Normally when we think of eating out locally, my first response is to say, “there’s nowhere to eat in Witney”. Having brainstormed a list of all the places, (not including fast-food or takeaways); I came up with 42 places to have dinner, in this small market town, so maybe I’m being a little unfair. I’m going to run through them for you, right here, on this informative (now) local blog. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. Today, we’re doing Gastro-pubs, I’ll be doing Asian, regular pubs, coffee shops etc all in good time – when I can be bothered.
The best of the Gastropubs in Witney are:
The Plough, which changes hands every 2 years, so you have to check the date of this article before you book yourself a table (fyi, it’s April ’22). Right now, the new management have really stepped things up with the quality of the food. It also has a fab garden for the summer, backing onto the river. Safe for kids, as they can’t escape easily, from either the front or back.
The Swan at Swinbrook; well prepared food, fresh, locally sourced with a great garden; their hens roam wild (shut the gate). Haunt of the Mitford sisters, who lived in nearby Asthall Manor in the 1930s. If you don’t know who they are, they were the Kardashians of their time. Six aristocratic sisters and one brother (who no-one was interested in). With the rise of Nazism, Diana and Unity Mitford made it their mission to become close friends with Hitler. (Bet you thought it was going to be something heroic, like join the resistance? No, they just wanted to be Nazis). Seig-Heil-Hitler even attended Diana’s secret wedding, to the fascist Sir Oswald Moseley – at Joseph Goebbel’s home. As if being a Nazi wasn’t bad enough, but a Nazi name-dropper? Seriously, get some therapy. Of the others, the eldest known as Decca, married her cousin and became a communist; Pamela married a billionaire and left him for a woman; the boring pair are Nancy, who was a writer and Deborah, the Duchess of Devonshire who resided at Chatsworth House until her death in 2014. There are wholesome pictures of the young Mitfords on the walls of The Swan Inn – if you want to see what they looked like, before they broke their parents’ hearts.
Ok, back to food; There are two Gastro-Bars; one is Fat Lils (pizzas and Mexican/Italian type of food). Freshly prepared with a kitchen you can see from the restaurant (always reassuring). Their food isn’t posh, but it is always really good. Great for families. The other is No. 12, I had something there once and made a mental note not to go again. They have live music, so it’s worth checking out.
Inbetweeners; this category is because the prices are roughly the same, the food is the same, the customers are the same and so is the decor. These pubs are staple middle-England places to eat. Worth visiting, they have good food, only ever one veggie option on the menu, and they all begin with “The”. Presenting……
The Fleece, The Hollybush, The Three Horseshoes, The Blue Boar, The Bird in the Hand, The Maybush (by the river), The Horse and Raddish, The George and Dragon and The Windrush, the Lamb and the The Maytime. (The last two have earned Michelin Stars, but because my experience with Michelin chefs is they hate vegetarians, there’s no special kudos for stuck-up stars on this page).
The worst of the bunch get a mention, because they are worth avoiding;
The Bee-Keepers (formerly known as The Eagle Vaults) it changed its name to get some better reviews, following a refit. Basic cheap pub food, the entire menu is dusted in frozen breadcrumbs and delicately dropped into a deep fat fryer.
“The Company of Weavers” aka Wetherspoons – some people are fans, I’m not. If you drop the kids off at school in the morning in a mad frenzy and like to calm down with a few quiet beers or double vodkas; instead of a yoga class and a coffee. Then, this is your place. You’ll make some good friends here, because it’s always the same crowd propping up the bar at 8.30am.
Neither The Company of Weavers or the Beekeepers, are “Gastropubs”. I’m just putting them in so you’re not fooled by their twee countryside names.
As Del Boy said, “Mange tout”
H x
