Review: The Crown Inn, Enstone 'A real country pub with fabulous food'

And then, of course, there’s good food – which we expect to be imaginative, well sourced, expertly cooked and fun.

And there’s the problem. While we are blessed with scores of gorgeous pubs and more great restaurants than ever, they are all too often mutually exclusive. Many a village pub has been stripped of its character to be reinvented as a gastropub; local drinkers confined to a corner of the bar while the rest of the place is given over to dining. Some venerable taverns have lost their bars altogether, shrugging off any pretence at being an honest hostelry where a thirsty local or passing rambler can pop in for an ale and bag of crisps.

Those that have managed to balance the fine arts of inn keeping and gastronomy are a rare breed and worth seeking out – all of which struck me as I sipped a malty pint of Old Hooky in the deliciously cosy bar of The Crown at Church Enstone.

Nestled among fudge-coloured stone cottages in a fold of hilly country between Woodstock and Chipping Norton, The Crown is the very embodiment of the perfect country inn. It may be just a few fields away from the A-list honeypot of Soho Farmhouse, but is a world away from it in understated style, culinary flare and authenticity.

Worn limestone walls are framed with foliage – even at this time of year – and its interior is a jumble of rooms, leading to a large bar room complete with low beamed ceiling, a rough flagstone floor polished to a shine by generations of boots, and wooden benches piled with cushions.

Picture by Ed Nix

Its kitchen has a terrific reputation, which is no surprise given that it is run by Matt and Katie Beamish – part of the team behind the acclaimed foodie magnets of the Kingham Plough and Hare at Milton-under-Wychwood. But it is, at heart, still the locals’ pub it has been for 300 years.

We arrived on a Friday evening to find the bar buzzing with villagers kick-starting the weekend, drinkers spilling out onto picnic tables on the neat walled front terrace.

It is also a characterful boutique hotel, its Tardis-like proportions encompassing six bedrooms hidden up winding staircases. All have been given a contemporary Cotswold makeover for Matt and Katie. And eager to try out the wine and beer list, it made sense to book one for the night.

After a brace of pints of Old Hooky in the lively bar, to help acclimatise to Enstone time, we went up another set of steps to its dining room – its hushed ambience and uncluttered surrounds a refreshing contrast to the rest of the rustic pub. Sturdy bare wood tables with loads of room maintain the rustic vibe.

Picture by Ed Nix

The emphasis is on traditional British produce with an innovative twist and reimagined pub classics. That means great steaks and fish and wonderful veggie dishes (plates like leek and nori terrine with goats curd and roasted hazelnuts, are creative enough to sway the most ardent meat lover).

But the dream combination of crispy duck and homemade lardo (cured pork fat) with poached duck egg on a toasted crumpet (£8) was too tantalising to ignore. It was everything I expected. Tangy flakes of duck scattered with naughty cubes of juicy pork were soon coated in creamy yolk which soaked into the light muffin base. It was a rich, deeply satisfying riot of taste and texture and I remain in awe of the genius who conjured it up.

The choice of mains featured clever things done to pork, fish and prawns, respectable steaks and refined pub favourites such as fish and chips (which looked huge), cheeseburger, and beef, Guinness and Cheddar pie with mash.

It was the whole Cornish lemon sole (£27) which took my fancy though. It came with a generous lagoon of butter sauce, new potatoes and spinach – and was bursting with sweet freshness and delicate flavour.

The steak – a grilled aged ribeye (£27) looked gorgeous – broad and served a juicy medium rare with house fries, tangy rocket and a creamy pepper sauce. Perfect, was the succinct verdict.

The wine list is impressive but thankfully wide-ranging in cost. We went for a round, smooth and fruity Bergon Cabernet Sauvignon – all dark fruit with a whisper of vanilla – a decent £26 a bottle. A glass of chilled Chardonnay at Matt’s expert suggestion was excellent company for the sole.

If a good chocolat fondant is the mark of a fine chef, the Crown’s kitchen boasts a heavyweight champ. The salted choc delight (£8) was dreamy, its rich velvety loveliness balanced by a cooling salted caramel ice cream. The perfect way to sign off.

Picture by Ed Nix

The night was young, and while the bedroom – with its duck down duvet, Egyptian cotton, vintage-style freestanding bath, sky blue Roberts radio and fluffy bath robes beckoned – so did the bar, now quiet with the last of the locals sipping night caps before heading off into the night. They included sous chef Marcin, with whom I put the world to rights over Hooky Gold. The chat inevitably turned to this remarkable boozer.

Marcin has worked all over the place but it is passionate about The Crown and its crew, and agreed the precious balance of real pub and serious restaurant was something to treasure.

No doubt the good folk of Church Enstone, passing ale fans, weekend visitors and clued-up foodies would all heartily agree.

THE FACTS

• THE CROWN INN, Mill Lane, Church Enstone, Chipping Norton OX7 4NN
• crowninnenstone.co.uk
• Book: crowninnenstone@gmail.com or call 01608 677262
• Eat: British classics with culinary flare start at £18 for a main course.
• Stay: There are six en-suite bedrooms, five with super-king-sized beds, with twin beds available in two rooms. Doubles from £145 per room per night B&B based on two people sharing.
• Single occupancy on a B&B basis from £110 a night B&B.
• Dogs: Welcome. Dog-friendly rooms cost an extra £10 per dog per stay and include a dog bed & water bowl.
• Parking: Loads of room at the inn.