Restaurants

Muddy review: The Red Lion, Yardley Hastings’ special occasion takeaway

Give yourself a break from being a kitchen slave. The pro team at The Red Lion are laying on swanky takeaways. We donned our stretchiest waistbands and gave their Moroccan Feast a whirl.
Autumn roasts with the most

Can’t be bothered to baste potatoes with goose fat? I hear you. Instead grab your gang and head to one of these local gastropubs that do roasts with the most.
Launch review: The Pig, Harlyn Bay, Cornwall

On its opening day, Muddy's ed-in-chief Hero Brown was the first to eat lunch at the brand new Pig hotel in Harlyn Bay (what a trooper!). So what was the verdict - and is it worth a trip to North Cornwall?
Lunch with a view: 16 top riverside eats

Ahh, is there anything better than a stroll along the riverside? Actually, yes - a riverside that includes a long lazy lunch an some stonking views across Bucks or Oxon! Come on landlubbers, let's tuck in.
Eat out to help out in Bucks and Oxon

Sick of cooking? Good news - from 3 Aug, you can get a 50% discount on your dinner and drinks when you eat in. Here are the pubs and restaurants to make your reservation at.
Restaurants with rooms

Dreaming of a foodie getaway? We've scoured the Muddy counties for hotel stays with serious culinary credentials for when lock-down lifts. Tuck in.
1 night, 2 chefs, 3 stars

Fancy a supercharged foodie supper? Canter to Coworth Park for posh nosh, luxe starfishing and a laidback vibe we could get used to.
Best cheap eats in Bucks and Oxon

Caned the credit card but still fancy a dinner date? What you need is a Muddy-approved cheap but chic dining spot. Table for two, madame?
13 places to eat yourself slim

No need to put a lock on the fridge and banish all fun for January - we've scoured Bucks & Oxon for the best 'skinny' places to pig out in peace.
The Five Arrows, Waddesdon

We despatched top crime novelist Sharon Bolton to nail three courses at this mid-refurb fine dining restaurant. Was her meal all killer or pure filler?
The poshest curry ever?

Sindhu by Atul Kochhar is a curry restaurant but not as we know it. Muddy reviewer Jessica Jonzen whizzed off to Marlow to eat her way through the menu.
Is this Oxford’s best kept secret?

Quirky, under-the-radar and totally delicious - Fish 4 Lunch is the kind of business that Muddy Stilettos exists for. Muddy's Nancy headed down to this hidden gem of a lunch spot for a fishy feast.
Autumn supper clubs

Knives and forks poised? Attackkkkk! Yep, it's a brand new round of supper clubs over the coming months with brilliant one-offs Sri Lankan, South African and veggie options.
Pinkies at the ready?

Rejoice, it's National Afternoon Tea Week - but where can you get your fix of diddy sandwiches and scones? I know, I know!
The Chesterton, Bicester

Deco styling, black marble bathrooms and oodles of charm make this renovated hotel, just a few miles from Bicester Village, a fashionable overnighter. Here's what you need to know.
John’s House Restaurant

A few phone calls and a six month waiting list later, I finally made it to Leicestershire's only Michelin-starred restaurant...but was it worth the wait?
Monkeying around in Bray

A new hotel brasserie in Bray with an ex-Simpson’s on the Strand head chef. We felt it our duty to nail three courses *ahem* actually make that five.
Little Barwick House, Barwick

Michelin-listed country house fine dining restaurant – with gorgeous rooms and gardens – in south Somerset
Three star thriller

The Roux's Waterside Inn in Bray boasts 3 Michelin twinklers, river views, classic cookery and you don't have to sell a vital organ to eat here. *Dabs napkin*.
Bistro du Vin, Winchester

Ooh la la! The Bistro du Vin, Winchester serves up très bon French fare in a relaxed Anglo-Gallic ambience.
The Royal Oak

Awarded an AA Rosette four years on the trot, Muddy books a table at this Long Whatton pub with rooms to see what all the fuss is about.
That’ll Roux nicely

It may have the name Roux over the door (and on the floor) but Roux at Skindles is not hunting for Michelin stars. This is gallic, comfort food at its best.
Skip brekkie for a hipster brunch

Fancy a lie in? Hit that snooze button, body swerve the granola and dive into avo and eggs at Reading's super-stylish Malmaison.
Lussmanns, Tring

Tring’s modern brasserie is bringing sophisticated meat-free dining to the table. Muddy Herts’ resident veggie gives it her verdict…
31 Below

You can keep your Oxford, Bond and Kensington High Streets - it's Marylebone High Street and its new watering hole, 31 Below, all the way for me!
Get a room! Hurley House reviewed

Escape to the country for a luxury overnighter at this relaxing Berkshire bolthole – top nosh and quality starfishing await.
2019’s Michelin Stars

It's the accolade that all chefs want – so who's reached for the stars in Glos, Wilts and surrounding counties this year?
Muddy’s fave new hangout, The Priory

After a stylish gastro pub for lunch or dinner? We've found just the joint down Loughborough way.
Rathfinny’s new vineyard restaurant

Enjoy fine seasonal food with a view, and perhaps the diverting antics of 'Kevin' the kestrel, at this new Sussex eatery
INSIDER GUIDE: FOLKESTONE

This town has not only gained a reputation for its artistic heart - it's also making convincing marks on the foodie map. What more reason do you need to visit?
Park House Hotel & Spa, Midhurst

Spa - tick... fab food - tick... rooms with a view - tick... get a relaxing triple whammy at this country house-style getaway with great seasonal promotions. Go on, you deserve it.
The Longstore, Charlestown

You had us at steaks and seafood! This Cornish harbour-side eatery was named ‘Best Restaurant’ in this year’s Muddy Awards. Here's why...
The Belfry Hotel & Resort

Muddy tucks into a 6-course Tasting Evening at this 4* top golf, leisure and spa resort in the North Warwickshire countryside. It was definitely well above par.
Dine with 7 mighty Michelin stars

Crack open the bubbly, it's The Vineyard's 20th birthday and the Top Gun of chefs will be cooking again for 1 night only. And you're invited…
Caw blimey! The Blackbird

Tom Aiken's former head chef has opened his own place in a Berkshire country pub. Expect the unexpected (and a fab 80s tune) at Dominic Robinson's Blackbird in Bagnor.
Grey’s Brasserie

Whatley Manor’s revamped eaterie is cutting quite a swathe with its chic European interiors and innovative menu.
Superflashy newsflash

Food and booze news! Check out the latest Sussex food and drink launches and more - including a big wineries weekender, new pubs, dining experiences and tipples.
The Ivy Cheltenham

Cheltenham’s new The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie delivers on food, drinks, service and glitz. Muddy was there to review it first.
185 Watling St…

Revisited this gem in Towcester - a great spot for groups of friends looking for a good bar vibe in the evening and a classy dinner. Nom!
The Best Pub in England!

Into the winner's enclosure! A lovely village pub that's only gone and got itself the accolade of AA Best Pub in England
Coppa Club, Tower Hill

Where to take 17 Muddy editors for lunch in London? Oh hello Coppa Club and your riverside views!
The Harcourt

5 reasons why Marylebone's The Harcourt is officially our most favouritest (yes it's a word) public house in the big Smoke.
A French fancy in Reading?

You know it! L'Ortolan restaurant in Shinfield has held its Michelin star for 15 consecutive years. Under Head Chef Tom Clarke this French fancy is a food experience worth trying.
Perfect eats in town for Mudlets

Heading to the big smoke this month? Check out our top places to feed the Mudlets
Spread Eagle, Midhurst

Fancy preparing for layer removal with a spa day, or holing up and fine dining in cosy surrounds? The Spread Eagle Hotel at Midhurst has you covered either way and it's so historic Elizabeth I stayed here!
New spa & afternoon tea

A cosy new spa in an old seafront cellar and a show-stopping afternoon tea at the stylish Brighton Harbour Hotel
Chic sleeps and Sunday roasts at Rathfinny Wine Estate

Ever keeled over on a settee hugging a bottle of Pinot Noir? No, me neither <cough>. Anyway, here’s a much more sophisticated way to sleep with wine. Rathfinny vineyard perched in the South Downs has some gorgeous cosy-yet-stylish accommodation in the Flint Barns on site. It’s perfect for either a house party or a rejuvinating […]
Bistrot Pierre, Weston-super-Mare

Over the half term, the Muddies and I made a deal. We would all go to Weston-super-Mare and I would endure an hour of hell amongst the amusements on the pier if we all went for a bracing walk on the flat, flat sands. I didn’t know of any good places to eat round in […]
Let’s Ensemble in Wells

I chanced upon Ensemble in Wells last Saturday, when I was Googling something completely different (possibly killer clowns). The restaurant's only been open since June and as I always love trying out somewhere new, I quickly nabbed a friend and we popped ourselves over there to catch the tail end of lunch. Come and see what we found...
Muddy Eats: Skyfall, Hove

NOTE: SKYFALL HAS NOW SADLY CLOSED AS OF SUMMER 2017 Nope, not a chance of seeing Daniel Craig here – at least not until he reads my review and finds out how good it is. Nothing at all to do with 007 except a little homage in the phone number but it does give you […]
My favourite places: Republica’s Saffron Sprackling

Republica frontwoman Saffron Sprackling, most famous for nineties hits Ready to Go and Drop Dead Gorgeous is headlining ISFEST at Isfield in East Sussex this weekend – a fundraising event which features ten singers and bands with local connections. Saffron, who grew up in Sussex, spoke to Muddy Stilettos about her favourite places in the county. […]
Muddy Stays: The Barn at Roundhurst

Remember that dramatic wedding scene at the end of The Graduate when Dustin Hoffman bangs on the glass at the top of the church? I had to fight the urge not to recreate it when I stayed over at The Barn at Roundhurst recently. Just look at this epic lounge/restaurant space with a glass-fronted snug […]
Muddy Eats: The Alford Arms rises from the ashes

The fire that closed The Alford Arms in Frithsden earlier this year left good food and beer lovers across this end of the county howling and bereft. And understandably so. But it's back -- and it's just as lovely, as welcoming, as comfortable, and as popular as it ever was...
Salt & Malt, Chew Valley Lake

A former tearoom enjoys the golden (crisp, lightly battered) touch of Somerset’s Super Chef Josh Eggleton to become the Salt & Malt fish cafe, restaurant and tearoom. It’s in a fab location overlooking the Chew Valley Lake – actually the largest artificial reservoir in the west country – in north Somerset. Josh Eggleton (of Michelin-starred […]
Take me to church

I’ve driven past The Church loads of times. I see it, nod and say to Mr M, we really must try it there, it’s meant to be very good. Well it must be pretty special, because it won the Muddy Stilettos Awards for best restaurant, and of course, I had to go and see what […]
Muddy Eats: The Crab & Lobster, Sidlesham

The term ‘destination pub’ is made for the Crab and Lobster at Sidlesham and it’s no wonder it was one of our Muddy Awards finalists for that very category. It’s near Pagham Harbour and right beside the pub is wide open marshland with paths around… …yet it’s within easy reach of Petworth and Chichester and well […]
The Firehouse, Curry Rivel

Just checked out the new kid on the rural block: the newly opened The Firehouse, a pub and restaurant in the village of Curry Rivel, just a few miles to the west of Langport. Located off the main drag, in what was previously the Old Forge Inn, the old village pub has had a complete […]
The most spectacular afternoon tea in Somerset?

Cross Lane House is a beautifully preserved Medieval house turned boutique hotel and restaurant on Exmoor. Come on in… The hotel, recently listed in The Telegraph‘s Top 10 Hotels for 2015 as well as winning a host of other accolades, is just off the A39 in the tiny village of Allerford on the National Trust’s […]
The Swan, Wedmore

Georgian coaching house turned gorgeous gastropub with food by ex-River Cottage chef Tom Blake...need I say more?
LEVANT, CASTLE CARY

It's got the feel of a private supper club with a menu inspired by the flavours and scents of the Middle East and the Mediterranean.