The Good Earth

The Good Earth on Esher High Street is the Surrey outpost of a small, highly regarded Chinese restaurant group with a thirty-year track record of setting the standard for Chinese cooking in the Home Counties. The kitchen pairs classic dishes — aromatic crispy duck, dry-shredded beef — with more ambitious contemporary plates such as Golden Sands Dover Sole and Wasabi Prawns, earned through relationships with premium suppliers. Critics have described it as several clicks above your average Chinese and worth the extra cost, and Hardens lists it as one of the better Chinese restaurants in the region. The dining room is elegant rather than functional — crisp tablecloths, attentive professional service — and the restaurant regularly draws diners from across Surrey and south-west London. Booking is strongly advised for weekend evenings.