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PRICE RANGE
£7 - £15
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch
CUISINES
Cafe, British
FEATURES
Parking Available, Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Reviews (696)
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Traveller rating
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Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

Nice setting in the middle of lovely Shere. Coffee was good, cake selection a bit average and so was the cake, service could be better. As there isn’t much choice would probably return but would love this place ti achieve its full potential!

Date of visit: January 2024
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Reviewed 4 weeks ago

The food is cheap produce/ingredients e.g not fresh scrambled eggs and very cheap cuts of smoked salmon. We sat at a table which hadn’t been cleaned from the previous customer. Staff friendly but I wouldn’t recommend, extremely disappointed.

Date of visit: February 2024
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Reviewed 20 January 2024

Full marks all round for the Dabbling Duck. We stopped here today for lunch on a busy Saturday, when the village was heaving with walkers. The cafe was full, but the waitress who received us very politely said that we were welcome to sit at...one of the tables outside. We said yes, we'd sit outside, as the weather was fine, and we gave in our orders. While we were sipping our tea, but before the eats were served, another waitress came to us, and said that they'd shortly be able to accommodate us in their marquee or tent at the back, a facility we'd hitherto been unaware of. Sure enough, a few minutes later we were moved inside. The tent is amazing, a lovely warm enclosure which doubles the cafe's seating capacity, soothingly illuminated by what appear left-over Christmas lights. In January it's very atmospheric. So the first thing is - full marks to the Dabbling Duck for looking after its customers. The second thing is, full marks for the food. Three of us had soup, one a sandwich, and one a baguette. All were excellent, and served by waitresses who, even under pressure, seemed to enjoy their work. We'll be going back to the Dabbling Duck again.More

Date of visit: January 2024
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 14 January 2024

My friends and I were unable to be seated in the main café as they were too busy but we found out that there was a table available in the yurt outside and we had such a lovely surprise! The yurt is absolutely beautiful 😍...really special and atmospheric. The young waiter who served us was really lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed our hearty homemade vegan meal and lovely cup of tea served in beautiful crockery. Definitely planning to return and highly recommended.More

Date of visit: January 2024
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 1 January 2024

Ate here this afternoon and the food was so delicious! We had smoked ham and roquefort on sundried tomato bread and tomato, pepper and basil soup and have to say I can't recall the last time I had such a delicious lunch. Staff were lovely...and we followed up with carrot cake and banana biscoff cake. Delicious! Only downside I would say is tye toilets weren't great. It was a rainy day so get the floor would be dirty but the bins were overflowing with paper towels in both loos. Other than that, can't fault the food or service. Doggie friendly too which is a big plusMore

Date of visit: January 2024
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 21 December 2023

Staff are friendly unfortunately my mince pie was forgotten so I chased it up .It was then brought to me the waitress said be careful it’s very hot it had been in the oven all the time so was over done and dry . Went...back today and the scone was lovely and large but had been heated in the microwave too long which turned the scone all dough like not like a scone at all . The cakes are expensive but do expect them to be served up properly sadly will try to other cafe next time .More

Date of visit: December 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 December 2023

Unprofessional,dishonest, greedy and underhand Scammers who have no idea how to run a business Their attitude and lack of morales will see them lose a lot more customers and hopefully close for good There are so many decent places for afternoon tea etc- sadly we...had to find out the hard way this is not one of themMore

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 5 November 2023

Lovely spot in beautiful Shere for lunch but the real draw is the cake and it’s huge! Staff were very friendly and given how busy it was, they were very attentive too. Cannot say enough about the cake selection. I lost count of how many...there were on offer and as soon as one is finished they bring another one out. Not only is there a huge selection but the cakes are very fresh. We had the sticky toffee cake and it was delicious, the sponge was light and the icing was just right, not too sweet. The slices are huge and I mean huge. Highly recommend this little gem and look forward to returning soonMore

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 2 November 2023 via mobile

We decided to go back as our first venture was a delight. Our second visit was just not as good. I had a burger without the fancy brioche bun. Nicely presented but my taste buds felt different. Burger very very salty and the bacon had...a odd taste. Almost like vinegar. My wife had a potato and leek soup with half a tuna sandwich. Without my prompt she described the soup as very salty. The sandwich which was appeared like the ends of the loaf which had been prepared with the filling in the small side of each slice. Perhaps economics ruled here. A lovely little setting and staff are very polite and happy. We won't say we won't go back but hopefully we do as it's a little gem.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 28 October 2023

The sneaky addition of a service charge - with no explanation, or option to pay or not - means that after years of visiting we will never return to the Lucky Duck, Plucky Pheasant etc. I'd rather patronise businesses who recognise that we are all...struggling in a cost of living crisis. No doubt, the owners will add a gratuity option to the price plus service charge next ! Such a pity - and an example of how easy it is to loose a good reputation.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 20 October 2023

My husband and I ate lunch here and both enjoyed it very much. The service was a little slow but they were packed. He had a hamburger that was huge but still juicy and I had my very first sausage roll. Yumm! WE really enjoyed...Shere and this quaint little restaurant.More

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 10 September 2023 via mobile

Little Gem great place for I eat the only had a bacon sandwich Cappuccino elderflower juice but all couldn’t fault plus cyclist & dogs were given free water very attentive friendly staff will visit again

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 28 August 2023

We booked an afternoon tea and it was indeed very tasty. We would have given four or five stars, BUT we have one serious issue with the Dabbling Duck - and that is around disabled access. My husband uses a wheelchair so I phoned in...advance to ask about access. I was told there was a ramp at the front and a 2 inch step down into the cafe. When we arrived we realised that the ramp was very steep and not suitable for many wheelchairs, and the step down was more than 2 inches. The staff - who are lovely, by the way, suggested we eat in the yurt. The route to the yurt in the garden was uneven but we made it, only to find a door sill which was another obstacle. Some of the staff came and helped us to get in but it was a bit embarrassing, and shouldn't have been necessary. Then we realised that there were no disabled loos and the toilets were inside the cafe down that step, so we had to negotiate them after all. All of this spoilt what should have been a delightful afternoon in our favourite village in Surrey.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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Reviewed 28 August 2023

I booked a group of 16 film crew for lunch at The Dabbling Duck and we arrived to a super fast and very friendly service (despite height of summer), delicious fresh food, and cakes that reminded us of the best home baked goods we know....Couldn't recommend it enough.More

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 28 August 2023

Popped in during a visit to beautiful Shere and the first question we were asked was 'do we have a reservation'! Replying no as didn't think was needed we were lucky enough to be shown to a table!! Disregarding the lovely offerings of breakfast and...some luscious looking bakes, we settled for some coffee and a hot chocolate for little one, as well as a brownie for him as well. A very busy place so can see why you need to reserve!! Our order arrived, steaming hot - your Costa, Starbucks and the like can learn a bit on how to serve a HOT drink, rather than a lukewarm one that we all seem to receive these days! After settling up we then explored and caught up with all the changes in Shere - at least the car parking is still free of charge, for now!!More

Date of visit: August 2023
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
jan g
30 October 2015|
AnswerShow all 4 answers
Response from DabblingDuck2013 | Property representative |
Of course! No cream tea is complete without proper clotted cream
1
Vote
H4218DCjuliew
16 October 2015|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from DabblingDuck2013 | Property representative |
Sorry . We close for 2 days a week. Xmas Day and Boxing Day
0
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THE DABBLING DUCK, Shere - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Dabbling Duck

Yes, The Dabbling Duck offers takeaway services.

The Dabbling Duck is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5