Tucked away in the beautiful English countryside The White Horse is a quintessential 17th century coaching inn – a perfect escape for those needing to get away but not wanting to travel too far.
Set on the eastern side of the Cotswolds in the charming village of Duns Tew, this charming venue has it all with original flagstone floors, beams and a real fire.
It is no surprise that it has been greeting travellers for the last three hundred years, that’s for sure.
Upon arrival we were greeted by the inn’s pleasant and welcoming staff before we were shown to our room. It was of a good size with fresh modern décor and a comfortable bed that boasted crisp, clean sheets.
The en-suite bathroom was well-sized and featured a large bath, shower and toilet. There was also a nicely-sized TV and tea and coffee making facilities, including biscuits – something I always make a beeline for after arriving.
We went down to the restaurant for our evening meal and were greeted politely and quickly.
The menu, which is changed daily, had lots of scrumptious dishes to offer.
To start we opted for the prawns in garlic, parsley and chilli and the ox tongue.
The succulent and juicy prawns were cooked to perfection, nicely-presented and came out quickly as did the ox tongue which was also well-presented, well-cooked and, although a bit unusual, very tasty with a texture all of its own.
For our main we had the Ribeye steak, fries, watercress and garlic butter along with the pork belly, chorizo, white beans, peppers, basil and spinach.
The steak was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth.
It was tender, juicy and mouth-watering – everything you wanted it to be.
The pork was also delicious and fantastically presented – it fell apart and was packed full of flavour.
To finish the meal off we indulged in the chocolate truffle and salted caramel desert and cheese and biscuits with homemade house chutney. Both were simply delicious.
There was a good and large selection of cheeses to leave your taste buds tingling – leaving your head wanting more but your stomach next to bursting.
The restaurant was set within a lovely local country setting with nice décor and an open fire – creating the ultimately relaxation environment.
We were pleasantly surprised to find the bar had a large selection of drinks and ales and wines. The wine menu also had a varied selection of magnums to jeroboam.
After a peaceful night’s sleep, the made to order breakfast was certainly worth getting up for.
When we went down to the breakfast area we were really spoilt for choice. There was tea, coffee and juices as well as a selection of cereal, porridge and syrups.
You could also opt for a full English or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or a bacon and egg sandwich.
We both chose the full English – all the food was fresh and locally produced and was certainly the best way to set ourselves up for the day.
It was nice see the inn had something for everyone from walkers and dogs to foodies and families.
It is also ideally located with plenty of attractions nearby including the city of Dreaming Spires – Oxford, the wondrous countryside of Oxfordshire, Britain’s greatest palace – Blenheim Palace, Christ Church College, Ashmolean Museum and retail heaven Bicester Village.
All in all we had an incredible stay and would highly recommend The White Horse as a place to stay and eat – whether you want a romantic getaway, a relaxing escape or are just passing through.
