Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in West Wycombe
Hardens guides have spent 34 years compiling reviews of the best West Wycombe restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 90 restaurants in West Wycombe and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing West Wycombe restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured West Wycombe Restaurants
1. The Chequers Inn
British, Modern restaurant in Weston Turville
35 Church Lane - HP22
It fits the bill as a “good traditional pub” but the food (from Pine Nut and Feta Lasagna, to Berkshire Downs lamb pie, with zingara sauce) is high-end at this country inn, set amidst the Bucks countryside and run by Ranka Lani, who began her career at Soho’s Bar Italia.
2. Caldesi in Campagna
Italian restaurant in Bray
Old Mill Ln - SL6
“Lovely as ever and long may it continue” – Giancarlo & Katie Caldesi’s “welcoming” country venue (their flagship is in Marylebone) provides “wonderful Italian cooking”, including “silky-smooth homemade pasta” and “top-quality, tender calf’s liver in white wine”.
3. Sindhu
Indian restaurant in Marlow
The Compleat Angler - SL7
“A lovely view of the weir at Marlow and over the Thames” through old-fashioned leaded glass windows is a highlight at this “friendly and professional” outpost of star chef Atul Kochhar, which – true to the contrasts of 21st-century Britain – aims to pay homage to his love of Indian cuisine in the environs of a “pretty” dining room by the river whose situation is archetypal of the traditional English Home Counties. On most accounts, his team provides “exceptional” cuisine that’s “sometimes full-on Indian” but mostly “a subtle, not-too-fiery fusion”. Ratings, though, are dragged down this year by a minority who find its performance “very average”. Top Menu Tips – “sublime Dal Makhani”; “the best ever soft shell crab and amazing monkfish”.
4. Orwells
British, Traditional restaurant in Binfield Heath
Shiplake Row - RG9
“As always, outstanding food” is again reported at Ryan & Lian Simpson-Trotman’s converted 18th-century pub in the lush countryside surrounding Henley-on-Thames – “a brilliant place that’s always a delight to visit”. There’s an à la carte menu with two courses for £65 per person or you can opt for a seven-course tasting menu for £130 per person.
5. The Lamb Inn
British, Modern restaurant in Little Milton
High Street - OX44
“A very knowledgeable team with an interesting and varied selection of dishes” wins praise for this 16th-century thatched village pub near Oxford (under its current ownership since 2022). Ex-Manoir chef, Nat Berney, produces a seasonally changing menu that’s of restaurant quality rather than being especially pub-like (for example Côte de Boeuf to share or Whole Lemon Sole in Rose Harissa Butter). More reports please!
6. Glaze at Crowne Plaza Marlow
British, Modern restaurant in Marlow
Fieldhouse Lane - SL7
Experience excellent food and fine wine in the 4 silver star Crowne Plaza Marlow’s newly refurbished Glaze Restaurant in Marlow, AA Rosette awarded for its culinary excellence. Having recently undergone a huge refurbishment project, the Glaze Restaurant is no...
7. The Bottle & Glass Inn
British, Modern restaurant in Binfield Heath
Bones Lane - RG9
A short drive from Henley-on-Thames, this thatched pub, has a “modern dining room extension to a traditional wood-beamed interior”. Classic pub dishes (for example steaks or honey-glazed ham, egg and chips) are served alongside more ambitious fare, including venison from the surrounding Phillimore Estate.
8. Caprice at Crowne Plaza Reading
British, Modern restaurant in Reading
Wharfedale Rd, Winnersh Triangle - RG41
The new luxury 4 Silver Star Crowne Plaza Reading M4, Jct 10, provides a stylish, contemporary look and feel to suit the business traveller, leisure, and spa guest. The hotel, set in landscaped podium gardens, delivers exceptional dining experiences, providing a serene setting...
9. Meimo
Moroccan restaurant in Windsor
69-70 Peascod St - SL4
Meimo's is one of Windsors finest restaurants
Meimos Restaurant has an extensive menu with dishes that will suit all tastes and a friendly atmosphere. A real locals' favourite and definitely not a tourist-trap!
With popular dishes such as Lamb or Chicken Tagine with exotic...
10. Home Sweet Home Inn
restaurant in Wallingford
Roke - OX10
2024 Review: “Excellent pub food in Chilterns countryside” is to be had at this cosy seventeenth-century country pub in the hamlet of Roke, near Wallingford. The straightforward menu specialises in grills, and if you still have room for cheese afterwards there’s a notably good selection.
11. The Vanilla Pod
French restaurant in Marlow
31 West St - SL7
“Year after year the food is consistently excellent and the value incredibly high” at Michael & Steph Macdonald’s well-established fixture, which they founded over 18 years ago in a house once occupied by poet TS Eliot. “Whether it’s the excellent value set lunch or the full tasting menu” you opt for, all reports are full of praise (“I hadn’t been to the Vanilla Pod since before the Pandemic, so was delighted to discover that it was still in business and as good as ever”; “I have yet to have a course I didn’t enjoy”). “Others in the locale get more publicity, but in reality offer less for more”.
12. The Sir Charles Napier
British, Modern restaurant in Chinnor
Spriggs Alley - OX39
“Charming… heart-warming… brilliant” – “There’s no better place in England to enjoy quality cuisine in the atmosphere of a friendly neighbourhood gastropub” according to fans of Julie Griffiths’ renowned hostelry, which has operated “off the beaten track”, deep in the Chilterns countryside (not far from the M40), for the best part of four decades. “Worth the effort of the drive” for fans from far afield, it is “still turning out brilliant food” and “the surroundings are second to none” with both the “lovely, cosy pub interior” and charming garden, complete with sculptures. “Interesting wine” is also a key feature. “Prices can raise an eyebrow” though – no change there then over very many years.
13. The French Horn
French restaurant in Sonning-on-Thames
‘We are closed for a holiday period – looking forward to seeing you soon’ is – as of October 2025 – the message on the website (and answer-machine) of this famous Thames Valley institution, in a gorgeous Thames-side position at Sonning Eye and famous for its spit-roasted duck. Owned by the Emmanuel family since 1972, it went on the market in September 2023 but we can find no record of any sale, and it seems to have been closed for most of 2025. Will it reopen?
14. Artichoke
British, Modern restaurant in Amersham
9 Market Sq - HP7
Laurie & Jacqueline Gear’s “fabulous, classic restaurant in Old Amersham” has long been a hit in our annual diners’ poll and was in the top-40 most mentioned restaurants outside London this year. “Laurie’s personality shines in his delightful food” – “a remarkable range of menus (including brilliant vegetarian options)” with the entry-level offering being a three-course selection for £95 per person. Service is “really efficient and also very warm” and “wines are paired with intelligence and insight” (although “chatty sommelier” Valentin recently left the business).
15. Mash Inn
British, Modern restaurant in Radnage
Horseshoe Rd, Bennett End - HP14
2023 Review: “Foraged food prepared over a fire: unbeatable?” – Nick Mash’s higgledy-piggledy village inn is “an absolute treasure of a place”, with “really interesting, special cooking” on a purpose-built wood-fired grill that helps achieve outstanding results. It’s “well worth the trip” to the Chilterns, “(and the beautiful rooms mean it’s worth the stay, too)”. We’ve rated it in the hope that it can maintain the high standards set by former chef Jon Parry, who departed in mid-2022 after five years at the helm.
16. Vaasu by Atul Kochhar
Indian restaurant in Marlow
2 Chapel Street - SL7
Chef Atul Kochhar is not just one of the UK’s most high-profile Indian chefs, but famous chefs full stop. He opened this modern, appealing dining room in 2020, just one day before the first Covid lockdown (aargh) as part of his empire of outlets across the Home Counties and it consistently inspires highly upbeat feedback (if, fair to say, short on utter rave reviews).
17. The Butcher’s Tap
British, Modern restaurant in Marlow
15 Spittal Street - SL7
“The third Tom Kerridge pub in Marlow” (and far from the best-known), this “exciting” local boozer and butcher’s “took its time to find its feet”, but is now “really buzzy and a true carnivore’s dream”; “okay, it is expensive for supposedly pub food, but it’s not like any normal pub…you select your meat/steak or cut from the butcher’s counter”, as per their ‘Meat Locker’ concept, “sit down with your pint, and wait for it to be brought to you cooked as you ordered it” (namely “in unadorned splendour”, though they do offer fancy sides if you want to pimp things up).
18. The Coach
British, Modern restaurant in Marlow
3 West Street - SL7
“Simply delicious British classics are executed to a high standard” at Tom Kerridge’s relaxed alternative to his famous (and over-pricey) flagship The Hand & Flowers just up the road, and a “very good-value set lunch” (two courses for £20 per person, three for £25 per person) adds to the appeal – no wonder several reporters “prefer it to the H&F”. “Every visit produces something special”, and there’s a “really lovely atmosphere, chatting with the chefs at the counter while watching them at their craft”. Top Tip – these days you can book on the day of your visit, so “book early”.
19. The Hand & Flowers
French restaurant in Marlow
126 West Street - SL7
“Ridiculous!”. “We’ve been to a lot of Michelin star restaurants, and we know this is a pub and not a tasting menu restaurant, but, sorry, only a limited choice of dishes for each course and very expensive for what they are at that” – typical feedback this year on Tom Kerridge’s famous Thames Valley boozer. Its fame was sealed in 2012 when it became the first pub in the world to be awarded two Michelin Stars, but after a sunny heyday and many years of celebratory reviews, its trajectory in recent times has been of steady decline and this year’s feedback was by far the worst yet. Over half of reporters consider the experience their most overpriced of the year, and – aside from the ludicrous prices – the food itself also takes flak for being “uninspiring” or “too salty”, with expressions like “inedible” and “made me angry” starting to feature in one or two accounts. It’s frankly hard not to conclude that only Tom’s TV celebrity stops the Tyre Men from pulling the gongs here. Perhaps he is aware, as change is afoot with a reallocation of the team – after our annual diners’ poll had concluded, in June 2025, Sarah Hayward was announced as the new head chef here, crowned Michelin Young Chef of the Year in 2023. Top Tip – during the week, there is a ‘Classics’ menu for £95 per person (not available at the weekends, hence higher formula-price shown).
20. The Ivy Marlow Garden
British, Traditional restaurant in Marlow
66-68 High St - SL7
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!
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