Harden's says
Husband and wife team Richard and Solanche Craven have taken over the running of this 800-year-old country pub in the picturesque Cotswolds village of Whatcote. The recently refurbished pub will serve produce sourced from within 10 miles of the restaurant and game on the menu is ‘shot to order’.
Harden's survey result
Summary
Highly rated village pub on the edge of the Cotswolds from Richard & Solanche Craven where “originality and local resourcing are dominant concerns” – “Richard’s cookery is always spot-on, and his love of game shines through in the fantastic dishes he serves up”. In late 2025 the couple launched a second venture in the village: a daytime bakery, ‘Ferment & Flour’, that turns into ‘Ricardo Bastardo’s’, a trattoria using English produce, in the evening.
Summary
“Run by a delightful couple in a charming village pub” – Richard & Solanche Craven inspire a hymn of praise in reports on their “outstanding Michelin-starred pub” on the fringe of the Cotswolds, which provides the “best all-round gastronomic experience” this year to a couple of reporters. “The food ranks very highly by virtue of its originality and the excellence of its execution. The place still functions as a pub, with an open fire and a pool table, but it is also a proper restaurant”.
Summary
Richard & Solanche Craven’s “exceptional” venue in a converted village pub on the northern fringe of the Cotswolds is “well worth the detour” for its “well-judged menu” of “beautifully cooked” dishes (many with foraged ingredients) and “democratically inclined wine list” in a “very attractive space”. You don’t have to endure a massive number of courses either, with evening options starting with a four-course menu for £80 per person.
Summary
With its “absolutely top-rate food” and “very attentive service”, Solanche & Richard Craven’s “friendly” operation on the northern edge of the Cotswolds “never fails to delight”. “Richard’s cookery is always spot on” and “his love of game always shines through in the dishes he serves up” in the “light, modern-built dining area attached to the ancient pub”. Top Menu Tip – “ox tongue and doe steak just melt in the mouth”.
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 Royal Oak?
2 Upper Farm Barn, Whatcote, CV36 5EF
Restaurant details
The Royal Oak Restaurant Diner Reviews
"I've nominated this as my meal of the year, although I could have listed the dates of a number of other visits. This time we were welcomed into the kitchen (we were the only lunchtime customers) for a very informative chat. Originality and local resourcing remain dominant concerns. Always stimulating and satisfying."
"Richards cookery is always spot on, his love of game always shines through in the dishes alway fantastic he serves up. The front of house team are very friendly and they have a great selection on the bar and wine list. One of our favourite places near us just a shame we have to drive there."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £16.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
2 Upper Farm Barn, Whatcote, CV36 5EF
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 6:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Thursday | 6:30 pm‑8 pm |
| Friday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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