Each year for my husband’s birthday I plan a day out. It falls in the middle of the school summer holiday, meaning that we have the entire day to celebrate. This year was a milestone birthday so I researched for the best local brunches in the area. The Barn at the Bottle and Glass, in the small village of Binfield Heath, seemed to be just the place. I had heard a lot about it since recent renovations. Plus, it was a pub that both of us frequently visited with families as children. Here is what we found and all you need to know.
Barn at the Bottle and Glass Inn | Eating Local
Getting There
Binfield Heath is a village that is quite off the beaten track. There are not many main roads that go through it. The Barn at the Bottle and Glass Inn is also not really in the heart of the village.
If you are coming from the Reading direction, then your best bet is going through Emmer Green. Head down Kiln Lane (the cut-through to Henley) and continue to drive for five minutes or so. You will see the Bottle and Glass Inn early on, so just pull into the car park. There are plenty of spaces. If you are coming in from Henley-on-Thames, then drive up Chalk Hill and then continue onto the Harpsden Road. Again, it should take about 5 minutes.
If you are getting there for breakfast, the timing is a little confusing. On the website, the barn is open from 08:30. Whilst this is true and you can grab pastries and coffee at this time, you cannot order a warm breakfast. For this, you’ll have to wait until 09:00! This was slightly annoying as I cannot find this information anywhere online, or even at the Barn.
The Interior and Setting
The Barn at the Bottle and Glass Inn is in, arguably, one of the prettiest places around Henley. The actual barn is just behind the pub, and sits adjacent to a large meadow. The interior has been immaculately done and is as close to perfect as it can be. It keeps the rustic barn attributes but compliments them with modern furnishings to make it seem homely. For instance, each table has a few wool blankets to wrap yourself under, and the furniture is all modern farmhouse.
Perhaps the real hero of the setting is the light. The barn boasts plenty of large windows, which allows for you to gaze out onto the Oxfordshire sunshine. Not only that though, but these transform a large, dark barn into a fresh and homely setting. In all honesty, the setting and interior is magical and is worth a visit by itself.
The Food
Like all of my favourite places in the area, the Barn at the Bottle and Glass Inn specialises in local food. The pastries are all from the glorious Imma bakery in Stoke Row and they taste divine. We made sure we tucked into these whilst we waited for the kitchen to open; we just can’t get enough of the pistachio cruffins.
For our main breakfast, we ordered a breakfast bap. We were planning on the Full English (the menu is excellent), but the cruffins were massive and filled us up. The food is good, don’t get me wrong. The ingredients in our bap were all high quality and locally sourced. However, I just thought that final, extra, special feature was missing. I enjoyed my food, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t as amazing as the interior would lead you to believe. Especially when considering that the prices really aren’t cheap.
I don’t want to be negative as I want to support a local business. As I said, the food is very good. It just isn’t magical.
The Service
The waiters at the Barn at the Bottle and Glass Inn were good overall. I think that we had one person who was clearly new, and made a few tiny mistakes (not asking us if we wanted condiments etc.). However, the other staff we dealt with were genuinely excellent and made us feel really welcome.
Final Thoughts | The Barn at the Bottle and Glass Inn
The Barn at the Bottle and Glass Inn has so much going for it. The setting, the commitment to local produce, the diverse menu… I just felt it was missing a little something. Perhaps it was the food we ordered, and we need to go back to sample more. Or it could be that in comparison to other nearby brunch places, like the Ox Shed Cholsey, you don’t really get much bang for your buck. Whatever it is, I really like the Barn and think that it certainly deserves a second chance. Keep reading for more.
