Harden's survey result
Summary
Tom Kerridge ultimately owes his TV stardom to achieving two Michelin stars for this pretty ordinary-looking Thames Valley gastropub in 2012, on the fringes of the town, and how he continues to hold them here is a total mystery. Yes, there are fans who hail “pub food at its best”, or even who say “the cooking is very good, but not the peak talked about a couple of years ago”. But more vocal are those who want to know “what is all the fuss about?” given cooking that’s “not special, not exciting, and such a let-down compared with TK’s other pub in town, The Coach”. “Once the food here was superb but it has steadily gone downhill to just average”.
Summary
“Tom Kerridge’s (wonderful) versions of pub grub” mean there are still many reporters who “can’t wait to go back” to his immensely popular and consequently “overcrowded” Thames-valley gastropub, which owes its mighty reputation to Michelin’s award of a rare two stars, back in 2012. It was a questionable decision from the start, but could be glossed over at the time by the Hand & Flowers’ undeniably crowd-pleasing performance. However, ratings here have been in decline for years now, and it’s reaching a point where this down-to-earth hostelry is starting to seem “seriously overhyped”. It doesn’t help that TV Tom’s opened The Coach “literally down the road” which is “more fun” and has better scoff. And with this celebrity chef’s multiple other openings in London and Manchester, “Is TK just too stretched to keep control?”. (There’s also the question of when Michelin will finally stop slumbering and take away one or both stars here).
Summary
“Tom Kerridge’s (wonderful) versions of pub grub” mean there are still many reporters who “can’t wait to go back” to his immensely popular and consequently “overcrowded” Thames-valley gastropub, which owes its mighty reputation to Michelin’s award of a rare two stars, back in 2012. It was a questionable decision from the start, but could be glossed over at the time by the Hand & Flowers’ undeniably crowd-pleasing performance. However, ratings here have been in decline for years now, and it’s reaching a point where this down-to-earth hostelry is starting to seem “seriously overhyped”. It doesn’t help that TV Tom’s opened The Coach “literally down the road” which is “more fun” and has better scoff. And with this celebrity chef’s multiple other openings in London and Manchester, “Is TK just too stretched to keep control?”. (There’s also the question of when Michelin will finally stop slumbering and take away one or both stars here).
Summary
“Two stars????” – Tom Kerridge’s renowned (because of Michelin) destination is “a nice pub with very good food but it’s not up to the incredibly high standards that the French tyre company seem to think it merits” and consequently can appear “way over-hyped”. A fair number of reporters do indeed experience “magnificent cooking” (“so many things on the menu that you’re dying to eat”) delivered with “warm-heartedness, of a kind not given in most London eateries”; and in an “atmospheric setting, which remains like a gastropub despite the awards”. But, perhaps because TK has been distracted by his launch in the capital, the gulf between expectations and reality grew noticeably this year, and for a significant proportion of diners it now merely seems like “an adequate but unexceptional meal at a very inflated price”; or at worse “tremendously disappointing and truly bad”.
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Hand & Flowers?
Restaurant details
The Hand & Flowers Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Great food & drink a bit pricy"
"Rib eye steak was cooked perfectly but had quite a bit of fat on it. The Blackbery soufflé for desert was divine. My partners Potato and Lincolnshire Poacher pie was too much potato. "
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £42.00 | £46.50 |  |
|
 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £28.00 | £37.00 | £7.50 | £26.50 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £48.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £7.50 |
126 West Street, Marlow, SL7 2BP
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑9:15 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑5 pm |
Best French restaurants nearby
French restaurant in Marlow
French restaurant in Bray
French restaurant in Sonning-on-Thames
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
French restaurant in Sonning-on-Thames
Mexican/TexMex restaurant in Camden
Afternoon tea restaurant in Knightsbridge
