Kingham Restaurant Guide

“Much more restaurant than pub, and with a car park full of Chelsea tractors”, Lady Bamford’s “picture-postcard” 18th-century inn “does rather seem like an extension of West London” (and “with prices to match”). It’s not just “very easy on the eye”, according to most diners, however. As often there is the odd cynic for whom the overall experience is “very average”, but by most accounts chef Sam Bowser (whose CV includes Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons) oversees “very good” food with original touches, that makes this “a real find hidden away in the Cotswolds”.

With its “fantastic country pub atmosphere”, this well-known Cotswolds watering hole has long been a key venue for the Chipping Norton set; and current owners Matt & Katie Beamish run it as part of a trio of pubs-with-rooms in the district (with the Milton Hare and the Crown at Church Enstone). All reports acknowledge “tasty food that doesn’t cost the earth”, although the most sceptical diner feels that “it mixes pub standards with more ambitious fare (maybe too ambitious at the top end as those dishes failed to zing… maybe it was chef’s night off)”.

“The menu has something for everybody (and tricky allergies are dealt with without demur)” at this renovated Cotswold village inn which is co-owned by property magnate Sir Tony Gallagher, a kingpin of the Chipping Norton set. “Had a very enjoyable lunch with a large group of pals – the private room was perfect, and not so private as to lose all sense of a pub atmosphere. We’ll happily be back”.

The original farm shop and café in Lady Bamford’s organic mini-empire celebrated its 20th birthday in 2022, and now contains three dining spaces: the Michelin Green Star ‘Trough Restaurant’, ‘The Old Spot’ for sharing plates and wood-fired pizzas, and the more casual ‘The Legbar’ – all of which showcase an aesthetic that’s “quite Nordic but still warm”. The “child-friendly” (and Chipping Norton set-friendly) spot was praised this year as a “perfect location for a late breakfast” – and, while there are still those for whom the “high prices are not justified”, more sanguine reporters feel that they’re “not so shocking now that other restaurants have caught up!”

“The Fox has had a major makeover since the old days when it had the ambience of a venerable Cotswold pub” – as you’d expect since the July 2022 takeover by Lady Bamford and her Daylesford empire. Some old timers feel “the money lavished on its gentrification has not resulted in improvement”, although they concede the result is “very comfortable” and deliver a thumbs-up to its selection of posh pub grub (pizza, steak, burgers and Cornish fish for the most part). In early 2023, Giles Coren declared himself a fan too, even if there was nowhere close to park that wasn’t already taken by “gleaming Land Rovers and Porsches, piled three deep in the narrow lanes and stacked on pavements”.

This “wonderful old Cotswold inn” has been “beautifully renovated by the Daylesford owners” who took over in mid-2021, and now features stately equine paintings and lemon trees in the foreground of its mullioned windows. While it’s “larger and a bit more of a machine since becoming part of the Bamford empire”, the atmosphere is “lovely” (not least in the courtyard garden) and on the food front it is seen as “reliable”, with much sourcing from its famed sibling Daylesford Organic, and a crowd-pleasing menu of pub classics, wood-fired pizzas and fancier seasonal dishes.

“In a beautiful Cotswold village with stunning views” (over the Evenlode valley), this converted malthouse has won renown for its “exciting” cuisine over the years, and you can eat here à la carte or go for the six-course tasting menu, which comes in at £85 per person. (Reports were fractionally more up-and-down this year, perhaps reflecting the switchover of chefs, with Renemar Pinedo taking over from Matt Weedon in early 2024).

2021 Review: The co-founders of group that owns The Chequers in the Cotswolds and The Talbot in North Yorkshire have added another historic venue to their collection – a 16th century inn, complete with a 100-cover dining room and seven guest bedrooms. No survey feedback as yet, but press reviews are very upbeat.

A “strong fish menu” – despite its name and inland setting – is one reason why the Robinson family’s venture is likely to be “full on a wet mid-week February night”. Ex-Bibendum head chef Peter and his wife Louise launched it 20 years ago this year, and their daughter Millie is now part of the front-of-house team – “there’s always a friendly welcome from all of the staff, and the food’s amazing – I absolutely love it here”.

2023 Review: “A fantastic option in this Cotswolds village” that’s part of an old inn (with rooms) in the heart of the town that was given an attractive refit a couple of years ago. Despite some pub associations, the food is very much restaurant fare from a two-course or three-course menu.