Windsor Restaurant Guide

An “unexpected find in a quiet location” – this “gorgeous olde worlde pub with delicious food” and big dining conservatory is to be discovered in a leafy suburban street near Richmond Park’s Sheen Gate; and is “a great all-rounder”, run by TV-chef owner Paul Merrett. Other features include six boutique bedrooms upstairs, and a large kid-friendly garden.

Tapas Inspired by Spain and Lebanon What does Dar mean? It’s Lebanese for “lounge” and Spanish for the verb “to give”. And that’s a perfect combination with Spanish and Lebanese-inspired tapas as well as fine wines in a relaxed and convivial ambience. This new restaurant is un...

“The latest addition to the Dastaan stable” – Nand Kishor opened this new venue in autumn 2024: a debut that was not only “Surbiton’s No.1 food event of the year”, but comfortably the decade. “Every bit as good as the original (Dastaan), just in a more useful location – it’s much larger than its sibling and a bit of a noisily hectic venue – mostly because it’s so popular – the cooking is astounding (I occasionally feel like I’ve been punched in my face after a visit, and that’s meant entirely as a complement!)”. “The dining room is simple, colourful and that’s about it: very much ‘Home Counties curry house’. It’s the cooking that is very special, every sauce perfect” – “each dish is superb, the rice is world class (it’s the best Indian food I’ve ever had”). “At last, Andy Hayler has a reason to visit Surbiton!”

A short drive from Henley-on-Thames, this thatched pub, has a “modern dining room extension to a traditional wood-beamed interior”. Classic pub dishes (for example steaks or honey-glazed ham, egg and chips) are served alongside more ambitious fare, including venison from the surrounding Phillimore Estate.

Experience excellent food and fine wine in the 4 silver star Crowne Plaza Marlow’s newly refurbished Glaze Restaurant in Marlow, AA Rosette awarded for its culinary excellence. Having recently undergone a huge refurbishment project, the Glaze Restaurant is no...

‘We are closed for a holiday period – looking forward to seeing you soon’ is – as of October 2025 – the message on the website (and answer-machine) of this famous Thames Valley institution, in a gorgeous Thames-side position at Sonning Eye and famous for its spit-roasted duck. Owned by the Emmanuel family since 1972, it went on the market in September 2023 but we can find no record of any sale, and it seems to have been closed for most of 2025. Will it reopen?

“It’s more gastro than pub, but the ambience deliberately stops short of a full restaurant experience and so you can have great food in a more relaxed manner” at Mike Wall-Palmer & David Adams’s characterful old hostelry, which has been a feature of the high street since the sixteenth century. A feature highlighted for praise is the “exceptional value set lunch” (“delightful carpaccio of beef, sea bream in a delicious mussel sauce and a scrumptious dessert… top value!”). There’s also a simpler offering in the bar and courtyard.

“We LOVE this restaurant. Use it for weddings, anniversaries, special occasions… it never disappoints!” – Eric & Sarah Guignard’s Gallic stalwart, 10 minutes walk from Surbiton station is “just the best neighbourhood restaurant” for its army of dedicated fans drawn from the inner London burbs, Surrey and beyond (some of whom have been coming since the place first opened in 2001). It is “a long thin room as it always has been” and perhaps “rather cramped”, but “year-in, year-out” the Gallic cuisine is “excellent”, “beautifully presented” and well-matched with “interesting wines”, all delivered by a “superb front of house crew” who “are very welcoming and remember preferences”. “Brilliant value all round”… “and great bread too at their ‘French Tarte’ patisserie” next door.

Laurie & Jacqueline Gear’s “fabulous, classic restaurant in Old Amersham” has long been a hit in our annual diners’ poll and was in the top-40 most mentioned restaurants outside London this year. “Laurie’s personality shines in his delightful food” – “a remarkable range of menus (including brilliant vegetarian options)” with the entry-level offering being a three-course selection for £95 per person. Service is “really efficient and also very warm” and “wines are paired with intelligence and insight” (although “chatty sommelier” Valentin recently left the business).

The new luxury 4 Silver Star Crowne Plaza Reading M4, Jct 10, provides a stylish, contemporary look and feel to suit the business traveller, leisure, and spa guest. The hotel, set in landscaped podium gardens, delivers exceptional dining experiences, providing a serene setting...

Meimo's is one of Windsors finest restaurants Meimos Restaurant has an extensive menu with dishes that will suit all tastes and a friendly atmosphere. A real locals' favourite and definitely not a tourist-trap! With popular dishes such as Lamb or Chicken Tagine with exotic...

“A lovely view of the weir at Marlow and over the Thames” through old-fashioned leaded glass windows is a highlight at this “friendly and professional” outpost of star chef Atul Kochhar, which – true to the contrasts of 21st-century Britain – aims to pay homage to his love of Indian cuisine in the environs of a “pretty” dining room by the river whose situation is archetypal of the traditional English Home Counties. On most accounts, his team provides “exceptional” cuisine that’s “sometimes full-on Indian” but mostly “a subtle, not-too-fiery fusion”. Ratings, though, are dragged down this year by a minority who find its performance “very average”. Top Menu Tips – “sublime Dal Makhani”; “the best ever soft shell crab and amazing monkfish”.

“Lovely as ever and long may it continue” – Giancarlo & Katie Caldesi’s “welcoming” country venue (their flagship is in Marylebone) provides “wonderful Italian cooking”, including “silky-smooth homemade pasta” and “top-quality, tender calf’s liver in white wine”.

At 144 On The Hill, we celebrate bold flavours, the finest seasonal ingredients, and a touch of creative flair. Our menus change with the seasons, offering beautifully crafted dishes served in stylish surroundings. Dine in our swoon-worthy interiors, soak up the atmosphere on ...

“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”.

“As always, outstanding food” is again reported at Ryan & Lian Simpson-Trotman’s converted 18th-century pub in the lush countryside surrounding Henley-on-Thames – “a brilliant place that’s always a delight to visit”. There’s an à la carte menu with two courses for £65 per person or you can opt for a seven-course tasting menu for £130 per person.