Bank Holiday Lunch at The Wild Rabbit Kingham

Last bank holiday Monday, The Chap and I took a leisurely country drive off into the heart of the Cotswolds. I say leisurely, it was p*****g it down - I totally wish we had this Mondays weather instead - still, we were in good spirits because we were off for lunch.

Kingham was our destination of choice; a gorgeous little village in the Evenlode Valley, Oxfordshire. We've swung by a few times before - I'd highly recommend Sunday lunch at The Kingham Plough - but this time we had a different agenda.

The Wild Rabbit is a name that crops up in every local travel guide, and is often highlighted as being the place to stay if you're after a luxurious Cotswold retreat. They class themselves as being a re-invention of the traditional English inn – a place to eat, drink and sleep - and by 'they', I mean the Daylesford team. That's right, with Daylesford Farm and the Bamford Haybarn Spa already residing in Kingham, it's no surprise that Lady Carole Bamford wanted to widen her organic empire by taking on this 18th century pub. It's become a dream destination for food and drink lovers, the health concious, and those just wanting to escape the city life. 

The Wild Rabbit's dining room serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. There's a separate bar menu for the pub side, which serves smaller, heartier fare for a few less pennies. Where possible they use organic ingredients from their own garden - picked fresh each morning and delivered straight to the kitchen - and their menu celebrates seasonal produce from local suppliers... You'd expect nothing less.

Michelin named The Wild Rabbit as 'Pub of The Year' in their 2015 guide - high praise indeed - so we were excited to test it out, and having previously seen Executive Chef Tim Allen on BBC's Great British Menu, we knew we were in capable hands. 

Quickly ditching the car in the car park (my bird poo splattered Seat didn't fit in with all the shiny new Range Rovers), first appearances were great; wisteria creeps across the front of the building, with comedy rabbit shaped bushes inviting you in. Inside, you immediately feel countrified with Cotswold stone, leather wingback chairs, aged wooden furniture, a roaring fire and a handful of pub dogs. The dining room is through the back, over the well; it's big and airy with lots of stylish decor, a long central table (looking after the tempting cheese selection), and the open kitchen in the corner. 

The menu is concise; five starters, five mains (plus two steaks), and five desserts (if you include cheese as an option). They have a decent wine list too, though seeing as I was designated driver for the day, I couldn't get involved. Instead, it was just the one Bloody Mary for me whilst The Chap had a couple of Hooky beers. 

Sourdough slices slathered with butter, we awaited our first course. I opted for Mackerel, served two ways, with Yorkshire rhubarb, pickled cucumber and frozen horseradish (£13.50). I loved the contrast of the flaky cooked mackerel against the fresh tartare, but it was the horseradish ice cream that really wowed me. The Chap went for the Quail; roasted breasts, Morteau sausage, smoked shallot, confit leg and lardo raviolo, with verjus reduction (£13.50). I politely only tried a teeny bit of quail seeing as it's such a small bird, and it was gorgeous. 

My main course was Rump of English veal, fricassée of braised veal, confit shallot, onion purée and baby capers (£26.00), that I ordered with a side of buttery purple sprouting broccoli (£4). That juicy pink rump was faultless; the onions and mushrooms gave the dish a deep earthy flavour, whilst the capers added bursts of acidity, ensuring it felt light and spring-like. 

The Chap went for the 10oz rib eye steak - dry aged for 40 days and cooked over charcoal - which came with hand cut chips, Daylesford leaves and a sauce of your choice (£30). He picked the tomato-y Bois boudran, a new one for the both of us. No matter how tasty it was, the fact it came on a small(!) wooden board with individual bowls for each component was a little frustrating. It might look neat for presentation, but it makes the logistics of eating near impossible. That said, the chunky chips were so good that all could be forgiven, and thank god they weren't stacked up like Jenga! With such a thick crispy casing, they almost verge on being classed as roast potatoes; I'll be ordering a portion 'for the table' next time. 

White Chocolate, gariguette strawberries, Yorkshire rhubarb and buckler sorrel (£8.50) was my final course - something I'd spied on social media before our visit. Not only do the ingredients have me written all over them, but it was the most photogenic dish of the lot. Bright with height, sweet but tart, and it had a great range of textures - I do love the snap of chocolate and the crunch of meringue. 

The Chap had the Cheesecake with Braeburn apple and caramelised honey (£7). I didn't get a look in on this one - it must've been good - but I admired the glass-like sugar disc on top before me and my phone were batted away so that he could enjoy his dessert in peace. 

We moved through to the pub to sit next to the fire with a coffee and the paper, and were surprised with a couple of freshly baked lemon syrup madeleines as petit fours. Such a nice touch, especially straight out of the oven. 

The Wild Rabbit is by no means cheap, but where is in such picturesque Cotswold locations? A three course meal with a drink and service averages at around £60 a head, and whilst everything was cooked beautifully, perhaps we expected to be a bit more excited for the money? We both agreed that the starters were our favourite course, followed by desserts, then mains - those chips come in a league of their own. 

We'll certainly go back - I can see myself escaping for hours in its rustic charm - but next time we'll just try out their bar menu, and maybe adopt a dog to join us.