The Harrow at Bishopstone
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
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‘Makes me feel like I am on holiday,’ proclaims one of the Harrow’s many enthusiastic regulars. This formerly forlorn 19th-century village pub a couple of miles outside Aylesbury was completely transformed after years of closure and reopened in 2019. It now boasts a sizeable bar with local ales, a large heated conservatory with sliding glass-panelled walls and retractable roof, an oak-framed garden lodge with its own bar and kitchen, and a smart restaurant with stone-tiled flooring and dark wooden panelling. New head chef Jan Hvizdos, formerly at the Mole & Chicken, Easington (now closed) provides food to match the attractive surroundings. We were particularly impressed with the good-value set lunch menu, which offered unstinting quality across the board – from a precisely flavoured and summery courgette and cucumber soup with lemon crème fraîche, via a tender pork ribeye steak with new potatoes and a rich petits pois à la française, to an expertly presented iced dark chocolate parfait with sweet poached cherries and crunchy hazelnut praline. The regularly changing carte offers steaks, burgers and beer-battered fish alongside more intricate dishes, ranging from a well-considered starter involving luscious slow-cooked lamb breast, artichoke hearts, pickled shimeji mushrooms, sorrel and lamb sauce to pavé of trout with herb linguine, broad beans and langoustine velouté (satisfying, if a little heavy on the cream). Personable, enthusiastic service also garners praise, as does the choice of drinks, which encompasses a compact wine list plus a selection of sparkling teas from a local supplier (the Royal Flush makes a zingy, well-matched companion to the food). Large parties are welcome here.
