Tapping at the window and crying through the lock are a million other food reviewers all desperate for their opinions to be known. Trip Advisor is alive with them, bloggers bun fighting for a piece of the action.

Bumping into gastro-obsessives at parties is therefore always a challenge, because if they catch a mere whiff of what I do it’s akin to a dog rubbing himself on the furniture.

But it’s rarely the other way around, and I got a taste of my own medicine last week when I caught a neighbour coming out of one of my favourite hostelries shaking his head sadly. “Nope”, he said, “that was their last chance and we won’t be returning.”

He only eats in London these days he told me, having had such moderate success in Oxfordshire. Spluttering in indignation I began what was a very long list of suggestions to remedy the situation but much as it enraged me, he had been there and got the chef whites, none quite coming up to his supercilious mark of excellence.

Even the Nut Tree in Murcott, a failsafe gem of a Michelin starred restaurant to whip out in difficult situations, failed - it was “a bit old-fashioned,” was all he managed.

There were a few places he hadn’t managed yet - The Sir Charles Napier, The Greyhound in Letcome Regis, The Oxford Kitchen in Summertown, Simon Bradley at Eynsham Hall, Oli’s Thai on Magdalen Street, the new team at The Folly, but otherwise he had driven through the middle of Oxford’s best restaurants leaving bloodied heaps by the wayside.

But then, just when my time was running out, he turned and asked “have you been to the White Hart in Fyfield. I hear it’s very good,” to which I replied, lying through my teeth. “Oh, it is excellent.”

Which is why, a mere few days later, you could find me navigating my way around the tiny village off the A420 trying to find the blasted pub.

Well known in foodie land, The White Hart is run by head chef Mark Chandler and his utterly charming wife Kay, who not only runs the place with a warmth and soothing efficiency, but has also managed to raise four highly capable children into the bargain without a wrinkle to be seen. Tips please.

It’s a charming building, with a little thatched gazebo outside with twinkly lights to ward off the chill, and while it is oldy-worldy, (alarm bells) the lofty ceilings, space and calming décor welcome you.

After a wonderfully refreshing cucumber, prosecco and vodka cocktail we were taken to our table, in the deceptively large eating area.

The menu too was interesting. Mark prides himself on growing and buying everything as locally as possible, even trading with locals for their home grown produce. And this is a difficult time of year, the end of a long winter when parsnips and potatoes are getting a bit boring, but before the real spring crop kicks in.

Mark has obviously worked hard to get around this with interesting menu addition such as a rabbit, langoustine and Fyfield artichoke crumble with wild garlic crust (£9.50) or the shellfish masala with coconut, coriander and chilli (£9.50), but we went for the more traditional home cured salmon gravadlax with a marinated cucumber salad (£8.50) and a salad of burrata roasted squash, hazelnut and rocket (£8). The salmon was lovely, the cucumber beautifully and subtly marinated rendering it a very delicate dish. The burrata however was too large a portion, its soft gooey depths needing something pungent to balance it.

Kay had them talked me into ordering the Farro and Appleton wild garlic risotto with wild mushrooms (foraged by her children) and tarragon en papillote (£15) which sounded intriguing. And it was a very clever dish, the mushrooms having been breaded, deep fried and placed on top of the risotto which came in a little dish rather than the vast mound of rice one normally struggles with. I was half way through however when Kay rushed over and reminded me I hadn’t tried the papillote which I had entirely forgotten about, which on opening contained some lovely veggies in a creamy tarragon sauce. How to eat them was something of a conundrum though. Separately or just poured on top? Either way it transformed the dish into something much more complex and silky.

The roast cod with mash, spinach and a homemade piccalilli sauce was another hit, the fish cooked beautifully, but we weren’t sure whether the rather sweet sauce worked.

Suitably confident we moved onto pudding: the Fyfield rhubarb and custard, with shortbread and stem ginger (£7) shouting my friend’s name, and for me the pistachio cake with cherries (the cherry elements were drunken kirsch cherries, cherry puree, cherry meringue, cherry jelly and a cherry sorbet) which were both a masterpiece to behold and taste.

But on picking up my pistachio baton, like sponge baton, I couldn’t even get my fork through it and it was the same texture all the way through. Utterly bewildered I left it on the side unable to decipher what it was doing there.

And as we drove off into the night I only hoped that if Mr You-Know-Who should venture there, they modify the pistachio baton before he adds another Oxfordshire restaurant to his bedpost.

Personally though I would love to return once Mark's garden is heaving with produce to have another stab at the real deal.

Contact Details

Telephone: 01865 390585

(+44 1865 390585 from outside the UK)

Email: info@whitehart-fyfield.com

(or use the contact form on the left)

Address: The White Hart, Main Road, Fyfield, Abingdon, Oxon, OX13 5LW

Directions

The White Hart is situated 7 miles South of Oxford, just off the A420 Oxford/Swindon road.

- 10 minutes from Oxford City centre/train station

- 15 minutes from junction 9 M40

- 15 minutes from Didcot train station

Opening Times

• Closed Mondays (except Bank Holidays - when we are open for lunch)

• Tuesday - Friday: 12-3pm and 5:30-11pm

• Saturday: 12-11pm

• Sunday: 12-10:30pm Food Served

• Tuesday - Saturday: 12-2:30pm and 7-9:30pm (nibbles available in the bar from 6pm)

• Sunday: 12-3pm