The Hinds Head — Restaurant in Great Britain

Warning: California/Oregon Native here so this review will have a west coast American bias. I am a big Fish & Chips fan so naturally I wanted to try it from a Michelin Star winning pub. We took a little detour to go here on our way to Stonehenge. Also note we've eaten at quite a few Michelin Restaurants in North America and Europe so we did have certain expectations.

TL;DR - very cool old pub with good food and great service. I thought it was overpriced for the food we got and maybe we just had too high of expectations. I'd still recommend it, just don't go in with too high of expectations if you're getting the Fish & Chips.

Full Review - We arrived at the Hind’s Head a bit early and took the opportunity to grab a drink at the bar and just enjoy the ambiance. This was the first really old pub I'd been inside and it was really cool. It was a neat experience just being inside and soaking it all in.

Now for the important part, the food. I started off by ordering a Scotch Egg. I'd never tried one before and it sounded interesting. It was really good, though I have nothing to compare it to. My wife started with the Tea smoked salmon and I have to admit that was the first disappointment. It was good quality smoked salmon, but it was nothing special and not worth the price. Also the bread and sides it was served with were nothing remarkable.

For our main dishes we both got the Fish & Chips. My wife originally wanted another Fish dish that we saw on some of their menu pictures but they were not serving it at the time we were there. One unique thing about the Fish & Chips was the option to keep the skin on. They asked our preference and explained it offered more flavor. We both elected to try it and were both very happy with the decision. It definitely enhanced the flavor and I would recommend trying it. The fish was cook beautifully with a very nice crisp and flavorful batter. The chips were nice and crisp and quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, this is where my strongly positive opinions kind of trail off. I would not be this critical of a pub normally, but it's on the Michelin guide so I'm holding them to higher standards than normal.

While the fish was perfectly cooked and very crispy, it was still draining a lot of oil when it arrived. They laid down a small piece of paper under it to help soak up the excess oil, but the bottom was a bit too saturated. I put a couple chips under it after noticing and that helped a lot. The chips soaked a lot of it up and helped keep the bottom from getting soggy. The amount of oil retained in the batter was a bit of a turn off. You could really feel it by the end of the meal.

The dipping sauces they included didn't really do a lot for me. Both the curry sauce and chippy sauce were a bit bland and didn't add much to the dish in my opinion. I did ask if they'd be offended if I requested Tarter Sauce. They said they wouldn't beoffended, but they didn't have any. Not sure I'd that's normal or not, but I was a little bummed as I think I would have enjoyed it more with Tarter Sauce. The malt vinegar came in a little spray bottle which felt like a poorly executed idea of trying to elevate the experience. The spray bottle leaked and more dripped down the side of the bottle than came out. A normal bottle would have been more effective.

Overall, the dish/meal was good and enjoyable. I don't think it was worth the extra 30 minute detour and price though. It just wasn't as good as I'd hoped and was happier with the fish & chips in both puds we stopped at in London. If you're driving through Bray or staying in town it's still a cool place to go. The service is great and it is a fun experience. Just don't go in with too high of...

First, this is a beautiful, historic pub and restaurant. I would kill for this to be my local! Second, staff were all great! Now, the review of the meal. We had the Scotch Egg and Devils on Horseback. Both were solid. The claim to fame for the Scotch Egg is the runny yolk, and it was as advertised. The Devils were essentially rumaki with a date. Good, yes, out of the park? Eh. Next we had the Pea and ham soup. This was also solid, but for some reason served just warm and not hot. And the herb chosen to season was mint, of which I am not a big fan. The ham was excellent and the peas tasted like they had just been hand picked from the garden, so props for that bit of excellence! (And I like some kind of bread with soup, but none was offered.) We also had the Ham Hock terrine. This was also very good, if a bit on the salty side. But it is ham, so how can I quibble. It was delicious. This did come with a bit of toast, also good! My wife had the Duck entree, and it was top notch. Seasoned to perfection, but the star with the veg underneath: peas, again, super fresh, with grilled or sauteed greens, and no mint! So really terrific! I had the famous fish and chips. The fish was as advertised, crispy and tender. But no sauces on offer, and I am a tartar or remoulade fan, so I thought that was a miss. Fish and especially fish sandwiches are a thing in Pittsburgh, so I have high expectations, and this may have been the best prepared fried fish I have had, but the lack of sauce hurt the effort. Finally, the chips. These are famous, and thy=ey were excellent. The best bite was the one with nothing on it. The "sauces" were all big misses. First was the curry sauce. Never understood this and never will, and I make curries at home at least once a week. Second, mushy peas with an overload of mint. Don't understand this choice, either, as there are so many herbs that would complement the chips and fish better. Third, pureed potatoes with salt and vinegar. This was very good, but why you'd want that on a chip is beyond me. Finally they had a spray bottle of onion flavored vinegar. This was pretty good, but lets face it, the Belgians have the correct answer to dipping chips and it is a fresh mayonnaise, preferably with garlic or some other infusion. And, being from the home of H. J. Heinz, plain old ketchup beats everything that was offered. This all, plus a beer came to around 150 quid, so for a Michelin experience, very reasonable! Overall, a good, if not great experience. As a bonus, it was only 25 minutes from the auto rental pickup at Heathrow. So wherever you are headed after arrival, this is a quick and easy detour. And Bray itself was very scenic and...

The Hind’s Head occupies a 15th-century former inn, imbued with rustic charm — low beams, dark timber, a real sense of history.

Walking through the front bar into the upstairs dining room, one senses that this is not casual pub dining alone but the kind of establishment where every detail counts.

The Food: Ambition, Technique, Tradition

The menu here blends proper British classic dishes with inventive touches — the type of cooking that honours the past while being alive to the present.

The house-signature “triple-cooked chips” show the kitchen’s diligence: crisp exterior, fluffy centre, beautifully seasoned. One diner described them as “possibly the best dessert I’ve ever eaten”

Starters like a chicken liver parfait with a brûléed top, or a snail hash on thin toast with caper berries and pistachio, present textural and flavour contrasts that go beyond everyday fare.

Mains keep things grounded yet elevated: think petit salé of duck with green coffee sauce, or roasts done with precision. The duck dish referenced was described as “meltingly tender … balanced between meaty, fatty richness and the sweet glaze” in a review for this establishment.

Desserts impress not by shouting, but by being thoughtfully conceived: warm chocolate fondants with orange gel and cocoa nibs, quaking puddings, historically-inspired takes.

What stands out is consistency — each dish arrives with assurance, technique and that “just right” feel. It doesn’t always chase spectacle, but it doesn’t need to.

Service & Atmosphere

The service is attentive without being intrusive. The building’s age gives the ambience a cosy, intimate feel rather than the polished shine of a modern fine-diner — and that’s part of the appeal. You feel you’re in a restaurant with history, staffed by people who take their craft seriously. That said, some reviews do mention that the menu is relatively short and the price high. But when judged not simply by numbers but by experience, the value makes sense.

My Verdict

This is one of the very best starred-pub experiences in the UK. It combines:

Strong technical cooking (in both familiar and slightly novel dishes) A setting rich in character Service that supports the food without overshadowing it

If I were scoring: Food: 9/10 — excellent execution, high consistency, memorable dishes. Service: 8.5/10 — very good, though in a few reviews there are minor adjustments. Ambience: 8/10 — rich in character, less flamboyant than some high‐end venues, but that is its charm. Overall: 8.5/10

If you’re looking for a meal that is both refined and rooted in hearty tradition, in a beautiful old pub in one of Britain’s great food villages — The Hind’s...