The Rose and Crown, Shilton

I visited this country pub yesterday while visiting friends in Oxfordshire and was well impressed. It's small, cosy and friendly (they didn't mind when we walked in with mud-caked boots having reached the pub via several sodden fields). There's a small but wide-ranging variety of beers, spirits and wines, including Young's and - my favourite - the local brew, Old Hookey (and I'm not really a fan of real ale, but ended up having four pints). The food came in plentiful portions and was, in a word, gorgeous. The homemade ciabatta burgers are just that - homemade - and the lamb's liver with bacon and mash in red wine sauce I had was just fantastic. The staff are friendly and efficient - all six meals came at once, even though the pub was fairly busy. I would give this pub a 10 rating but I've docked a point because the gents' loo is outside, which is not what you want on a cold, rainy winter's day, though the loos are clean and graffiti-free. The pub's off the beaten track, but if you're in the Carterton/Burford/Brize Norton area it's definitely worth seeking out this little gem.

15 Jan 2006 16:09