Cuddesdon Restaurant Guide

It’s the end of a storied era at this famous Oxfordshire manor house – a permanent fixture on the annual Harden’s 100 list of the UK’s best restaurants – which is to close for 18 months: from January 2026 until summer 2027. Its original founder, 75-year-old Raymond Blanc, is stepping back from his role as chef-patron to become a “lifetime ambassador” and there will be a “visionary redevelopment” by owners Belmond (part of French-owned luxury goods conglomerate LVMH) who acquired it in 2014. Opened 41 years ago, it has long been a leader of the British gastronomic scene, a training kitchen for generations of young chefs and a pioneer of sustainable cuisine. It’s a lifetime work that helped Raymond earn his Légion d’honneur in 2013 in recognition by La Patrie of his services to culinary excellence. As to the future: according to the press release: “The redevelopment will allow Le Manoir to evolve for the future, to meet the needs of the modern guest while staying true to its soul and values. It is not simply a renovation, but a reinvestment into sustainability, in creativity, and in the spirit of excellence that has defined us”.

“Definitely a good choice if you’re in the area” – i.e. just five miles from the dreaming spires of Oxford – this “very comfortable country pub” boasts one of the best gardens in these parts and is particularly appealing come summer. Some feel the menu is “limited” and “relatively expensive”, albeit “generally good with some unusual dishes”, much local sourcing, and a fair selection of veggie-friendly options.

2022 Review: Despite its weird and wonderful decor, this lavishly decked out hotel not far from Oxford – a fixture of the area for over a quarter of a century – attracts relatively little feedback nowadays. It’s all still positive though, especially when it comes to the Thai dining room (there’s also a more traditional, British one). Service is “very engaged” and the classic twelve-dish sharing menu “well presented and flavoured food that reflects the cuisine”, without being “touristy”.

“The food is sensational” at this legendary Oxford outfit, which delighted its many fans by reopening last September after a three-year hiatus while founders Rufus & Ladd Thurston switched to a retail operation as Elle’s Deli, in search of a better work/life balance. With their children a little older, they have relaunched their Thai project with most of the beloved classic dishes, such as – according to one report – “the best confit duck Penang probably in the world!”. But it’s still only open three days a week, with the familiar three-month waiting list for an evening booking.

This “big old pub with a jolly, slightly bohemian atmosphere” is a well-known “gastro-pub (with the emphasis on gastro)”. It achieves solid and still-plentiful support in our annual diners’ poll, despite a feeling that “the food falls well short of the standards at its London siblings, Anchor & Hope and Canton Arms”. Top Menu Tip – “the suet crust steak-and-ale pie to share is a lovely, lovely thing”.

“Tapas at another level” has earned local cult status for this outfit that celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and is hidden behind neighbouring historic shopfronts (for a chemist and a watchmaker) – “every dish is delicious, and there are excellent veggie options too”. “It’s so popular you always have to book”, and the timed slots are restricted by opening limited to three days a week (Thursday to Saturday) – a problem that should be eased by the late-2025 launch of a new branch in the city centre’s old Covered Market, with 90 covers spread over two floors (downstairs walk-in only) and projected 7-day operation.

2024 Review: From a now nine-strong “cheap ’n’ cheerful” Sri Lankan chain that wants to create a relaxed island vibe – candles in coconut shells, upbeat music – and has found a real audience for its “very tasty” and “excellent-value” small plates (including many vegan-friendly options) plus potent cocktails (aka ‘cocotails’).

2022 Review: “Some pubs in the Cotswolds really go above and beyond, and this is one of them” – Steven Sanderson’s 400-year-old thatched village boozer with rooms (and garden) offers “lots of interesting small dishes as well as the usual suspects” (notably grass-fed British steak).

Relaunched towards the start of 2025, this good-looking pub opened too late to generate any feedback in our annual diners’ poll, but has already won support in the press for offering an archetypal Cotswolds experience. In her August 2025 review, The Sunday Times’s Charlotte Ivers hailed a venue preserving “the spirit of a village pub” and ate Chicken liver parfait “thicker and richer than the ruddiest inhabitant of Chipping Norton”, and a fish finger sandwich “you could feed to a hungry farmhand or a Michelin inspector and both would be delighted”.

“Wonderfully capable French cooking, excellent ingredients and delightful staff” make this village pub-turned-bistro “a real find for special occasions” (“we had a lovely summer lunch party for eight in the garden”) – and it’s “very close to Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, no less” (while considerably easier on the wallet). Hosts Antoine & Camille Chretien are “really friendly and knowledgeable”, and “don’t take short cuts” with their “beautifully presented” Gallic cuisine. Top Menu Tip – “the five-cheese soufflé is divine”.

Open in Spring 2025 in the Crazy Bear boutique hotel – a new ’British fine dining’ restaurant under Chris Emery, former head chef at Jason Atherton’s New York outpost The Clocktower. It opened too late for survey feedback – expect a modern take on British cuisine, as this longstanding venue relaunches following a management buyout.

“Lovely” South Indian cooking – with “great thali options, that you can tailor to your own tastes” – is served at the Headington offshoot of a restaurant established in Cheltenham: “it’s welcome to have Keralan food being offered in a city whose Indian options have diminished dramatically in the last decade or so”. Top Menu Tip – “masala dosa is the smart option”.

2023 Review: “Very friendly and informal” – Yeshi Jampa opened this small restaurant in November 2020 after several years of serving up ‘Himalayan soul food” at fairs and festivals. His dumplings, curries, noodles and bowls provide “great food with good vegan options.