Vanilla Pod in Wycombe

Fabulous food. This is my favourite restaurant in Marlow. The food is divine. In my opinion, it is far superior to The Hand & Flowers which has its following due to a celebrity chef and stars. Go to the H&F then go to The Vanilla Pod and decide. I'm sure you'll be pleased with The VP.

Fabulous lunch and exceptional value. Salmon was beautifully cooked and the veloute was perfect. There was also a big complimentary bowl of delicious mixed bread rolls on the table for soaking up the leftover sauce. The beef fillet was generous and perfectly cooked. The entire experience was first class and I absolutely recommend it to anyone

Had the pleasure of dining here when visiting family in Marlow. I can honestly say it’s the best dining out experience I have had in a very long time. The food was cooked to perfection and served with profession and a smile . The atmosphere was delightful. I’m always up to try something different and the curry ice cream was delightful surprise . Thank you and hope to visit again next year .

Excellent food, lovely service, intimate atmosphere.

Superb food and very good service. Without doubt, our favourite restaurant.

A birthday meal out with girlfriends, we had the 7 course tasting menu which was delicious and we were very full at the end. It's much smaller inside than expected but we had a lovely evening.

We ate lunch here and cannot fault it. Food is great staff are friendly.

We have been taking friends here for about 20 years and have never been disappointed. This time it was a foursome set lunch. Great variety, lovely taste and terrific service. Consistency is their keyword.

Very good service, very beautiful settings, very good value lunch set menu, definitely will come back again!

This was our third visit to The Vanilla Pod. We were treating s friend from Cambridge who is a lover of good food. The food did not disappoint, as usual it was delicious presented beautifully and to a very high standard. The chef also accommodated our guests allergy. The Bellini was the best ever. Sadly the waiting staff let the experience down. Firstly we appreciate they were very young. However we felt that confidence and training were lacking. No real customer engagement. They introduced each course but with no enthusiasm or smile. The Vanilla Pod is great value and great food. That we would highly recommend.

We had an excellent lunch at The Vanilla Pod, Marlow. Every dish was amazing. It was clear ALL members of staff were well trained. A lovely dining experience.

Wonderful experience. Food amazing. We all look forward to coming to this restaurant as everything is so good Staff are wonderful, knowledgeable and professional.

An absolutely delightful restaurant with amazing food, brilliant, friendly service and really wonderful atmosphere. I especially loved the fact that you have a booking for the whole evening, ie no waiters eyeing you to vacate the table after x amount of time so that the next round of people can come in. Thus, you can take your time to enjoy your meal, spend quality time with your partner, family or friends etc. We had the 9 course selection and every dish was exquisite. They also had a very good wine selection. Being a high end establishment it's not cheap, but it's also not exorbitantly expensive either. For what you are getting, it is really great value for superb quality. I highly recommend The Vanilla Pod and will definitely come again.

We hired The Vanilla Pod for our parents 50th wedding anniversary. Fantastic food, in a lovely setting, with great staff. The wife and I will definitely be coming back to dine here again.

The lunch tasting menu is delicious. Very helpful staff and a lovely atmosphere. They even adjusted the menu slightly for me.

Excellent three course lunch. The additional amuse Bouche and pre desert were very tasty. Good to support a local non chain restaurant DQR and MMR Colchester

Food was excellent as usual. I don’t know anywhere else with food and service that good and be dog friendly. Willow and Monty are looking forward to their next visit. 🐶

We had such an amazing meal for my brothers wedding, the food was incredible and the service was great. We had a friend come to decorate the room beforehand and due to a misunderstanding when leaving I removed a little paper bunting from the fireplace, thinking it was ours. When told it was their’s from Christmas I felt awful and said we’d put it back. Then a staff member made a comment that by removing it, it had taken a little paint off the wall, leaving a couple dots. I offered to pay or restore the ‘damage’ myself even though I had been careful and wasn’t sure it was me. After a couple minutes another staff member said not to worry about it. It just put a bit of a sour note on things and made me think whether I’d come back. Update: I found out later that the bunting was ours and hadn’t been stuck to the wall at all.

We enjoy the Vanilla Pod with every special event. A meal just doesn't get any better. The combination of flavours and the beauty of how it's served...it's always been a perfect evening. We discovered this jewel on the night of our wedding and have returned for special occasions. Truly...very highly recommended. A special "thank you" to the lovely Lily, who served us with knowledge and grace.

Very good. Amazing food, well presented and really tasty. Today, served by Melissa, she was outstanding!

Excellent food, really fairly priced tasting menu. 9 courses for £75. Top wines and nice cocktails. Small intimate neighbourhood dining experience with a retro 90s atmosphere. Would be nice if serving staff described the dishes but that's only a small niggle. Overall a pleasant relaxed experience.

Amazing food! Just got home from our second lunch here and I'm blown away by the quality of the food, especially for the £25 three course meal! The restaurant is simple and unpretentious and the service is good but the food is amazing and the quality and value unmatched in my opinion. Highly recommend.

Ridiculously fabulous set lunch for only £25 for 3 amazing courses - panko cod starter, super fillet steak main, and yummy olive cake (summer pudding) for dessert. Can't wait to repeat!

Gourmet experience, beautiful dishes full of flavour. Excellent experience with cara and attention to detail.

5/5. First visit to marlow and decided to eat at the vanilla pod for my partner birthday. Amazing food and service definitely 5 star would definitely be back.

We had lunch here last week with friends for the first time. It was fantastic, delicious food & great service. Can't remember when I last enjoyed a meal so much. Will definitely be back.

Chef MacDonald is a master of his craft. Consistently good food year after year, and many customers feel the same as I do that this restaurant is hugely under-rated. Without doubt, working in your own kitchen produces great food every single day. See how many great reviews he receives. I highly recommend this charming restaurant .

We were taken by a neighbour who had been before. Seated at the table, drinks ordered. Served with a selection of rolls including tomato, beetroot and treacle options and cold butter. Food order taken then served a tasty Amuse Bouche. Starters were Quail, Trout Mouse and Scallops. Followed by fillet of beef and fillet of lamb. Pre dessert followed which was an apple purée topped with Greek yogurt. Desserts consisted of vanilla panna cotta and chocolate tart. The food was all served hot where necessary and was exceptionally tasty. Excellent venue (converted house), great friendly service and very personable. Great value and quality with a vast range of wines to choose from. All in all, can’t wait to return !!!!

A fabulous birthday lunch. Great service and excellent food. We were very impressed with lunch. The beef in particular was melt-in-the-mouth. Great quality

Our favourite restaurant which never disappoints. High quality, beautiful food. Great service. Fabulous wine selection. We happily make a 3 hour journey (6 hours in total!) to eat in this amazing restaurant.

A very intimate restaurant with amazing food and very attentive staff I highly the restaurant and will definitely return .

We went on a Tuesday evening, so it was quiet hence only 4 stars for atmosphere, but it was intimate. The service and food was outstanding, and great value in our opinion. Well worth a visit and we will certainly return.

This place is a hidden gem, small nice and cozy. I celebrated my 30th birthday and have been spoiled with some amazing dishes! I was blown away by the all the flavours I got from this 7 course meal 🤤 It’s the best meal I’ve had so far and I have definitely not left the place feeling hungry!

This place is a hidden gem, small nice and cozy. I celebrated my 30th birthday and have been spoiled with some amazing dishes! I was blown away by the all the flavours I got from this 7 course meal 🤤 It’s the best meal I’ve had so far and I have definitely not left the place feeling hungry!

Exceptional food. Exceptional service. Would highly recommend! We had the nine course tasting menu and every course became my new favourite dish. I was blown away by the fact there is only one chef creating all of this artwork. Incredible.

This was our first time to The Vanilla Pod Marlow our friends had been many times the staff greeted you very well the restaurant is not very big but a lovely atmosphere with white linen on the tables which is very rare sight. We had the set lunch which all of it was excellent and very well priced. We will definitely go back

So many things to enjoy about dining here, classical French cooking and menu, lively but genial atmosphere with a mature knowledgable clientele. A pleasure dining here on every occasion. The value for money is outstanding too.

We had the 7-course taster menu. The food was very good and a lovely dining experience. Would have benefited from some background music to create a bit of atmosphere as most tables were of couples speaking in low voices. Staff very attentive, perhaps a little too keen to clear your plate as you had just finished your last mouth full. These are little things that would have made the experience 5 Star rather than 4 but should not stop people visiting for the food.

As always, the food was first class. Perfectly cooked, and unique choices of dishes are on offer: none of the menus are of the standard, tedious, corporate kind. The ambience is quiet and unshowy, the service charming - and all at such a reasonable price. Our favourite restaurant for years. Long may it continue!

Delicious food, and warm, welcoming staff. Would highly recommend - 5 stars!

Great food, great service,great value. There is nothing negative to say really. It’s a small, friendly, quite gentile frenchish restaurant. Amazing value - GO!

Always a pleasure to eat here. Unlike its over-rated “starred” neighbours, the food is really good value and well presented. A lovely convivial atmosphere too, that feels like a classy restaurant, not a pub. Deservedly No 1 in the town. This experienced reviewer highly recommends this restaurant to you.

Beautiful divine food served by attentive staff in a wonderful atmosphere.

Exceptional Tasting Menu. Totally delicious and served well with sufficient time between each course to make it comfortable. Some of the courses were truly exceptional but this doesn't detract from how really good all the others were. Will visit again soon. Great ambience and a caring service. Well priced for such excellent food. Visited this December 23 and the A La Carte Menu was excellent. Risotto with Brie and Chestnuts as Starter, followed by Loin of Lamb and finishing with Vanilla Panna Cotta with a most delicious chocolate cremeux. Service was great and this restaurant is highly recommended.

Our lunch today was disappointing. Yes, an excellent variety of bread rolls and complementary delicious 'cuppa soup'. However, two of us ordered the duck for the main course, which arrived too 'rare' for the average pallet, sitting on a small pile of mashed potato with a couple of green sprigs. I sent mine back for more cooking and our friend only ate the outside cooked areas. Desserts very disappointing. Half a pear with a bit of crumble on the plate. We had to ask for some cream to go with it. Service was great but ....we will not be returning.

Yet another excellent meal. I have been going to this restaurant at least a couple of times a year since soon after it opened over twenty years ago. I have never had a poor course, let alone a poor - or even average - meal. It is incredibly consistent and incredible value - £25 for three courses on the set lunch menu and £45 for three courses on the à la carte menu. For some reason, other restaurants in Marlow get more hype - but it's a mystery to me why that is. Highly recommended.

Excellent restaurant, superb food, fantastic service. Thank you to the Vanilla Pod team.

We ordered the 7 course meal - a truly amazing experience, food was outstanding, service brilliant, has to be my favourite restaurant in Marlow. Good restaurant if you're gluten free- almost everything in the Savour the Experience menu was gluten free!

Small restaurant providing great food and service. You must book. Street parking or car park nearby 4 mins.

Excellent food and friendly staff.

What a great find! There are 2 dinner menu choices - a 6 or 9 course - with optional wine pairing which was reasonably priced. The restaurant is small and only has c8-10 tables. The food was truly outstanding - the monkfish with truffle cauliflower purée was my fave. The service was great (students from the local schools). They have the balance of creating a vibe that is relaxed but also feels special. It’s not one for people who want showy or a buzzy atmosphere.

Hired the whole restaurant for a comapany meal last week. Feedback from the team has been ammazing, everytime I speak to someone who attended the meal they all comment on how amazing the food, atmosphere & service was. Will definately be booking again.

Just an amazing experience. Never fails to delight. Visited for lunch with friends. The food was absolutely delicious. Lovely warm welcome, dietary needs catered for, exquisite food at exceptional value for money. Would highly recommend. You need to book as very popular.

It is very easy to claim you have found a new favourite restaurant and then realise a couple of years later you haven't returned. Well I did return for lunch on Saturday and it was just as good as the first time. The mini bread rolls were delicious and although the starters weren't to my particular taste they were still perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. My beef fillet was cooked exactly how I requested and was incredibly tender. The apple and currants pastry was also very tasty and brilliantly matched with clotted cream. The service was delightful and I have already booked return visits.

Came here for a birthday celebration, the lunch set menu was excellent. Food and wine was delicious, very good value! Definitely would recommend.

Love the Vanilla Pod. A real treat. Unexpected. Excellent food and service. It's surprisingly not super expensive. Will do again.

A gem of a place. Often dine here. Great value and really good food. Great local to dine in.

Without a doubt the best meal I experienced during my week in London. And I chase good food whenever I travel! Attentive service, a solid wine list, and food that is both beautiful and of the highest quality. Not inexpensive, and reservations are a must, but it was worth every pound. We chose the 7 course Savour the Experience menu. There was an amuse bouche as well, a small "espresso" shot of a rich wild mushroom broth that was simply amazing with the fresh bread provided. My companion has a dairy intolerance, and the kitchen had so issues preparing food to her requirements. We got both of the main options: a poached turbot and a beef filet, which we shared. I won't go into great detail on the various courses - each was simply amazing in presentation and flavour. Portion sizes were spot on, and neither of us felt over-full at the end of our 2 hour meal. Marlow is pretty small town, and we took advantage of the perfect weather to walk after dinner and take in the (lively) night life. Next time when I'm back in London for work, I will be returning to The Vanilla Pod.

We ate here on Saturday night with friends. The food was amazing! The scallops, the Hake, the duck, the lamb, the jelly surprise…. Just everything. We had the wine pairings too - everything was great. Fantastic value and head and shoulders above the Hand and Flowers. Booking is essential

Wonderful lunch with friends. We chose from the fixed priced lunch menu, the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Couldn't fault it, along with reasonably priced wines from the house selection. I have being going to the Vanilla Pod for years and Michael continues to work his magic in the kitchen, awesome - by far the best restaurant in Marlow.

I booked the Vanilla Pod end of July 2023 as a celebration and welcome home for a significant other who had just returned home from a deployment abroad and I wanted somewhere special to mark their birthday but would also not be too overwhelming for...

Delicious food served by very pleasant staff in an elegant venue.Lunch is excellent value at £20 for 2 courses and £25 for 3 courses.We travel a fair distance to dine at The Vanilla Pod but always agree that it is worth the drive and is one of our favourite restaurants. We look forward to our next visit.

Amazing food, so delicious. Had taster menu 9 courses, it was fantastic. Staff so lovely and friendly and professional. Thank you, we will be back soon. Great portion sizes as well.

Don't know why I am reviewing this little gem. With only 8 tables I should be keeping it a secret. Don't know if it has any Michelin stars but it beats any other Michelin starred restaurants I have been to in Berkshire.

Superb tasting menu giving some of the local celebrity restaurants a run for their money.

10/10!! This is a very very good restaurant from the initial booking through the 7 course taster and finally coffee. Not too expensive either, the ambience and food were fantastic. Well decorated tables and no noisy background music. Never forgetting the excellent service from the...

I was honestly amazed how good value it was considering the ratings and quality. It's certainly not a cheap place to eat, but it was an outstanding experience. Make sure you book plenty in advance, they do not have many tables.

Wow, what a culinary experience. We had the 9 course tasting menu and was amazing. I can honestly say that every course was wonderful and we struggled to decide on a favourite. In the end we agreed the whole experience was a delight. The chef,...

As it was a special family occasion, I wanted to book somewhere magical. I contacted The Vanilla Pod with little hope of a reservation and, understandably, they were fully booked for Saturday lunch. However, the owner, very kindly, placed us in the private dining room...

The Vanilla Pod in Marlow really is a little gem. We had the 'Savour the Experience' 7 course tasting menu for £60 pp for my wife's birthday, which was excellent value for the quality of the food. We had a delicious amuse bouche of celeriac...

I experienced fantastic food and service on my recent visit here and would highly recommend a visit!

We had a lovely get-together with old friends not seen for a long time - and the Vanilla Pod was the perfect half-way between us venue, with a truly delicious lunch. It simply couldn't be faulted - apart from the use of ipads for the...

Delicious and elegant food of a high standard, served by efficient and personable staff. Between us we ate a quail starter followed by chalk stream trout and scallop esabeche followed by stone bass. We served excellent warm rolls and an amuse-bouche of deeply flavoured soup...

Been twice now. First time was good and worth the price. Second time was weak food and not value for money.

Great food and service, it was a little quiet however it was a Tuesday, a little background music perhaps....

Visited here with friends for my wife's birthday. 4th time here and this restaurant is consistently very good. 3 course set lunch menu which is a bargain. Service is both friendly and excellent.

Gorgeous food and presentation. Perfect service. Beautiful calm, comfortable ambiance. Deserves a star!

Lovely food and friendly service with a gorgeous 7 course tasting menu in nicely quirky surroundings. The birthday evening was made extra special by being able to have a private dining room. The tasting menu was varied and well done and very reasonable at £60...

We came as a group of 14 for a golden wedding anniversary celebration, and we all had a fantastic time! The food was delicious and we enjoyed the wine flight to accompany the meal which was also amazing. All of the staff were lovely and service was brilliant. The quality of the food/wine/service is great value for money, a really lovely experience all round. We will be back 100%.

Went for lunch with friends and were seated downstairs. It is a small intimate restaurant with not many tables. There is a room upstairs which seats more than 6 people. We chose to go with the special lunch menu which is reasonably priced. The food...

Absolutely stunning food! Very attentive and well trained young staff Would highly recommend anyone go and visit!

Excellent service together with excellent food. Went for the 7-course tasting menu. Each course was served professionally with good explanation of the wine pairings. Staff were well trained and helpful.

This was probably the 4th time at the Vanilla Pod, but this time with some friends and for lunch. Seven of us were sat at the large table upstairs. The value of the food was super - 2 courses for £20 per person or 3...

We went to celebrate a significant birthday and had the private room at the top of the building as they were unable to seat more than 6 downstairs- not ideal as we wanted to be in the main restaurant- and we wish we had been,...

My wife and I had dinner here on Friday 31st March. We enjoyed the 7-course tasting menu and were able to make slight alterations to suit a few dietary issues we have (the chef was incredibly flexible in doing so) This was hands down one...

Visited the Vanilla Pod on Saturday 18th March to celebrate a 40th birthday. Large group, over 2 tables with two babies & buggies!. The staff were amazingly accommodating and made us feel welcome and assisted with the little ones. Serve was excellent and food was...

Its number 1 in trip advisor and we can see why! We ate there on Friday for my husband’s birthday – so glad we chose this place the food really is lovely. We had the 9 course tasting menu on the whole it was stunning...

Stunning food and a favourite of ours. 7 course menu was fantastic. Service was polite and friendly but could do with a little more training and tightening up if I'm honest.

I was very much looking forward to my first visit to The Vanilla Pod for lunch and it totally met my high expectations created by previous reviews. The selection of mini bread rolls was a real treat. My smoked salmon rissoto was delicious and I...

The cooking talents of Chef Patron Michael Macdonald never cease to amaze me and that is why we return. The 4 of us elected to have the 7 course Savour the Experience menu with the selection of 5 wines which were expertly paired with each...

We visited from Norway and were absolutely delighted with the ambiance, service and most importantly, THE FOOD. We had the 7 course tasting menu with accompanying 5 wines The menu was beautifully balanced and the wine choice superb. The courses were served with perfect intervals,...

Excellent value for the food in this quaint very cosy restaurant. It is small and it is easy to hear each other talking without having to shout. The food is beautifully presented and the wine is reasonably priced for what it is.

Excellent restaurant and great food. Nicely done for valentines and always good to try taster menus and 9 courses Service was great but general atmosphere was flat. No music and felt like you had to whisper

Top of my bucket list for many years gas been a gastronomic taster menu with accompanying wine flight. I can't begin to describe how absolutely incredible the food is, how wonderful the ambiance is, how fantastic the staff are. Just blown away.! We've eaten in...

I had my second visit at vanilla pod last Saturday evening. What an outstanding restaurant. Better than some Michelin stars I’ve been to. The staff is lovely and attentive, the food is marvellous (well cooked classic food full of creativity and surprises) The atmosphere is very warm and calm. I can’t wait to visit again.

Overall experience was delightful. Staff very friendly, efficient and accommodating. Food I must say was outstanding in my opinion, compliments to the chef. Quiet small dining area however suited me. Expensive but worth every penny, will be back!

Cosy little restaurant with delicious food. Really good value for lunch. Have visited 3 time in the last couple of months with different people, everyone was impressed. Very busy last time but the staff were friendly and service was pretty good under the circumstances. Majority...

A pre-Christmas dinner, and our first visit. The tasting menu was really diverse and each course was stunning without a single dud amongst them. Couldn’t recommend the quality of the cooking more highly. A couple of bits of feedback. Firstly, whilst the service was great...

We feel so privileged to be living in Marlow and even further privileged to be able to visit a restaurant like the Vanilla Pod. We have reviewed the Pod before but it is to our mind a perfect place to have a meal, Michael McDonald's...

perfect room upstairs for groups of up to 8 maximum comfortably; great food, friendly service and extremely good value; the food is particularly good and has never disappointed; if there was one constructive feedback point it would be that i think the establishment needs a...