Wallingford, Italian Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “A brilliant location” – on a picture-perfect stretch of lush Thames riverbank – is the justification for maintaining the listing of this Thames Valley veteran, on the fringe of Goring. On a sunny day, there are few nicer places to be. Its “classic Italian menu”? Not much commented on (nor, to be fair, criticised) and not the main point.

“Traditional, family-run Italian restaurant” – known for its “tasty food and a pleasant interior” – a fixture on the Henley waterfront “for circa 30 years”. It does a roaring trade during the annual Henley Regatta.

Long-serving Jericho brasserie/deli with a heavily Italian bias and a “good range of dishes to suit all tastes” – “service is thoughtful”, and "there’s always a cosy private table for two available despite its popularity”. Self-service deli-style meals provide quick and cost-effective weekday lunches, with standard table service in the evenings and weekends, and there’s a nice garden to eat outside when it’s warm enough.

“A visit feels like an occasion”, say fans of this “superb local French restaurant” in Summertown from chef-patron Pascal Wiedermann (ex-Racine, Terroirs and Six Portland Place) and his wife Laura. “Service is very good” and the dishes “well-executed”, although some feel the menu is somewhat “limited” and “requires £££”.

2023 Review: “A foodie gem”, this well-known eighteenth-century pub in a village on the outskirts of Oxford has been going through a period of flux, hence we’ve removed a rating for the time being. High-profile chef Jon Parry joined in summer 2022, after our annual diners’ poll had concluded, having made a name for himself cooking over an open fire at The Mash Inn in Buckinghamshire, and declared his ambition to ‘turn The White Hart into something really special’. Four months later, owner Baz Butcher announced his intention to sell up and retire to France.