The Ivy opened its spin-offs from the original from 2014 and it landed in Guildford whenThe Ivy Castle View opened in 2018. Marcus and I were fortunate to be invited to review it when it opened and enjoyed it very much. They very kindly invited us back this week to try out their new festive menu for 2025.
The restaurant is still as glorious as it was when open, with fabulous art deco inspired decor that makes you want to linger all day. With clear blue skies and a table by the windows overlooking Guildford Castle, we were, as my dear step-father used to say, “in no pain at all”. Especially with the festive menu in front of us with its very appetising dishes.
At £55 for two courses and £60 for three, it’s at the higher end of the price scale but The Ivy does have a reputation for higher end cooking. There is a choice of five starters, mains and puddings plus side dishes. Plus a couple of festive crackers to start with, with rather useful ‘prizes’ and an ivy adorned golden Christmas hat.
From a good selection, we picked French Onion Soup and a Prawn Cocktail with avocado and tomato. The soup was excellent, with a great beefy stock and for the topping some croutons with lots of melted cheese; much easier to handle than a large cheese topped slice of French bread that you often cannot cut with a spoon! The cocktail was beautifully presented on a crab plate and had both king and normal prawns and lots of them in a good Marie Rose sauce. A slice of bread would not have gone amiss though.
To the mains. Marcus opted for the Ivy’s signature ‘Shepherd’s Pie’, re-christened for Christmas with duck, lamb and beef. As ever, it was exceptionally good, with lovely textures from the three different meats with a very rich sauce and beautifully pipped potatoes atop. It always looks deceptively on the small side but packs a big punch. I chose the traditional Turkey Ballotine, with an apricot, cranberry and pork stuffing, a pig in blanket, sprout and parsley mash, cranberry chutney and red wine sauce. Four generous slices of meat with good accompaniments plus a few game chips. More mash though please. We were offered small jugs of sauce and more on request, which is hard to refuse. Side dishes were moreish sprouts in a cream sauce with chestnuts and cranberries and buttered beans with almonds, but more butter required.
And so to puddings, for many a highlight. This time, Marcus picked the traditional option of Classic Christmas Pudding, which was flambéed in brandy and accompanied by almonds, redcurrants and vanilla cream. It was very moist and he enjoyed it very much. I chose the Christmas Crème Brûlée, which really was a very silken vanilla custard with a good crust, paired with a spiced winter berry compote and served alongside some good, buttery shortbread. It was excellent, delicate and not too sweet, the berries adding a lovely winter touch.
We had terrific, jolly service from Louis, who was a delight. He chose for us a delicious Malbec, Terrazas de los Andes, Mendoza, Argentina (£55) which was a sturdy and delicious ‘big’ red that paired well with the food. Two glasses of the house Provence rosé (£15.50) started proceedings very nicely.
It’s fair to say that we enjoyed ourselves enormously. You don’t really want to be challenged at Christmas – you just want well presented food which is very enjoyable to eat and gives you a warm hug. With its lovely ambiance, great service, lovely views and delicious surroundings, The Ivy Castle View really does fit the bill. And if you do want something a little more culinarily challenging, go next door to The Ivy Asia. A recent visit there was also a delight.
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Stefan Reynolds
Main image: Johnny Stephens Photography
