Taster Menu – Gastro Pub Review
My Valentine’s Day treat this year was a step above the usual card and ‘lucky to get a bunch of flowers!’ My husband & I decided to kill two birds as it were and crack on with my list of Top restaurants to visit in Oxfordshire by visiting The Wild Rabbit in Kingham for a lunch date. This restaurant recently won a Top 50 Gastro Pub award so we were keen to find out why!
The Location – Kingham
Kingham is such a pretty Cotswolds village. I haven’t been since I was a teenager and back then I was unable to appreciate the Cotswold stone houses and characterful cottages. The Wild Rabbit blends in beautifully and is equally as stunning and inviting from the front. What I wasn’t expecting, was such a modern and stylish restaurant inside. They have kept the Cotswold charm but given it a very modern and uplifting vibe. From the moment you walk in, there is a sense of attention to detail and class.
The Menu
We had intended on just having a couple of courses but once we saw the taster menu we couldn’t resist! I am such a big fan of taster menus. Though they tend to be a slightly more expensive way to eat, it is a great way to try a variety of dishes without the worry that you won’t like something. As my husband is a non fish eater, I am limited to what I can cook at home but I do love my meat too. This taster menu allowed me to have some lovely seafood and fish but without missing out on the steak! There are usually a few surprises thrown that don’t appear on the menu, which I personally find very exciting! The chef was accommodating to my husband’s fish averse tastebuds and allowed him to pay a supplement to swap out his fish for a lamb dish which he was very appreciative of.
The Service
We found the staff to be incredibly friendly and helpful (it’s worth noting that they had no idea I was a food blogger when serving me). Our only issue was that they were SO accommodating that we found we were being asked the same questions on multiple occasions by different members of staff. This does get frustrating after a while as it interrupts the flow of conversation so I would have preferred one waiter and one sommelier to keep things a little slicker. When your only complaint is that the staff were over accommodating though I think you’re onto a winner.
I really appreciated how they spread the taster menu out over the course of a few hours. We really didn’t feel rushed in the slightest and it was lovely to enjoy each course at our leisure. This hasn’t always been the case in my experience of taster menus and it makes the world of difference.
The Food
The taster menu was full of classic British food with simple ingredients but executed with creativity & contemporary style. This is a taster menu which most could enjoy and would work well with a range of ages and food preferences. It’s the first time I’ve seen Steak & Chips on a taster menu so my husband was in heaven and I absolutely loved the Scallop with Artichoke soup. Divine. The affiliation to Daylesford means the food is seasonal and locally sourced. Sometimes it’s the little things that you remember and I LOVED the Daylesford butter with fresh bread rolls at the start. We were well fed and I struggled a little to finish the puddings but I somehow managed!
I look forward to returning here and choosing from the A La Carte menu next time…if I can resist the taster menu!
I hope you enjoyed this foodie review and that I have tempted you enough to visit, let me know if you do, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Love & food,
The Oxfordshire foodie