Nestled at the edge of the idyllic Windsor Great Park, The Fox & Hounds attracts a very broad clientele. Their large terraced front garden hosts summer-long barbecues from midday until sunset making the country pub excellent for families whilst, inside, the bar and restaurant attracts celebrities such as songwriter Eagle Eye Cherry, BBC Radio 2 DJ & Top Gear host Chris Evans and actor Pierce Brosnan. The pub even sponsors the nearby Guards Polo Club and there is always a place to tie up your horse while you sample a pint of their specially brewed Fox & Hounds ‘Fox Tale’ ale.

There’s even a place to tie up your horse…

Such celebrity and high culture affiliations speak volumes, but it is the overall experience – the food, the drink and the atmosphere – that makes The Fox & Hounds so memorable. The newly launched Spring 2016 menu continues to use the fresh, seasonal ingredients that have cemented the restaurants’ reputation over the past few years. 2016 is already shaping up to be an exciting year at the privately owned venture, having won accolades such as Surrey Advertiser Pub of the Year and OpenTable Diners’ Choice 2016. With these achievements duly noted we decided that it was high time for a visit…

Upon arrival we received a warm welcome from a young, well-spoken bartender who recommended a glass of Taittinger – the House Champagne – to start the evening. Naturally, we obliged. A short while later the hostess showed us swiftly through to the spacious well-lit restaurant passed vast display cabinets that showcase the owners’ impressive fine wine collection. Next to the conservatory, a large table awaited us. The conservatory is open in the summer with a fully retractable roof providing an extra special al-fresco dining experience to its guests.

Polo, it seems, is quite a central theme within The Fox & Hounds. The photos hung on the walls form a collectable gallery of action shots and portraits while, at the top of the stairs leading to the gentlemen’s toilets you pass an ornamental display of old barrels and polo mallets. Everything down to the polo-feel uniform oozes luxury lifestyle – an element that was only enhanced as the starters appeared at the table.

As we were seated, 24-year-old Marcin Chojecki, Sous Chef and co-creator of the Spring 2016 menu had come to the table to discuss the menu and had recommended our dishes for the evening: “We work with a group of local suppliers that we have built strong relationships with over the years”, he told us. “For this menu we met up with them to discuss what was in season and which flavours would work well together alongside the value for money factor”. He continued: “I really feel that this menu is one of the strongest we’ve ever had at the Fox. The Côte de Boeuf is a beautiful cut of meat and we water bath it first to make it really tender before finishing it off in our Inka Grill – an indoor BBQ that reaches 600ºC”.

Another of the Sous Chef’s favourite dishes, the Twice Cooked Pork Belly takes a great deal of preparation: “First, we braise the pork in spices, vegetable stock and various fresh vegetables and press these between two heavy baking trays in the fridge. We then portion up the pork and when the order comes through, we coat in a sweet polenta and deep fry each portion individually”. All of this is done before being served slightly sugared, delivering the perfect balance of sweet and savoury enriched by a vivid red pepper and onion salad while a cool mint sauce harmonises the rich flavours and textures. At the other side of the table a contrasting element of the menu was represented. The Sesame Tempura Prawn dish explored an element of the orient and added a classic Fox fine dining twist. The nutty finish, combined with the chilli mayo & rocket salad spice lingered on the tastebuds and a tangy balsamic glaze lifted the sweetness of the dish.

Twice Cooked Pork Belly

Sesame Tempura Prawns

Champagne and starters finished we perused the extensive wine list. The list is divided into type and within these sections, style. Highlights include a Ruinart Rosé Champagne, an excellent Cristal vintage from Louis Roederer, a Meursault from Louis Jadot, Magnums of Chateau Lyonnat and Amarone and a deliciously sweet Canadian Apple Ice Wine rounds off the list. Given the surroundings, it was no surprise that a prestige list of fine wines was also present, offering such impressive examples as a 2005 Lynch Bages that is “a deep ruby/ purple colour with masses of creme de cassis, cedar wood and forest floor notes” as well as a 2001 St Julien Chateau Talbot with its “classic charm, tobacco, black raspberry, cedar and earthy character”.

Although The Fox & Hounds possesses such finery and luxury in both its appearance and its menus, the venue does not lose any of its homely country pub-style character and one does not feel at all out of place. The Fox is as diverse as its clientele – perfect for a business dinner on a Tuesday, casual drinks in the bar area on a Thursday, a barbecue with friends in the front garden on a sunny summer Saturday and even a perfect, home-cooked roast with all the family on a Sunday. There truly is something for everyone at The Fox and Hounds.

After a fruit-led glass of Picpoul de Pinet our mains arrived. At one side of the table a large Braised Lamb Shank sat majestically atop a couscous style quinoa tabbouleh, next to a careful swirl of spinach and mint puree and a rosemary jus whilst, on the other a perfectly pan-fried Fillet of Salmon rested on a bed of crushed pesto potatoes and roasted vine tomatoes dressed with balsamic garnished the dish. Both dishes were highly impressive: the lamb was very tender and fell off the bone; the minted sauce was kept separate from the rest of the dish so as to not be too overpowering and a smoky layer of courgette and red peppers broke up the dish and added texture. For the salmon, the salted skin added another element of savoury to the dish, balanced by the rich creaminess of the hollandaise. The crushed pesto potato lifted the delicate flavours of the fish and a balsamic glaze provided balance to the two.

Braised Lamb Shank

With the mains finished and cleared, we browsed the dessert list with just enough room to share the Deconstructed Mango Cheesecake: the powerfully sweet mango balanced by the salted hazelnut and chocolate slab, creamy mascarpone and a nutty textured biscuit base. Such a sweet dessert was complemented by a 125ml glass of the aforementioned Quebec Ice Wine which rounded off the evening as perfectly as it did the list.

The Fox & Hounds is a true English gem. Its’ location, its’ carefully thought out, locally sourced menus and its’ dedicated and hard-working team of staff have established and cemented the restaurant in the hearts and minds of the public and critics alike. The two awards earned to date are only the start of what will no doubt be an extremely successful year for the venue. With summer fast approaching and the evenings getting both longer and warmer, there are few better places in the Surrey area than The Fox & Hounds Restaurant & Bar. So come down, tie up your steed and indulge in some of the most reasonably priced decadence that Surrey has to offer.

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An Evening At… The Fox & Hounds Restaurant & Bar