Stretching along the River Thames and home to Windsor Castle, Berkshire is a historical county that has long attracted royalty, politicians, and visitors seeking both countryside and British culture. The area’s reputation for food and hospitality has grown in step with its cultural significance. Country inns that once served as coaching stops have evolved into dining rooms, and historic buildings are now home to kitchens recognised on the international stage.
Whilst Berkshire has always benefited from its riverside location and agricultural backdrop, in recent decades it has become a hub for chefs who view the county as a canvas for innovation. From reimagined British pub fare to French classical cooking, the following restaurants highlight Berkshire’s capability to bring the classical and contemporary together around the table.
The Fat Duck
In the quiet Berkshire village of Bray sits one of the most recognised restaurants in the world, The Fat Duck. Found within a 16th-century building on the High Street, its exterior has all the charm of a trawditional English inn. The restaurant opened in 1995, when Heston Blumenthal took over what was then an unremarkable pub. In its early days, the menu focused on French bistro classics, but it quickly evolved into something entirely different. Within a decade, the restaurant had earned three Michelin stars, a status it still holds today.
The restaurant is known for its multi-sensory approach, and Blumenthal’s vision has always been about more than fancy food on a plate. Dishes use sound, scent, memory, and texture to enhance flavour, with one of the most famous examples being the “Sound of the Sea”, a seafood dish paired with headphones playing waves and seagulls. Diners can choose between the flagship tasting menu, The Journey, or an à la carte option that offers a few long-standing favourites. Whichever route is taken, the restaurant serves each course as part of a narrative rather than a stand-alone dish. For those looking to mark a special occasion, The Fat Duck holds its reputation as a destination restaurant, attracting guests from across the world to a small Berkshire village.
The Waterside Inn
Situated on the banks of the River Thames, The Waterside Inn combines classic French gastronomy with riverside dining. Following the success of Le Gavroche in London, brothers Michel and Albert Roux opened the restaurant in 1972. From early on, it was clear the Roux name would carry serious expectations, with The Waterside Inn becoming the first restaurant outside of France to retain three Michelin stars for more than 25 years. In more recent years, Michel Roux gradually handed over leadership to his son, Alain Roux, who remains chef-patron today.
The Waterside Inn offers both à la carte and tasting menus. Its Le Menu Exceptionnel consists of seven courses, and a three-course set menu is served in spring featuring white asparagus with gribiche, fillet of sole Meunière, and poached rhubarb. One long-standing signature is pan-fried lobster medallions with vegetable julienne and a white port sauce, a dish that originated in the early 1980s and is still served today. The Waterside Inn also offers unique experiences like Summer Sundays, which combines a champagne cruise on the Thames with dinner via the 7-course Menu des Étoiles. The inn also supports education via its Culinary School, offering cooking classes and workshops. To this day, The Waterside Inn serves as a benchmark for classical French cuisine in Britain, honouring its history whilst welcoming evolution.
Woven by Adam Smith
Woven by Adam Smith, the flagship restaurant of Coworth Park in the Dorchester Collection’s country house, opened in September 2022. Chef Adam Smith, who has led the kitchens at Coworth Park since 2016, created Woven to reflect his culinary philosophy. With a background that includes a decade at The Ritz, Adam weaves together heritage, seasonality, and storytelling, and combines classical French foundations with a modern approach. He has been clear that accolades are not the goal, but recognition followed quickly with Woven receiving a Michelin star in 2023. The setting itself plays a major role. Coworth Park in Ascot sits on 240 acres of grounds with architecture dating back to 1776.
Menus are structured thematically as Pantry, Larder, Stove, and Pastry. Diners begin with a series of snacks before experiencing standout dishes such as pickled rose with goat’s cheese, cured seabass with XO sauce and seaweed, and brown crab with radish, apple, and yuzu. Ingredients are sourced from Coworth Park’s own meadows, orchards, beehives, and herb gardens, alongside trusted ethical suppliers. This commitment to sustainability extends to the guest experience, where every element – down to the table surfaces – has been considered. For diners, Woven offers a tribute to exceptional British produce and the stories behind each ingredient, in a carefully constructed narrative set in the English countryside.
The Hind’s Head
Another notable mention for Bray’s High Street is The Hind’s Head, a gastropub that marries the warmth of an English inn with Michelin-starred British cooking. Dating back to the 15th century, the building has operated under many guises, including a hunting lodge and a coaching inn, before evolving into the restaurant it is today. Over centuries, the venue has seen distinguished patrons. In 1947, the pub welcomed Prince Philip’s stag party, and in 1963 Queen Elizabeth II hosted a lunch attended by royalty, including Prince Charles. The Hind’s Head earned its Michelin star in 2013.
Head Chef János Veres fronts the kitchen whilst working with seasonal suppliers on a local and national scale. Historically inspired dishes, such as quaking pudding or chocolate wine slush link to Britain’s culinary past, and according to János, offerings such as pea and ham soup or oxtail and kidney pudding would be sorely missed if removed. For sharing, a generous wing rib arrives with Béarnaise or bone marrow sauce as accompaniments. Though shaped by centuries of history, The Hind’s Head is far from a relic. It has evolved into a modern gastropub that respects British tradition whilst delivering impeccable Michelin-starred cooking.
Berkshire’s restaurants each take a different approach to excellence. In Bray, The Fat Duck pushes boundaries with its multi-sensory menus, whilst The Waterside Inn sets the standard for classical French cooking on the banks of the Thames. Local produce, seasonal menus, and historical continuity all play a role, ensuring that Berkshire’s food culture remains grounded whilst reaching for the extraordinary.
