Princes Risborough, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

2024 Review: “Splendid surroundings for a plentiful and tasty afternoon tea” are again noted as a highpoint at this Jacobean/Georgian stately home spa hotel, with grounds laid out originally by Capability Brown and nowadays owned by the National Trust. Top Tip – “they are happy to give you a box for anything you can’t finish!”

A “classic English pub” that advertises itself as Britain’s oldest no less, and whose 900-year-old walls have welcomed more than their fair share of TV and film crews (‘The Theory of Everything’, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Midsomer Murders’ were all shot there, the latter lending its name to their chicken pie). The menu takes in hearty soups, steaks and other pubby fare – and “what a fab atmosphere – it makes the food taste better”. Top Tip – if you want to compensate for the calories, the location offers “good post-meal walking options across fields and woods”.

Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan was – as of mid 2025 – rumoured to be on the verge of buying a £1 billion stake in Richard Caring’s restaurant empire, of which this famous brasserie chain is the crown jewel. Presumably, he’s more interested in ‘rolling out’ the brand in The Gulf and beyond rather than dropping by for a Salmon Fishcake and ‘Ivy Chocolate Bombe’, but if he’d asked the opinion of our annual diners’ poll, we’re not sure that he’d sign on the dotted line. “How can a restaurant with this heritage produce such uninspired, tick-box food?” is a question merited by its poor ratings, ditto what explains the “very slow and disinterested service”? The answer may be that “you don’t come here for the food, obviously” but for the “gorgeous” interior design and “picturesque” locations that continue to underpin their appeal. Let’s hope for the Sheikh’s sake that the middle classes of the Arab World are as undiscerning as those from the UK!

2022 Review: This rural pub (complete with beams and roaring fire, and also accommodation) in a lovely Buckinghamshire village still achieves solid ratings, and – notwithstanding gripes from the occasional reporter about its takeover by Oakman Inns in late 2019 – most feedback rates the food as “very good”.

This “lovely old pub” in the Chilterns, handy for the Harry Potter antics at Warner Bros Studio nearby, built up quite a reputation for its Anglo-French cooking over nearly two decades under husband-and-wife team Sally & Alvin Michaels. The 18th-century venue is now managed by Alvin’s former protégé Matt Jackson (and part of the growing RedCat pub company) but, on limited feedback this year, its “exceptional pub dining” still makes it a local magnet.

2024 Review: This “very old pub in a great location next to Henley Bridge” has been a scenic boozer for yonks, but now comes in a “fabulous new incarnation”, having been taken over by seasoned restaurateurs Matt Dockray and Phil Renner, who relaunched in late 2022. The hugely stylish interior (not least in the vaulted dining room, strewn with trinkets) makes it a “great place for a first date”, and there are positive early reports on the elevated pub classics by head chefs Joshua Wilde and George O’Leary – both previously senior sous-chefs at Tom Kerridge’s Marlow joints The Coach, and The Hand and Flowers.

“Very much a local gem” – “Dom Chapman’s pub/restaurant remains a most attractive and well-run establishment”, with a “cosy and inviting interior”, “friendly staff” and a “great-value set menu if you want to save some money as well”. Ratings have slipped a notch on reports of some “pedestrian and inconsistent” dishes, but the broader message is of a “great local”.

“This wonderful neighbourhood restaurant with seriously good seasonal cooking” and “a relaxed, friendly environment” was launched back in 2011 by Terry Wogan’s daughter Katherine and her husband Henry – and is “still the very best in the area after all these years”, with “impeccable service from staff who are charming and helpful”. Top Tip – “Sunday lunch is sublime”.

Reopened after a £450,000 refurb and extension in May 2024, this venue from Heartwood Inns, founded by Raymond Blanc as the White Brasserie Company, offers a French-influenced menu of more ambition than most gastropubs.