Hof's Bar and Dining — Restaurant in South Oxfordshire

Good food but pricey for what it is and, unfortunately, very poor service.

Firstly the good... The food was good, bordering on very good.

The Jacob's Ladder beef and Mozambique prawns were great but pricey at £29 each. The veggie board was half a butternut squash with some deep fried broccoli which is punchy for £25. The sausage board was good too but very simple: 3 sausages on a plate with sauerkraut. I think it should have come with some bread but it never arrived.

The ingredients appear to be high quality which helps to justify the price but it still feels a bit like bar food (sausages on a board) at restaurant prices. For context, we ate at the Crooked Billet recently (which is head and shoulders above Hof's in terms of quality and service) and the bill came to roughly the same!

What really lets Hof's down is the poor service. They were friendly enough (just) but from sitting down to getting the bill everything was so sloooow. It took just shy of 2 hours for us to eat a main course and a dessert. They then added a "discretionary" service charge of about 15% to the bill which I'd have paid, if the service had been worth it which is absolutely wasn't. Also, if it's discretionary, how about giving the customer the opportunity to add it while they're paying the bill vs having to ask to have it removed if they don't want to pay it?

Finally, the barman is the only person I've encountered who either doesn't know how or can't be bothered to pour a pint of Guinness properly. Glass under the tap, full on, right to the top in one go as if it were lager. The result was a poor pint with a thin head instead of a lovely creamy one. If he doesn't know how to pour a pint, he shouldn't be...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at How's Dining & Wines, and I must say it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, making it the perfect place for a relaxed and enjoyable evening.

The staff were incredibly helpful and attentive, ensuring that every aspect of our dining experience was perfect. They went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and well taken care of. A special mention must go to the owner, Christopher, who took the time to personally introduce us to their impressive selection of wines. His knowledge and passion for wine were truly impressive.

Christopher shared fascinating stories about the vineyard where they source their wines, adding a personal touch to our meal. It was clear that great care and attention go into selecting each bottle, and it really elevated our dining experience.

The food was outstanding, beautifully presented, and bursting with flavor. Each dish complemented the wines perfectly, making for a memorable culinary journey.

Overall, How's Dining & Wines is a gem that offers not just delicious food and excellent wine, but also a warm and inviting atmosphere. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a special dining experience, with the added bonus of learning more about wine from such a...

I cannot overstate how EXQUISITE the food was, just what I was hoping for. 🤩 OK, now for the rest... Service was... weird. We arrived before our friends and went straight to the table. When our friends arrived about 10 minutes later, the Manager (who had just seated us), offered to show them to a different area in the bar for a drink first! Strange. I don't know if something weird had happened last night, but our table was one of only 3 covers, so it was hardly busy. We had to remind staff to bring us water, our friend's first cocktail was missing the prosecco shot, and our food took forever to come out. We were offered bread while we waited, we said no thanks, but bread arrived a while later anyway, I think because they knew our starters were delayed. I would've preferred a quick "we're having some problems" explanation. I felt sorry for the young waiter, he was keen, but it kind of felt like he'd been given a notepad and told to get on with it. He didn't know how to pronounce some of the key dishes, and he didn't know what was in them. We had starters, mains & puddings, and it was ALL AMAZING. We weren't in a rush so it worked out. We're definitely going back. I'm just hoping service will smoother. I didn't get photos of the starters because we devoured them as soon as...