It is always difficult writing a review when you were a guest of someone else…read more A small pub, with a few covers (c. 32?). I guess my son hadn't been there before, as he had requested a table for 8 (including children), and a place away from the other diners. Mainly due to having a 4 yo and a 1 yo in the group. Unfortunately, due to the size of the place this wasn't possible. The pub came recommended apparently. The service was extremely slow given the fact that we had young children and they were getting restless. My daughter-in-law had to ask for them to take the orders in the end. The restaurant part of the pub was empty by the time we got our mains. Our table was booked for 1 pm and we arrived in good time. We left, in the end at about 3:45 pm. It was a long time with youngsters. The staff (possibly the owners) were extremely pleasant. I had as my starter: Bowl of Steamed Mussels, Shallots, White Wine & Cream £8.00 Main: Pan Fried Calf's Liver, Crispy Bacon, Mash, Greens & Horseradish Cream £13.50 Sweet: Warm Sticky Ginger Pudding, Vanilla Ice Cream & Toffee Sauce £5.50 The starter was superb, and I didn't have to ask for a finger bowl. I can't believe it was calf's liver. There was very little, and overcooked, and tough. As I say I was the guest so I said nothing. My wife had the same main, and given the price we were both disappointed. The liver was resting on a bed of mashed potatoes, and the greens were a few sprigs of broccoli stems. My son had the pork belly, and that looked great.... Wished I'd chosen that instead.... There were a number of items on the men that I also fancied, but I chose the wrong one. The sweet didn't seem to be homemade, but it was nice, although the alleged stem ginger wasn't found. The children's menu - is good value: Fish Fingers, Chips & Peas - Not you normal view of fish fingers, they were big , and definitely homemade. Spaghetti Bolognaise Roast Chicken Breast, Chips & Peas Grilled Steak, Chips & Peas - my younger son (9 yo) had this and was very pleased. It had the colour of veal. Cooked medium with no blood. Vanilla Ice Cream, Toffee Sauce Two Courses £5.50 They had a very extensive wine list, but I felt slightly overpriced. For example: 2010 Maison Favier Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve des Oliviers, Rhône, France £39.00. Would I return? Not with young children. If I lived in the village, I'd try to sample more. If I was visiting my son again..... I would suggest it wasn't worth the 12 mile drive from his house.... Shame, because on the surface it does look like they are trying to be a cut above.

Came again for lunch and had steak sandwich, side salad and the most amazing home made chips. I am…read morenot a great fan of horse radish but this was very good. The size of the meal was awesome and as for quality; amazing. You will be disappointed if you want a bargain meal but you get what you pay for. Staff very friendly and efficient making a lovely afternoon out with the family extremely pleasant.

Listen, If this is middle England, sign me up. I'll don the…read moreplastic Union Jack bowler hat. I'll bob up and down like a demented Plumb Dipper to the strains of Rule Britannia. Hell, I'll vote Farage. No, stop it. Two miles and a world away from the A1 you'll find the Olive Branch. It's exactly half way between London and our final destination Knaresborough. How serendipitous is that? What was intended to be an F1 style pit stop, driver swap, ploughman's gulpdown turned into something far lovelier. More quintessentially English than getting into a ruck at the Harvester salad bar because the oaf before me took all the croutons, The Olive Branch is a Quintessential England that we can all admire. Inside is all higgledy piggledy charm. The sort of place that makes the daintiest ballerina feel like a big lummox. Tentative steps, lots of crouching, trying to fit into the nooks and crannies that promise long stays when it's cold and dark out. It's lovely but if only we'd booked the garden. Beautifully kept, thoughtfully planted and adorned with private canvas gazebos for diners to shelter from the sun, enjoy great fare and gossip about Judy Murray's choice of clobber this Wimbledon. As pretty as a picture. What's that you say? One table left? Like XL bullies, we bit their hand off. Some wonderful touches out there. Beautifully woven blankets if it gets too cold. A lovely thought and a nice addition to the aesthetic. Tablecloths on some tables, bare wood on others. Not an accident. Nothing too clipped and precious. They've even made astroturf work. Sun helps in these matters and it duly obliged by turning up and pushing its rays through any gaps provided by the mature grape vine that wove its way across the pergola that forms the centrepiece. Keep yer blankets ta. The menu reads quiet confidence and elegance. Only fish and chips nodding to traditional pub fare. Poached herb crusted halibut, fennel, sorrel, Jersey Royals. A dish made for the moment and duly ordered. The halibut done to perfection, bathed in a lush green sauce inviting enough to go paddling in. One quibble. A crust should be crusty. This crust was applied before poaching which, to my mind, isn't a crust. It didn't stop the plate being cleaned like it was an extra in a Finish ad. Given its own separate menu was a tapas board groaning with dishes that, whilst not particularly challenging, were executed with love, care and skill. Padron peppers, gazpacho and chorizo might not set London pulses racing but each dish had integrity. The chorizo wasn't Spanish but was made down the road at the local farm. Succulent, soft, spiced. A dot of honey to set it off. Absolute winner. A croquette filled with local shards of ham, bound together by equally local cheese. Crispy shell, soft and sublime inside. As big as my fist which was pleasing given the quality. The 'ette' part is stretching things. There were several other dishes served on this three foot long board but I don't want to coo endlessly. Oh go on then. A tranche of seabass, skin as stiff as the board it came on, crisp and brittle, soft flesh underneath, on a bed of patatas bravas. Again, not earth shatteringly avant garde but totally wonderful to eat. Chargrilled broccoli with enough salt to melt the polar ice caps and all the better for it, with toasted almonds. There's more but I have a word count to respect. My only 'complaint' - and you won't ever read this from me again - simply too much of it for one normal human to get through. Alas, I'm not a normal human and left a solitary padron pepper and some potato remnants more out of embarrassment than anything. The tapas menus came with pudding. Three cornets of different sorbets and creams and a delightfully light pistachio tart. I did some button surgery and found space. Of course, I paid for it later but gluttony is tougher work than thin people might imagine. I haven't really done the puddings justice and I haven't even mentioned the bread that came with a delicious whipped butter with taragon and olive. I don't want to dwell on it too much as its giving me indigestion. (On a serious note, if you order the Tapas menu on your own - £38pp - it is quite literally enough for three people. I can't believe they would have added more had we ordered for two.) We sat back and bathed in sun, listened to bees guzzling lavender pollen and as we hit a shady spot time stood still as we wondered why 'dapple' sounds more pleasing than 'apple'. And there's me in my brand new bright yellow Adidas Campers. They clashed gloriously with the red hot pokers and it occurred to me that I could simply take root here or petrify into a fat gnome and stay forever. Alas, the A1 beckons. The olive Branch has a hotel attached. We left knowing that next time this will be the destination, not the pit stop. And wondering if on the journey up here we will find a half way stop off this good in Newport Pagnell.

I love this pub. It's perfect for a summer afternoon out when you have been to Rutland Water or a…read morevisit to Stamford or want to visit the village's Yew Tree walk. It has the most beautiful garden where you can enjoy a drink or eat at one of the tables amongst the flowers. It was Michelin Pub of the year in 2008 and has a stunningly refurbished barn which can be hired for family parties. We hired it out for a wedding anniversary a couple of years ago and it's a lovely private space. (check out the pics on the website.) I also love the interior decor and there is a good service. Sometimes they have wine tasting and sales at Christmas and they have a great selection to drink on the premises too. Well worth a country detour off the A1. As about the pub's history too. Just a word of advice it gets quite busy in summer.

Four of us had a wonderful dinner here last night. The food was delicious and the service was…read more10/10! We will definitely be returning soon.

What can I say about the King's Arms? I'm at home here. When we moved to the UK, honestly our most…read moredesired feature was walking distance to a pub. We got stumbling distance to one of the best pubs in the country. This place is well-regarded by everyone in the region. I've met people here who give up walking distance to their local to drive here and have a good time. That says something. My first night here I made friends, and each time I've been here since I find myself in good company either with neighbors we've met before, or people who know we're new to the area and want to welcome us. I can't begin to tell you how often a quick pint before dinner turns into a long session at King's Arms. I wouldn't have it any other way. These guys truly embrace the concept of being the center of village activity. No TVs, no WiFi, these things distract from the community. You come here to interact with your friends and neighbors, enjoy a good beer, and enjoy living in the company of others. They regularly have events to bring the village out. The most impressive of which was the dinner they hosted on the night of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. They served the exact 10-course menu served in first class that evening, and requested everyone bust out their tuxedos and dresses to mark the occasion in grand fashion. It was a remarkable evening. One disappointment, since I have to list one to feel as though I am being fair, is the wine list. We love the temperanillo, but really none of the others. But we're not here to drink wine, we're here to be social! It makes me a little sad that we don't have this type of drinking culture in the US. If you're not an alcoholic, you're not likely be on a first-name basis with the bartenders at a local watering hole. That's why I love walking in here; everyone knows everyone else, they're always happy to see you, they know what you drink, they pour a tasty pint, and are genuinely good people. I dig it.

My favorite place to stay in this area . Small and cost and the people are so friendly . Food is…read moreexceptional . Not many rooms for b&b but they are super nice .

Gorgeous traditional English pub in the countryside. Great service. Lovely pizzas (try the…read moremushroom). Ample outdoor seating. Worth the trip to explore.

Fantastic food, great specials board a really great British pub, sadly too few about nowread more

AMAZING!!! As far as I remember this place has won pub food…read moreof the year ever year since Ive lived in the area. Super tasty quality food, I noticed that on the menu it even tells you which farm the meat came from, or where the ice cream was made etc. The Greek Lamb and the Gammon are both brilliant. The portions are huge and I'm always left with enough food for another meal but save room for the Holly Bush sundae because you wont ever have a such a selection of tasty locally made ice cream :) The prices are great too, last time I went it was around 30quid for the 2 of us.

Best kept secret in the area. This 16th century pub/restaurant is run by a lovely couple (Dave and…read moreJackie) who make you feel welcome every visit. My wife and I have been coming here for nearly three years now and the food is still the best around. Sometimes you may have to wait due to everything being cooked fresh to order but it is well worth the wait. Look out for the specials board which has some of the unusual dishes not normally seen in other restaurants.

Excellent food, no variation is too much trouble for the chef. Hospitality first class and very…read morewelcoming. The menu is not rigid and can be prepared to suite the customer. Excellent choice of wines and Champagnes. Real ale too. They also have three excellent, separate, B&B accommodation full on suite rooms. Well worth a visit.

We turned up on spec,but they soon had us seated . The surroundings were lovely, and smart. We had…read moregreat service from a lovely lady who was knowledgeable and had good humour. Food was super- tasty and great quality Would definitely reccomend, especially for the specials nights. BB.

My favorite pub in the world…read more Excellent beers/ales, fantastic food and the location is awesome. Service is always nice.

A warm and welcoming, family friendly pub. Serving good food at reasonable prices. Closed mondays…read moreexcept bank holidays. Special offers available every thursday ( 2 for £12 ) on selected meals.

First time at this pub. Taken aback by the quality of food and number of real ales. They also have…read moreSan Miguel on draught. Pub not much to look at from outside but worthwhile stopping for a drink at least. Prices are pretty much average for both drinks and food. My wife fancied an Eton Mess which wasn't on the menu. The waitress said they would make one if she wanted! Overall, I would place the quality of food in the "restaurant" bracket, definitely NOT pub grub!

From the owner: The Bluebell Inn has a fantastic reputation for great food and with over 40 main courses, including…read morefood for special diets, there's something for everyone. We also host 2 beer festivals every year.