The Golden Ball — Restaurant in South Oxfordshire

My wife and I enjoyed a superb three course lunch yesterday, our first visit to the Golden Ball. There’s an excellent value 2 and 3 course set menu option (£20/25 respectively) as well as a-la-carte (starters c£10, mains c£25-30, desserts c£9) and a well balanced, fair value wine menu. They’re a small team at the moment so cover numbers are limited, but service is friendly, welcoming and not compromised. The food is delicious, clearly prepared with care and a joy in using excellent produce in creative ways. My wife enjoyed the aubergine, venison and rhubarb (all of which looked tantalising and she said were delicious), whilst I chose Tandoori Quail, Duck with blood orange and Baked Alaska with figs. Every dish was superb, full of flavour and textures, clearly created by a skilled hand. Very reasonably priced for the quality, we’ll...

An exceptional fine dining experience with the best roast dinner I've had in Henley and in England. The meal started with outstanding bread and garlic butter, beautifully complemented by sparkling wine and a well-curated selection of wines. The cosy and relaxed atmosphere added to the charm.

Customer service was decent overall. The Indian-British lady provided excellent service 5/5, demonstrating professionalism and attentiveness.

However, the younger staff members were less polished 2/5 — not very effective at solving even the smallest issues, a bit clumsy, and often seen on their phones, chatting and socializing among themselves while their clients needed service. While this is somewhat understandable due to their lack of experience, it did affect the overall service quality when we first arrived. It felt chaotic until we...

Entrepreneurship at its finest! What a little gem this place is. It is worth every one of the five stars I’ve given it. Everything from the food to the ambience was superb.

The staff were friendly and diligent; the food was outstanding with some really interesting Indian / Asian takes on modern British classics; the pricing was fair and (considering the quality) represented excellent value for money; and the loos were 5*!

It’s the little details combined that make for a pleasant experience and this place just nails it. So kudos to the owners and the staff for creating an atmosphere and dining experience that you’d be hard pressed to find outside of Michelin starred restaurants three times the price.

So the next time we’re in Henley for a trail run, we’ll be back...