The Castle At Edgehill

The Rose Crown Ratley

➤ Featherbow Lane, Ratley, United Kingdom

Menu • Pub • Cakes • British • Breakfast

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"New ownership a game changer. We recently dined at Ratley’s village pub now managed by Lou and Basil. They've revitalised the place, maintaining rustic charm while injecting fresh energy. The menu showcases well-cooked pub classics – I enjoyed a fantastic burger, and my husband tried a duck version of shepherd’s pie! The cosy atmosphere with roaring fires adds to the charm, complemented by a well-curated beer selection. Whether it's a casual drink with friends or a hearty meal, Lou and Basil's commitment to great food and warm service shines through. We are excited to see where they take this village gem. Cheers to a fantastic start at our revamped local pub!"

The Plough Inn

➤ Church Hill, Stratford-on-Avon, United Kingdom

Menu • Pub • Salad • Cheese • Chicken

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"Amazing food and lovely waitress, we came for a very relaxed pre-wedding meal for my mum and step dad’s wedding (only a small intimate wedding) for everyone to meet, and the Plough was the perfect place. We live just outside of warmington and whenever we get the chance we come here for food, not that we get much chance anymore which is a shame wish we could visit more as the food is delicious and the pub is so lovely."

The Dun Cow

➤ West End, Cherwell, United Kingdom

Menu • Wine • Coffee • British • Ice Cream

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"We've been to quite a few pubs in the area of Banbury (incl Rose Crown and my fail-safe Falcon) but I have to say that the food here was on another level of flavour, texture and presentation. We had the aubergine board with grilled pita bread initially and, wowsers, it was utterly amazing. To start, we had the asparagus and hen egg (both guests loved it) and the blood orange with fennel which I had and shall never forget – next time I'm having two! Light, crispy, delicious – and as for the little seemingly toasted capers! Very more-ish. For mains we had three burgers with homemade cheese (tres bon) and the chicken supreme which the guest said was excellent. I skipped dessert as I was too full but tasted the tart (superb crispy pastry and luscious chocolate filling) and the rice pudding with coconut – what a great combo! Great staff – superb chef! The pub is in the lovely village of Horton. The restaurant area is small and quite plain (some tablecloths would brighten up the ambience) but pleasant and there's a large outdoor garden which I'd really like to visit in summer. But this place is all about the food, which really is imaginative and unbelievably tasty. And very keenly priced, too, given the level of food quality. We will most certainly return. On a separate note, it's a shame that new management or owners of a restaurant or B B are lumbered with the poor legacy of others before them – TripAdvisor should have a system where bad reviews of a restaurant before new ownership (in this case 2019) are wiped clean if the new version has, say, five 5-star reviews since takeover. It's bad form on TripAdvisor's part that new owners inherit the bad reviews of others before them. IMO, this place fully deserves all of its recent 5-star reviews. Just go – you won't be disappointed."

The Bell Inn

➤ Shenington, Cherwell, United Kingdom

Menu • Pub • Steak • British • Vegetarian

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"We were staying near Banbury for our honeymoon and The Bell Inn was recommend to us by the owners of our B&B. We had a look online and found the small but very tasty looking menu. We personally prefer a smaller menu as it makes...choosing (a little) easier, but it also means each dish is made fresh with very much care and attention. Entering the pub we were greeted by the friendly bar man who showed us our seats. He took our drinks order shortly followed by our food order. He was lovely mannered and efficient. We were also served by a lovey lady who could not do enough for us. We started with calamari and baked mushrooms. Oh my goodness! They were both immense! I can honestly say I have never tasted calamari like it and I have rated it abroad. My husband’s mushrooms just melted in your mouth. Both dishes presented ever so well. I could have happily had the calamari as a main. As mains, I had the burger and my husband had fish and chips. The batter on the fish was perfectly crispy leaving tender white, tasty fish within it. The chips were also spot on, crispy but fluffy potato inside. The dish came with homemade tartare sauce which was completely out of this world. The burger was cooked and put together perfectly inside a brioche bun, with cheese, lettuce, tomato and gherkins. Served with skinny fries and delicious homemade coleslaw. It’s been a long time since I have had such an amazingly tasty burger in a restaurant before. Even though we were full to bursting we really wanted to try the Eton mess, so we shared one. We were not disappointed, it was wonderfully presented and tasted just as Eton mess should. We really wish we could have met the chef and shook his hand. The Bell inn really is a little gem. A traditional pub with amazing food and fantastic staff. If you’re in the area do drop in for a drink or even book a table and taste their wonderful food."

The Bell

➤ The Bell Kenhill Road, Cherwell, United Kingdom

Menu • Pub • Wine • Soup • Fish

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"We live in a village close by to Shenington and are avid patrons of many countryside restaurants and pubs in North Oxfordshire. We're not that easy to please either but none of us could find fault with this small, exceedingly appealing pub nestling in the centre of the pretty and very quiet village of Shenington, about ten minutes drive from Banbury. Firstly the bar area itself is of classic country style with a few chairs, tables and even a dart board. There are also several tables outdoors in front of the pub which we will doubtless try next spring. The restaurant section is small and tastefully decorated with pale blue-green wooden panelling and rustic tables. A lovely ambience, in other words. We were initially drawn to this pub because of its menu which seemed to be spot on with seemingly something for all tastes. We ordered whitebait and teriyaki prawns for starters and both were delicious. In fact, for my partner and I, the teriyaki prawns mini casserole was one of the best dishes we've ever tasted. I can't tell you how amazing it was – crunchy prawns, al dente carrots and other tantalising things in a sauce you want to drink straight out of the bowl. Wowsers! For mains we had the chicken kebabs that were recommended by the amazing waitresses. It was a huge plate of sublime indulgence with a large skewer of tenderised char-grilled chicken that must have been marinated in some kind of magical secret ingredient. On the side was a Sriracha-style sauce with high heat clout and scrumptious tang. And taking up a lot of plate space, a circular flatbread piled with homemade red-cabbage coleslaw, a long slice of cucumber and other delicious items I can't recall. To top it off, it came with a dish of skinny fries. The helpings were enormous. A friend, meanwhile, had the katsu chicken burger which he said was very satisfactory. It, too, was huge. Granted, the dessert menu is very small but that didn't bother us because we had no room left for any. Just wish I'd taken some pictures of the food but I'd already eaten it by the time I thought about taking some snaps. Amazingly, the bill turned out to be a lot less than most other pubs we've visited. If you're looking for a truly lovely small country pub with exquisite food, amazing staff, awesome chef and cosy ambience, The Bell is thoroughly recommended. We will be back – many times."