Gerrards Cross, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

“This wonderful neighbourhood restaurant with seriously good seasonal cooking” and “a relaxed, friendly environment” was launched back in 2011 by Terry Wogan’s daughter Katherine and her husband Henry – and is “still the very best in the area after all these years”, with “impeccable service from staff who are charming and helpful”. Top Tip – “Sunday lunch is sublime”.

A “classic English pub” that advertises itself as Britain’s oldest no less, and whose 900-year-old walls have welcomed more than their fair share of TV and film crews (‘The Theory of Everything’, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Midsomer Murders’ were all shot there, the latter lending its name to their chicken pie). The menu takes in hearty soups, steaks and other pubby fare – and “what a fab atmosphere – it makes the food taste better”. Top Tip – if you want to compensate for the calories, the location offers “good post-meal walking options across fields and woods”.

This “lovely old pub” in the Chilterns, handy for the Harry Potter antics at Warner Bros Studio nearby, built up quite a reputation for its Anglo-French cooking over nearly two decades under husband-and-wife team Sally & Alvin Michaels. The 18th-century venue is now managed by Alvin’s former protégé Matt Jackson (and part of the growing RedCat pub company) but, on limited feedback this year, its “exceptional pub dining” still makes it a local magnet.

This enticing multi-cuisine spread at a country estate hotel near Watford is a real bargain at £74 per person (£94 per person on Friday dinner and at weekends) – “if I win the lottery I’ll be here every week”. There’s an impressive array of ‘stations’ to mix-and-match, from sushi, robata grill and Asian, via seafood, roast meats, live pasta, stone-baked pizza and salad bar to cheese & charcuterie, vegan and dessert. All-in-all, it makes for an experience that is entertaining and fun for all the family, if not necessarily very foodie.

Heston’s take on the gastroboozer – a former hunting lodge that the celebrity chef took over in 2004, and is just a short waddle from his more famous and fancier Fat Duck. What it offers is “not really pub food per se”, but rather “reinterpretations of classic dishes” that delve into Britain’s gastronomic history, from ‘Quaking Pudding’, to their signature soft-yolk Scotch egg. The results are still relatively down-to-earth, “supremely tasty” and “remain great value”.

Simon & Deborah Bonwick took over this well-known pub (which boasts a cosy, traditional interior and huge garden) in mid 2025, and its website now dubs it as ‘A cosy pipe and slippers kind of pub’ that’s ‘A Gastronomic Chapel amongst the Culinary Cathedrals here in Bray-on-Thames’. He has been and continues to be involved with a number of other pubs in the Henley / Marlow area, and here aims for ‘highly executed seasonal French cuisine’, with dishes such as ‘Market Fish “Like When in Paris”; and ‘Aged Highland Beef fillet “A La Ficelle” with a Rather Nice Sauce’. Reports please!

Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan was – as of mid 2025 – rumoured to be on the verge of buying a £1 billion stake in Richard Caring’s restaurant empire, of which this famous brasserie chain is the crown jewel. Presumably, he’s more interested in ‘rolling out’ the brand in The Gulf and beyond rather than dropping by for a Salmon Fishcake and ‘Ivy Chocolate Bombe’, but if he’d asked the opinion of our annual diners’ poll, we’re not sure that he’d sign on the dotted line. “How can a restaurant with this heritage produce such uninspired, tick-box food?” is a question merited by its poor ratings, ditto what explains the “very slow and disinterested service”? The answer may be that “you don’t come here for the food, obviously” but for the “gorgeous” interior design and “picturesque” locations that continue to underpin their appeal. Let’s hope for the Sheikh’s sake that the middle classes of the Arab World are as undiscerning as those from the UK!

“Very much a local gem” – “Dom Chapman’s pub/restaurant remains a most attractive and well-run establishment”, with a “cosy and inviting interior”, “friendly staff” and a “great-value set menu if you want to save some money as well”. Ratings have slipped a notch on reports of some “pedestrian and inconsistent” dishes, but the broader message is of a “great local”.

“For a jolly night out with the girls”, these “warm and luxurious” west London haunts are just the job. An “extensive list of cocktails” is key to their allure – “the food is not the main attraction although it’s perfectly acceptable”. Lorraine Angliss (who also owns Annie’s and Little Bird) opened the Richmond original in 2009; its Chiswick sibling followed in 2022.

“Cosy”, large tavern just off Acton Green on the fringe of Chiswick, with some fine late-Victorian features, and whose menu has a somewhat “sophisticated” Mediterranean spin. There’s a small rear garden in summer that opens off its characterful rear dining room (though you can also eat in the bar).

Reopened after a £450,000 refurb and extension in May 2024, this venue from Heartwood Inns, founded by Raymond Blanc as the White Brasserie Company, offers a French-influenced menu of more ambition than most gastropubs.

“The newest incarnation of a Chiswick stalwart” – formerly The Crown, before that Carvosso’s, and originally built as a Victorian police station – finally “seems to have really hit its stride” as part of the high-flying JKS group, having previously found success elusive on this large and attractive site right on the high street. Fans say its interior design “shouts well-heeled-pub”, but “the food and service lift it to a higher, warmer level”, and these days it’s “usually packed”. Ratings overall are middling however, and there are a fair number of nearby residents who observe: “it’s a very popular new local… I’ve no idea why!”