Sunday Lunch at Crockers Henley

Last weekend I was invited to Crockers Henley to try their Sunday roast menu. After a long week of studying at University, as well as feeling very blue that Summer is now officially over, it was perfect timing and I was excited to try a new restaurant in my local area. I had great things about Crockers and couldn’t wait to see whether it lived up to expectations. Here is my Crockers Henley review.

The Restaurant

On arrival at Crockers Henley we were instantly transported to a modern paradise which upheld its quintessential Oxfordshire country vibe. Clearly, the owner had spent a great amount of time pondering the decor and had focused on the small touches. It was the epitome of luxury.

Our host greeted us at reception and escorted us through the older corridor to Ember, the main restaurant of Crockers. The corridor featured many reminders of Henley’s rich heritage. We also glimpsed the Thames restaurant, reserved for the delicious tasting menu. As we rounded the corner, Ember lived up to its name with vibrant, yet highly tasteful, orange decor accents. We sat down at our table in the front section of the restaurant looking out onto the famous Market Place.

The chairs were a deep and dark orange velvet, which felt very exclusive. The walls complimented this, with rich, dark navy being the primary colour, with rustic Edwardian panelling and wooden floor to keep with the aesthetic. Deep green houseplants also added to the palette and brought out the orange even more so.

Once seated we perused the menu. It was a hard decision, what with so many delicious options to choose from.

Service at Crockers was just as you would expect; outstanding. Our waiter was polite and friendly and firstly inquired into the most integral part of the meal; the wine list. We opted for a glass of red wine with our roast dinner, with hints of chocolate and candied orange peel. This was the perfect accompaniment whilst browsing the menu for our roast dinner. It was light and tasty and smelt amazing too.

The Food

Starters

When our waiter came back, we ordered our starters. Jack opted for the Kentucky Fried Octopus, – a generous amount of meat coated in a five-spiced batter, served with pickled cucumber, chorizo ketchup and Greek yoghurt. I on the other hand went for a white onion soup, served with a slice of Welsh rarebit. Cheese and onion is always a killer combination!

It didn’t take long for starters to arrive and for us to dig in. The presentation was perfect. The octopus was crispy on the outside yet melted in your mouth. The spices tingled the tongue and, when combined with the other components, became arguably one of the tastiest things I have eaten in the UK. The onion soup was also terrific; it was thick and creamy and tasted of the same beautifully fried onions that accompany the tastiest hot dog you could ever imagine. The cheese from the rarebit also amplified the flavour of this and this small slice was delicious in its own right. It was only the start of our meal but we were already thoroughly impressed. Tom the Head Chef had already sent us on a culinary rollercoaster and, luckily for us, this was only the beginning.

Main Courses

Onto the main courses and what could make a Sunday even more perfect that a roast?

I ordered the pork belly, whereas Jack went for the top side of beef. Both mains came with cauliflower cheese (topped with Doritos; a bit of a gamechanger, but more of that in a second), barbecued carrot, a giant yorkshire pudding, greens and a red wine gravy, along with a side of crispy roast potatoes.

Our waiter brought these dishes to our table and walked us through all of the ingredients for our meal. It helped build the excitement as the beautifully presented meal was place in front of us and the gravy was delicately poured over it.

My first bite was of the pork belly and, my oh my, we were in for a treat. It was silky and crunchy and sang with flavour. The potatoes were as crispy as you could imagine, yet fluffy like a cloud on the inside. Barbeque sauce subtly penetrated our taste buds with the carrots and, with the red wine gravy, elevated our meal to a new tier.

Perhaps the unsung hero of the show was the cauliflower cheese. The Doritos added an entirely new dimension to the dish, with multiple flavours and textures diffusing into our tastebuds at any moment. There was also plenty of sauce, which we mopped up with our extra-large Yorkshire. I was in the most terrific food-coma by the end of the meal; I did not want it to end. Jack was equally as impressed with his beef and received a generous portion of meat to add to all the trimmings.

Desserts

It actually is scientifically proven that you have a dessert belly. At least, that’s what we tell ourselves! So I always have time and room for a sweet treat after a meal. The hardest part was deciding on which option to go for. I was between two dishes: a chocolate mousse complete with popping candy, or a banana and caramel tart, served with passionfruit ice cream and smoked banana. I opted for the latter as I love passionfruit and was slightly intrigued about the smoked banana.

Jack further convinced me that he is part-mouse and opted for the cheeseboard, which boasted three cheeses from local Nettlebed Creamery (the Bix, Highmoor and Witheridge) served with a variety of sourdough crackers, onion chutney and frozen (yes, frozen!) grapes. My oh my, Tom outdid himself here too.

My dessert was delicious. The flavours were sharp, but the combination of the fruit and caramel worked brilliantly.

The cheeseboard also went down a hit and all three cheeses were incredibly tasty. The different textures and flavours of the cheese, chutney and an assortment of crackers, made for an exquisite board. It was easily the finest cheese board I have come across in a very long time and Jack has made it his mission to visit Nettlebed as a matter of urgency.

With this, we finished the meal. All that was left to do was to say thank you to the team (seriously, it was amazing) and then head off for a country walk before retreating to the fireplace to end a perfect Sunday.

I hope that you enjoyed the review of my experience eating at Crockers Henley and that I didn’t cause too much food envy! If you have any questions about our visit, let me know in the comments below.

Until next time,

Love, Victoria x

We were guests of Crockers Henley but opinions are my own.