Bucks &amp; Oxon

Ooooh sorry, I had thought there was parking. That might be my bad. I&#8217;ll double check that. Glad you enjoyed the meal though, it&#8217;s lovely isn&#8217;t it.

After reading your review we gave Pluma a go and had a great meal. Food was delicious, however, the service was a little slow and we were surprised to find that there is no parking available “out the back” for Pluma, as stated in your review, so we did struggle to find a place to park.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1707" height="2560" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_frontage-1-scaled-1.jpg" alt="Pluma tapas restaurant Old Amersham Buckinghamshire" class="wp-image-178784" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_frontage-1-scaled-1.jpg 1707w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_frontage-1-scaled-1-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_frontage-1-scaled-1-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_frontage-1-scaled-1-267x400.jpg 267w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_frontage-1-scaled-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_frontage-1-scaled-1-1366x2048.jpg 1366w" sizes="(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px" /></figure>



Hankering after a taste of the Med? EasyJetting to Spain on a regular basis for your Patatas Bravas fix can put a serious dent in your bank balance. A more convenient alternative is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plumarestaurants.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">P</a><a href="https://hawkynsrestaurant.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">luma</a>, located on Old Amersham&#8217;s high street. This historic market town has foodie cred: Pluma shares the gastronomic limelight here with the nearby Michelin-starred <a aria-label="Artichoke (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.artichokerestaurant.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artichoke</a> and <a href="https://hawkynsrestaurant.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hawkyns</a> by Atol Kuchar, to name just two.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1290" height="870" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/29425_A.jpg" alt="Pluma spanish restaurant old amersham Buckinghamshire" class="wp-image-178834" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/29425_A.jpg 1290w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/29425_A-800x540.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/29425_A-1000x674.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/29425_A-400x270.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1290px) 100vw, 1290px" /></figure>



Pluma opened in July 2020, the brainchild of Charlie (who cut his teeth at Heston Blumenthal&#8217;s Michelin-starred Hinds Head in Bray) and his Spanish wife Arantxa. With few Spanish restaurants in the vicinity and the ace of authenticity up their sleeve, they took on the 18th century site and have driven its critical and commercial success – and won a coveted National Muddy Award for Best Restaurant. So, what&#8217;s the fuss about?



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/9.jpg" alt="PLuma Old Amersham bar" class="wp-image-178839" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/9.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/9-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/9-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/9-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Well first, the decor. The ancient beams and brickwork marry well with the modern glass extension and its industrial bulb lighting and open kitchen. The restaurant is bigger than you expect from the standard double-front exterior. Once inside, you encounter the first eating area – atmospheric, broody and cosy and probably best used for couples, evenings and private parties (you can claim the whole area). 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="2560" height="1707" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/pluma_interior_detail-2-scaled-1.jpg" alt="Wall of wine at Pluma Old Amersham" class="wp-image-178833" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/pluma_interior_detail-2-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/pluma_interior_detail-2-scaled-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/pluma_interior_detail-2-scaled-1-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/pluma_interior_detail-2-scaled-1-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/pluma_interior_detail-2-scaled-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/pluma_interior_detail-2-scaled-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



Now go past the gorgeous long bar with its row of stools and run of Spanish tiles, which feels so authentic you half expect to wake up in a Basque backstreet. Walk past the bar until you reach a second eating area with a clear roof and comfy banquette seating. This is my favourite bit, as it feels intimate on an evening, bright in the day, and either way you can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen opposite and ogle the wall of wine bottles and beautiful artwork. There&#8217;s also a chic outside terrace, which is a hotspot during the warmer months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/1.jpg" alt="Pluma spanish tapas restaurant old amersham buckinghamshire" class="wp-image-178823" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Authentic, cosmopolitan, buzzy. The chefs in the kitchen look like they are preparing for a tapas title fight. Pumped and primed for a fast and furious round of speedy cookery. Front-of-house staff know their products intimately, but without being pushy. There&#8217;s a calm sense from the management that they have something special at Pluma, but they are also here to serve. It&#8217;s hard to fault. Expect quieter starts to the week, particularly in the day, but to fight for your tables on Thursday night onwards.



They do two sittings in an evening. Book from as early as 6pm-6.30pm if you plan to eat and do some damage at a cocktail bar afterwards or simply want to get home to continue bingeing your latest TV obsession (no judgement). The second sitting is usually 8pm ish, but it&#8217;s not that defined – and you&#8217;re never rushed. I&#8217;d say you have have a leisurely two hours.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-amp-quaff">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1020" height="1156" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/PLuma-fried-cauliflowr.jpg" alt="PLuma fried cauliflowr" class="wp-image-178831" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/PLuma-fried-cauliflowr.jpg 1020w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/PLuma-fried-cauliflowr-706x800.jpg 706w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/PLuma-fried-cauliflowr-882x1000.jpg 882w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/PLuma-fried-cauliflowr-353x400.jpg 353w" sizes="(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px" /></figure>



In a word, it&#8217;s superb – and a blessing for the indecisive, foodies and those who like to turn the volume up on their taste buds. There are 31 dishes on the menu – nibbles, vegetables, fish, meat and desserts – and five dishes are recommended for two people, but the beauty of tapas is you can keep adding more. We ordered Crispy Fried Cauliflower, served with pickle shallots, salted almonds and a spicy mayo (£11); King Prawns in garlic and chilli oil (£11); the signature dish of Jamon Iberico (handcut, acorn fed, £28); and Patatas Bravas (£6.50) – crispy potato and the perfect balance of spicy tomato sauce and aioli. Tricky to pull off – and a true test of any great tapas restaurant.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/4.jpg" alt="Iberian Jamon cooked and patatas bravas P,uma old amersham" class="wp-image-178826" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/4.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/4-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/4-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/4-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



The melt-in-the-mouth jamon is the one dish I insist you try if you&#8217;re a meat-eater. My sleeper hit was the crispy cauliflower – each mouthful a little explosion of flavour. Perfection. Gambas are a must, just remember to order the large bread basket so you have something to mop up all that oily goodness. It would be a crime to let it go to waste. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/6.jpg" alt="Gambas in chilli oil Pluma Old Amersham" class="wp-image-178828" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/6.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/6-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/6-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/6-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



There&#8217;s a regular specials menu that included Spicy Lamb Skewers on the night we visited – and they were amazing, packing enough heat without blowing your head off. There was so much on the menu that we would have happily tried a return visit, from the Iberian ham croquettes to the black rice and baby squid. If you have children in tow – or even if you don&#8217;t – you might be tempted to go for the churros. Do it! Do it!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_oct24_initialedits-4585.jpg" alt="Cocktails at Pluma Old Amersham " class="wp-image-178837" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_oct24_initialedits-4585.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_oct24_initialedits-4585-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_oct24_initialedits-4585-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/pluma_oct24_initialedits-4585-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



If you fancy a tipple, the cocktails are excellent and the wine list is really interesting, showcasing many Spanish vineyards – of course. You&#8217;ll find 40 reds, whites and rosés, as well as sweet wines and sherries. Pluma&#8217;s wine guy recommended Egos Bodegas &#8216;Goru el Blanco&#8217; from the Jumilla region. It&#8217;s a fruity, dry white made from a blend of Chardonnay and Moscatel grapes that&#8217;s incredibly drinkable. Apparently, El Goru is a mythical figure famous for his overflowing passion for women, the vine and life in general. There are worse passions, for sure. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-amp-about">OUT &amp; ABOUT </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="562" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517.jpg-copy.jpg" alt="Hughenden manor NT" class="wp-image-159926" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517.jpg-copy.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517.jpg-copy-800x450.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/spring-garden-hughenden-buckinghamshire1652517.jpg-copy-400x225.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hughenden Manor</figcaption></figure>



If you decide to eat at Pluma for lunch, clever move – you&#8217;ll have the afternoon to have a mooch around <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/buckinghamshire/amersham/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amersham</a>, much of it a conservation area with more than 150 listed buildings from Tudor wattle and daub through to elegant Georgian mansions and the now globally famous 12th century St Mary&#8217;s&nbsp;Church that was recently chosen for the funeral of One Direction star Liam Payne. There are guided walks through Amersham’s untouched Old Town (details on&nbsp;<a href="https://amershammuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amersham Museum</a>‘s website), while the beautiful beech woods of Chesham Bois provide endless dappled strolls at the northernmost point of the town.&nbsp;It also boasts some lovely indie stores: <a href="https://www.fabricfashionstore.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fabric</a> or <a href="https://www.chattertonshop.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chattertons</a> for fashion (there&#8217;s a decent-sized Whistles too) and <a href="https://suchases.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Su Chases Interiors</a>&nbsp;is a treasure trove for the home. 



A little further afield, the home of Benjamin Disraeli, the redbrick mansion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hughenden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hughenden Manor</a>, is nearby and part of the National Trust, as are <a href="https://www.clivedenhouse.co.uk/">Cliveden</a> just outside Taplow, and <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/west-wycombe-park-village-and-hill" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">West Wycombe Park</a>, the stunning Palladian home of the Dashwood family. Having a big family meal? You have <a data-type="URL" data-id="https://coam.org.uk/" href="https://coam.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chiltern Open Air Museum</a> and <a data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.bekonscot.co.uk/" href="https://www.bekonscot.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bekonscot Model Village</a> to help make a day of it. If you&#8217;re reading this from London, it&#8217;s easy peasy to come up for the day – Amersham is on the Metropolitan line. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



GOOD FOR: The indecisive. It’s also a great place for a quick, casual bite as those morsels of flavour fly out of the kitchen. Pluma is a pick ‘n’ mix foodie heaven and the wine list is good too. 



NOT FOR:&nbsp;The unadventurous. Lots of different small tapas dishes may not light the fire of the meat and two veg brigade. Kids might struggle a bit. There may be too much flavour, texture and colour for their beige tastes.



THE DAMAGE:&nbsp;How hungry are you? Dishes start at £3 and go up to £45 for the shoulder of lamb. Two people could share four or five dishes for £40 – £50. Wines by the glass start at £6.50.



<a aria-label="PLUMA SPANISH KITCHEN &amp; TAPAS (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.plumarestaurants.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pluma</a>, 18 High Street, Amersham, HP7 0DJ. Tel:&nbsp;01494 728 383.&nbsp;

Review: Pluma, Old Amersham, Bucks

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