The Wild Rabbit

A brand new chapter

Iberico ham peach, cucumber, mint and lemon dressing

My 5th visit to The Wild Rabbit in the Cotswolds, but it was a brand new experience. The restaurant installed a new chef, the Michelin starred Alyn William from London. Alyn is one of the most accomplished chefs in the UK and I was excited to see how Alyn would adapt to a gastro pub environment with so much wonderful local ingredients available for him. Having eaten a few times at his London restaurant at The Westbury Hotel, it would be interesting to compare the two. The Wild Rabbit's menu is much more ambitious than most gastropub out there, with plenty of creative dishes, as well as a 7 tasting menu for anyone who is looking for the full dining experience.

Pork cheek

Heritage tomatoes Cornish crab, Thai basil, burrata

Sea kale, truffle, potato

The first course for me was already on to a winning start, the heritage tomatoes. The tomatoes were so fruity and sweet, with just a tiny hint of sourness, which worked so wonderfully with the Cornish crab. On top of that, the dish also contains some very smooth and creamy burrata, it was such a wonderful summer dish. The Cornish plaice was so moist and well seasoned, and the garnish of the ravioli was just as good. Finely rolled with a soft and silky smooth layer, the stuffing of the fresh peas matched with the fish in harmony. The best dish on the night was the asparagus, it was cooked to perfection and blessed with so much natural sweetness, the mixture of potatoes and caviar added some really interesting flavours combination, it was a dish that covers all five tastes but somehow worked so well together as a unit. 

Asparagus, crispy caviar, local mushrooms

Cornish plaice pea and herb ravioli, kohlrabi

Daylesford beef ribeye new season garlic chip, local mushrooms

Strawberries vanilla, granola

I really enjoyed Alyn's style of cooking at The Wild Rabbit, it is still early days for him but I can already see he is settling well at the restaurant and it really reflects from his cooking. All the dishes were appealing visually and featured great use of local ingredients from the nearby Daylesford market. The service on the day was outstanding, everyone was on top of their game, very professional but remained casual and friendly at the same time. The Wild Rabbit aims to regain a Michelin star in the 2019 Guide and I really can't see why it wouldn't get it. 


Food 4/5

What I paid: 
£84 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£45

Church St, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, UK OX7 6YA

www.thewildrabbit.co.uk/