Star Attraction

It’s not often I’m lost for words – ask my husband. But a recent conversation at a party left me speechless.

On discovering I wrote restaurant reviews for a living, the retired gentlemen I happened to be talking to came out with the sweeping generalisation of the century, which had me gasping like a grounded goldfish.

“I have always thought that people in Oxfordshire have had their tastebuds removed,” was his incendiary remark. And such was my hyperventilating, that I found it hard to come back with any kind of retort, such was the need for oxygen to my brain.

Said gentleman obviously lives in London, although he does have a country house in Oxfordshire. Neither does he read my reviews or he’d know where to eat. But while I was trying to breathe he then continued his idea of a conversation with: “So where would you recommend then?”

And before making an exit Kelly Holmes would have been proud of, I managed: “Well the Sir Charles Napier has just won its first Michelin star.”

Which meant the following week found me careering down the country lanes outside Chinnor to make sure I knew what I was talking about. And thank God I did, because it was such a truly wonderful meal, I can look back on the gentleman in question almost fondly.

It wasn’t my first visit. The Sir Charles Napier has been on the culinary map ever since Julie Griffiths opened it 40 years ago. The Michelin star only occurred however when the head chef left and the sous chef Chris Godfrey took over (there’s a morality tale in there somewhere).

Last time I reviewed it wasn’t a success. If my memory serves me right, we were kept waiting for 90 minutes in the bar so when we sat down for dinner we were drunk and the food had run out.

Wiping the slate clean, I arrived for lunch in my best tweed and stockings expecting the best. We weren’t disappointed. In fact, every mouthful was so sublime it’s hard to put into words, but as it’s my job I’ll persevere.

Sat in the window of the intimate pub dining room marvelling at the spectacular garden sculptures, I opted for the £17.50 menu. No that’s a not a typo, £17.50 for two courses with a Michelin star thrown in for good measure. Unbeatable.

I began with the Jerusalem artichoke veloute with artichoke and truffle arancinis. ‘Her indoors’ had the double-baked smoked haddock and cheddar souffle (£9.50), and after the first mouthful our excited chatter was silenced. A master was at work. The souffle was perfectly balanced and textured, allowing both the cheese and fish to speak out in equal measure. The veloute, a soup of sorts, was also exceptional, subtle and seasoned, with the marinaded artichoke scattered throughout. The arancini rice balls were almost superfluous, but that’s splitting hairs.

Next up the simple-sounding local beef fillet with tarragon chips and smoked mushroom fricassee (£28.50) which captivated my dining companion long after she left. “That beef...” she would utter for weeks afterwards with a glazed look. Flawless. The beef’s cut and quality were spot-on. The Jenga-style chips were also delicious, and the mushroom fricassee an ideal accompaniment.

I didn’t fancy the chowder or cassoulet alternatives on the menu, but to be honest wasn’t expecting much from root veg hotpot with mushroom ravioli either. How wrong could I be? The hotpot was more a ramekin-shaped tagine with a perfect mushroom ravioli balanced on top, making every forkful a gift.

Pushing on to the finishing line we had apple tart with calvados syrup and honey ice cream (£8.50) which came French-style in a thin delicious strip. Indeed, the only false note of the meal was the salted caramel and chocolate mousse with malted milk ice cream (8.50), because it was layered in an unnecessary delicate sponge which smothered flavours. A side order of peanut butter ice cream made up for my dessert’s deficiencies.

So there, Mr Londoner. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Our tastebuds are alive and kicking. You just need to get out more.

* The Sir Charles Napier Sprigg’s Alley Chinnor Oxfordshire OX39 4BX 01494 483011