Sorrel restaurant review: When ambition meets expectations

After running his previous restaurant for 11 years and winning a Michelin star, Steve Drake has a new venture in a sleepy Surrey village. Is it enough to earn him a second award?

Timber beams from before the venue’s refurb offset Sorell’s modern design

It’s a phoenix from the ashes story – well, of sorts. After divorcing his wife Serina, with whom he co-ran their previous restaurant, Steve Drake has emerged with new (and solo) venture, Sorrel. It’s a masterful work of art, with trimmings to match, and brings with it the change that perhaps Drake needs to push him on to a second Michelin star.

Named after his favourite herb, the 300-year-old building has had a complete refurbishment, and it looks like the mantra “money is no object” was thrown about. Lots. The plush, year-long redesign incorporates about 80 per cent of the original twiglet-like beams, sumptuous grey velvet corner sofas, velvet cocktail seats and beautiful, slightly wonky, old wooden floors. But if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it properly.

When I first tried to visit Sorrel after it opened in October, it was near impossible. After three attempts of to-ing and fro-ing with dates, I decided to leave it until January. It really had been popular, I thought, but who with? Dorking only has about 11,000 residents. Drake may have cemented his name with his former, eponymous restaurant, in nearby Ripley, where he held a Michelin star for 11 years, but surely the whole of Dorking can’t be going all the time. Even now, there’s still a three-month long waiting list.

What is even more impressive is that it’s this busy even with its London prices (five courses for £60 and nine for £90, before drinks and service). And although it’s only 30 miles from London, it’s still a train journey or a drive away, requiring far more effort and planning than just hopping on the tube.

But when we arrived, I understood the difficulty in booking; the one room (split into three sections) has only 10 tables, with a maximum of about 24 covers. So keeping things small (and perfectly formed) also keeps the waiting list long.

Also adding to the extended wait is Drake’s progressive approach to work, as he’s bending the traditional work ethos of the restaurant world by only opening four days a week in a bid to reduce stress, overworking and underperforming.

The pumpkin soup mousse is served slightly warm and topped with crunchy pistachios

But the wait is worth it. And if you’re not impressed by the efforts Steve goes to in order to push the boundaries of flavour and texture, I fear you never will be. The most memorable is the fall-apart beef cheek dish with citric blood orange (seasonal though it may be) topped with a couple of salty samphire stalks.

And as with any good restaurant, the focus is not solely the food. An offering can easily be let down by hefty, tomb-like menus; terrible, cheap-looking glasses and frankly, crap cutlery that looks like it belongs in a school canteen. But here, it’s as carefully detailed as it could be and thankfully features none of the above.

Snacks are served while we decipher the menu. But actually, that doesn’t take too long; the whole thing only takes up one A4 page (a la carte on the left, and tasting menus on the right) – not just any page, but a minimalist, mint-green A4 sheet folded origami style.

The first appetiser is like a tasty, solid version of a health-boost drink

The standout of the three is the broccoli mouse. On paper, it couldn’t sound less appealing. But topped with a broccoli and poppy-seed leather (which translates to: thin, green crumb), the mousse is made with broccoli cous cous and kiwi (another odd yet excellent combination). It’s fantastically fresh and so packed full of greens you feel like you’re doing yourself a favour – like drinking some kind of blitzed, green juice, post-gym – without the hard work, obviously.

Beginning the so-called Journey menu is the pumpkin mousse – yes, another mousse. Forget every pumpkin soup you’ve ever had, as this will blow them out of the water. The bright-yellow hued, lightly frothed texture is creamy and served slightly warm. The autumnal looking bowl is punctuated with a pleasing crunch from praline and pistachios, and warmed with a hint of paprika. It’s the kind of dish that makes you wish you were having the a la carte menu instead, making your way through a full-sized portion, rather than the taster. Next is the second-best dish: a single dainty scallop, with a small side of cucumber cannelloni, cucumber ketchup and a finishing touch of horseradish – another unexpected union of flavours, that’s again as fresh as it gets.

The monkfish is cooked on a Japanese robata grill and is beautifully creamy without pushing any boundaries, while the salt-baked beetroot and goats cheese (although a common pairing) is best devoured slowly, the crunch of the salt on the thingly sliced vegetable cutting through the creaminess of the cheese.

After craving something chocolatey to finish, the carrot tobacco (decimated dried carrot, which is reminiscent of a sweet from Drake’s childhood, the waitress tells us), fails to hit the sweet spot. But the mini tartlet of blue cheese, rosewater and tarragon that came previously was creamy enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Drake wants you to experience something new. After all, the restaurant world is as competitive as it’s ever been, and if you’re going for the nine-course journey menu (which you should), you’ll likely receive something you haven’t before – and may not again. It’s well put together, beautifully served and will have you thinking about it the following morning, just like I was.

Sorrel, 77 South Street, Dorking RH4 2JU; 01306 889414; open Wednesday to Sunday; sorrelrestaurant.co.uk

Food *****
Service *****
Atmosphere ****