The Royal Oak

Been there after hard days of work. Enjoyed the world cup match during the period. Nice ambience below the windsor castle. Excellent british cuisine. Highly recommended.

There are certain neighbourhoods that have taken a long time to shake off their reputation for bad food. At one time Covent Garden was the culinary wasteland, full of gimmicky tourist traps and Bella Pastas and not much else, where you'd end up by accident, never on purpose, poking glumly at a pasta penne while someone bellowed opera at you. Now, we have 10 Cases, Flesh & Buns, Hawksmoor, Opera Tavern, 32 Great Queen Street and - coming soon - Margot from ex-Bar Boulud Paulo de Tarso, surely definitive proof that this area has Arrived.

The 2nd part of my grouse hunt takes me to Michael Parkinson’s Michelin Starred gastropub which is located pretty much in the middle of the nowhere. You pretty much have to drive to be able to get to this pub. Having dined here a couple of times previously, this would be our first time since the departure of Dominic Chapman (who has gone on to open his own gastropub, the Beehive, not too far from here). In his place is Michael Chapman (absolutely no relation) who was previously his second in command. The pub has also undergone some renovation with the dining room expanded and a private dining room in place.

The Royal Oak is one of thirteen Michelin starred pubs in the UK and it delivers an exemplary performance. Dominic Chapman and his team use top-quality (local) ingredients to produce rustic but carefully executed dishes that are full of flavour.

The Royal Oak Paley Street (Maidenhead) is our destination, we've been told it's a journey worth making. We head off the M4 and the SatNav indicates it's close. A final right turn prompts the navigation to confidently announce 'you have arrived at your destination'. Err, no, we have arrived at a farm; we turn the car around. First tip then for The Royal Oak Paley Street, it's not actually on Paley Street it seems, rather, 200 yards beyond; no matter. Visitors might also note that there are over 600 Royal Oak pubs in the UK making it the second most popular pub name (after the Red Lion whose numbers exceed 700) so if you are planning a visit, do make sure you get the right one. At least we got that bit right. What differentiates this Royal Oak from all the others however is that Dominic Chapman ( @DomChapman ) is in the kitchen. Due to his endeavours, The Royal Oak Paley Street boasts a Michelin star and 3 AA Rosettes. Their website tells us that only two pub-restaurants in the country

Thanks to the Sunday Times for directing me to this pub today. I read about it and messaged them at around 9.30am thinking: it's got a Michelin star and it's a Sunday and they've already tweeted about being in the paper today so my chances of getting in were zero. I was more than pleasantly surprised to receive a call at 11.30 offering us a table at 12.30pm. And it just got better from there. As other Yelpers have mentioned, the satnav is not reliable. Keep on driving and you'll come across it on the main road. No need to turn off into some windy side street. We received a warm welcome and were led directly to our table in the sunny extension out the back of the restaurant. It's all dark wood and white tablecloths and light. The first impression was pretty good and everyone was smiling! And the loos! Clean and fragrant! I'm in raptures at this point. I love it when you look at a menu and there are so many things you'd like to have that you have to wait until you really absolutely have to make a decision before you make a decision; that point when everyone has chosen and they and the staff are looking at you expectantly (having recommended their favourites to you, which you ignore) and time goes on and you're cringeing and screwing up your face but...ok. I had the quail with pear and hazelnut (finished it all) and then the lamb navarin. I could rhapsodise about that lamb and that sauce all day. It was nothing short of amazing. The lamb just fell apart at the first touch of the knife. The sauce was unctuous and salty and tasty. Wow. The other half had the smoked herring ravioli and the beef with Yorkshire pudding and the trimmings. The roasties were especially gorgeous. So. When you've enjoyed all that food and have no room, you have to sample the puddings. I had the treacle tart with milk ice cream and the other half had the apple crumble with custard. They did not match up to the rest of the meal. I found the tart a bit dry and the crumble wan't the best. It would be wrong however to mark them down for this as this place is clearly a 5. The service was impeccable. The food was heavenly. I am desperate to go back. Honestly if they weren't closed right now, I might be on my way there.

As an institution the gastropub is fast becoming my weapon of choice for satisfying my daily recurring longing for food. The mixture of fine dining yet still being at the pub is a niche which feels like it was carved just for me*. After perusing the list of winners of the top 50 UK gastropubs 2014 and seeing The Royal Oak came a very respectable 6th it seemed given the proximity to home that the only sensible thing to do was grace them with my presence and see what the fuss is about. If you were to stop reading now then the important thing to remember is all the fuss is about the rabbit lasagne, but you have read this far so you may as well indulge me a little more. We arrived on a Saturday night, just after 8pm for a 9pm table. The plan was to have a couple of drinks before we sat down to eat. The focus of the pub is clearly on dining and the actual bar area is very small. For a while I was left stood up at the bar as there was only a single free bar stool available upon our arrival and being the gent I am I let my other half have it. This was a minor inconvenience and as other waiting diners were led to their tables we soon had more seating options available while we waited for our table. Our table was ready just before 9 and as I perused the menu I initially worried I was maybe approaching gastropub burnout. You find a lot of these establishments use very similar ingredients (anyone for curly kale or hispy cabbage?) and I was struggling a little to differentiate what they were offering from what I have seen on menus elsewhere. Turns out I needn't have worried, and the selection of breads which arrived shortly after we had ordered went a good way towards allaying my concern. The selection of 5 or 6 very different breads along with some deliciously creamy butter paved the way for things to come, the sun blushed tomato bread was my favourite, with the soda bread qualifying for an honourable mention. Having read the previous reviews before my our visit I didn't even have to make a call on my starter, I knew it had to be the rabbit lasagne (with a cheeky scotch egg on the side). The lasagne more closely resembled a giant ravioli parcel to me but that is by the by, the taste of it was perfection and I feel forever indebted to my fellow Yelpers for their vociferous and persuasive advocacy in favour of this dish. My vocabulary is too limited to extol the virtues of it sufficiently, just order it and thank me later. The buffalo burrata was also a superbly crafted starter, the monks beard and blood orange compliment the mild flavour of the burrata well and the presentation of the dish is top notch but I'm not going to get as excited about it as I did the rabbit. Unless you had some bad experience watching Watership Down as a child then the lasagne really is the smart choice. For main course we had the old spot belly pork and the smoked haddock. Again, the food was fantastic. The mashed potato was silky smooth, the pork was juicy and the haddock was some of the best fish I have tasted for a long time, with a firm and meaty texture and cooked to perfection. I could have eaten a double portion of either, or probably both. Dessert is a course I usually skip, but when the starter and main are this good I make an exception. My rhubarb trifle didn't disappoint, it was like a trifle for grown ups. Gone was the jelly layer which always spoils trifle for me, and in its place was strips of tangy rhubarb. Looking back it seems so simple, I can't believe nobody has done this before. It just works. The lemon posset was delicate and light, but I preferred my trifle. I totally enjoyed the Royal Oak. The food, the service, the ambiance all combined to make a near perfect dining experience. I shall certainly return, if only for more rabbit lasagne! *Clearly it wasn't carved just for me given the roaring success which good gastropubs enjoy. I guess I'm happy to let everyone else share my niche.

How often do you show up at a restaurant out in the middle of nowhere and find one of your biggest competitors in the parking lot? Awkward! The owner was extremely accommodating and allowed us to move our table so that we had space for all without any uncomfortable conversation sharing. The food is inspired; every dish sings. Would you expect any less with a Michelin star? A wonderful wine list that allowed us to enjoy our group's multicultural roots. For a gorgeous, country evening of relaxed charm, this is your place.

I concur with the rabbit lasagna... incredible. As a main dish, the venison medallions cannot be topped. We had a good business meeting and dinner in the back room, followed up by drinks at the bar. I can't think I'll happen to be in the neighborhood by chance any time soon, but it's just close enough for a Heathrow stay over. A little tricky to find, however, but well worth it.

Sir Michael Parkinson's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Parkinson) son bought this pub last year and has turned it into a super dining experience. Classy yet comfortable inside, there are also ten or so tables outside. Expect a blend of British and French fine dining, with linen and all those little forks you don't know what to do with. Don't let it put you off, though, they won't fuss over people in jeans and T-shirts. My starter, at lunch, was a tasty pot of macaroni and cheese with hamhock (£7.50). My main was roast mallard (£17); to be honest, not as moist as I would have liked. The side of chips was amazing, though. The menu was typically selective: there were about 6 starters and about as many mains. My wife had two starters, which they were fine with, and the lobster salad proved to be fine as a main (in fact, all portions were bigger than you usually see at places like this). The wine list was a lengthy document, and ranged from about £24 to a frankly ludicrous £2750 La Tour, covering all points in between. There are two sofas in front of a fireplace near the front door. The rest of the pub is definitely for dining, though, not (just) drinking. Great special-occasion dining not from from the M4.

Wow! The food was fantastic! You can tell the chef takes a lot of care in his food! Nicely presented food and every mouthful was bursting with flavour. The portion size was good also. I had the pork belly which was amazing! It was beautifully cooked and had a lovely crisp crackling! The restaurant offers a very cosy environment and very inviting. This is not your average pub lunch, it is rather expensive but you are paying for local ingredients and well crafted menus. I would love to go back again! I would highly recommend this restaurant. The staff were also great!

You wouldn't know this is a michelin starred place from the outside but pub is out of the ordinary. The fire, wooden beams and rugs make it very cosy. The food is fantastic and the service was very attentive. I'd recommend.

I went with a group, and everyone were really impressed with the food. I had the crab starter and the Brill main course, and both were delicious. Would love to come back and try some of the other items on the menu 😊

Delightful pub, with a great seating area next to the bar and a good collection of drinks. We didn't eat here, but will definitely be back to try it.

My roast came twice cold. The staff couldn't of been more apologetic. My food was removed from the bill. My partners food was delicious and hot. Mine was lovely eventually although my Yorkshire on the 3 plates that i was given, tasted a little burnt 😔. Maybe just my own personal taste. Its a little bit pricey but the staff and surroundings are quite lovely, hence the prices.