Surrey Hills · Silent Pool
Children, dogs, grandparents, the lot. A walk by the pool, food nobody argues about, and enough space outside that nobody has to whisper.
The Silent Pool trail is short and flat enough for small legs, with the pool itself two minutes from us. Then there is room on the patio for prams, dogs and the inevitable second round of cake.
Mandira's Kitchen is a 400-year-old barn above the pool serving handmade Indian food seven days a week. Children are very welcome. Dogs on leads are very welcome. The samosas tend to settle most disagreements.
What you actually eat here
Lunch, seven days a week
Indian street food the way Mandira grew up eating it — samosa chaat, papri chaat, biryani, kathi rolls, keema pav, chilli cheese toast. All handmade with our own chutneys. Chai ice cream if you have room. Gluten-free options available. Eat in the barn or out on the patio. Booking is wise at weekends.
The weekend thali
A round platter of small dishes that changes every week, with a Bollywood playlist, a film recommendation and a quiz. Pre-booked and picked up Friday or Saturday. Monthly subscription available if you want one posted to you.
Freezer meals to take home
The same food, cooked by hand in small batches and frozen the same day. Take a stack home from the cafe, or have them delivered anywhere in the UK in insulated boxes, free over £100.
A barn above one of England's strangest pools
Silent Pool is a spring-fed former chalk quarry on the Albury Estate, so still and so clear it looks lit from below. Tennyson came here to think. Agatha Christie's car was found just up the hill at Newlands Corner in 1926. Our barn sits on the track just above all of it, where pilgrims once walked the old North Downs way. Four hundred years a cowshed. These days, something rather better fed.
Good questions, briefly answered
Is Mandira's Kitchen good for families with children?
Yes. Children are very welcome, there is plenty of outdoor space on the patio, and the short Silent Pool trail nearby suits small legs and prams.
Is there a family-friendly walk nearby?
Yes. The Silent Pool trail is short and flat, two minutes from the cafe, with the North Downs Way close by for longer walks.
Can we bring the dog as well?
Yes. Dogs on leads are very welcome on the patio, with water bowls provided.
Where is it and is parking easy?
Silent Pool, Shere Road, Albury, Surrey GU5 9BW, just off the A25. Park in the Silent Pool car park and register at the cafe for free parking.
Book a family table at Mandira's Kitchen
Open seven days a week, on the track above Silent Pool.
Book a family table →