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The White Hart

Oxfordshire, Fyfield - Modern British - Pub & Restaurant - £££

Assured and seasonally-attuned cooking in historic surroundings

Overall Rating: Good

Uniqueness:Does the establishment stand out in the context of the local area? Very Good

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Good

Warmth:How warm is the service and the hospitality in general? Good

Strength of recommendation:How enthusiastically and widely would you recommend the establishment? Good

There are newly tarted-up pubs and then there's the White Hart, which dates back to the 1400s and has been posh for centuries. ‘Baronial’ is always the first word that springs to mind when you enter the dramatic dining room with its soaring oak-beamed ceiling, flagstone floor, stone-mullioned windows and impressive inglenook fireplace. Such surroundings could easily feel starchy, but friendly, casually dressed staff, a separate and equally venerable bar (complete with real ales and local drinkers), and modern cooking courtesy of new head chef Peter Eaton (ex-The Woodspeen) leaven things admirably. The White Hart's kitchen garden and local farms supply many of the ingredients for seasonal menus that might start with a consummately rendered fig, coppa and goat's cheese salad, ahead of succulent sea bream matched with tomato and anchovy vinaigrette and saffron gnocchi. A serious wine list provides back-up, while a summer house and beer garden (including a summertime pizza kitc...

There are newly tarted-up pubs and then there's the White Hart, which dates back to the 1400s and has been posh for centuries. ‘Baronial’ is always the first word that springs to mind when you enter the dramatic dining room with its soaring oak-beamed ceiling, flagstone floor, stone-mullioned windows and impressive inglenook fireplace. Such surroundings could easily feel starchy, but friendly, casually dressed staff, a separate and equally venerable bar (complete with real ales and local drinkers), and modern cooking courtesy of new head chef Peter Eaton (ex-The Woodspeen) leaven things admirably. The White Hart's kitchen garden and local farms supply many of the ingredients for seasonal menus that might start with a consummately rendered fig, coppa and goat's cheese salad, ahead of succulent sea bream matched with tomato and anchovy vinaigrette and saffron gnocchi. A serious wine list provides back-up, while a summer house and beer garden (including a summertime pizza kitchen) add to the allure. ‘Amazing seasonal food, creative dishes, first-class staff and a beautiful historic building’ sums it up perfectly.

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K Venables

17 July 2026

I visited with two American visitors who were, of course, charmed by the medieval hall, the huge fireplace, and general ambience. Our booking was on a Wednesday. The White Hart does a very good value prix fixe menu on We...
I visited with two American visitors who were, of course, charmed by the medieval hall, the huge fireplace, and general ambience. Our booking was on a Wednesday. The White Hart does a very good value prix fixe menu on Wednesdays which looked great but we went for the a la carte menu. My friends each had a fish main - one trad fish n. chips, the other sea bream with a mussel sauce. I had pork rib. For starters, one had hummus, another pape, and I had gravadlax. For desserts, my friends shared sti...
I visited with two American visitors who were, of course, charmed by the medieval hall, the huge fireplace, and general ambience. Our booking was on a Wednesday. The White Hart does a very good value prix fixe menu on Wednesdays which looked great but we went for the a la carte menu. My friends each had a fish main - one trad fish n. chips, the other sea bream with a mussel sauce. I had pork rib. For starters, one had hummus, another pape, and I had gravadlax. For desserts, my friends shared sticky toffee pudding and I had an amazing peach souffle, with almond custard and a little ice-cream. We are not big drinkers - I had a local low-alcohol beer and one American had a pint of a local ale. Every course was delicious - fresh, beautifully presented and tasty. The waiting staff were professional and friendly. The menu was very well chosen, sufficiently varied, and with a good balance between old favourites and innovative dishes. It was good to have a choice of low- and no-alcohol drinks. The White Hart wasn't busy, which surprised us for such a good restaurant. But it was mid-week in a heatwave, so maybe not surprising.
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D Reid

15 April 2026

We had lunch at the White Hart on Easter Sunday. It was fabulous - a wonderful, extremely comfortable historical setting. Being Easter Sunday it was predictably very busy but the staff were unflustered. A genuinely warm ...
We had lunch at the White Hart on Easter Sunday. It was fabulous - a wonderful, extremely comfortable historical setting. Being Easter Sunday it was predictably very busy but the staff were unflustered. A genuinely warm welcome greeted us and we were shown to our table. The menu was outstanding, and the quality of the food matched its promise. The wine list has something for everyone, and we opted for a mid-range red - on the advice of the maitre d' - which was a perfect accompaniment to our foo...
We had lunch at the White Hart on Easter Sunday. It was fabulous - a wonderful, extremely comfortable historical setting. Being Easter Sunday it was predictably very busy but the staff were unflustered. A genuinely warm welcome greeted us and we were shown to our table. The menu was outstanding, and the quality of the food matched its promise. The wine list has something for everyone, and we opted for a mid-range red - on the advice of the maitre d' - which was a perfect accompaniment to our food. What really make the White Hart special is its people. It's so refreshing to meet young people who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about your dining experience. Outstanding!
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E McMenemy

11 April 2026

Warm, welcoming, historic. Each piece of food was an explosion of amazing subtly put together flavours melting in my mouth. The service was friendly, relaxed and efficient. Great menu with quality in mind and clear local...
Warm, welcoming, historic. Each piece of food was an explosion of amazing subtly put together flavours melting in my mouth. The service was friendly, relaxed and efficient. Great menu with quality in mind and clear locally sourced produce (or grown in house). Drinks for all. I felt comfortable and relaxed. I wasn't dressed formally but was as welcome as those who had dressed up. Beautiful place, beautiful food, beautiful staff and service. Wholeheartedly recommended (I eat at fine dining restaur...
Warm, welcoming, historic. Each piece of food was an explosion of amazing subtly put together flavours melting in my mouth. The service was friendly, relaxed and efficient. Great menu with quality in mind and clear locally sourced produce (or grown in house). Drinks for all. I felt comfortable and relaxed. I wasn't dressed formally but was as welcome as those who had dressed up. Beautiful place, beautiful food, beautiful staff and service. Wholeheartedly recommended (I eat at fine dining restaurants a couple of times a year, and this was my first visit!) Definitely cannot wait to come back....
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A Capel

30 March 2026

This isn’t a local restaurant for us, my friend travels for more than two hours to get here and I travel for more than an hour. And we’ve been doing this since Christmas 2018. We love it so much we make a few booking...
This isn’t a local restaurant for us, my friend travels for more than two hours to get here and I travel for more than an hour. And we’ve been doing this since Christmas 2018. We love it so much we make a few bookings over future months so we always get our favourite table. The consistent quality of the food, the creativity of the presentation, the wonderful medieval surroundings, the inviting comfort of the wingback banquette seating, the good humour of the hosts and their on-the-ball staff...
This isn’t a local restaurant for us, my friend travels for more than two hours to get here and I travel for more than an hour. And we’ve been doing this since Christmas 2018. We love it so much we make a few bookings over future months so we always get our favourite table. The consistent quality of the food, the creativity of the presentation, the wonderful medieval surroundings, the inviting comfort of the wingback banquette seating, the good humour of the hosts and their on-the-ball staff. The hosts make you feel noticed and valued. I love the way they’ll tell you a tale about a customer then get your story. It’s all about people and keeping them happy.
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VENUE DETAILS

Main Road
Fyfield
Oxfordshire
OX13 5LW GB

01865 390585

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OTHER INFORMATION

Private dining room, Separate bar, Outdoor dining, Parking, Electric car charging, Family friendly, Dog friendly

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