The Little Angel — Restaurant in England

I booked a table a week in advance for a Sunday roast. On my booking request I mentioned I had a small dog and if possible could we be seated in the conservatory and that it was my niece's 16th birthday (I have been here before in 2021 and remember it being pretty in there) When we arrived the server couldn't find our booking and I had to pull it up on my phone to prove it. My niece suffers from anxiety so this wasn't a great start! Eventually another member of the team then found us on the list and we were taken to a table in the conservatory. My dog is disabled and on wheels and we were sat right on the walkway so I had to sit at right angles to the table to accomodate. At no point was i asked if the table was okay and we were already feeling awkward because of the introduction, so I didn't want to make things worse. We were left for over 10 minutes with no menu's and when the server came over to ask what we would like to drink i politely informed her we had no menus. Her response was "it's just standard bar drinks?" When we finally recieved our menus, I had to go through 3 different soft drinks to find one that was actually available.

We ordered our roasts and the experience continued to go downhill.

We received a small bowl of vegetables to share between us which was mostly suede. There was 4 slices of carrot and some peas. The yorkshire puddings were inedible. The beef was tough and I struggled to cut it with the knife on the table. We had no salt or pepper and I had to interrupt the table next to us and ask if we could have theirs.

There was no call back throughout the meal, not once were we asked if our meals were okay!

About halfway through the meal a man appeared which I believe to be the manager and he noticed my niece's 16th birthday balloon and my dog to which he said he would arrange something for both of them. We were both wholely unimpressed with the roast, especially at a cost of £26 each, so we decided against desserts. I thought it was cheeky to include gratuity on the bill as we received next to no 'service' and what we did recieve was dismal.

Just before we left the same man came to the table next to us and gave their dog a bowl of meat and looked at my dog and said 'I have forgotten you again I'll go and get you one now' even though these people came in 30/40 minutes after us?! We waited another 5 mins and he didnt come back with anything for my dog or for my niece on her special day.

Overall, we left with a bitter taste in our mouths and a non worthy hole in my purse. I had travelled from Farnham to come here, however, we both feel we would have been better off going to a...

We ate here on Sunday 15th, drifting in at about 12:15. They were booked 'solid', but easily fitted us in as we were so early.

Let's get the negatives over with first. From the outside, the pub looked like a small, dingy traditional English Victorian ale house. I would suggest that the windows could do with a good clean; they are pretty filthy. We weren't even sure the place was open.

I would also concur that the music is on the noisy side. Granted, there were few customers in at the time we ate. The music volume might seem less intrusive with the place packed.

Finally, I would suggest that the owners make it clear on the outside menus that the Sunday menu is different to the usual menu. Or simply put the Sunday menu on the outside.

Now to the positives. This pub is like the Tardis. Get inside and the whole place opens up into a very large, very spacious and reasonably airy space to dine. Tables were not too close together - we ate in the conservatory section. Toilets were clean and functional - we rate establishments on their toilet facilities.

As for the food - WOW is all we can say. I had the roast chicken, whilst my old lady had the Haddock. Portion sizes were, to our minds, generous; we left the restaurant full, but could have had more e.g. pudding. Which is as it should be. The majority of portion sizes in this country are excessive.

The meals came with roast potato, and a tiny assortment of vegetables. Mine came with one Yorkshire pud, one pig in blanket (over cooked - hence 4 stars), one golf ball sized sage stuffing (which was delicious). However, two side dishes were also served; as small bowl of vegetables and another of cauliflower cheese. The former were delicately cooked, soft without being over cooked. The cauliflower cheese was stunning; so full of flavour.

I would suggest that the owners should make it clear what the meals came with to avoid confusion. We weren't sure what veg the mains came with, so were pleasantly surprised with what came.

Flavour wise, excellent. Always difficult to accommodate all tastes. If you find the food a little lacking in taste, then add salt and pepper to taste.

As for cost of food. Looking around at the other pubs and restaurants in the 'expensive' Henley on Thames, this was competitively priced. You can find cheaper, but only marginally so.

The staff were polite, attentive and behaved like proper waiting staff; professional, discrete, watching how customers were eating. Of course, the place was not full while we ate. However, it was filling rapidly as we left over an hour...

The Little Angel pub has new management, staff, and a menu that doesn't fail to delight. It's pub food, but modernised and dressed-up a bit. Very similar to the ambience and interior design of the pub itself. It's friendly and familiar as pubs should be, but with a dash of whimsy and strong nod to rowing being a 2 minute walk from the world-famous Leander Club and Henley Regatta.

My wife and I had one of the best meals we've ever had. I had a steak cooked to perfection with mushroom butter and a salsa type mixture; juicy and full of incredible flavour. I almost scraped off the butter and salsa thinking it would cover and drown the steak flavours, but I'm glad I didn't. They paired perfectly with the steak and only enhanced different notes. I almost couldn't believe what I was tasting in that first bite after the relatively bland steak I'd had the night before elsewhere. This steak was juicy, buttery, a bit earthy, slightly salty, and with a light salsa tang. Every bite brought me pure joy. When I saw carrot on the menu, I thought it would be flavourless steamed baby carrots as I've had at other pubs. It was a single large roasted carrot; rich, butter yet fresh. On to dessert, or pudding as it's often called.

We ordered an apple cinnamon oat compote with creme anglaise. It took a few minutes to cool, but smelled like autumn. It was the type of aroma you wished you could find a candle just like. The compote had toasted oats, soft slices of skinless apple, and plenty of cinnamon. The creme anglaise was cold, creamy, and decadent with subtle undertones of vanilla. It was a lovely way to end a truly outstanding meal.

I enjoyed eating at The Little Angel so much it was a, dare I say, worshipful experience. It actually made me thankful to God. You could taste the chef's creativity and care in each bite. We whole-heartedly recommend and will be back...