31 West St, Marlow, SL7 2LS
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Year after year the food is consistently excellent and the value incredibly high” at Michael & Steph Macdonald’s well-established fixture, which they founded over 18 years ago in a house once occupied by poet TS Eliot. “Whether it’s the excellent value set lunch or the full tasting menu” you opt for, all reports are full of praise (“I hadn’t been to the Vanilla Pod since before the Pandemic, so was delighted to discover that it was still in business and as good as ever”; “I have yet to have a course I didn’t enjoy”). “Others in the locale get more publicity, but in reality offer less for more”.
Summary
“Other restaurants in the vicinity attract more hype – and even have stars – seemingly because they have a ‘TV chef’, but they really aren’t as good and cost much more” than Michael Mcdonald’s high-quality fixture (one of the top-100 most commented-on spots outside London in our annual diners’ poll). Some compare the experience to being “like dining in a back living room” – not all together a surprise as it’s part of a house that was in fact once home to TS Eliot – but the main events here are the “beautiful precise flavours” of the “excellent and reasonably priced” food and “wonderful polite service”.
Summary
“Out-performing many more feted restaurants” – Michael Mcdonald “runs a fantastic family- run restaurant that never fails to hit the spot” at this “quiet and discreet” fixture, which occupies part of a house that was once home to TS Eliot. The dining room itself is “small, but well laid out” and buoyed along by its “very good, friendly and professional service”. “The menu is limited, but every dish is enticing” and all-in-all it provides “a proper dining experience” that’s “consistently great value” (and one of the 100 most-commented-on outside London in our annual diners’ poll).
Summary
Michael Mcdonald’s well-established favourite occupies an intimate room that’s part of a house that was, in days gone by, owned by TS Eliot. Fans continue to say its performance is “consistently excellent in all areas and amazing value”. As well as the à la carte menu, there is also now a five-course tasting option – at £60 per head for seven courses, it’s not punishingly priced by the standards of such offerings and fans say “it’s absolutely brilliant. You've got to go for it!”.
For 34 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 Vanilla Pod?
Owner's description
Welcome to The Vanilla Pod.
The Restaurant has been awarded 2010 Regional Winner of the Good Food Guide, Reader’s Restaurant of the Year Award, The Top 100 independent restaurant by Good Food Guide 2013, Listed 92nd by Sunday Times Top 100 Hardens Guide.
Thank you for all your support over the years to which there have been a lot of changes at The Vanilla Pod.
As you may well be aware I have been working alone in the kitchen for the last 4 years, so I do apologise if I am unable to see you all but you are more than welcome to pop your head around the door into the kitchen, it would be great to see you.
Kind regards
Michael Macdonald
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £20.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
Restaurant details
The Vanilla Pod Restaurant Diner Reviews
"We had wanted to come for years but disappointed afterwards. The food was good but nothing spectacular, mediocre at worst, pretty good at best but certainly not worth the money for the 5 course tasting menu. Service very friendly. Atmosphere pretty dead, 3 of the 8 or so tables taken, too easy to overhear boring conversations. For the amount of money we were very disappointed."
31 West St, Marlow, SL7 2LS
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
