The Cheesy Grape in South Oxfordshire

What an amazing gem of a place… booking process was simple and accommodating. On arrival the venue was buzzy and the atmosphere was perfect. We were offered a choice of tables and then the fun really began … our sever (Rob) took a genuine interest in making it the best experience possible, he took the time to recommend both wines (allowing us to try different varieties) and also food choices. We felt like part of the family from start to finish. Stunning food and wine, couldn’t fault any aspect of the visit. Great value for money for the premium items being offered. In addition the staff gave us recommendations for the remainder of our stay in Henley. Would recommend without hesitation!

Great food. Came for a private function but will almost certainly come back should I find myself in Henley again.

Beautiful place with a very relaxed vibe, came in with a work colleague for a spot of food and cheeky glass of wine after work. The staff were great and welcoming, Becky served us and helped recommend a nice red to try and went down very well haha Will be back again 10/10

We came here not knowing what to expect and navigated the menu successfully. We enjoyed our time here with some creative options to try at home including the cheesy grapes and the truffle Brie

Extortionatly overpriced bottle of beer £4.75 as good as throwing money down the drain Didn't even consider eating as prices ridiculous Draught beer not ready to serve at one of their Busiest times so lose a sale Service poor no idea how to offer a customer service awkward unprofessional No wonder its always empty and will close down When are uk pubs and restaurants wise up Suggest you go to Italy to see how good food and service at a sensible price can be done . UK pub and restaurants don't have proper chefs . Just over paid processors

I did not get photos of the food but wish I had. This place was wonderful. The food was excellent, as was the service. We had both the fondue and a large cheese and charcuterie board. Everything was of excellent quality. Highly recommend.

My husband and I had a fabulous cheese fondue for lunch here today. Having lived in Geneva for several years I was interested to learn and taste the French version of the Swiss signature dish and we were not disappointed……..this dish excels from the quality and intense flavours of the cheese and wine used rather than large quantities of food. Rob the owner is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his wines and is a very pleasant ‘mine host’. Now living in nearby Wallingford we will definitely be visiting again….

We always have a good time at The Cheesy Grape, whether its in the afternoon with some great wine and a delicious cheese board, or at night when its a hive of people having a good time. The staff are genuinely friendly and give prompt service when ordering a cracking tasty treat. It's a special place where nobody is being ostentatious.

Best fondue I have ever had. A large part in making our visit to Henley a day I’ll never forget.

Had a lovely time. We only had wine and cocktails. All made perfect. Great service

shame. Family lunch and booked well (a month) in advance so crushed to not have fondue available for the group of 5, just 2 portions left despite we were the first in at 12:30. Restaurant was cold, single waitress was friendly. Food ok but it's really expensive. Like, really expensive. I wouldn't recommend to anyone watching what they spend. Came away feeling we'd really overpaid

Love the Cheesy Grape! The baked Camembert and bread was delicious, as well as the homemade sausage roll, and the Brie and cranberry parcels.

Great decor! Staff are so friendly the food and wine is top notch! ***Recommend*** ❤️🎄🍷🧀

Came in for a few cocktails with my friends over the weekend and Jess was amazing, she made us feel so comfortable and was very attentive!

Went here on a sunday afternoon at the advice of a local. We ordered wine an an app and fondue. We waited….waited some more…and more….one hour later we asked how much longer and was told 10 minutes. We decided to get the check and leave. To be fair we can’t tell you how the food was but BEWARE of ridiculously SLOW service! To the point of total frustration!! And I mean slow bc the place wasn’t even crowded!

Nice sharing platter and friendly staff

Cheese and wine is our favourite combination as a family so what better way to celebrate our mothers 85th birthday than by heading to the cheesy grape. On arrival we waited to be seated. There was only one other table in there which always concerns me. We were told there were no olives and no cauliflower wings. We were told that several drinks were unavailable and after ordering, we were told they had no internet so it was cash only. We were the first table to order food so it was a surprise when it took over an hour to arrive. When it did arrive, it arrived in stages and some had finished eating before others arrived. I had the fondu which was the worst I have ever had. It was tasteless and heavy. We left very disappointed. We will not be back and will not recommend. To add to our disappointment, we walked in to a local deli and found a plethora of beautiful looking olives to buy. I struggle to understand why they did not purchase some so that we could have them with our meal! All in all, a very bad experience

Lovely vibe, impeccable service, excellent wine list. The cheesy grapes are a must order......

It is a great place, very cozy and exquisite decoration. The wines are excellent. Very fast service, fair prices and Rebecca is a star!

Fondue must be made out of gold! £20 per person for a tini wini fondue... 150g is the size of a typical creme brulee dessert.

The concept is fantastic, the delivery less so. It was Thursday night and we were the only customers, that’s never a great sign but we were willing to give it a chance. Tables were wobbly, restaurant was a little cool. Service was average, no wine recommendations, no upselling, no checking up. Fondue was one of the worst we’ve had, it was heavy, gloopy and just not very nice. It has potential to be great but the reality was completely underwhelming. Sadly we will not be back and will not recommend.

The wine was fantastic, the cold meats and cheese were superb and we loved the fondue. Service was friendly and professional. We really enjoyed our evening here.

Great food, friendly staff and reasonably priced

Had a wonderful time. The server was exceptionally great and friendly. They catered to our every need with out a fuss. Brilliant food and a great selection of wines and spirts. I could not recommend enough. We will be back

Visited for a quick lunch the other day, we had the fondue which was amazing, chilled atmosphere and all the staff were lovely, definitely coming back in the new year!

Boom! I have to say I don't normally comment on the wonderful eateries of Henley on Thames as they are the quality you expect! Today there was almost chaos.... "Two vegans" walked into the Cheesy Grape (not the start of a joke but it could have been!) only to find the Grape had, by complete accident and being rushed off their feet as its Christmas, not bought the vegan cheese!!!! We were there for their "Vegan Cheese Platter". In a heartbeat the owner had appeared and was so apologetic.... and within moments someone was sent to a local supermarket for our supplies! In no time at all our wonderful waitress "Jess" (well done Jess!!!!) has appeared with a replacement starter of Mushroom Pate and Breads..... I mean DO try this, its soo tasty! We sipped our "vegan" wine.... yeah ok I may have been a bit squiffy after two bottles but then... OH THEN.... THE CHEESE ARRIVED! Its actually decent vegan cheese (no nasty GARY after taste!... Violife or better????). Served on a breadboard with a light salad inc apples, grapes, miniature pickles... yeah vegans are weirdos and eat that stuff too, its not just decoration for us! The best part was due to all of the confusion they knocked a few of the items from the bill and even gave us a "Doggy Bag" for the vegan stuck at home who was babysitting for free! By far..... FAR.... the BEST experience I have had in a Henley restaurant and I will recommend. Thank you all for a wonderful evening Cheesy Grape and our dear Jess... all stars!!!! 5 stars for service with a million smiles... no contest :)

I take no pleasure in writing a bad review but this was honestly one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve had in a very long time. 1) Very poor service. The waiter who took our order was pleasant but after that there was basically no service. The other waiter that was there was unfriendly, neither of them came to check if the food was ok. We sat at the table for a long while after we’d finished but nobody came to clear up our plates or give the bill so we eventually just went up to the counter to pay as we wanted to leave. 2) Food and prices. The menu had potential to be great but the food was so disappointing. The extortionate prices for what we got just added salt to the wound. After ordering and then being told half of what we ordered wasn’t available, we decided on a carafe of wine, olives, a fondue and a cheese platter both to share. The fondue cheese was tasteless and barely warm, it was served with roughly 4 tiny potatoes and some crumpled bread. The cheese platter had a selection of 4 cheeses which were nice and a decent size, with a little honey and chutney. However the extras were 4 soft grapes and what looked like supermarket frozen veg. Not good at all. Total bill £65. Feels like I’ve just been robbed, especially with it overall being such a terrible experience: bad service, poor food, pathetic portion sizes and a fat bill for the pleasure.

I came to this restaurant with a pre-conception that the portions were really rather small (see quite a few previous reviews). However, I must appreciate that cheese is not the cheapest of ingredients in 2022, and the one person cheese and meat board should not be a huge feast of a dish. For this reason I have no concerns over the portion size. What concerned me the most about my trip was the quality rather than quantity of the dishes. When you pay £20 for a cheese board, not an insignificant amount of money, you expect more than a version of a hastily cobbled together collection of cheese and meat from the local supermarket. The meats arrived on the platter still sitting in the same stacked pile from which they would have been taken out of the packet, while the cheese seemed to be really no better than the 2 for £4 you would buy from Tesco for your Sunday dinner… Which when accompanied by two carrot batons and two dry celery sticks, does not build the perception of any reasonable sense of value for money or quality befitting of what the restaurant is trying to build. Equally, the bread for £6 arrived cold and looked like it had recently been bought round the corner from the Waitrose baker counter. Really not good enough. However, they do have a great range of wines that arrived lovely and chilled. While the Lovibond pale ale was fantastic. The staff were friendly and polite. Overall, over-priced cheese and meat boards are semi-vindicated by lovely wine… But I would not recommend

Awesome venue for a celebration! We had a wine, cheese and charcuterie party to celebrate Andreas getting his pilot wings at the Cheesy Grape. Rebecca and the team were perfect hosts, ensuring our party were looked after throughout the evening. The selection of wine had something for everyone, and the food was delicious as always. Thanks to all the team for making this a very memorable evening.

Fantastic wine, cheese and charcuterie selections! Excellent service and great atmosphere! Looking forward to my next visit!

Really been looking forward to trying this place. My partner and I are big wine and cheese fans, and love to have fondue whenever we have the opportunity. We ordered a bottle of wine we both like at 3 times the supermarket price (as expected) and ordered the fondue to share. It arrived and was barely an inch deep. Unsurprisingly the cheese disappeared long before the croutons. When we queried the size we were told this was a single portion but didn’t fancy paying another £20 for a few spoonfuls of cheese, so we sat and finished our wine with dissatisfaction and some olives. The staff were very pleasant but did nothing to rectify our disappointment, so we left with a £75 bill- still hungry. It’s frustrating because it’s a lovely restaurant and if they’d just be a little more generous with their portions we’d return! Having travelled the world and eaten many fondues, this really did feel like an appetiser at best.

We visited whilst attending the rewind festival, such a lovely place to spend some time, we had a soft drink and a sharing platter, enjoyed the food, surroundings and staff were friendly and professional

2022 Update: Noticeable increase in price is a shame, but c'est la vie in inflation Britain. Can only hope things go back down just a little in time. Cheesy grapes a winner as ever. Fantastic addition to Henley. Come for the cheesy grapes (literally) and stay for the fabulous service. Very fairly priced and lovely atmosphere.

fantastic Place. had been meaning to try for ages. Couldn't believe we got a space on Regata. Loved the food. Great choice, Wine choice was very good although a few cheaper options would be good. We had good sing to the DJ. Thanks Rebecca and team. We will be back

Excellent wines and super cheese platter, we loved sitting just inside and see all the partypeople come by ( weekend of the regatta) lovely waitress too👍😊

This was our first visit to cheesy grapes and we definitely will go again.The food was amazing and the staff Rebecca and Jessica were amazing friendly and helpful.

Lovely staff but run off their feet! Lovely place, but the poor service (due to lack of staff) really let’s it down.

Very slow and inattentive service (considering how few covers they have especially), over priced, small portions (eg 4 crackers with enough cheese for two people). £66 for cheese and crackers, and a bottle of wine.

This is one of the best places I have ever been for a glass of wine in Henley. So much choice and Becky was really knowledgeable and made us feel so welcome! She was able to recommend a number of wines and we really appreciated her taking the time to understand the wine we usually go for and to recommend new things to try. Will definitely be back again and would thoroughly recommend!

I brought my mum to the Cheesy Grape at the weekend for a Mother’s Day treat and it could not have been any better. We were looked after impeccably and shown to a wonderful table in the window. The staff were so kind and knowledgable and were great with my little girl. Due to the heatwave week, there were a couple of items not available. However this wasn’t an issue as we were told straight away. There was also still so much choice. The option for carafes of wine was a nice touch, and again, the staff were very knowledgable about their wine. We had a wonderful cheese fondue with the gorgeous cheesy grapes and honey figs. Unfortunately we ran out of room for desert, but we’ll definitely be trying the chocolate fondue next time! We very much loved our visit, thank you all

Such a warm welcome every time we come here. The team are lovely and Rebecca the owner is always willing to go that little bit further, which makes the experience unforgettable. If you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere, with great customer service, look no further. A must visit!

Service extremely slow, nearly two hours wait for a cheese and meat platter. They said they were short staffed, which I understand, but honestly, how long does it take to make a cheese and meat platter! We were given a round of drinks for the inconvenience. Very expensive for what you get too. Sorry, wouldn’t go again.

A fantastic venue to share good food and wine with friends. Wonderful choice available and staff were on hand to make you feel well looked after. Highly recommended for a lovely evening out. Looking forward to coming back soon.

We were looking forward to a pleasant evening with friends, particularly as we all like wine and cheese. The reception was acceptable, not overly enthusiastic. The menus were very used and we were only given one with all the choices on. Several of my selections were unavailable. The wine was nice, expensive for what it was and no cooler was provided for the white. The food took over an hour to arrive, which for a cold platter is unacceptable. We were told it was because we had ordered a baked Camembert. This cannot take an hour to warm up and when it arrived had obviously been forgotten as it was super heated. No bread. 6 crackers for 4 people. Had to order 2 extra portions of bread. The cheese and meat was nice but it was displayed to disguise the fact the cheese portions were minuscule! No service following the food. One more bottle of wine was eventually forthcoming but no suggestion of anything else, especially for the driver in our party. We were basically ignored. All in all, what could have been a great experience was let down by poor service and small portions. A real shame, won’t be back.

Quirky and welcoming, had a lovely wet Saturday having a cheesey fondue. Would go again.

Wonderful place for a different evening. Fondue was delicious!

Met up with friends and managed to get a table in this very popular place. Nice atmosphere, very busy so could excuse the slow service. The food was quite nice , we had the cheese fondue and a couple of the chicken liver parfaits. Very edible but extremely small portions. There was not enough cheese in the fondue to be able to use up all the dipping sides nor were there enough biscuits to go with the parfait unless you piled it up an inch thick. We had been going to order the cheese and meat platter but saw one being brought out to the table next to us and decided against it as the cheese portions were minuscule. Cheese is just so cheap here in the UK that there is absolutely no reason to be stingy with the serving sizes. It’s not like the platters were cheap. Such a pity.

We discovered this lovely little place on our visit to Henley and loved the atmosphere here on a weekend evening. The mushroom pate was really delicious!

Was looking forward to trying this out as it offers something different to other restaurants in town, but what a let down. We received a somewhat lukewarm reception and there were immediate warning signs - glasses on the table weren't very clean and menus we were given were tatty and had dirty marks on them. When we came to order our sharing platter for 2 we were told that half the cheeses and meats we'd chosen were unavailable. When we asked what was available it was only about half what was on the list of cheeses and meats. Why not say this from the outset or take them off the menu? When the platter came I have to say that the cheese and meat was very good. However, portion size was very small - some of the cheeses we got a good amount of but we only got one slice of the soft cheese we'd chosen. Half the platter was taken up by some very sad looking celery, grapes that were withering and carrot sticks that were dry around the edges and looked like they'd been sat in the fridge for a few days. Tiny amount of chutney and we got about 7 small crackers and no bread. I should have raised about the bread at the time but couldn't remember if I'd imagined that there should be bread, but when I double checked the menu afterwards it states that the platters come with freshly baked bread. Such a shame as it promised such a lot but delivered very little - as my husband said, the only food prep involved was the veg and that was poor. Let down by little details that all together left a big impression and not a good one.

The cheese and meat were absolutely delicious. The chocolate fondue is the best I have ever tasted. Very personable service. The wine list was very impressive. I'd recommend the Shiraz 👌👌We had a fabulous evening. Definitely one to watch.

This a a fabulous addition to the Henley food scene - the fondue with cured meats is superb and the sharing board are top dollar too. Great wine selection and really friendly team running the place. Give it a go you will not be disappointed. It's going to get really popular I predict.

The sausage roll arrived without a deconstruction, a re-imagining, a twist or a take. It was the most accomplished thing a kitchen can produce: classic flavours dancing harmoniously, both beguiling yet ingénue fresh.

The chocolate fondue was one of the best I've ever had! I will definitely be coming back again - great new addition to Henley!

This place has just started in Henley, and my god is it good. All great affordable wine. The sharing boards are brilliant. Selection of cheeses amazing and for the price (just under £30) for a 4 cheese and meat platter, it was well worth the money. Will the servers was attentive and conversing and we will be back!

What an ace place. We popped in on Friday afternoon to grab a quick glass and bite. First time visit and we can’t wait to go back. Great wine selection and excellent cheese and meat plates. Just brill.

We had a lunch booking and ordered a sharing board for 2, mushroom pate, stuffed vine leaves and two glasses of wine. Exceptionally high standard all round. Loved our waiter too, professional service and very knowledgable. Book for a treat or just a catch up with friends. A great addition to Henley.

Fantastic new addition to Market Place. Staff are extremely efficient, and extremely attentive. Wine selection is amazing and the cheese WOW. Highly recommended

Sadly Missed Opportunity It's great to have a new venture on your doorstep and I wish everyone involved well but it seems that a Tuesday evening in December isn't the time to visit The Cheesy Grape. A pretty unfriendly welcome from the lady owner who seemed to be having a bad day judging from her growling at the under prepared teenage waiter was followed by indifference to an explanation of the wine list or the menu. As a new customer in a new venture with a particular concept I would have appreciated an explanation about how the sharing platters work and some suggestions about matching wines with the cheeses without having to tease information out of the staff. Fortunately the cheeses and charcuterie are excellent as is the wine list. However there are a series of missed opportunities: 1) No local cheese from either the Nettlebed Creamery or the Marlow Cheese Company, wouldn't it be great to highlight the brilliant produce on their doorstep. 2) No local wine or a sparkling wine by the glass - there are a multitude of excellent wineries locally, one of them less than a mile away. Again wouldn't it be brilliant to highlight the local, and to offer a good sparkling wine such as Harrow & Hope or Fairmile Vineyard by the glass. Failing that at least a glass of champagne rather than a mini bottle of Prosecco. 3) Explaining the cheese and in what order to eat them when they are delivered to the table - fine if you know something about cheese you can work out the order but you don't want to start on the Epoisses for example as it'll kill the taste of the milder cheeses. It would be a nice touch and make for a better experience. 4) Suggesting wine matches for the cheeses you have chosen or a wine flight. Seems obvious I can't believe it isn't offered. The Cheesy Grape is a nice space, tastefully presented, the concept is interesting but the energy, enthusiasm and ideas seem to have died already.

All round amazing place with such friendly staff! Great cheese, great meats and amazing drinks! It also looks so good in there! Exactly what Henley has needed for years!

If you like meat and cheese and don't want a cheeseburger...this is the place for you. Fondue was excellent. Really relaxed atmosphere. I'll be back. Superb!

Portion sizes miniscule, one way to turn a profit.

What a find! Lovely service and food. Fondue is a must try for cheese lovers.