The Wild Rabbit

Fine dining in a gastropub

Quail, black pudding, leek, apples

Once again, I am back at Wild Rabbit for the 6th time. The gastropub in Cotswolds is one of my to go venue whenever I visit the Cotswolds for holiday. The restaurant is all about using top grade local British ingredients to create something that is refined but yet with a touch of classic old-school British vibe. Alyn Williams is now chef patron at the restaurant, with a new tasting menu installed and now at the Wild Rabbit for a few months, I was excited to see how the cooking has progressed. In a large group, we have managed to order pretty much everything on the menu.

Pork cheek

Tomatoes, crab, burrata

Daylesford market garden salad

Cornish plaice, pea ravioli, ricotta

Côte de bœuf

My starter of Norfolk quail was one of the stands out starters of the year for me, the quail was tender and I really enjoyed the black pudding element which added a nice touch of texture and it was almost like a seasoning to the meat, with the apple offered a soft freshness. The main of Yorkshire grouse is what game season is all about, the heavy game taste was balanced off nicely with the sweet plum, it was a dish of finely balance of sweet and earthy taste. I normally would avoid steak in a restaurant and leave it to a steakhouse, but the Côte de bœuf was truly heavenly. The meat was so moist and loaded with so much smoky, charred and umami flavours with a mildly sweet honey finish, the quality of the steak was exceptional and better than even the like of Goodman. 

Stone bass, courgette, caviar, lemongrass

Yorkshire grouse, parfit, plums, celeriac

South Devon beef rib eye new season garlic chip, spinach, tartare

Salted caramel, peanut butter, puffyed pastry

Peach, raspberries, white chocolate

The a la carte experience was very different compared to the tasting menu I had last time. The dishes were generally richer and more in line with gastropub style dish presentation. Personally, I am more of a fan of the tasting menu format and that is something I would go for again when I return. The locals are lucky to have such a talented chef like Alyn heading up such a lovely gastropub in Kingham, I would suspect it is only a matter of time before it will get a Michelin star.



Food 4/5


What I paid: 
£75 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:

Tasting menu: £65

Church St, Kingham, Chipping Norton OX7 6YA

https://thewildrabbit.co.uk/

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