The Crooked Billet is a real destination for any food lover. Henley in itself is a great little day trip, within easy reach of London (although we’d avoid it on a Sunday with those pesky drivers seemingly more interested in inspecting 1st gear), with a walk along the river and shopping galore. If you drive a little further on you will come across the charming Stoke Row, home to two great pubs no less, but with the Crooked Billet taking first place in gastropub heaven. The cooking is exceptional and you’ll be hard pressed avoiding eating three courses here tempting as they all are. This is no traditional inn my friend; smoked mackerel with horseradish, beetroot, apple and kolrabi to start, pink carved duck with fondant potato to follow finishing with a toffee crumble tart. We took a group of friends who forgave us for the food portions (they could feed the five thousand) and proclaimed it was some of the best pub grub they’d ever had. Expect rickety chairs, quaint interiors and a fantastic atmosphere. It’s where Kate Winslet chose to have her first wedding reception so has the kudos of a nod from a veritable celebrity as well.
The Crooked Billet
