Binfield - Restaurant Guide

“So pleased we went… the food, service and table decor was excellent and we look forward to going again” – this traditional pub on the village green parted ways with Dominic Chapman in 2023 and its nowadays run as part of a growing genre of UK establishments as an Indian-in-a-pub, serving fish ’n’ chips with curry sauce, chicken tikka burger… and on Sunday it’s tandoori chicken roast.

A revamped pub from a group with a growing track-record in the Thames valley. Chef Dom Chapman and restaurateur Nigel Sutcliffe worked together at the Fat Duck (where the latter was a director) and Chapman has been head chef at its nearby gastropub sibling, The Hinds Head as well as at the (unconnected) Royal Oak Paley. Here, with business partner James McLean they will revivify this old boozer set in two acres as ‘The Jack’ with 80-cover dining room and terrace, bedrooms and kitchen garden. Other pubs connected with members of the team in the area include The Crown in Bray, The Mutton in Hazeley Heath, The Oarsman in Marlow, Buckinghamshire and The Three Tuns pub in Henley-on-Thames.

The “relatively new and very stylish renovation of a former pub near Maidenhead and the M4” – this smooth-looking, contemporary restaurant and cocktail bar from the team behind The Woodspeen in Newbury opened in November 2024 and is an instant hit with local diners. Like its sibling it provides a particularly polished and professional style of dining for the shires. The aesthetic of the design is “very relaxing”, the front of house team help “make the whole experience exceptional” and there’s a “delicious” selection of luxurious dishes from a selection of surf ’n’ turf with the headline dish, sirloin to share at £90.

2022 Review: The former Land’s End pub got a new lease of life (and name) in 2018 when it was taken over by Niki & Adam Fortes, and the best man at their wedding, Colin Savory (both Colin and Adam having a pedigree at top restaurants). The “great” countryside setting is enhanced by “superbly cooked” pub staples and finer fare and “you can tell there are real chefs in the kitchen”.