Faringdon Restaurant Guide

This “lovely cosy country pub” (with rooms) is the brainchild of born-and-bred Cotswold gents Peter Creed and Tom Noest, who reopened its doors back in 2017. The “really nice menu includes wood-fired pizzas and flatbreads” plus hearty British pies and unusual meat dishes; if you’re the sporting type, they advertise packages including a range of activities (game shooting, deer-stalking and other very English pursuits).

This five-year-old venue set in a huge stone-built former barn – part of a sprawling family-run project in the Cotswolds also incorporating a spa retreat, a pub and a beauty business – serves “reliably good food. Nothing fancy, just great local ingredients cooked to perfection. Yum”. Chef Charlie Hibbert trained under Jeremy Lee at Quo Vadis; his mother Caryn led the redevelopment of the estate. Top Tip – “if you have a meal here, make time to walk around the grounds and take in the great views”.

Either a short drive or leafy stroll from Oxford, surrounded by Port Meadow, this beautifully located Thames-side inn is as cosy in winter as it is glorious in summer with its conservatory and large garden. There’s a wide-ranging menu that’s not particularly ‘foodie’ but realised very competently.