The Cowley Retreat - (Near Oxfordshire, london)

Natalie Walker Had the most wonderful evening with family at Le Secret Garden. This is a real gem hidden in the beautiful village of Great Halseley. The food off the Spring menu was delicious and the flavours and presentation was delicate and beautiful. I will most definitely be coming back to try the other seasonal menus.

Mahliqa After a long day moving house in the heat, we were hoping for a hearty meal. We ordered jollof rice, egusi with fufu, and pepper soup. The jollof? Meh - bland and stingy on the portion. The egusi? V.oily but full of flavour - honestly the star of the show. But then came the meat situation. Each dish had one real piece of meat. The rest? .. Unchewable slabs of skin and fat masquerading as food (pictured) - the disrespect. I get that cow skin is a thing but this one clearly missed its softening appointment. Atmosphere-wise, the music was club-level loud. We couldnt hear the staff, and they couldn’t hear us. Cleanliness was questionable (sticky tables), and the vibe among staff was more house party than hospitality. I won’t be back, but shoutout to the egusi for carrying the whole night. 2/5 for that alone.

Milly Unwin Gorgeous pub with the nicest Sunday roast I’d ever had. Every part of it was delicious, especially the stuffing and the Yorkshire pudding. Fantastic drinks selection and tasty desserts as well. Lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff too.

Peter Sloane Stopped for lunch, we arrived late but they still seated us. Food as advertised, elevated pub food, but very elevated. Steak served simply with sauce and fries but exceptional cut and cooked to perfection. Burger wonderful, simple but everything perfectly done. They did pasta for our 5 year old and charged only £7 which is not always the case with restaurants. Would definitely come again.

Ali G Simply the best. This restaurant has a huge variety of options! Everything from grills to homemade soup of the day, stews, slow cooked traditional dishes, döner kebabs, and so many others I probably haven’t tried yet. Everything I have tried has lived up to my expectations, and I love how your order is grilled in front of you! They are super fast too, once you order and choose any meat from the see through fridge, it is immediately handed to the grill chef and starts cooking! Döner varieties including wraps and döner-on-rice are the best you’ll have in Oxford! Homemade dishes are so good that they run out quickly. A must visit, absolutely worth the price. People who work there are absolute champs they are very kind and always positive despite working loads and being under pressure at all times. (Attached is a takeaway box from Bodrum Restaurant, it has rice and chips underneath the meat, invisible on this angle, salad and sauces are complimentary with every order)

Gorgeously Wise We visited the Red Star last day for hotpot. It was delicious and unlimited, we had full tummies by the end. Tessa and other servers were all so kind and friendly. Only little thing I wouldve preferred is deshelled and cleaned king prawn.