Hockley Heath Restaurant Guide

2022 Review: “A real gem in our local area” – this branch in the stylish, seven-strong Warwickshire-based 'Lovely Pubs' group has a lot to recommend it: “service is on the right side of friendly and very attentive”, they serve “great pub food, but restaurant quality” (including “fantastic seafood platters”), and if you stick to the main bar downstairs, there's plenty of atmosphere too.

Ex-Simpson’s chef Matt Cheal decamped from smaller premises in Henley-in-Arden to the former Jacques fine dining restaurant in Knowle two years back, gaining a cocktail and tapas bar along the way. There’s a lot of love for the “wonderfully plush surroundings (my old branch of HSBC!) which lend any visit the feeling of a special occasion”, while early reports on the food – à la carte or a tasting menu – praise some “beautifully presented” dishes (even if some feel “the flavours aren’t quite as impressive as the surroundings”).

Solid initial ratings in our annual diners’ poll for this Grade II-listed, Tudor-fronted hostelry in Shakespeare country, which was extensively renovated by Heartwood Inns and relaunched in late 2023. It now boasts a new oak-framed extension, and an attractive outdoor space leading to a stream, alongside a solid range of pub fare.

Glynn Purnell’s three-year-old operation has a bright, modern interior that’s in contrast to the period building it inhabits on an attractive high street and is hailed by its biggest fans as “a great pub where food, drinks and service are all very good”. As with last year, though, its ratings in general are middling and dragged further down by the odd more critical report.

2024 Review: “This must be the most ‘undiscovered’ fine-dining restaurant in the West Midlands”, say fans of this yearling from locally born and trained Rob Palmer, formerly head chef at Hampton Manor, whose debut as patron is a 26-seat open-kitchen venue in a former computer game shop. “Food and service are first-class”, and if it’s “a little pricey, it’s worth it”. In the evening, the five-course menu is £85 per person; or there’s a seven-course option for £99 per person.