I was immediately taken by this place and there is no question that aesthetically it is possibly the most beautifully refurbished gastro pub / Inn in the whole country. The Cotswold stone and log fires in the bar, restaurant and even outside rear patio make it beautifully picturesque which is why I have also placed this in the best view category as well (i.e. the view of the oustside rear area). As The Wild Rabbit (from the Bamford family) has gained its first Michelin star (2017) it now has itself positioned more prominently on the UK map.
The food here was very nicely done. Home made breads were pleasing to begin with and as salads are (for me) more difficult to make interesting, I wanted to see what this was like. The result was an imaginative presentation with powdered onion decoration and a lovely amount of goat’s curd to add moisture and something lively in to the proceedings on the palate making a lovely flavour. The quail was another beautiful looking dish with some very delicate slices of marteau sausage and glorious smoked shallot puree. I wasn’t expecting to have such an acidic walk away flavour with the gel, creative as it was and personally I would have loved more of the puree and maybe another quail egg in breadcrumbs as I ran out of these relatively quickly to have with the amount of quail it was supporting, but it was an enjoyable dish. A beautifully smooth lemon curd with madeleine as petit four finished off the meal very nicely in the bar area opposite the open fireplace.
The food here was very nicely done. Home made breads were pleasing to begin with and as salads are (for me) more difficult to make interesting, I wanted to see what this was like. The result was an imaginative presentation with powdered onion decoration and a lovely amount of goat’s curd to add moisture and something lively in to the proceedings on the palate making a lovely flavour. The quail was another beautiful looking dish with some very delicate slices of marteau sausage and glorious smoked shallot puree. I wasn’t expecting to have such an acidic walk away flavour with the gel, creative as it was and personally I would have loved more of the puree and maybe another quail egg in breadcrumbs as I ran out of these relatively quickly to have with the amount of quail it was supporting, but it was an enjoyable dish. A beautifully smooth lemon curd with madeleine as petit four finished off the meal very nicely in the bar area opposite the open fireplace.
The sides were simple and well done, as was the béarnaise that the kitchen kindly gave on request. There were a couple of minor dips in service that stood out to the critical eye (forgotten replacement bread that was offered and a lengthy wait for the bill) but generally the key thing was that the staff clearly wished to try & make the experience a good one for the diner in the restaurant.
This was a lovely evening visit and would be utterly perfect for a dinner date or special little treat. What I particularly loved was seeing people come in to the bar just to grab a pint and the scrabble board mixed with those that preferred to have their rustic meal in the bar area instead of the restaurant which I think is one of the gems of our nation and the way in which this can be done in a sumptuous, yet cosy pub. Based on the food I had it seems quite apt to see this one with a Michelin star, I will back here in a hearbeat for bar snacks and drinks with others whenever I can as a firm marker in the map.
https://major-foodie.com/the-wild-rabbit-kingham/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold
