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The Royal Oak, Whatcote, Warwickshire
Award-winning

The Royal Oak

4.9 (125)
£41 and over
Farm-to-table
The Orchard, Whatcote, Warwickshire CV36 5EF

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Innovative
Solanche, Richard, and the team at The Royal Oak are proud to offer Michelin-starred dining at our village pub, between Shipston on Stour and Stratford upon Avon, on the edge of the Cotswolds. Since 2019, we’ve been dedicated to exceptional food in a community-focused setting.

Alongside our Michelin-starred dining room, we have a relaxed bar with a pool table and darts, creating a space for everyone. Our menu celebrates terroir-driven, ‘proper country food,’ focusing on wild, seasonal ingredients. Our aim is simple: to tell the story of our community and the local producers we work with.

The menu changes with the seasons, with some dishes lasting six weeks to highlight the peak of their season, while others may be available for just a week or even a single service—a fleeting, micro-seasonal snapshot. This approach supports sustainable land and woodland management, honours the natural balance of the land, and reflects our commitment to preserving it for future generations.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Farm-to-table, Modern European, Contemporary British
  • Hours of operation
    Wed–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm Thu–Sat 12:00 pm–4:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Richard Craven
  • Catering
    Richard, Solanche, and The Royal Oak team are proud to offer Michelin-starred dining on the edge of the Cotswolds, between Shipston on Stour and Stratford upon Avon. Our seasonally driven menu focuses on wild, foraged ingredients. We strive to offer an exceptional dining experience that celebrates both nature and our community of producers.<br />
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2024
  • Neighborhood
    Shipston-On-Stour
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Public transit
    Although rurally located, we are highly accessible from the M40 (Junction 12) and we are a 25 minute drive/taxi (Castle Cars) from Banbury Train Station (Chiltern/Cross Country).
  • Additional
    Beer, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 125 people are saying

The Royal Oak reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Warwickshire

    Best Overall

  • Warwickshire

    Best Food

  • Warwickshire

    Best Service

  • Warwickshire

    Best Ambiance

  • Warwickshire

    Best Value

  • Warwickshire

    Innovative

  • Warwickshire

    Neighborhood gem

  • Warwickshire

    Great for fine wines

  • Warwickshire

    Romantic

  • Warwickshire

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Royal Oak is a charming village pub offering a "wonderful experience" with "exceptional cooking" and a "cosy friendly atmosphere." Diners rave about the "fantastic" tasting menu that showcases "local ingredients" and "extraordinary" food. Service is "personable and attentive," with a "knowledgeable and helpful team." A "must-visit" destination!

125 Reviews
  1. Rob

    Oxford1 review

    2.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Food beautifully prepared but to a standard expected of a London restaurant rather than a village location and priced accordingly. Lovely wine list but the restaurant lacked atmosphere and limited amount of diners while we were there on a Friday evening. The crew try very hard but pushy on service at times. Sometime felt a little rushed towards the end of the meal. Quite expensive for the whole experience.

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  2. Ginny

    Birmingham2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely cosy village pub. We had the 5 course tasting menu and added in the cheese course. Every course was delicious and where possible, local ingredients are used. Great service, very friendly team. Well worth a visit, you won't be disappointed.

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  3. Nicky

    Warwickshire1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was the most delicious meal I have ever eaten! In addition the restaurant was beautiful and all staff were a pleasure to talk to. We had the à la carte meal and tried various wines, all served with friendly information. A wonderful relaxed lunch which I am still thinking about weeks later.

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  4. Matt

    Richmond10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best dining experiences that I have ever had! The service was personable and attentive and the food was out of this world. The staff took time to explain the philosophy behind the food and the co-owners were active participants in the service and were so incredibly kind.

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  5. Robert

    Oxford3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely lunchtime meal with a stunning array of deserts! Warm ambience and attentive service.

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  6. Thomas

    Warwickshire1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An outstanding array of food, showing off Richard's immaculate skills, complemented by a knowledgeable and helpful team who kept the plates spinning. Excellent ale; a nice room; and wonderful cooking (especially the preserved pine cone). Looking forward to my next visit. Worth pointing out, too, that it's one of those places which looks a little expensive at first, but which really isn't. Great value, in fact, considering the quality of the dishes.

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  7. Chris

    Warwickshire2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We celebrated a birthday here in March and had a fantastic time. It's a beautiful old space and the food is extraordinary but maybe best of all is that, despite the very high quality of the service and everything that's produced, there is no 'temple of food' pretentiousness. Solanche and her team are just brilliant and everyone was delightful. The terrific chef, Richard, somehow also manages to find time to come out and say hello to everyone through the evening. And they were also thoughtful enough to give my partner a birthday card. They have very wisely kept one side of the building as a proper village pub and that also helps to keep a really nice sense of informality, despite the Michelin star. I think our experience was summed up by the fact that when we came to collect our car the following day, we had a pint and a pork pie and played pool in the pub, which sums up how brilliantly unaffected the place is. It's just great - very highly recommended.

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  8. Ross

    Oxford1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible food, using brilliant seasonal ingredients. The service and friendliness from all the staff was wonderfully welcoming. A quiet local pub vibe, but wonderful for lunch. Our only regret was not having time for the full tasting menu - but we will be back!

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  9. Barry

    Yorkshire2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    When my disabled partner and I visited the Royal Oak, the staff were excellent, both in their friendliness and practical assistance. The service all through the meal was efficient and informative. The tasting menu was an exciting array of flavours , well seasoned and all of the ingredients were of high quality. The evening was a real delight and we recommend highly.

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  10. edwin VIP

    Berkshire6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food is exceptional in a cosy friendly atmosphere. Will go again and again.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Royal Oak is rated 4.9 stars by 125 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Warwickshire
  4. Shipston-On-Stour
  5. Shipston-On-Stour

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 3 times today
Google Map for The Royal Oak

The Orchard, Whatcote, Warwickshire CV36 5EF

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2024
  • Neighborhood
    Shipston-On-Stour
  • Hours of operation
    Wed–Sat 6:00 pm–11:00 pm Thu–Sat 12:00 pm–4:00 pm
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Farm-to-table, Modern European, Contemporary British
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Public transit
    Although rurally located, we are highly accessible from the M40 (Junction 12) and we are a 25 minute drive/taxi (Castle Cars) from Banbury Train Station (Chiltern/Cross Country).
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Richard Craven
  • Additional
    Beer, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Richard, Solanche, and The Royal Oak team are proud to offer Michelin-starred dining on the edge of the Cotswolds, between Shipston on Stour and Stratford upon Avon. Our seasonally driven menu focuses on wild, foraged ingredients. We strive to offer an exceptional dining experience that celebrates both nature and our community of producers.<br />
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