Reviewed
08/04

On a friend's recommendation, I visited the Kings Head Inn for a meal with 5 friends in the early summer. The Inn was built in the seventeenth century and can be found in the quiet village of Wootton, quite close to Oxford. On entering, first impressions are of an 'olde worlde' pub, with a few incumbent locals, very friendly and chatty owners, low-beamed ceilings, very comfortable sofas and magazines - all crying out for a few hours spent nursing a glass of wine and putting the world to rights.

The dining area was small, but not overcrowded, with a really homely ambience (it felt as if I had been invited to a friends house for a rather special dinner party). I had been told that the food was all prepared to order, using fresh local produce, and our first glance at the menu heightened our sense of expectation, as there was a really good choice of starters and main courses, all beautifully described. I also have to say that the wine list is one of the most impressive I have seen in a country pub/restauarnt for a long time, and gave us the opportunity to try a very well-thought out wine collection, from £10.95 a bottle.

From a selection including Rosette of Muscavado and Lime cured Scottish Salmon, or Avocado Pear coated in Tarragon cream, I chose a starter of Warm Gressingham Duck Salad which was quite exceptional - the plentiful duck having been perfectly cooked, and then shredded - served with just the right amount of mixed leaf salad and with a spicy plum puree. (Starters ranged in price from £3.95 to £5.95.)

The main courses were just as tempting, and reasonably priced (£9.95 for a wild mushroom risotto), with a reasonably wide choice including chargrilled pork medallions with a red onion marmalade (£11.25), seared fillet of Scottish Salmon with Hollandaise (£10.95), and the ubiquitous rib eye steak. I chose instead the Tower of Orkney Fillet Steak (which - at £16.50 - was one of the most expensive items on the menu), served with a well-seasoned potato rosti, wild mushrooms and a smooth black pepper sauce. It was all was cooked perfectly, with a meltingly good fillet steak, although the black pepper was - for my personal tastes - a little over strong. To the Kings Head Inn's defence, my friends disagreed with me, saying that the sauce was just perfect! The accompanying vegetables (no extra charge), often slightly disappointing in many restaurants, were steaming hot and all of them cooked to perfection.

We moved on to the dessert menu with some effort, as portion control was not in evidence for the starter and main courses (but one has to at least look at the dessert menu for politeness' sake...!). In the end, from a varied choice (most of which were priced at £4.95) including Sticky Toffee Pudding and a wonderful looking Caramelised Citrus Tart, I chose a Delice of White Chocolate with cointreau and a trio of fruit sauces. On reflection, the Citrus Tart would have been a better choice, as the Delice was a little too rich and sweet for me, and whilst I tried to finish it, it defeated me after I had managed only half. Having said that, I had just enough room to try a spoonful of the Citrus Tart, which was an incredible 'melt in the mouth' experience, with just the right amount of tartness on the tongue, complemented by wonderfully crumbly and buttery pastry.

Despite finishing on a slightly less outstanding note for me personally, I would have to say that the ambience, service and food were of an exceptional standard. The Kings Head Inn is shamefully underpublicised ... but then, perhaps that's how their clientele would prefer to keep it. A very special jewel in Wootton's crown!

Jane Robinson, 02.08.04