Basingstoke Restaurant Guide

“Every village should have one” – a “really pretty pub (with rooms) and a beautiful garden” in the “lovely” setting of the Wellington Estate. Chef Jason King does not trade on its location, as his elevated pub-style classics (featuring produce plucked from the garden) are “imaginative” and “cooked to perfection” too. Top Tip – they sell their own bread and gin over the bar.

Aussie chef Skye Gyngell’s “ambitious establishment” – a Georgian country house dining room in a “beautiful location” overlooking a lake and parkland. They are “very conscious of their environmental responsibility”, with “almost all ingredients locally grown or reared” and served in pared-back style. But while it received strong ratings all-round for its luxury hotel setting, a couple of reports did note “a feeling one has to be on one’s best behaviour!”

2021 Review: “So quirky and friendly”, “and the food is great too” at this smart pub-with-rooms geared up for huntin’, shootin’ and fishin’ in the Hampshire countryside. Top Tip: “Go for the scrumptious dessert of beer cake and apple ice cream”.

This “superb” restaurant in “a beautiful country house in a small village” on the edge of Reading celebrates its 40th anniversary under its current name this year – and has gathered a large number of fans who say “we’ve been visiting for years and it’s brilliant”. The loss of its long-held Michelin star in 2022 has not dampened enthusiasm, with reporters in our annual survey praising the “well executed” meals sent out by young head chef James Greatorex – “it’s not cutting edge but very pleasant modern French-influenced cuisine”. “As with so many fine-dining restaurants, lunch is much more affordable than dinner: the 5-course lunch at £49 was excellent value”.

2021 Review: An “excellent coffee and cake selection” (verging on the “healthy” side), supported by “interesting” snack lunches underpin the allure of this town-centre café – and “in summer you can retire to the courtyard or sit out front to watch the world go by”; “unfortunately the branch in Winchester has now closed”.

Kate Middleton’s favourite pub, apparently (Raymond Blanc is a fan too) is this rural inn deep in the Berkshire countryside, where noise from the nearby M4 doesn’t impinge on its tranquility. Much-expanded in recent years with the addition of a cookery school, it’s nowadays run by Kate Robinson and her partner, musician Rocky Rockliff (Kate’s ex-husband, game expert Mike Robinson, is no longer involved). Though still popular with our reporters too, there’s a feeling that “the menu has been scaled back in recent times” with meals that are increasingly “good but not special”.

2022 Review: “Reliable cooking with a buzzy atmosphere” makes this 20-year-old city-centre outfit a useful option; it also gives vegans a decent choice of dishes.

Located in the “quirky but fun setting” of a refurbished Grade II listed Edwardian swimming pool, this venue is an “oasis of decent food in the wasteland of Reading”, serving “very good Mediterranean-style food across all three courses”. With views over the pool through plate-glass windows, it’s “great to eat while watching others exercise!”.

2023 Review: “A wonderful country experience” is reported at this rural inn (‘The Hodd’), run by the Barnes family since 2015, whose concise menu aims for superior realisation of classic pub dishes.

Nandana & Sharat Syamala’s part-crowdfunded venue is “not your standard Indian restaurant” – “more like home cooking” inspired by the regional cuisines of Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, with “some interesting specials always available”. “The venue was previously a Wetherspoons, so it’s a large space which is a challenge to make entirely comfortable but it’s got a good ambience and is well worth a visit”.

2023 Review: After months of restoration, this 17th century Georgian building near Newbury re-opened in January 2022 and now boasts a traditional pub, very attractive pitched-roof dining room in contemporary style and 30-bed coaching inn, as well as a covered garden terrace. No feedback as yet in our annual diners’ poll – reports please!