The Cheshire Cheese, Temple

This is an absolutely terrific little gem of a pub well worth finding. The small but cosy Saloon Bar has been kept in the style in which it was built maintaining a warm atmosphere and a cross between an old fashioned pub and your most comfortable sitting room. This is complemented by a proper pub dining room upstairs and a more public bar downstairs (in the basement) complete with pool table. There is a good selection of well kept real ale; the newish Landlord takes the trouble to advise you against selecting a beer he thinks isn't quite right and has made a real effort in bringing in new choices and keeping them in a tit top condition; something that previous landlords failed miserably in doing. The food is first class; an ever changing menu with a daily special; proper old fashioned food with real mashed potato and good old fashioned puddings at very competitive prices considering the good sized portions you are given. Food arrives in a matter of minutes so it is an excellent choice for a quick lunch and you are always given the choice to pay for everything at the end. What really polishes things off is the service which is highly personable. Lunch orders are are taken at the table and drinks are brought to you. The Landlord, Landlady and staff are extremely friendly; a good source of local information and pleasant to while away the day with. The Landlord is a proper Landlord; "yes sir, thank you driver"; none of this indifferent "alright mate" which has to be endured in far too many pubs these days. In short, absolutely First Class; in fact far more worth visiting for a view of a traditional English Pub than the famous Cheshire Cheese of Fleet Street fame.

15 May 2011 09:44

The Highway Inn, Burford

Oh what a great find this is. A sympathetically restored old Inn with a contemporary twist. Modern, artistic wallpaper complements a sympathetic restoration of the old fixtures and fittings. A great view can be had of the windswept high street in this picturesque town from the glazed window seat which portrudes from the front of the building. Sitting there, thinking of times of old yet relaxing in the warm atmosphere. The furniture is quite modern but comfortable and there are a number of interesting rooms along the stone corridor in which you can sit and socialise. The beer garden at the back in the lovely little courtyard compliments the good seating area outside the front. The beer is superb; a good selection of well kept real ale with some local choices. The staff are very friendly, welcoming and polite.

15 May 2011 09:21

The Royal Oak, Burford

Oh dear; what a disappointment! Every year we attend the Levellers festival in Burford and we found this pub last year. Stone flagged floors, sympathetic furniture, toby jugs hanging from the ceiling, no music, ploughman's lunches, a great pint of beer and a lovely landlord. But no more! The toby mugs have gone and in its place large clumps of wiring protrude from an untidy, cheap looking plaster board ceiling. New furniture has arrived together with a TV and loud rock music is played out at a terrific volume whilst the staff ignore requests to turn it down. The food is alright though overpriced. If the loss of atmosphere wasn't enough the beer has gone down hill also. The Wadworth Horizon I was given was the flat dregs of an old barrel and should certainly not have been given to a customer. The 6X which replaced it and which I had to ask twice for a disappointment. The whole ambiance of a traditional English pub in a picturesque Market Town has been completely destroyed and the staff are neither particularly friendly or competent either.

15 May 2011 09:10