Address: Freith Road, Bovingdon Green, Near Marlow SL7 2JF

Telephone number: 01628 488611

Website: www.royaloakmarlow.co.uk

Date of visit: 19 August 2010

Approximate cost per head: Around £20 for 2 courses.

Comments on wine list/beer: Pretty extensive wine list with top red at £45 – Amarone. No upmarket wines on the list. Lots of halves and wine by the glasses (different sizes). Rebellion on tap (IPA @ £3.10 a pint)

Summary:

The pub is managed by the Sailsbury Family. They also manage The Swan Inn and The Old Queens Head in Buckinghamshire.

This pub appears in the Michelin Guide as well as Sawday’s. I usually take that as a pretty good recommendation.

The inside of the pub consists of a large room with most of the tables laid out for dining. There is also a large outside area for dining. Paper napkins and no table clothes.

In the Michelin guide, the cuisine is described as modern British with an oriental influence. On the day I went, I can only describe the menu as modern British/European.

I had my two starters as usual. My guests simply had the main course.

We were not offered any bread – you pay extra for that.

I had the salt beef (£6.75) followed by bubble and squeak (£6.25). The salt beef was not too salty but it was served with a strange salad dressing – it tasted like Heinz Salad Cream enriched with extra egg yolk. Overall, it was very good. The bubble and squeak was a large rissole of mash potato, cabbage and carrot julienne, bread crumbed and fried. This sat in a large pool of hollandaise sauce. On top of this was a poached egg (soft yolk) and a slice of smoked bacon on the side of the rissole. It was very visual and tasted as good as it looked.

One of my guests had the bubble and squeak as a main course (£11.75) and it was exactly the same but with 2 rissoles, 2 poached eggs and 2 slices of bacon – this turned out to be too much for her.

The other guest had the grilled cod fillet (£14.50) with a pea risotto and a soft boiled egg. The cod was perfectly cooked, came as a thick chunk with crispy skin. The pea risotto was too wet for my liking, but then most risottos served in this country have too much liquid – it tasted fine. The soft boiled egg turned out to be hard boiled – the only blemish of the meal.

The service was very good and efficient. With 2 pints of Rebellion and 3 Persi, the total bill came to £49.65 without service charge.

I like the place and the food.

E

PS  if you use the postal code supplied in this article on your tomtom, you will be taken to a place 300 meters south of the pub – same road.