3 /5 Aaron Coltman: We visited for the first time after hearing so many glowing recommendations and publicity calling it one of the best in the UK. Expectations were understandably high.
The setting in Charlbury is lovely and the dining room is traditional and characterful, although the timber furniture wasn’t especially comfortable and the afternoon sun in the main dining space was quite overpowering - some blinds would really improve the experience.
Unfortunately, the welcome felt a little frosty. We arrived 11 minutes late (parking in town was very difficult) and were immediately told by the host we’re running late and that we had 1 hour 15 minutes left on our table. It came across more as a reprimand than a greeting, which set a slightly uptight tone from the outset.
That said, the rest of the service was much better. One member of the team in particular was excellent: knowledgeable, warm, and thorough when talking us through the menu. She made us feel genuinely welcome and looked after.
The food was good and well executed, though pricing felt high, particularly for the vegetable small plates given their size. Four small plates, two desserts and two pints came to just over ÂŁ100. A 12.5% service charge was automatically added (which we were happy to pay), along with a pre-added additional charity donation.
A couple of service details were missed - we were never offered another round of drinks and we only had butter knives throughout the meal.
Interestingly, despite the initial emphasis on our time slot, the kitchen experienced delays and we ended up staying almost 30 minutes beyond our allotted time without issue.
Overall, a good meal in a nice setting with strong food and one standout staff member. However, the atmosphere felt slightly pretentious and uptight rather than relaxed and welcoming, which isn’t quite what you hope for from a country pub experience.