GETAWAYS • Charlbury
Dubbed ‘Notting-Hill-on-the-Wolds,’ charming Charlbury is a Cotswolds market town turned fashionable retreat with a flourishing food scene. Much of its current buzz revolves around The Bull, a pub that’s been at the heart of this idyllic Oxfordshire village since the early 1500s, and was recently named the best in Britain.
The Notting Hill connection isn’t a coincidence. The Bull’s new owners, James Gummer and Phil Winser, are also behind hit London pubs The Hero (Maida Vale) and The Pelican (Notting Hill). In 2023, they picked their Cotswolds hometown to revive The Bull, and it’s been on the up ever since. Adding to its culinary cachet is the recent arrival of chef Sally Abé, who has left The Pem in London for literal pastures new, getting stuck into The Bull’s garden farm in her role as ‘head of food’.
The food is excellent. A focus on open-fire cooking means everything is outrageously flavourful, from salt-flecked beef ribs to whole-grilled market fish with buttery roast potatoes. Much of the produce comes from nearby Bruern Farms, with everything from runner beans to damsons (there’s even a handy online produce calendar).
I was fortunate to visit on a blue-sky day with blazing sunshine, so the generously sized beer garden was heaving with diners and (well-behaved) drinkers. But I’m already hankering after a return in the colder months, for log fires and candlelit tables.
If you fancy making a weekend of it, there are 10 uniquely designed rooms equipped with everything from Wellington boots to hair straighteners. Room 6 even has its own en-suite complete with freestanding bath and log fire. For groups or families, Loaf Cottage is a bakery-turned-villa with a fully stocked kitchen so you can cook your own meals. Or you could just walk a few steps and treat yourself to another meal at The Bull.
FOUND Pro: Don’t mistake The Bull for The Bell, another charming Charlbury pub with rooms that also relaunched in 2023. –Laura Price
→ The Bull (Charlbury) • Sheep St, Charlbury OX7 3RR • Rooms from £210.