Bird In Hand in South Oxfordshire

Turned up for Sunday lunch at 12:30 to be told (after we’d paid for our drinks) that the kitchen is small and we wouldn’t be able to have any food for 2 hours (despite the fact there were hardly more than a handful of people before us). We weren’t the only disappointed customers as two other families left without ordering too. For a place that advertises their food so prominently out front (‘Sunday Lunch 12-4’) they really need to get their act together. Waitress sarcastically chirped “bye!” when we walked out. Useless and rude.

Was a great meal staff friendly Atmosphere was great

We visited our parents in Caversham dropped in for a bite to eat. Let’s just say had to stop off at the motorway services several times to use the facilities on the way home. Best avoid

I never leave negative reviews but unfortunately this is an exception. I don't know what happened to this place after covid but on my recent visit I had the worst experience. People there were rude and the food not really good for the price.. I would never go to this place again, it was a very bad choice. Not recommended at all.

The Bird in Hand is a beautiful pub that pleasantly surprised our group of 10 during our Airbnb stay nearby. The place felt cozy and made us instantly feel at home. The owners were super welcoming and made sure we had a good time, even with our bigger crew. The owners and other folks there were great and we had some funny chats with them and with the friendly pub dog to go with the beautiful pints they have on tap. They even had a dartboard, so we had a few games. Overall, The Bird in Hand is a classic homely pub and with all the pub chains taking over this type cozy local is a becoming a rare commodity. We left with good memories and will definitely swing by again. The only improvement I could think of would be relocating to my home town!

Visited with my friend in a wheelchair last week to enjoy the festive menu. Was not disappointed. What a lovely little pub with delicious food, friendly and helpful staff and a lovely big car park which is free to visitors. You just need to add your numberplate to the little tablet on the bar and can then relax and enjoy. Would highly recommend and will visit again when in the neighbourhood.

Popped by this evening as they were advertising food on their website, but kitchen closed for the evening. As prev review mentions by someone, make sure you put your reg number in for the ANPR.

Great place. Friendly staff and excellent food. Two real ales in excellent condition. Highly Recommended

This pub should be avoided. First, it has been given a 1-star rating by the environmental health officer for poor food hygiene, who called for "major improvements". Second, the owners have a curiously aggressive attitude to their (very large) car park. Patrons are required to enter their ca reg at the bar or face a fine from one of those parking contractors. My wife joined me there in her car, failed to notice the warning notices (it was after dark) and promptly received in the post a demand for £100. OK, we thought, no problem: as we have just moved in to live nearby, for goodwill the pub can easily have the fine cancelled. But no, the landlady insisted on payment. “You should have read the notices” was her helpful explanation. Presumably they need this to supplement their meagre bar takings. Won’t be going there again.

We had an amazing Sunday roast here a few years ago, before Covid. We happened to be passing through a couple of weeks ago so decided to call in again and hopefully repeat the experience. It was absolutely chucking it down with rain, so we parked the car and quickly ran in. There was a couple of people in the front bar but absolutely no one in the restaurant. The landlord told us that they had taken over the pub a year ago and so we did wonder if the food would be of the same standard. Unfortunately, it was not. The vegetables were frozen, apart from the broccoli which looked as if it had been reheated. The roast potatoes were “Aunt Bessie’s” and deep fried, not roasted. The meat and the gravy was quite nice but we had to ask for more gravy as it was such a tiny amount. I decided to try the apple crumble for dessert and it was soggy with no flavour. So disappointing! To add insult to injury, 2 weeks later, we had a £100 fine through the post for not registering our car when we parked! We didn’t notice the sign as it was pouring with rain and no one mentioned it when we arrived in the pub, it wasn’t as if they were busy!! My husband sent the company an explanation and a screenshot of our bank account with the £46 bill clearly showing that it was from The Bird in Hand and he had a reply saying it wasn’t enough evidence and we could pay £20 for it to be settled which he did as he’s too busy to argue! I’m sorry, but surely a copy of our bank statement with the transaction is sufficient?! What more evidence do they need? Anyway, suffice to say, we shall not be returning.

Plain, well cooked British dishes. Individual pies, just the right size. Really good chips, gold and crunchy. Helpful staff and friendly locals this is how pubs should be.

Good food, would class this as a locals pub

Not sure what went wrong but my partner was very poorly after our visit. Having checked food safety rating 1 star I think we now know why

Great place, fantastic food & lovely staff. Definitely highly recommend

Nice locals pub, big garden with plenty of kiddies play items. Cosy front bar and dining space.

The new management have really done well, great selection of dishes a fine warm welcome by the new landlords, I hope it does well as it should 👍👍🍻 additional: the BBQS are fantastic, only on the weekends but I was extremely impressed, the only downside is everything is in Styrofoam….. would be much better for everyone in cardboard or eco alternative

It was a Saturday so only BBQ available which I had not read on the Menus section of the website. No real hospitality welcome or small talk. My husband had mentioned that we had tried several times to get through on the phone to book full meal as a birthday treat but couldn't get through. The response to this comment was off hand. Ended up ordering a lamb and mint burger and chips. Weren't asked how we would like the meat cooked...nothing! Had asked to have a little extra salad with the burger....one leaf of lettuce and a slice of tomato! Coffee not great.

Always kind and friendly with a great atmosphere. Down to earth staff.

It did feel a bit like we had been transported back to the 1980s, when pub food generally wasn't great. The baked potatoes were probably the worst part - tasteless and microwaved. The chips were ok but tasted slightly off, perhaps stale oil? The soft drinks were fine, the Amstel good but the cider tasted very watery. Comparing with other pubs in the area: * slightly worse food than The White Horse and The Travellers Rest but higher prices * food nowhere near as good as The Griffin but similar prices

Good play area for the kids but needs a bit of TLC. Pleasant staff and the inside restaurant looked nice, although we opted to go outside. Bbq menu only which was ok but let down massively by serving in polystyrene take away trays with plastic cutlery! It's also self sevice (they shout you to collect your order). No ice cream parlour today either. Shame as it could be a real gem with a few tweaks. Would go back but only for a beer in the sun so the kids can play, won't eat again until they offer proper crockery!

We had a brilliant joint Retirement/New career celebration BBQ at this lovely public house with a lovely , well set out garden area. We had a large group of guests and all menu choices were catered for including special diets.The food was well presented with assorted salad and dressings.Steve and Tracy were super organised with serving the food which was well cooked and enjoyed by all.A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon was had by us all .

Fab pub, great food, v good atmosphere.

Really nice pub with sunny garden.

Had 2great rib eye steaks really tender and exceptional value for money definitely on par with miller and carter but a lot cheaper

One of the best country pubs I have been to in ages , the outside area is amazing with its own ice cream factory for kids ! Highly recommended

Visited yesterday for a family party what a fantastic pub , excellent garden, staff amazing , polite efficient, great service inside and out . Food was fantastic lovely burgers , best chips I’ve ever had will definitely be back. Just checked out the full menu which again looks lovely . Good size car park too

We made a special trip to Bird in Hand for a Sunday roast dinner. We had accessed their website which stated roast dinners on Sundays. I emailed the place hours before we went to ask if we needed to book a table. We received no reply. We arived there expecting to wait if they were full. On entering the premises we asked about the Sunday roast dinners to be told that the only menu was the 'BBQ' menu. This did not suit us whatsoever so we walked out. The website obviously needs updating otherwise many others like us will incur a totally wasted trip.

Fish and Chips were very good. Beer also was very nice

Excellent service and Steve/Tracy made us feel welcome. They went above and beyond to sort food out for the kids and us. It was a great burger at a great price. Certainly going to make this our regular pub. The outside area has been transformed for children of all ages! 5* Keep up the great work :)

Excellent family pub. So much for children, soft play under a marquee, big climbing frame, massive trampoline, rope swing, bbqs, ice cream, sweets! Honestly cannot fault this pub and something Reading and surrounding areas have needed for a long while! Parents can relax and children are happy playing and making friends! The couple that run this pub are so friendly and attentive, paid £4.50 for a burger so cannot believe how great the prices are for a gastro quality burger! Will visiting again very soon!

Love this pub. Great kids stuff in the garden. Fantastic bbq and great service.

Truly the worst meal I’ve ever had. Food was trailer trash - whilst charging gastro pub prices. Landlord was aggressive and obnoxious. He’s supposedly simultaneously a butcher…. The quality of meat was pathetic. Please for the love of God, avoid. Go to nice places - let these places close down

Our first visit and we will definitely be returning. Pleasant dining area, friendly service and generous portions.

Only went for a drink sat in the garden they had a bbq and spit roast chickens cooking all looked good .we had forgotten about bbq .Will visit again with our family and grandchildren for a bbq .

Friendly landlords and really good pies. Sat in garden in the sunshine-what a pleasure and will return .

Wow. What a Gem of a Find. A real Country PUB. A lovely large Rear garden with plenty to amuse Small children and 'Young People' ! The Hosts were nice and the Food excellent. Terrific Value for money, Ask to see 'Richard Rawlings' ! Regards, Adrian and Paula King - Haddenham, Bucks..

Booked via email for lunch for 4 adults the following day . On arrival was told they would take the drink order at the bar and were handed menus. The landlord left us at the bar so we went through to the deserted dining room and helped ourselves to a table. 2 of us had lambs liver and the other 2 a lamb burger. Food was ok but nothing special . When plates were cleared away we were not offer a dessert menu or coffee. While we were waiting for our food a couple came in asking for lunch. They were told that there would be a 45 minute wait as they had just started cooking for our table so they left! They could surely have at least offered a baguette or ploughman’s that was on the menu . With so few pubs offing food at the beginning of the week with a little effort this place could be busy when customers are hard to come by. A warm welcome rather than feeling an inconvenience goes a long way! Please improve you hospitality skills. Suggest you visit other locals in nearby villages to se how it should be done. We wanted to support local but regret we will not be returning any time soon.

Friendly staff, good prices and really nice garden. 👍🏻

Myself and partner are fairly new to the area & have enjoyed eating in and around Henley & Sonning Common during the past six months. We pride ourselves on eating good quality food and only return to places that we feel not only serve great food, but are also friendly and welcoming. After hearing amazing reviews in our local village we thought we would try out this newly opened family pub/restaurant. It did not disappoint!!! Warm smiles with friendly faces behind the bar, we were made to feel welcome straight away. We went for their Tomahawk and were quite literally blown away!!! The quality of the meat was mind blowing, melt in your mouth, cooked to perfection. Seasoning was spot on. That good we complimented the chef & wasn’t in in the slightest surprised when informed the landlord was a butcher. For meat to be that exceptional, in such a small country pub… of course someone there knows ‘exactly’ what they are doing!!! Through this we then decided to book again and try their Sunday roast. Having read the shocking review form the chef at the Argill Pub in Henley it’s safe to say I will Not be giving them my custom again! Poor form from someone who is in the same business to try and ruin a new family run business who are quite clearly doing exceptionally well on the food front. The Sunday roast was home from home comfort food, we decided to go for all the meats, my personal favourite was the lamb, Devine! My partner loved the beef, we usually like our beef quite pink, but this meat was of such good quality it really made zero difference, and let’s face it, unless you're dining in a posh establishment who really wants pink meat!! Vegetables were fresh, a large serving of homemade cauliflower cheese on the side, giant homemade Yorkshire puddings and the most delicious gravy! What’s not to love! I’m not one for reviews myself, but I had to jump on and personally say what a lovely place to go and eat this is. I would ignore any negativity and try yourself as you will not be disappointed. The fact they are always fully booked speaks volumes. Home from home great food and great service!

Great place. Sat on beer garden! Good value for money 👍

Came for a roast on Sunday. Fantastic food, staff amazing. the landlord and lady are very welcoming im excited to see what they’re going to do in the garden in the summer lots of great ideas. We’ll definitely be back! Dog friendly too

Yesterday I visited The Bird in Hand for a pre-booked buffet for 20 provided by Tracy and her fantastic team. The food was way above our expectations; delicious and plentiful. The atmosphere, warmth and welcome was absolutely perfect. I can not recommend The Bird highly enough. Although we're from out of area, we will definitely be coming back when we're next in the area. It's been a long time since I've received such great service, good food, and value. Highly recommended!

Fantastic Guinness enjoyed in a lovely atmosphere with friendly staff 👍

Lovley country pub not been here since new owners, was disappointed on roast dinner. Seems as though you can have a mix meat for same price, only downfall was the veg was frozen not fresh yorkshire puddings were packet brought and Aunt Bessie roast potatoes 😏 really!? My son asked for a pint of Guinness 20 mins later he had to go to the bar and get it himself. After our roast we wasn't even offered a dessert(at this point I wasn't satisfied) There were 4 people opposite us even they wasn't happy due to wrong drinks being served then got the right drinks then said it had tasted vinergary due to be bottom of barrel. We went here the day before to have a drink landlord was propped up at the bar and same today he was propped up at the bar. Good atmosphere friendly people but needs improvement on food and service.

Tried this pub for our "date night" this week. It's been a long time since we came here when it as under different ownership, but the landlord and landlady made us very welcome. We came to dine out, and the menu choices were exactly what we had been looking for elsewhere. The food was superb, my only possible criticism was that there was too much of it for me to cope with, but that is down to me, not them. In all a fantastic evening which we will definitely repeat and bring friends! Thank you, Steve and Tracy for giving two ancient "wrinklies" a brilliant evening out.

Just called in for a look now it's re-opened. Very friendly landlord who's making a real effort, a separate dining room, patio with bbq and a good garden. Dog friendly too. Will be back to try the food and garden.

Pleasent owner & bar staff good food

Nice local again. Friendly staff. Just needs a bigger bar area

Brilliant service great atmosphere great food overall a great time👍

New people are running it. Really friendly, great crowd and good beer

Nice friendly pub, I havent had the food but have heard from people its amazing. 4/5 star as havent had the food yet

We have eaten twice with friends and once as a couple. Sandwich at lunch is fine but we won’t be eating for dinner until they employ an experienced chef. Having lived in the village for 20 years and seen this pub change hands several times the only way they will be successful is by having at minimum good food, good front of house and prices that are competitive. Front of house is good and prices are on par with the other local pubs but the standard of food is poor YOU NEED TO URGENTLY HIRE AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL CHEF!

I’ve not been here for a while and there’s been a change of management so I popped in for a evening meal after booking glad I did the place was busy and they were turning away potential customers. I ordered the lasagna when it arrived it was well presented the lasagna tasted good the only thing that let an otherwise good meal down was the wilted garnish which had been prepared some time before fresh crispy garnish would have been better Great host Pleasant surroundings Book in advance or you are likely to be disappointed

Warm and welcoming, good atmosphere and great service from bar and restaurant staff. Great local country pub, too few of these places left now. For anyone reading this staying close by in a local Airbnb, it's worth the short walk.

Worst roast I’ve ever had!! Expecting a nice homely roast but ended up with dry and the worst cut chicken no seasoning! Very unappetising. I’m a chef myself, the veg was all frozen, the potatoes are Aunt Bessie’s the Yorkshire puddings are shop brought, the...

Worst roast I’ve ever had!! Expecting a nice homely roast but ended up with dry and the worst cut chicken no seasoning! Very unappetising. I’m a chef myself, the veg was all frozen, the potatoes are Aunt Bessie’s the Yorkshire puddings are shop brought, the gravy is shop brought too! Very disappointed wouldn’t go there again or recommend. The owner had the cheek to say everything is freshly cooked lol, blatant lie to my face, he said the meat are put on a hot plate, why would the first roast of the day even be under a hot plate. The broccoli was discoloured definitely out of date. I didn’t pay. The waiters were very polite. Didn’t risk the desserts from Aldi. They need a new chef and a better produce supplier. No stars please avoid. Take your staff and yourself to the Argyl in Henley-on-Thames. You’ll see the difference and cheaper! This is the first review I’ve written, because this was the worst roast I’ve ever had. No cap. I wouldn’t leave any stars if I could!

Awful - will not try to eat there again Food is NOT homemade Service is amateur Dining room is cold & uninviting Complaints are not accepted

Probably the worst dinner me and my family have had out together ever! Service was piss poor at best as they leant across me to grab other plates without even giving me the slight hint of notice that they were going to do so. When...

Steve and Tracy are fantastic, lovely atmosphere, Traditional English pub and dog friendly - perfect!

This was my local growing up. Been through many changes of hands over the years and been taken over again recently. Went yesterday and had great food, great local (Loddon) ales and a lovely warm welcome. I hope these guys stick around!

Super friendly, warm atmosphere, great vibe.

We went for a few drinks & did not feel the welcoming atmosphere that we were used to in The Bird We will leave it a few months before we return and let the new management team settle in and up the game

Food very tasty and plenty of it . Nice friendly atmosphere

Visited here for the first time with our dog, not only were they extremely welcoming the pub had a lovely atmosphere. The food was lovely and the service was even better (especially for the dog when they gave her some treats!). 10/10 recommend!

We tried the Bird in Hand in Sonning Common which recently re-opened. We had a very good Sunday Lunch, opting for Roast Lamb. The new management were working hard to welcome customers, and there was a very fresh and friendly ambience. It was a sunny...

Amazing Sunday roast. Had the Beef. One if the best roast dinners I’ve had. Friendly attentive staff. Warm atmosphere. Will be back.

We stayed here as a large group for one night. Overall a good experience as far as facilities go - pleasant comfortable rooms and complementary drinks on arrival were a nice touch. I feel I have to flag up how unfriendly - almost verging on...

First time we have had an opportunity to return since August 2020. Received the same friendly welcome . Order a full English and chicken burger both were delicious. In summary great staff, great food great, pub just a shame we don’t live closer to visit...

Friendly service, but the food was below average. The breakfast was okay, however The chips served with the burgers weren’t freshly prepared. Disappointing when you are paying £14-15 for a burger and chips. Sadly, we won’t be rushing back.

Good service, nice location and friendly. Enjoyed the food.

Went to have a quick bite with my son. Had the Camembert starter. Best ever Camembert I’ve had. Chef added a few things and it was brilliant. Highly recommend giving it a go, thank you guys, lovely👍

Friendly staff, good Sunday lunch.

Always pop here for a pint, come at least once a week. Really lovely and well run pub. Had food once - the fish special and it was excellent. I enjoy the ales on tap that are always changing.

My step daughter wanted to do a voucher for a meal as a Christmas present. The Bird in Hand are not part of any group booking service etc to facilitate this........so they just did it independently. In addition to this, we used the "voucher" for...

Friendly, attractive staff and great home cooking. Highly recommended for group parties.

One of our favourite places for sunday lunch. lovely tasty food and children and dog friendly. always look forward to sundays knowing we are coming here!

A really lovely country pub. Quality service and great food

Fantastic food and service. Will definitely be returning. Highly recommended 👌🏻

Great pub, brilliant pie deal on Thursday nights and do friendly! Lovely spot for dinner or drinks on a walk, highly recommend visiting. Landlord was lovely and chatty too!

Lovely pub with great food and very dog friendly

Warm atmosphere, freshly cooked food. Had the most exquisite lemon meringue pie for dessert!!

Cosy little pub in the middle of beautiful woodland. We went for dinner on Saturday before heading back to London after our hot air ballooning activity. Tasty, freshly served food and the lemon meringue pie was to die for!!!

Absolutely lovely staff and atmosphere!

We had an impromptu meal out this evening and had the Two steaks and a bottle of wine for £30. By far the best steak I have ever had. Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. Service was outstanding and everyone was very friendly and...

Typical old country pub. One of the better Sunday roasts I've had in a pub serving local ales and not a ridiculous price.

Delicious food, friendly welcome, good service, fab ladies loos, what more could you want. Will be back soon.

Friendly pub and good service but my lamb shank was stone cold which was disappointing.

Super..super.super.Fast service.very good quality food.

An amazing roast dinner shared by myself, my daughter and our large dog! Large portion and lovely garden. Perfect after a long Sunday walk.

Great food and lovely selection of beers and ales which is rare these days, couldn't recommend it enough.

We were visiting our son and selected this pub from a search of dog friendly establishments. Definitely glad we did as we had a warm welcome, delicious food and plenty of fuss for the dogs. I had the Vegan brunch and it was superb ....

Amazing food at a great price! The staff were very hospitable and the outdoor garden is lovely. Will definitely be visiting again :)

Superb food! This place is really quite special for its food and staff. Highly recommended!

Nice out in the garden Helpfull staff

Nice to come here for food. Try to eat outside if the weather allows. The back dining room is dark and soulless and rather spoils the experience.

Quite an amazing meal at an exceptional price. Without knowing the pedigree of the chef I commented that the steak wouldn’t have been out of place in a top quality Parisian restaurant. Texture, taste and seasoning remarkable. We paid £30 for 2 steaks and a...

So good the first time we visited, we rearranged other plans to be able to book again. We first had brunch, which was so excellent that we thought we had to try lunch or dinner. The chef is clearly very talented and takes great care...

We have now had three visits in the last four weeks at lunchtime, staff are friendly and helpful, highly recommend any of the food , very good value and well worth a visit,

An absolute delight to dine here. . The food was delicious- Fish 'n' Fizz (Prosecco), Pie of the Week, Lamb Shank- and the staff and pub owner were very friendly, providing excellent service. The whole dining experience was excellent; a super start to the bank holiday weekend. Highly recommended.

Roast 10/10, the roast potatoes were perfect, the vegetables were crunchy with a delicious dressing and the cauliflower cheese was dreamy. The service was attentive from friendly characters. Nice short stroll in the field opposite to 'walk off' the delicious cheesecake. Would definitely recommend.