Do you like pub food? Do you like Michelin stars? Do you want an amazing meal with little to no…read morepretension? Do you want to go to a pub that's practically in the middle of nowhere? If you answered yes to these four questions, head immediately to The Royal Oak. We had a slight concern when my GPS said we had arrived and it was a completely different pub. Luckily, the right pub was just a bit further up the road. We booked Sunday Lunch, because who doesn't like Sunday Lunch in a pub? If you bring your Ferrari, you can park right in the front as well! The inside is really warm and charming. There are really friendly staff there to welcome you in and let you sit in some comfy chairs and couches and have a drink while you're waiting for your fourth dining companion to arrive. So kudos to that. Our table was in the back in what looked like was an add-on. But one whole wall is full of windows overlooking a beautiful garden, so you don't really feel like you're shoved way in the back corner. The service was a bit slow, but if you're not in a rush, why does it matter? We ordered the baked Vacherin Mont d'or cheese (which in the winter, I will be doing at home instead of baked brie or Camembert) and a couple of Scotch Eggs and Rabbit on toast as pre-nibbles. The eggs and rabbit were nice, but not amazing, but the cheese dip was great. And the bread basket they served was awesome as well. Several types of bread with butter. The olive flatbreads were awesome, and since two diners didn't like olives, two of us got to eat a lot of them. They'll bring as much bread as you ask, but it's super easy to go overboard. For my starter I opted for something different than everyone else and got the game terrine. What a mistake that was. Not that the terrine wasn't delicious. It was, but the rabbit lasagne was like heaven in your mouth. I was super jealous of everyone else. For my main I ordered the hare and trotter pie. The crust wasn't the most amazing, but the filling was probably the best pie filling I've ever had. The hare and trotter were soft and luscious and the gravy was phenomenal. It was really rich so toward the end I had to cut the richness with the delicious mash they served with it. The other half had the woodcock and I tried a few bites of that as well. Awesome. Simply awesome. His only complaint was that it was huge and very rich so it was hard to finish it all, and he didn't want dessert at the end of the meal. For dessert, two of us ordered the chocolate fondant and one the butterscotch pudding. I loved the fondant, but again it was really good sized and incredibly rich. It was a lot after the rich pie. And the filling was almost too oozy. At least it wasn't over done. We also ordered some Madeleines and our coffees and teas came with Petits Fours. The Madeleines were kind of boring for me, they needed more flavor, but the Petits Fours (a raisin cake, coconut marshmallow and a chocolate truffle) were great. The coffee not so much. I hate ordering filter coffee and just getting a long pull espresso. They are not the same. But the bad parts were really minor. The good parts far outshown and some of the dishes we had were some of the best dishes of the weekend. The woodcock was fantastic and I'm still having dreams about my pie. I need to figure out how to make something that good at home. With a better pie crust. It's unfortunate that it's not really conveniently close, because I could see myself ending up here quite a bit. Since I was driving, I couldn't drink either, but given my state the night before, it was probably a good thing. If you're in the area and fancy an amazingly laid back atmosphere with awesome food, book this place!

Wonderful gastro pub tucked away in the Berkshire countryside. Beautiful tasty food (the rabbit…read morelasagna in the starters is to die for!!!), very friendly and professional service, and reasonable prices. Go for a long morning walk along the Tames nearby and then go and enjoy a warm & hearty Sunday lunch.

This little pub seems to be picking up quite the following as of late. It's impossible to get a…read moretable if you arrive after 6pm on a Friday night. There is a mix of people who pop in for a pint and those who stay for several hours drinking wine and enjoying the good food. Whilst there are a lot of restaurants in Maidenhead, it is my opinion that this pub serves the best food. The food is simple and tasty. The chips are excellent - cooked perfectly with just the right amount of seasoning (not salt but seasoning). The staff are very friendly, prompt, and helpful. There is a cozy fireplace in the back of the pub surrounded by two large couches and several short stools (coffee table height). I only wish I had discovered this pub sooner!

Great little pub in central Maidenhead. Nicely done inside, pleasing simple decor whether in a…read morebooth or propping up the bar. Friendly staff. Several real ales on, including some local Berkshire ones. The parrot perched in the corner isn't as loud as he used to be 20 years ago, I'm told. Very small pub, but it's perfect for those who like proper ales and don't want to hang out in a piped-music same-same chain pub.

After a really disappointing dinner the night before at The Fat Duck, this was exactly what I…read moreneeded. It's literally right down the street, but the vibe couldn't be more different. Forget the science-experiment food--this is just really good pub food that actually tastes like something you want to eat. It's not fancy in a stuffy way, just solid, well-done dishes across the board. Honestly, we didn't miss on a single thing. The drinks were a highlight too. I ordered the Hemingway and it came hidden inside a hollowed-out book, which sounds gimmicky but somehow totally worked and was actually fun. We almost skipped dessert, but ended up popping into the ice cream shop and I'm glad we did. Simple, high-quality, and exactly what hit the spot after a long meal. If you're in Bray and want a meal you'll genuinely enjoy eating, I'd skip the show across the road and come here instead. We also wandered upstairs to the lounge for a drink afterward--the old wood beams and leather chairs made it easy to stay longer than planned.

The whole experience of dining in a Michelin starred restaurant was incredible from start to…read morefinish, we were warmly welcomed, each dish on the menu was explained to us, the staff were friendly and knowledgeable, the food itself was on another level to anything I have experienced before, the atmosphere and the surroundings made this experience breathtaking for us

This place is f'ng awesome. It's the type of pub you could spend your Spring and Summer coming to…read moreeveryday. Or hope for a snowy Winter day to go inside and drink by the fireplace. Either way it's awesome.

What a great hidden gem. The whole family love this street…read moreside pub. The staff was very welcoming and helpful in picking menu items. We stayed around for a few drinks after dinner. Loved this place.

The food is excellent here, such great quality and the waiting staff are very attentive. I had…read moreseafood linguine would highly recommend

Unless you're going to The Fat Duck, Bray isn't the first city that comes to mind when planning a…read moretrip to the UK. Since I was staying there two full nights and one of the nights was dinner at The Fat Duck, I intentionally made the other dinner as low-key chill as possible, which was the beer garden at the back of the Crown at Bray. Supposedly the owner is Heston Blumenthal, who is also the owner of The Fat Duck but unlike TFD it is not listed in the four restaurants that comprise the TFD restaurant group - apparently he wanted to keep this a local's pub. But ever since TFD and the other 3-star Michelin Waterside Inn arrived Bray has been the UK's culinary mecca so even the local pub food is already elevated. But just because it's pub food doesn't mean it's cheap... fish and chips here is a tad more than $20. BUT since it's the UK the price of a pint is regulated, so £6/pint is pretty sweet considering how the country is one of the most expensive to travel in the world. I visited here on two occasions, both in the afternoon. During the summer the back garden opens up and service is primarily held over there. You wouldn't be able to tell there was a garden just by looking at the pub. But on both occasions I had to be led into the back because if you didn't know your way you could get lost. On the first visit I just had a very small plate of kofte (think doner but meatballs) served with a dollop of yogurt cucumber with a beer. Simple in execution but delicious since TFD's dinner would've been a few hours later. The following day I went back for a full meal. Beer: Brixton Electric IPA (£6). This is an American-style IPA but better in execution. Being an IPA it's hop-forward but not overly so, as the beer is supposed to be a good balance between malt and hop. I normally don't like IPA's but considering that my meal was fish and chips, you want something as a palate refresher after eating hearty food. Fish & Chips, Crushed Peas, Homemade Tartare Sauce (£19.75). The fish here is haddock, which is more flavorful than cod. Love the skin because it was consistently crispy even 10 minutes later. The chips (fries) are triple-cooked, a method that first brought Heston to national acclaim. The end result is that by nature the fries are extra crispy and hold their crunch for a long time. Very good meal to wrap up my last day in Bray.

Came here as a party of six on a Monday night for dinner. Large outdoor tent setup with several…read moreheaters blowing in hot air during the cold evening. No issue getting a table as we were immediately seated and given menus. Started off with a Sipsmith Gin & Tonic (£8ish) - a refreshing drink that went well with a couple starters. For my main course, ordered the Pork Tenderloin (£25) - glazed sections of pork served alongside carrots, pig oyster, and sage crumb. Incredibly tender pork balanced by the hearty pig oyster. Finished the night off with the Praline Parfait (£10.50) - a domed dessert of praline, chocolate, and Pedro Ximenez. Not overly sweet or decadent; just a nice quick hit of praline flavor. Servers here came by often as they refilled waters and took more drink orders. Definitely worth stopping by no matter what time of year.

On a biz trip from the US. The whole group ordered drinks and food to share after a day long…read moremeeting after 7:30pm. Chicken wings were very good, crispy outside and soft inside. Good seasoning level with salt and pepper. Nacho was good to go with drinks. Nice preparation not overwhelmed with cheese. The corn rib was very good but would be better if roast outside to create more crust. One of my favorite of all the dishes order though. How can we not order Fish and Chips in Uk?!?! So we did! Fish was quite good (light crispy outside and tender inside) and very good fries too. The beef pie was okay but love the gravy = the gravy on poutine in Canada so totally brings back good childhood memory. The mock tail (with strawberry syrup) was great. I think my colleagues like the beer and cocktails too. Fun with 18 colleagues hanging out together. We overwhelmed the pub a bit with 18 of us just showed up...but the service was very good. A very good UK pub experience and love that they welcome dogs. Too bad no one brought their dog...would love to pet one for emotion refill after a day long meeting.

Really enjoyed my visit here. Very friendly staff, football on the TV, 60s and 70s rock playing at…read moreperfect volume. Nice beer selection, with the European major brands and some nice local offerings. Menu is simple but very tasty. Tried the wings and the steak pie and veg both were excellent. Great choice in Maidenhead especially if you are south of the tracks. Prices and portions very reasonable

I really wanted to be blown away by this place, especially given the legendary status, but…read morehonestly? It felt more like a science experiment than a dinner. The service is undeniably top-tier--the staff are incredible and the presentation is some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. But the problem is that it's all theatre and very little substance. Most of the food just doesn't taste good. For the price you're paying, you expect to be wowed by the flavor, but it's mostly just gimmicks. The famous "Sound of the Sea" dish was the biggest disappointment. It looked cool, but it literally tasted like "sand" in my mouth. The seafood didn't even taste that fresh. Even the candy shop at the end, which was a fun little novelty to take home, ended up being a letdown--the stuff just didn't taste great once I got it back. You're basically paying for a five-hour show. If you want a cool story to tell, go for it. But if you actually want a delicious meal, I'd look elsewhere. Elite Tip: It's a marathon. If you do go, don't plan anything else for the day--it's a long time to sit through a "journey" that doesn't always land.

I did a lay over in the UK at heathrow so we decided to taxi out to Bray for dinner at the Fat…read moreDuck. As on of the bucket lists places, I was excited for this opportunity. We booked well in advance on the day of opening reservations on tock which were gone in minutes. The restaurant is pretty small and cozy. The food was all on point. We experienced the sensorium meal. Everything tasted great but was slightly gimmicky (that was to be expected given the history of the fat duck). It worked. The fat duck is a fun experience. There weren't any extravagant ingredients but every dish worked well. Definitely worth the trip

This glorious country inn goes back 400 years and there are many aspects that contribute towards it…read morebeing the jewel of Berkshire pubs. Here are just three: First of all, its location. Deep in the woods somewhere between Maidenhead and Henley, its sylvan setting is a wonderful place to be in the summer. In the winter, a cosy log fire make it equally attractive. I have taken guests from Germany, the U.S. and Italy there and all have been amazingly impressed. Bubbly ladies serve an excellent pint. As for the food, I quote their website: By mixing traditional fare with some more exotic offerings, dining at the Dew Drop will always satisfy the taste buds. Classic offerings such as Steak and Ale (Brakspears of course) Pie and Home-made Fish Pie made from fresh cod , smoked haddock and king prawns, are complemented by the varying Daily Specials - dishes such as Sweet and Sour Battered Chicken or Wild Mushroom Stroganoff are just some of the temptations on offer. The Dew Drop also has one or two more surprises for those walking the culinary pathway; Thursday evenings see the latest port of call in the Dew Drop's voyage around the world of food, as Thursday is International Cuisine night; and talking of ports, we mustn't forget Dave the Fish, who on Friday brings the best quality freshly caught Cod all the way from Grimsby, so that diners at the Dew Drop can feast on fresh Cod in Brakspear Batter and chips. I don't usually eat fish and chips much these days. Our local chippies are not what they used to be and you usually need 6 Rennies for pudding. But here they do a lovely delicate batter and I am getting addicted. Negative aspects? None really. It's right in the middle of bloody nowhere, so don't expect to 'stumble' across it: instead, see the website for the map. Ramblers use the pub, so it's fine if you ramble. Otherwise, you would need to drive. But not necessarily! They are smart enough to run a shuttle service around the local area for non-ramblers (see also website). I have never heard of a pub in the U.K. doing that, and neither so it seems has Mr. Google. Superb establishment: I'd book at the weekend.

This is a lovely country pub - ideal for ramblers and cyclists! But beware, can be hard to find!…read moreThere are some brown signs once you come off the Henley road - and well worth the hunt! The staff are very friendly, the food is great value with lots of specials which seems to change weekly and they always have some great cask ales which appeals to my better half after afew hours of cycling!

Wonderful experience top to bottom. My wife and began with a few pints from the pub since we…read morearrived early. We strolled the garden visited outside. Once seated we began with a hot n delicious tomato and basil soup, also the fresh spring greens mix with blue cheese and pear. Our mains included a perfect tasty ribeye with the most flavorful portobello mushroom and garden tomatoes; also had the tender tuna steak with fancy sides (including a grilled asparagus). Finally for dessert we split an incredible coconut and pineapple rum infused cream brûlée. Pleasant and helpful staff, with a warm and modern design. Overall experience was peaceful, delicious, and filling! We highly recommend. We hope to return and try the roasted duck, lamb, or chicken creations.