Bull Inn — Restaurant in England

4 of us visited for Sunday lunch at 3pm. I'd had the pub on my list for about a year since we moved to the area and kept going past, known of the pub since I was very young. First impressions were good, the inside is aesthetically like a traditional pub which is nice. There is parking but we didn't use it and instead walked up from the Wheel Orchard car park in Goring. Once inside it became shortly apparent that there were only 3-4 staff working, including a chef. The people at the bar had been waiting a little while and we waited 5-10 minutes to be seated. When we sat down, we realised we were near a couple of customers who had clearly been waiting a while, got angry and left, making it clear to the staff that they were annoyed. I'm not sure how long they were waiting for. There were plenty of places to sit, but at the back of the pub you couldn't sit down as there were multiple uncleared tables. The cleanliness of the toilets was ok, gents worse than ladies however. The tables were well-presented but slightly sticky. We were unsure given the circumstances whether to give it a chance or not, but had a look at recent reviews and realised the pub is under new management. There is a mix of negative and positive views since the recent takeover and the new staff were very nice, so we stayed the course. Everything did take a little while, from getting drinks to the food arriving, however the service sped up towards the end. The food was good, cod slightly overdone but the fries were tasty. The chicken and bacon salad and the pie looked really good. We didn't wait too long for dessert and they were all tasty. Unfortunately on a Sunday they were all out of roasts, which was disappointing but it was clear they had a busy early afternoon from the unkempt tables. As a Marston's pub, the food was a reasonable price but the service was quite slow. I've given it a 4/5 which I think is fair given how polite and helpful the young person serving us was and that the service was faster towards the end. I was erring towards a 3 at the start but think they are deserving of a 4. The staff were all lovely and there's always going to be teething issues and optimising of processes that needs doing when you first take over a business. That shouldn't put people off I don't think as the pub has potential to do very well. I also don't think getting annoyed helps in a situation like that, as they're all trying hard to make it a success and were under a lot of pressure. They clearly had to prioritise serving customers over clearing tables and didn't do a bad job considering. We'll visit again this year or early next to see what it's like then - no doubt by then it will be...

One of our guest was Gluten Free (we advised of this when we booked our table online). We got seated and was given 2 menus. I did ask if they provided a Gluten Free menu as I thought if they did they would have seen in my booking and that I would require one. The member staff said she was just going to get one. She walked past us twice and I wasn’t given one. My daughter handed me her menu and I advised that I was waiting for my Gluten Free menu and the member of staff must have overheard me advising my daughter so she can back with one. We ordered our drinks, one of us had full coke and one of us had Pepsi Max. When the lady came back with one of our drinks she gave it to the wrong guest and then she came back with our other one drink and gave this to the wrong guest and so we had to swap them over.

We then began to order our food (was not asked if we had any allergies or tolerance to any food) and the member of waiting staff didn’t even start to write down our order and then was advised that she would need to add it on the till so she did t forget our order as her memory wasn’t that good. We had a starter, main and pudding. The one guest who was gluten free advised the member of staff that all the food that was ordered was from the gluten free menu. With this we sat and waited for our starters. When the starters came out the guest that was gluten free had ordered a prawn cocktail for starters which on the gluten Free menu advised it would come with gluten free bread. Then the prawn cocktail came out the guest that was gluten free asked the lady if the bread was gluten free ( this looked like normal bread as the guest has been gluten free for a while they know between gluten free bread and normal bread) with this the lady said yes that is gluten free bread (we all knew it wasn’t) she then went off and came back and advised the chef hadn’t done it gluten free. If the guest who was gluten free had eaten this ( we had confirmation of the member of staff that the bread was gluten free)and not questioned the bread, it would have ruined our meal out all together. The 2 members of the waiting staff liked like they really didn’t want to be there but

One of our guests used the the bathroom and was advised that all the toilets had poo stains inside the toilet, wee over the toilet seats and toilet roll all over the floor and didn’t look like they had been from the night before.

We then to then pay for our meal. We had been given some vouchers and asked if we could use these only to be told they do they didn’t take vouchers there. We we were very surprised about as most pubs and companies take...

A Cottage Core Dream with a Side of Warm Hospitality

Whilst trekking the Thames Path in true British fashion, my husband and I stumbled across The Bull Inn in Goring and Streatley and what a find it was.

At first glance, it’s all chocolate-box charm and vintage cottagecore realness. The kind of place you’d expect to see in a romcom where someone inevitably finds love, a scone, or both. As luck (and dramatic skies) would have it, the heavens opened just as we arrived but any damp spirits were instantly lifted when landlord Paul welcomed us soon as we arrived.

Starving from the walk and in need of hot sustenance, we ordered food straight away. Not only did it arrive faster than a hiker spotting a pub sign, but it was absolutely delicious. Whoever’s in that kitchen deserves a chef’s kiss and a pint on the house.

Then came the room oh, the room! A cosy little cottage-style haven, with more tea and coffee than your average British high street. Honestly, the hot drink stash alone puts most Thames Path stays to shame. It's the little things, isn't it?

The pub itself is a rare gem family-focused, welcoming, and warm. In an age where many pubs have sadly vanished or feel like members-only clubs for the chronically local, The Bull Inn manages to embrace newcomers with genuine charm. No awkward silences, no locals-only glares—just good vibes, hearty meals, and a roaring welcome.

Pro tip: Take the short five-minute stroll to the nearby meadow and church. It’s the kind of spot that makes you momentarily consider giving up city life to live off cream teas and riverside rambles.

Would we come back? Absolutely. Would we recommend it? Without hesitation. Whether you're walking the Thames Path or simply in need of a quaint escape with personality and good grub—The Bull...