Cherwell offers classic English countryside vibes with hearty local dishes like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and comforting stews, celebrated in cozy pubs and eateries.
Tea • Asian • Sushi • Japanese
"We have visited by chance as my husband fancied a Ramen! It's a lovely small restaurant in the centre of Banbury. Food and presentation are excellent There is a wide variety of dishes to choose from I have a gluten and diary allergy and the restaurant Manager provides advice on dishes and ensured my food was safe to eat. I have had a stir fry and it was delicious Great value and experience in overall."
Steak • Vegan • British • European
"We had dinner at this restaurant yesterday and it was great. Being a local Bicester resident, we've not visited restaurants on this side but we were glad we visited. They offer a great locally sourced 3 course menu for dinner but we went for 2 courses only as we were heading for a movie. I ordered the meat of the day which was steak with spinach which was great. My better half ordered the fish of the day and they were nice to customise the dish so she could have the salmon with beans and potato. The food arrived fairly quickly and the taste was great. The staff were excellent and surprised me for my birthday with an Eton mess dessert. Would visit again and highly recommended!"
Pubs • Full • Steak • Family
"I have never felt so welcomed in a pub before, all thanks to Ben and his amazing staff at this hidden gem. My family stumbled upon this pub during a camping trip and were greeted with friendly staff and excellent hospitality. We decided to stay for a meal and were blown away by the delicious Brasenose burger. Special thanks to Rebecca for being so wonderful with our 5-year-old daughter. Our family holiday was made amazing by all of you. We can't wait to return soon. Thank you all once again."
Cafés • Steak • Seafood • British
"We came to visit here after hearing the new owner was starting to make a bit more effort with his business after a year of being there. We were greeted by fag butts all over the floor, along with a load of rubbish and flower beds full of junk and fag butts. Not the greatest welcome, but we continued. The entrance corridor was dark and half lit by fairy lights on the ceiling. No one was really in the pub, apart from a couple of what I assume to be locals sitting at the bar. The bar area was a mess, with bottles everywhere, dirty glasses (not sure where they came from as the pub was empty). We asked to look at a menu and was handed a folded and ripped bit of paper, which was strewn with spelling and grammar mistakes. The guy behind the bar looked totally at a loss surrounded by mess on his own. The coffee machine was surrounded by dirty napkins and sachets of sugar, with a pint of milk sat out on the side (not in the fridge). The floors don’t seem to have been washed since 2015, and don’t even get me started on the windows. What was once a beautiful beer garden is now covered with tents and tables are stacked in the flower beds. There’s no real sign of life outside apart from the mould that seemed to be growing in the ash trays. The pizza oven is filled with fag butts and rubbish, something I’m sure environmental health would have a field day with. I was also suggested to go upstairs to the ‘pool room’ a room with sticky floors, sticky tables and more strewn rubbish. The pool table barely works without a good kick in told. I popped outside of said pool room to find a stair case leading down to the garden covered in glass and yeah you guessed it fag butts. It’s such a shame that this lovely little pub has been treated with such lack of respect, and it is now so far away from its former glory that its hard to believe it will ever regain it. I will not be coming back."
Pub • Steak • Seafood • British
"My wife and I were welcomed into the sun and ushered to a table by lovely waitress. We had a hook ale from the brewery down the road- very nice! I enjoyed an excellent sunday pork roast (me) with all trimmings. Particularly the best carrot and parsnips. Really nice gravy. The most splendid yorkshire. Potatoes were so crisp- the chef really does the veges so so well. My wife had fish and chips. The fish had the best batter and the chips very good. Homemade tartare I think- very nice. Normally she does not like the tartare but this seemed fresh and worked well with grilled lemon. We left big tip and will come back again next month when on holiday- forget Chipping Norton, they all overcharge and the customers and hosts out here in the country are quieter and more friendly"
Pizza • Steak • Pasta • Italian
"This restaurant is absolutely fantastic! Kris went above and beyond for my friend's birthday, providing a warm welcome and a great sense of humor as soon as we walked in. He was funny, attentive, and made our night unforgettable. The restaurant was spotless, had a wonderful atmosphere, and was still bustling even at 8PM. The food was delicious and served quickly, with the best caramelized onion and mozzarella flat bread and chicken and chorizo risotto I've ever had. The staff, including the chef, were friendly and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed. Kris even came over to our table after his shift to say goodnight. Overall, the service, atmosphere, and value for money were excellent. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back for more. Thank you Kris and the team at Wildwood in Bicester town center!"
Pizza • Pasta • Italian • Sicilian
"It was my husbands birthday and at about 3pm he decided he wanted to eat at pizza calzone that night and they very kindly squeezed us in (we later found out they had had around 150 customers that night so very grateful! We arrived and were seated quickly, staff as always, were very friendly and came to take our drinks order but we hadn't decided on food yet so Carlos gave us a bit more time. When we ordered he was happy to answer questions and make adjustments (removing chilli from the dishes. The food arrived quickly and starters were AMAZING. my husband and his mum had prosciutto, Mozzarella and Melon between them and I had the fried Mozzarella, my father in law had calamari, all of the dishes were amazing and shared around, very fresh and full of flavour. When the mains arrived I couldn't believe how big the calzone were! But both my husband and mother in law thoroughly enjoyed them and gave it a good effort to finish them! I had pasta gorgonzola which was delicious and again, very big portion and my father in law had the seafood spaghetti which he informed me was amazing- he asked for it without chilli which staff were happy to do. During the meal, it was still incredibly busy in the restuarant but when I asked Michael for another drink he happily made me one and came over to chat about how busy they were and the food, he was very friendly and I'm sure i know him from somewhere but couldnt work out where! Once we had finished our meals (we were offered takeaway boxes for leftovers we were sat having a drink and all of a sudden a panacotta with a candle arrived and all the staff were singing happy birthday to my husband, we really didn't expect this and it was such a lovely, special touch, especially considering how busy the restuarant was, it made us as a table, and my husband feel very valued. When we got yhe bill the staff happily provided emergency service discount which we appreciated and we again chatted which Michael. Overall it was a really lovely experience and the staff are fantastic and go above and beyond. Thank you Carlos and Michael for making it such a special night! And to the kitchen staff, thank you for the amazing food! We will definitely be back again. Merry Christmas!"
Pasta • Pizza • Steak • Italian
"The food is authentic, home made Italian and absolutely delicious. We had mains and dessert. The mains were generous and did not need any side extras to fill us up. The dessert that we had Tartufo Scuro was amazing! The staff were friendly, polite and helpful. The restaurant gets busy so booking is advised. The staff all work extremely hard and are very efficient we were very impressed."
Pub • British • Breakfast • Vegetarian
"This was a special anniversary dinner, and despite hearing some mixed reviews from friends, we decided to give it a try. The ambiance and décor were impressive, but the service, food quality, and seating comfort left much to be desired. The bench seating was uncomfortably high compared to the table height, making it difficult to relax. While the appetizers were delicious, the main dishes were a disappointment. As a fan of authentic Thai cuisine, I was let down by the heavy, thick sauces that lacked the subtle flavors I was hoping for. My fish main dish was served as beef, drinks were forgotten, and the tables were too close together, making it hard to have a private conversation. The Fox restaurant has great potential with its lovely setting, friendly but overwhelmed staff, and reasonable prices. It's a shame they fell short of delivering on their promise."
Steak • Vegan • European • Vegetarian
"Extensive menu Not inexpensive. Four of us, shared the antipasto Misto starter at £17. Which was good.. When one of us could not take the cheese pizza flatbread, they offered a garlic as an alternative and subsequently added £8 to the bill! Their special was a venison pie with a rich jus. Just as well as it proved impossible to cut, or break the crust, even after soaking with the jus. The venison was stringy and a great disappointment. Similarly , the pork belly was overcooked with the meat nearly as hard as the crackling. Coffee afterwards served in minuscule cups. Total cost for a shared starter, main course , coffee and four beers was £145."
Cafe • Cakes • Coffee • Drinks
"I was wandering around Banbury town with half an hr to spare before my train, unsure about whether I wanted a coffee or not, and which cafe to go to. On such a cold day, most cafes had ques and staff looked stressed it was likely I wasn't going to grab a coffee at all! Then I received an inviting welcome from a member of staff at The Rustic Bean, who encouraged me to come into the warm and try their offerings. From the moment I walked toward the cafe to the moment I left, this person naturally went above and beyond what a barista usually does making me feel welcome and seen to. I believe the person's name is Nash. They had pride in their work as they brought out my latte with a beautiful rippled heart in it and generally just brought chilly Parsons St alive with a smile. Top service."
Cafés • Pizza • Seafood • Mexican
"Self proclaimed “chef” with loads of attitude. Clearly does not know what a pizza is. Put towers of cheese, tasted like a frozen pizza dripping with grease, no tomato base and the promised “fresh” basil and chilli’s just non existent, did not even mention that they don’t put it on the pizza anymore. Cheese was greasy and chewy with two whole sausages just slapped on top. Was not worth the price as many ingredients were missing. The “chef” should know how to make a pizza running a tradition Italian cafe, bit embarrassing really. when we politely inquired about the quality of the food we where asked if we where “chefs” and his argument was that not everyone likes what was on the pizza, if this was the case we wouldn’t have ordered it. I have to say I’ve never seen a pizza so funny looking I wish I’d have taken a photo. The poor waitresses seemed embarrassed, they were very lovely and apologetic. We were demanded by him to Pay full price and walked out, even got a “nice try” as we left. Arrogant and rude Sort your ego out mate your no Gino D’Acampo :"
Steak • Vegan • Cheese • Vegetarian
"I was extremely disappointed with this restaurant. The menu was very limited and the dishes we ordered were not as good as we had hoped. I had the steak while my husband had the pork belly. The steak came with just half a mushroom, a small amount of green vegetable, and a tablespoon of gravy. The accompanying mini shepherd's pie was dry and lacked flavor. The pork belly was mostly fat with very little meat, served with minimal sauce and a small bowl of mashed potatoes. Both the wines we wanted were not available, and we ended up settling for a more expensive option that was not very good. The starters and desserts were also unimpressive. Our bill totaled £191, even with the pork dish taken off, and we did not feel it was worth the cost. To make matters worse, it was my husband's birthday, and this dining experience fell far short of our expectations based on the reviews we had read. There are definitely better restaurants out there."
Pub • Cafés • Steak • Seafood
"We had stayed at The Red Lion before and, after comparing prices in and around Banbury, we found that they couldn't compete. We stayed for one night in a room next to the main road, but the double glazing on the window was excellent and we hardly noticed any noise from the busy road. The room was nicely furnished, the bed was extremely comfortable, and the bathroom was lovely. We had dinner at the pub and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially considering the very reasonable prices. The entire pub was clean, and the staff were efficient and friendly. The parking lot at the back of the pub was a bonus. We highly recommend staying here to anyone!"
Pub • Steak • British • Vegetarian
"The pub is nice enough with outdoor seating and pleasant service The menu is not very inspiring. There is very little for vegetarians and nothing if you are vegan except a baked potato with beans. I had a very dry halloumi sandwich with salad and...chips- nearly everything comes with chips. The halloumi was thinly sliced and the bread was thick. A very small salad garnish helped a bit. Other meals appeared to go down well- fish and chips and gammon with an egg- standard pub fare, redolent of the Ok if you are not fussy."
Cafe • Cakes • Coffee • Cheese
"a great lunch yesterday. chose the tart: beetroot, feta, hazelnuts and mint with another amazing salate. the staff is great, always helpful. a large selection of homemade ice cream that you can choose from, even if the coffee taste is my favorite. is so good with my espresso!"
Cafe • Pasta • Steak • British
"Called in after a very busy day around the shops. Very warm welcome and they cleared a table for us within a couple of minutes as we hadn't booked in advance. We were just at the right time to order a cream tea which was delicious. Beautifully served in silver tea set. Fresh scones with jam and cream. If you are visiting it is definitely worth booking in advance as it was quite busy. Good toilets. Very welcoming and attentive staff . The lunch menu looked very good as did the ala carte menu."
Fish • British • Seafood • Fast Food
"love it here! in the cherwell pub many paintings for many different occasions and never had any mistakes. feels very comfortable, clean and relaxed. always helpful in ordering food with allergies. good selection of events and good music. Finally, the staff are always helpful and friendly."
Food • Pubs • Steak • British
"My other half and I had an evening meal here, which was simply the best meal out we’ve had in a long, long time. My OH had a chicken satay starter fabulous. Not too sweet, had real live bits of peanut in the sauce, and came accompanied by cucumber and salad. For mains, I had flat iron steak with pepper sauce, peppers, courgette, roast garlic and perfect chunky chips (think that was it). It was cooked to perfection and such a relief to find a pub that doesn’t roll out an overcooked steak with the ubiquitous onion rings, half a tomato, mushroom/s and skinny chips. The OH had salmon, which came with crushed new potatoes and lots of nice veg none of which he can remember this morning. Hey ho. Dessert for each of us was a pavlova with whipped cream, zingy lemon curd, raspberries and strawberries. This was just as fabulous as everything else. So impressed. Every dish was artfully presented, the flavours considered and the cooking absolutely spot on. Not a soggy vegetable in sight. Lovely people, too, our waiter was a smiley gentleman from Turkey and the chef and (we believe, although this is an assumption) his wife, who incidentally brought the food out themselves (nice touch), were Kiwis. Altogether a lovely experience and one that I recommend wholeheartedly to others."
Cafés • Steak • Kitchen • Chicken
"Really disappointed with the trip advisors as much as the pub. This was our first time here so we were looking forward to it based on the recent reviews. I rang and tried to book a table for 6:00 to 6.30 and was encouraged to make it 6 as they were busy later. When we turned up we were the only people there for half an hour and then 2 other couples came in before we left at 7:25pm. We ordered the dough balls to start and the garlic butter was frozen. The menu of lots of different pies on offer from the previous tenants was still visible but not on offer. The menu was very limited unless you wanted pizza. I ordered the crown burger because the confit duck leg was unavailable. My partner ordered the chicken chasseur. The burger came out on the smallest plate I have ever seen a main course served on in a pub or restaurant and it was tiny. It was £16 and an extra £1 for the cheese and another £1.50 for the single slice of bacon. The portion of fries came in a mug size cup! The chicken chasseur sauce was see through and was extremely watery and wasn't right. It came with no veg and a similar size portion of chips to mine and that was it! £42.50 for one portion of dough balls and 2 mains. The most disappointing thing was the way that our complaint was dealt with by the manager and staff. Nothing not even an apology. We eat out every week and have only had to stop on the way home once before to get something more to eat. This was the second time!!"