Thatcham, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“I was expecting rather standard Home Counties fare, but instead I found delicious cooking and charming service all in an attractive barn-style setting”: this successful ten-year-old – a restored ‘run-down pub’ in West Berkshire countryside – boasts a “very lovely”, high-ceilinged contemporary dining extension and has become one of the most commented-on restaurants in our annual diners’ poll. Run by Alastair Storey (a top catering CEO), reporters are “delighted and frankly a bit surprised by the excellence of the experience” and – unusually for a rural venue – its “ambience and level of quiet formality make it a place in which you’d be happy to do business”. Its scores slipped a fraction this year though, on the back of some incidents of “mechanical” service (“in the old-style, fancy-restaurant way)” or the odd “ordinary” meal (“we have had better here”).

“Every village should have one” – a “really pretty pub (with rooms) and a beautiful garden” in the “lovely” setting of the Wellington Estate. Chef Jason King does not trade on its location, as his elevated pub-style classics (featuring produce plucked from the garden) are “imaginative” and “cooked to perfection” too. Top Tip – they sell their own bread and gin over the bar.

2022 Review: “This superb gastropub” – an eighteenth-century inn “two minutes from the Thames and convenient for London day-trippers” – serves “interesting food with some high gastronomy”: “all produce is locally sourced, and bread made and butter churned in-house”. Husband-and-wife patrons Nick & Mary Galer (both ex-Fat Duck Group) “clearly care about what they do and look after their diners”. Ratings dropped a notch this year amid reports of “the odd off note” – possibly they “need a bit more practice after lockdown”.

“It’s in such an amazing spot” – a “romantic setting by the Thames” on a stretch of riverbank immortalised in the ‘Wind in the Willows’: this riverside inn (which housed a ferry until 1967) has had its looks updated in recent years, and is nowadays more pub-like that it once was. Some old-timers say it’s “not as good as before”, but for others it’s “very good” and everyone agrees that on a sunny day few places are nicer than its outside terrace.

2022 Review: “Reliable cooking with a buzzy atmosphere” makes this 20-year-old city-centre outfit a useful option; it also gives vegans a decent choice of dishes.

Aussie chef Skye Gyngell’s “ambitious establishment” – a Georgian country house dining room in a “beautiful location” overlooking a lake and parkland. They are “very conscious of their environmental responsibility”, with “almost all ingredients locally grown or reared” and served in pared-back style. But while it received strong ratings all-round for its luxury hotel setting, a couple of reports did note “a feeling one has to be on one’s best behaviour!”

A short drive from Henley, Antony & Jay Worrall Thompson’s attractive gastropub serves a globally inspired menu with burgers and steaks a highlight of the selection. Fans – including those on a trip out of ‘the smoke’ – rate it as a “reliable” destination.

“Great food, great live music and great attention to detail” add up to “a perfect venue” at this country pub, run for 35 years by former rock musician and self-taught chef Paul Clerehugh (ex-Sweet). It’s a “lovely building with great décor and a nice atmosphere”, and if the “portions are way too big” – most guests are very happy with that.

2023 Review: After months of restoration, this 17th century Georgian building near Newbury re-opened in January 2022 and now boasts a traditional pub, very attractive pitched-roof dining room in contemporary style and 30-bed coaching inn, as well as a covered garden terrace. No feedback as yet in our annual diners’ poll – reports please!

2023 Review: Complete with a riverside terrace, this privately owned pub near Newbury receives a good rep in our annual diners’ poll for its 40-seat dining room overlooking the river Lambourn, where chef Sam Cary aims to deliver ‘refined modern British pub food’. In an April 2022 visit, Tatler’s Fay Maschler declared it “a rare jewel of a country pub” offering “everything you want a welcome to be”.

2023 Review: “Always reliable, serving exceptional food for a village pub”, say fans of Dave Watts’s rural inn, where classic pub dishes jostle on the menu with somewhat more ambitious fare. Top Tip – “the plat du jour is unbelievable value!”

2022 Review: For “restaurant-quality food in a lovely country setting” head to this country pub, a few miles from Henley-on-Thames. The venue has been serving locals since 1860, and continues to draw positive reports for its simple yet refined seasonal plates.

“Long may it thrive” – an “engaging” neighbourhood joint with links to the local gin and craft-beer outfit, The Keep. “The menu changes regularly, and there’s always something to love”. Top Menu Tip – “save room for desserts…they’re very good” (“the doughnuts are a guilty pleasure”).