The Fox Dining Rooms restaurant review

Last night we enjoyed an evening of sophisticated dining at the Fox Dining Rooms restaurant on the Foxhills estate.

Foxhills is a prestigious country club in the heart of the Surrey countryside.  On arrival, a sweeping drive leads through woods,  past the golf course to an impressive Victorian manor house.

The history of Foxhills dates to the 1780s when Charles James Fox came to live here with his mistress Elizabeth Armistead.  The estate later became a farm and then a convalescent home for wounded officers during the war.  In 1975, Foxhills became a golf club.

For the last 40 years, the Hayton Family have owned and run Foxhills, which is now one of Surrey’s premier leisure resorts.   It boasts extensive leisure facilities including 11 tennis courts, 5 pools, a fitness centre and luxury spa.

The country club also offers several dining options, including the award-winning Fox Dining Rooms restaurant.  We were kindly invited here to try out the dining experience.

The Fox Dining Rooms restaurant is in the main manor house.  It is an impressive building with many gothic features, including turrets and chimneys.

Although formal, the Fox Dining Rooms restaurant has a relaxed feel with modern décor.  Plus diners can make use of the interconnecting lounge and bar.

After being welcomed to the restaurant, we chose our drinks and selected our food.  The menu at Foxhills showcases locally sourced, fresh ingredients and changes regularly with the seasons.

For starters, the evening menu offers a choice of tempura cod cheeks, oyster mushroom, leek & potato soup, cured mackerel or chicken leg terrine.

My husband opted for tempura cod cheeks, with squid ink mayonnaise and I chose the stout-glazed king oyster mushroom.  Being a big mushroom fan, this was the perfect starter for me.  The dish was garnished with tiny white mushrooms, which despite their diminutive size were scrumptious.

For mains, the menu features confit pork belly, corn-fed chicken breast with pearl barley, salt-baked celeriac with walnut and oat crumble, stone bass with saffron potato, truffle gnocchi with confit beetroots, or braised beef short rib.

For our visit, I had the confit pork belly served with crispy cheek and crushed swede.  My husband chose the braised beef short rib with rosti and caramelised artichoke purée.  These were both extremely good choices with some amazing taste sensations.

We also chose two side dishes, cauliflower cheese and soy and maple root vegetables.  Both were a tasty accompaniment to our main dish.

After dinner, we couldn’t resist sampling the desserts.  The dessert menu looked very tempting, with options including rhubarb parfait, strawberry pancetta and apple and pear crumble.

I chose the mango cheesecake with blueberry ice cream, which was delicious.  My husband ate the chocolate and raspberry dome.  He enjoyed the element of theatre as the hot chocolate sauce melted the dome when he poured it on.

As you’d expect from a restaurant offering AA rosette fine dining, the food presentation was excellent and it was all extremely flavoursome.  Plus, the staff were very friendly and attentive.

We really enjoyed our dining experience and would happily return.

To make your own booking, click here:  The Fox Dining Rooms at Foxhills

If you fancy a family day out at Foxhills, they will be hosting a music event on Saturday 3rd June.

Relax on the Manor Lawns welcomes two live bands to the country estate, plus other family entertainment.  The event runs from 2pm to 6pm and is open to non-members too.

Click here for more details:  Music on the Lawns – Saturday 3rd June

Foxhills is in the Surrey countryside, between Chertsey and Ottershaw.  It is easy to get using the M25.  It is also a short drive from Woking, Camberley, and Guildford and only 20 minutes from Heathrow Airport.

Regular trains run from London Waterloo to Chertsey and take about an hour.

Address:  Foxhills, Stonehill Road, Ottershaw, Surrey, KT16 0EL

If you have any comments or questions about our dining experience at Foxhills, please comment below.