Raven's Ait - Surbiton

The restaurant has no charm at all, which is a shame given the potential. The food was ok, but there is a very limited selection. read more The restaurant has no charm at all, which is a shame given the potential. The food was ok, but there is a very limited selection.

We reserved a table, turns out the it was not booked for afternoon tea. Bearing in mind it was the booking was for 3pm on Mother’s Day. The gentleman on the doo... read more We reserved a table, turns out the it was not booked for afternoon tea. Bearing in mind it was the booking was for 3pm on Mother’s Day. The gentleman on the door was u willing to find a solution. From what we heard on the boat back, we dodged a bullet

My husband and I had our wedding reception at Ravens Ait 19 years ago, so we decided to return for the first time to celebrate Father's Day with a BBQ. Unfortun... read more My husband and I had our wedding reception at Ravens Ait 19 years ago, so we decided to return for the first time to celebrate Father's Day with a BBQ. Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed with our experience. We had to wait 45 minutes for our food, and when it finally arrived, it was cold. Considering the price we paid, the quality was simply not worth it. Even the side of Potato Wedges was cold. What a shame!

Lovely view. Lovely table by the fire. Lovely selection of cakes and sandwiches. Lovely ferry crossing. Lovely staff. read more Lovely view. Lovely table by the fire. Lovely selection of cakes and sandwiches. Lovely ferry crossing. Lovely staff.

The island was open from 12 noon and our table was reserved for 12.15 pm as we planned to do something else later in the afternoon. However, the food was only j... read more The island was open from 12 noon and our table was reserved for 12.15 pm as we planned to do something else later in the afternoon. However, the food was only just being set out and cooked, so was not ready until well after 12.30 pm. As it happened, this did not matter as our plans changed for the afternoon and so we could relax and spend the afternoon on Ravens Ait watching the world go by. The staff were nice but harried to start with in getting everything ready. Some didn't seem to know what the arrangement regarding the food was, eg whether tea/coffee was included or an extra charge. The food was generally good, but the hot containers did a poor job of keeping the food hot, and we were amongst the first to be served, so not sure how I would have liked eating later and getting a colder meal. The gluten free loaf of bread was a poor relation, gluten free rolls would have been a better option. I was told that gluten free rolls were taken by non g/f customers so that was why they did not have them. rather a lame reason to have a cheap alternative I felt. Also, the variety of cold salads was nothing special, being gluten free, a rice salad should have been included, not just the pasta, and I think there was a couscous but it is not gluten free. Overall, more imagination is required to make this a better eating experience, but of course the location will always attract customers.