The 5 Best Restaurants around Wentworth and Virginia Water

The prestigious Wentworth estate in Virginia Water is surrounded by ancient woodland and stunning English countryside that would easily attract thousands of visitors in normal circumstances. However, every September this is also the annual home of the BMW PGA professional golf tournament, one of the most prestigious events in the European Tour.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of golf enthusiasts are keen to make journeys here, and the supporting villages and towns are always ready to welcome them with open arms and superb services. Our guide to the 5 best restaurants around Wentworth and Virginia Water can help with any decisions to create that all-important schedule alongside the golf.

1. The Loch & The Tyne
Old Windsor

Just a 10-minute drive from Virginia Water in Wentworth is this fabulous place led by the award-winning chef, Adam Handling MBE. Although its official positioning is one of a British Pub, the service, experience and dishes certainly do not convey such a throwaway category.

The building itself has been sympathetically restored and reworked into a refined dining room with clean, open spaces and an open kitchen to balance precision with a certain informality. In doing so, it retains warmth and charm without ever compromising on superb standards.

Adam’s sustainable sourcing and zero waste is applied to a menu that has a great emphasis on the finest British produce with seasonality as priority. Highlights often include:

• Haggis Scotch egg with tartar sauce
• Steak tartare with crispy shallots
• Balmoral chicken with asparagus & wild garlic
• Barnsley chop as a grill special

The highest levels of craft and culinary identity make The Loch & The Tyne a credible choice for destination dining in this area.

2. Piccolino
Virginia Water

Piccolino in London Road in Virginia Water village is a fixture of the local gastronomy scene, bringing Italian flair to beautiful Surrey surroundings. It operates with an accompanying wine boutique and cocktail bar space that certainly makes the most of a fantastic outdoor terrace in the warmer months.

Everything here is structured around an open kitchen that drives a comprehensive menu with a classic Italian structure and a few surprises. Some of the most notable dishes include:

• Burrata agrodolce and balsamic onions, walnuts and honey
• Tuna tartare paired with stracciatella and herb oil
• Wagyu beef lasagne
• Tonnarelli frutti di mare

The wood-fired pizza element of Piccolino makes it a favourite for the younger family crowds and there is often live music and celebrations on bank holidays and special dates throughout the year. This place is always busy and although that definitely informs the engaging atmosphere, it does make sense to book well ahead, particularly for larger parties.

3. La Piazzetta
Virginia Water

La Piazzetta has been a part of Virginia Water for over two decades as an independent and family-run affair. Just off the main thoroughfare of the village in Station Parade, it has all the hallmarks of a modest, local institution where the food is the main attraction.

A compact and traditional dining room of closely positioned tables set the tone for a trattoria style experience with tradition at the heart. This is cosy and unpretentious with a rhythm of regular customers that have allowed La Piazzetta to build a reputation of great authenticity and quality. A rotating specials board offers an occasional opportunity to stretch their culinary skills, but in the main at La Piazzetta the focus is on simple dishes done very well. The menu includes classics like:

• Fromaggi di capra salad
• Merluzzo cod with pesto crumb & spinach
• Polpette di pollo
• Tonno e puttanesca pizza

Husband and wife owners Arlindo and Christine Andrade have created a wonderful and homely atmosphere at La Piazzetta that works well as a refreshing alternative to some of the more high-energy options in the area.

4. The Bailiwick Free House

Another short car journey down the wonderful winding country roads near Wentworth brings you to the edge of Windsor Great Park. Here you will find The Bailiwick Free House, an exquisite example of a 21st century British restaurant that effectively marries a traditional setting with contemporary standards and service. Local sourcing is the key driver for the Bailiwick Free House and with such a bountiful pantry right on its doorstep it certainly is in the right place for it. Seasonal game, the finest sources of beef and lamb and fresh fish are all well composed into some thrilling dishes that include:

• Rabbit chorizo
• Pigeon salami
• Game terrine
• Offal cottage pie
• Stuffed pheasant leg

The interior design is very much an elevated country pub with comfort and function leading the neat and clean aesthetic. With honourable mentions in the Michelin Guide and the Good Food Guide, one can be assured that dinner at The Bailiwick Free House is always worth the trip when in the local area.

5. The Rose and Crown
Thorpe

There is an honesty to The Rose and Crown’s classic pub format with an appeal built on familiarity and clarity. It sits on Thorpe Green, again just minutes from Virginia Water, in what was originally believed to be a detached hunting lodge from the 17th century. The typical structure of low beams, nooks and snug rooms here are a fascinating piece of working history.

Its status as a true countryside pub extends to the guided walks that they offer from here, taking patrons into the surrounding woodland to experience even more of the stories that Surrey holds dear. A menu of comforting pub food is always waiting when they return with simple dishes that are hearty, filling and consistently well prepared. Some of the signatures here include:

• Beer-battered haddock with chips, peas and tartare sauce
• Prawn cocktail with Marie Rose sauce
• Roast sirloin of beef with crispy potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy
• Vegetarian lasagne
• Confit duck with peppercorn sauce

The Rose and Crown also provides a breakfast menu with yet more English classics of bacon or sausage baps. Either choice is a wonderful way to set up for the day in this stirring Surrey location.

The immediate radius around Virginia Water is definitely capable of satisfying every palate possible. Within a simple ten-minute journey from the course, one can be enjoying a range of dining options in different styles. All of which means that there may be more than one way to enjoy an impressive drive around here this September.