Harwood Arms

I have written previously about the history of the Harwood Arms as well as its very good wine list. It has had a string of capable chefs over the years, the latest being Josh Cutress. The restaurant has deservedly retained its Michelin star since soon after it opened in 2009. Today, we started with the iconic venison Scotch egg, the dish that made Scotch eggs fashionable again in London when the Harwood Arms started serving them. This was served with a tangy Oxford sauce, which is made from tomatoes, molasses, date paste, tamarind, and anchovy paste. The Scotch egg itself was a joy, with a liquid centre, crisp coating and deeply flavoured meat filling, actually a mix of venison and pork, that was carefully seasoned (16/20).

Venison pate en croute was served with pickled walnut jam and game tea (essentially a stock served in a teacup) made with juices from various birds, Madeira, juniper, rosemary and thyme. This was superb, deeply flavoured and aromatic. The pate en croute itself was good, but in some ways the star was the tea (15/20). 

Fallow deer was from the owner’s own estate in Berkshire. This was cooked pink and had excellent flavour, served with smoked beetroot, endive and blackberry. On the side were some enjoyable garlic potatoes. This was all very enjoyable, the beetroot an excellent foil for the venison, the bitterness of the endive an excellent balancing flavour (15/20).

Honey tart came with plums and buttermilk ice cream. The tart filling had good flavour balance and the texture was good, the plums providing some sharpness to balance the richness of the honey (15/20). Coffee was Jamaican Blue Mountain from Difference Coffee. Yellow Bourbon was also available at £4 for an espresso. The service was excellent throughout, with the staff being friendly and attentive, especially during this packed lunchtime. We took advantage of a free corkage offer, so the bill was just the food and service. This came to £98 per person. The Harwood Arms is a joy to visit, with a consistently good and appealing menu, very capable cooking and a warm welcome from the staff.

Further reviews: 19th Aug 2025 | 06th Mar 2023 | 08th Aug 2022 | 16th Feb 2022 | 16th Jan 2020 | 09th Jan 2020 | 19th Feb 2018 | 01st Sep 2016 | 10th Mar 2016 | 19th Oct 2015 | 07th Jun 2012