The story
At Orwells, the philosophy is straightforward: celebrate British ingredients, sourced from homegrown and local producers. The kitchen draws on produce from the Orkney Islands down to Helston in Cornwall, supplemented by their own garden. This commitment to quality and seasonality defines every dish.
The restaurant describes itself as "rural cooking with a modern approach," a phrase that captures the spirit of the place. The team, led by Ryan and Liam, focuses on responsible sourcing and lets the ingredients speak for themselves. The atmosphere is one of welcoming warmth—they invite guests into their home, sharing the excitement and passion behind every plate.
This dedication has earned Orwells a Michelin Recommendation, a mark of the consistent quality and thoughtful cooking that diners can expect.
The a la carte menu changes with the seasons, but always highlights the best of British produce. Starters might include Crispy Veal Sweetbreads with sea leeks and tamarind, or a Cornish Lemon Sole and Crab dish with Amela tomato and Shiplake kohlrabi. For mains, options like Wiltshire Hogget Lamb with BBQ leek and anchovy dressing sit alongside Cornish Day Boat Turbot with verjus sauce.
Vegetarians are well catered for, with dishes such as Shiplake Crown Prince Squash with cobnuts and truffled goat’s curd. Desserts range from a Mill Lane Honey Sponge with yoghurt ice cream to Yorkshire Rhubarb with cardamom panna cotta.
A tasting menu is also available, offering a curated journey through the season’s finest flavours.
Beyond the dining room, Orwells offers cookery classes for those who want to learn from the team. They also run Thameside Social, a summer pop-up for more relaxed, fun eating by the river. With outdoor seating, live music events, and private dining options, the restaurant has become a hub for the Binfield Heath community.
Whether you are visiting for a Sunday roast, a special occasion, or a cookery class, Orwells delivers Modern British cooking that is grounded, generous, and deeply connected to the land around it.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
There is a soothing sense of isolation to this white-fronted former pub in an Oxfordshire village near Henley, but that has not stopped scores of readers from nominating it as a local favourite. The sense of good cheer that irradiates the place is a tribute to Liam and Ryan Simpson-Trotman's skills in the arts of hospitality, and its understated modern spaces provide a chic backdrop to some stunning cooking. Following a stint working front of house, Ryan is back in the kitchen, marshalling thoroughbred produce from the length and breadth of the British Isles, while making good use of pickings from Orwells' own garden and local hedgerows. The cooking demonstrates nerveless confidence in a range of techniques, from a starter of flame-grilled lobster teamed with girolles, apricots, verjus and sea fennel (aka rock samphire) to mains such as the fabled Chilterns muntjac with morels, asparagus and carrot. An assured sense of artistry means that dishes always look extraordinary, but the symphonic array of flavours they offer up seals the deal. Another first course sees crisped veal sweetbreads with Ibérico lardo and salsify, given the gentlest hint of east Asian exoticism with spring onion and sesame dressing, while a vegetarian main looks to the Caribbean for Bajan-spiced hispi with romesco and hen of the woods. You might also find a simple offering of day-boat fish – perhaps Cornish turbot with seashore herbs and Jersey Royals. The inventive streak continues into desserts that bridge the divide between the familiar and the not-so-familiar – crème brûlée spiced with cardamom and accompanied by rhubarb, pistachios and ginger. Eight-course tasting menus offer a virtuosic display of the kitchen's abilities, in notations that give nothing away. Orkney scallops? Yorkshire rhubarb? Wait and see. There are Sunday roasts too. A very distinguished wine list means that the wide-open Oxfordshire sky is the limit on bottle prices, but there are plenty of options by the glass, as well as an engaging range of cocktails, bottled beers and speciality gins to go at.
4 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
Facebook
Instagram