A country drive

With the purchase of a new car completed, we thought we would expand our horizons and par-take in the fabulous British tradition of a Sunday pub lunch, this time in the countryside. As such, today we decided to take a trip to one of the few Michelin stared pubs in the UK: The sir Charles Napier in Oxfordshire.  

A quaint, cosy pub on a country road was our destination after a frustrating crawl through the south west London traffic.  Walking through the front door we were greeted by welcoming staff, a cosy front room, complete with log fire, and rustic country bar. Window sills and tables adorned by an eclectic collection of stone and marble sculptures (my favourite was the hippopotamus in the ladies bathroom) gave the rooms an interesting talking point, whilst the low ceilings and exposed beams provided a cosy, country feel. 

Lunch for all 3 of us consisted of the Roast loin and shoulder of middlewhite pork with apple sauce and crackling, which was perfectly cooked and accompanied by some of the best roast potatoes I've ever had. I had intended to have the Roast sirloin of local beef, but it had sold out by the time we arrived at 3pm, so a tip to anyone planning a trip is to go early if you want the pick of the menu. Dessert for my 2 lovely companions was sticky toffee pudding with banana Millie-feuille and passion fruit sorbet, whilst I tried the Chocolate Pavè with honeycomb and lime ice cream. Both were what we all thought to be unique flavour combinations, but worked extremely well! 

A quick stroll around the beautiful gardens (missing a croquet pitch we felt haha) complete with a few more resident statues was a lovely finish to a perfect afternoon in the English countryside. I could certainly see the gardens full on a lovely summer's afternoon. 

If you are ever in the area and fancy a fabulous lunch I'd certainly recommend the Sir Charles Napier (although remember the prices do reflect their possession of a Michelin star). A perfect afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the big city with some amazing food thrown in.