THE LOWDOWN

Sat pride of place in Faringdon’s historic market place, The Old Crown Coaching Inn is hard to miss – largely because it’s been covered in scaffolding following a major refurb over the last year. Now though, the glow-up is well and truly complete, and the 16th-century building is home to a cosy ground-floor pub complete with nooks, crannies and an original fireplace, a sleek wine bar with cocktails on tap, the standout 80-seater restaurant The Ballroom, and a pretty courtyard – which would have been used for hangings, back the in day (lovely!), but is now perfect for alfresco drinks and dining. There are also 14 upstairs bedrooms for overnight stays, with plans to expand into the attached stable block.

It’s been a labour of love for owners Nick and Seb Evans, but it’s also not their first rodeo; under The Westbrook Hotel Company umbrella, they also helm up The Black Horse in Standlake and The Waggon and Horses in Southmoor. In their bid to transform The Old Crown Coaching Inn into Faringdon’s foodie hotspot, they’ve put together a top-tier team of chefs, spearheaded by award-winning Sam Squires (who has The Ritz and the 3 Michelin-starred private restaurant Remy on his CV, and was recently voted Chef of the Year at the Weetabix Food & Drinks Awards).

THE VIBE

Changes massively, depending on which room you’re settling in for the evening. The downstairs pub is a lively affair full of locals and their dogs, with an original fireplace primed to be lit when the cooler weather draws in and views of the bustling Faringdon market square.

The beautifully-tiled wine bar with views onto the historic courtyard is more sedate, and the perfect place to prop up the bar with a G&T or a Texas Ranch Water (a tequila-based concoction of Seb’s) while waiting for your table at The Ballroom.

The Ballroom itself is a gorgeous, airy space that’s decked out with sleek olive velvet chairs, modern Gabriella Anouk artwork and statement wrought-iron chandeliers, candles flickering away to the background strains of classic covers of pop songs. It’s elegant without feeling stuffy, and on the Saturday we visited it quickly filled up throughout the evening with local couples out for date nights – pretty impressive for such a large space that’s only been running its dinner menu since the summer.

SCOFF & QUAFF

Often media is guilty of using ‘elevated classics’ as short-hand for ‘slightly fancier burgers’, but when we say the food here is elevated, we mean it in the best way. The à la carte dinner menu might be filled with simple-sounding dishes such as cauliflower cheese, strip loin of beef, and raspberry and lemon trifle, but what you’re served is far from basic. Head Chef Sam Squires has an impressive resumé and a love of French cuisine, and it shows in the exquisite plating and clever balance of flavours in each dish.

Although the menu offering is largely à la carte at present, the restaurant is aiming to expand its tasting menus as this is Squires’ specialty, with several sold-out events already under the belt and some inventive themed evenings upcoming (very jealous of those attending the Halloween Murder Mystery night, complete with West End actors and a seven-course tasting menu).

To give us a demonstration of the tasting menu flair, Squires whipped my dining companion and I up a six-course menu each – a tall order, as meat is arguably the kitchen’s speciality, and he was having to cater for a pescatarian and (eek!) a vegan. I needn’t have worried though, as the menus were perfectly planned out, with nothing feeling like a cobbling together of ingredients or a throwaway dish. When I ask him about dealing with every day dietary requests, he says he’s always happy to be flexible with creating dishes – as long as he’s given 24 hours, he’s happy – and so were we!

First up, we were serving up some freshly-baked truffle muffins with an incredible cassis and blackberry butter – all butter is made in-house, which is a nice touch.

Quickly following this was a roasted garlic tart with pickled vegetables for the vegan, and cured sea trout with smoked trout agnolotti, cucumber and lemon for me. This immediately set the scene for the dishes to come, as the tart was so indulgent and creamy that you wouldn’t know it was dairy-free, and the trout was super fresh and served up with a brilliant array of textures.

Roasted garlic tart with pickled vegetables

Cured sea trout with smoked trout agnolotti, cucumber and lemon

Next up for both of us a fermented beetroot tartar with hazelnut, seaweed and blackberry, a zingy and vinegary mouthful with a hint of crunch that we both loved, followed up by a mushroom cigar (tastier than it sounds!) with truffle and pistachio, which I think I scoffed in about ten seconds flat as it was so moreish.

Fermented beetroot tartar with hazelnut, seaweed and blackberry

Onto mains: the vegan was served up a very seasonally-appropriate (and delicious) munchkin pumpkin stuffed with pearl barley, Roscoff onion and pumpkin seeds. Meanwhile I had my favourite meal of the night, a buttery, meaty chunk of wild halibut with leeks, mussels, sea vegetables and a super-rich crab bisque. Both of us were delighted with our mains, and it’s worth mentioning that there are similar dishes on the sample à la carte menu, coming in at £18 for the pearl barley and £26 for the halibut (if you see it, order it!).

Munchkin pumpkin stuffed with pearl barley

Wild halibut with leeks, mussels, sea vegetables and crab bisque

A quick palate-cleanser of champagne sorbet sprinkled with gold flakes next, followed by our final course of the evening: a dessert of caramelised apple, blackberry and cider sorbet, nut crumble and a candied baby apple. It was an excellent way to round off some rich dishes, as it was satisfying without being too sweet or heavy – no horrible post-dinner food comas here.

Caramelised apple with blackberry and cider sorbet

Having taken full advantage of the wine bar earlier, with espresso martinis and an expansive range of gins on the go, we took it easy with the (long, well-rounded) wine list for dinner, opting for very reasonably-priced glasses of red and white respectively – a juicy South African pinot noir that had been picked for a wine tasting the night before. There’s a good range here for those indulging, with prices varying from £20 a bottle to £110, but generally falling within the £30-£50 mark.

PILLOW TALK

Where better to rest your head than the former 17th century court room of Judge Jeffreys? Much more comfortable than it sounds, the Court Room is The Old Crown Coaching Inn’s suite, and is an absolute whopper of a room, with its spacious four-poster bed, two Chesterfield sofas, a widescreen TV and large bathroom with jet bath. The fleur-de-lis wallpaper, touches of tweed, wood-burning stove and lovingly-restored decorative ceilings give the whole room a sense of history (tip: if you’re staying here for an anniversary or date night, see if you can spot the hidden portrait of the Judge in the walls). As well as the Court Room, there are thirteen recently-restored doubles, twins and triples, all with sleek decor and set just above the pub, up a set of external stairs.

Breakfast is served Wednesday to Sunday, with a short but sweet menu available in The Ballroom (again, if you have dietary requirements it’s worth giving the team a heads up – my vegan husband was offered not one but three different off-menu options).

DOG-FRIENDLY?

Both the pub and some of the rooms are dog-friendly, as the hotel regularly caters to the four nearby shooting groups, with head chef Sam whipping up meals with the spoils.

OUT AND ABOUT

The Old Crown Coaching Inn is right off Faringdon’s Market Place, making it a great base to explore the town, which is currently having somewhat of a boom, with new cocktail bars, coffee shops and bakeries popping up over the last few years. If you’re not into walking, the hotel has partnered with FarCycles to offer guests bike rental – the National Trust woodland Badbury is only 2 miles away of 15 minutes by bike for a little forest bathing or its incredible carpets of bluebells in the spring.

Attractions out of town include another National Trust beauty, Buscot Park, owned by Lord Faringdon himself and just an 8-minute drive (the art collection is to die for), Uffington for the famous walks around the White Horse, and William Morris’ summer home Kelmscott Manor.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Foodies looking for somewhere new for date night; evenings out with groups of friends, moving from long dinners poring over the excellent wine list through to the Art Deco-inspired bar for cocktails in the cooler months, or the al fresco courtyard in the summer. Those looking for something a little more casual will love the cosy pub with its roaring fire and the simpler lunch menus. Surprisingly for a restaurant with such a meaty menu: those with dietary requirements (as long as enough notice is given, of course). We’re planning to return and sample the Sunday lunch menu and the festive offerings.

Not for: Although there were families with kids in The Ballroom when we visited, the vibe is definitely aimed more at foodies than families though if your ten year old has a deep appreciation of complex menus more power to you. Those in wheelchairs may struggle with the restrictions of a centuries-old building: namely, wonky stairs and cobblestone floors.

The damage: The evening à la carte menu changes regularly, but starters cost in the region of £8-£12; mains £18-30; and desserts £8-12. Sunday lunch costs £19 for one course; £25 for two courses; and £30 for three courses (truly excellent value, this one). The Court Room starts at £210 per night, or £242 with breakfast. Doubles range from £84 to £105 per night, or £116 to £137 with breakfast.

The Old Crown Coaching Inn, 25 Market Place, Faringdon SN7 7HU. Tel: 01367 242744.

Review: The Old Crown Coaching Inn, Faringdon, Oxfordshire

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