout was equally delicious, with well-balanced pickles and a crème fraîche trout mousse topped with fish eggs and garnished with biscuity shards.
For mains, we ordered the recommendations of the front of house team, which were seasonally appropriate and a good showcase for the pub.
My Brixham plaice was a delicious, perfectly cooked, firm but flaky fish served with samphire and a warm tartare caper butter sauce. The ample serving of sauce rather overwhelmed the fish, as did the samphire.
My companion picked the curiously named ‘English Iberico Pork’. I’ve engaged with doctor Google since our visit and suspect this is a product from one of my own favourite meat suppliers, Lake District Farmers. English Iberico Pork comes from the special breed of Iberian pigs used to make Iberico ham in Spain. But, raised in England, they enjoy a somewhat different diet to that of the Dehesa – a bespoke diet with protein sourced from beans, peas, and rapeseed meal from the farm’s oil press, in addition to grazing free range on Lake District grass. Here, it was served with sauerkraut, caramelised apple, some rather chewy black pudding and cider jus, and with some pork crackling for texture, which was just not quite crisp enough. Cooked pink, the pork itself was delicious, though more caramelised apple would have been welcome by my companion.
Sides of triple-cooked chips were fabulous and made me regret not ordering the sharing steak special. We both loved the mixture of English peas with sugar snap peas and bacon jam. And, a generous portion of creamed leeks was a better accompaniment for the pork than for my fish.
We enjoyed a bottle of Froiña Casa do Sol with our meal – an Albariño wine produced by the family-run winery Casa do Sol in the Rías Baixas region of Galicia, Spain. The Froiña is a fresh, light-bodied expression of the Albariño grape, with crisp, mineral-driven palate and acidity, making it an excellent pairing for seafood. The Victoria has an exceptionally comprehensive wine list with offerings for all pockets and tastes.
Dessert was not strictly necessary for either of us, but in the interest of research, we shared a sticky toffee pudding. Gentle reader, if you are the type of diner who quakes at the idea of a 1.5kg sharing steak, then please find a partner to allow you to try this one. It’s on the generous side, but utterly delicious and precisely the kind of dish I’d hope to find in a venue like The Victoria.
The Victoria manages to strike the perfect balance between refined dining and the comforting familiarity of a village pub. With thoughtful cooking, attentive service, and an atmosphere that feels both relaxed and special, it delivers far more than a standard country inn. Whether for a casual drink, a celebratory meal, or simply an indulgent pizza or pudding by the fire, The Victoria proves itself worthy of its accolades while staying true to the heart of what a great English pub should be.
The Victoria Oxshott
High St,
Oxshott,
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 0JR
Looking for more options in the area? We love The Swan in Claygate
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