The Chequers, The Cotswolds
THE CHEQUERS: CHURCHILL, THE COTSWOLDS
06/03/15
By Beth
...WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT:
- For the lovely and cosy countryside pub atmosphere
- The medieval decor is very Instagram friendly
- A lunchtime visit means you can enjoy a pretty village walk afterwards
- To taste that cheese souffle
I was very excited to visited The Chequers pub recently, having visited two other establishments in the Lucky Onion group and loved them (The Wheatsheaf and No 131), and had high expectations for both the food and decor. Fortunately The Chequers didn’t disappoint.
Situated in the small Cotswolds village of Churchill, The Chequers was busy with both diners and drinkers on a Friday evening but we managed to get a cosy table for two in the bar for a pre-dinner drink. I ordered a large Pinot Grigio (£7), which came served in a small carafe, and my husband Steve ordered a pint of local Cotswold Lager (£3.40). We also enjoyed a small plate of carved meat with salted almonds, which was a delicious accompaniment to our drinks.
Our table for dinner was situated in the pub’s dining room, at the back of the building, and the room had a medieval feel with dark colourings, high beamed ceilings, lantern style glass lamps and walls filled with books and plaques. We were seated at a cosy table for two by the staircase and the table was actually a vintage poker table with a soft green top!
We were given the menu to peruse and Steve knew what to order for starter as soon as he saw it - the Twice baked Cheddar Souffle with Spinach & Grain Mustard (£7), as he’d eaten this at The Wheatsheaf pub last year and still talks about how good it was! I decided on a lighter option and chose the Asian style Duck with Watercress, Pickled Carrots, Soy & Sesame (£8). The soufflé came as expected with a fluffy and light texture and a rich cheesy sauce and perhaps exceeded expectations as Steve knew it was good but had forgotten just how amazing it tasted! The duck salad was delicious with subtle but flavoursome asian flavours and the crunchy carrots and peppery watercress worked well with the duck, which was fantastic and almost like pulled pork in texture.
For main course, one of the specials caught my eye and I ordered Fillet of Turbot with Puy Lentils and Salsa Verde (£18) with a side of Carrots (£4). Steve decided on an 8oz Flat Iron Steak (£16), which came with Duck Fat French Fries, Watercress and Tomato and he chose a Chimichurri sauce on the side (£2). The turbot was perfectly cooked and the hearty lentils and flavour-packed salsa verde worked really well with the fish. The steak was a good sized portion and came with really crisp yet fluffy chips and a nicely spiced Chimichurri. The steak was slightly more rare than medium but it was of a really good quality and a tasty piece of meat.
There were lots of tempting dishes for pudding but after much deliberation i decided on the Banoffee Pot and Steve chose French Toast with Rhubarb and Creme Fraiche (both £6). The Banoffee Pot was HUGE and I wished I could have finished it all as it was a heavenly pot of buttery biscuit, vanilla cream, smooth banana and sweet, creamy caramel that tasted divine! The french toast worked well with the rhubarb and creme fraiche and what we thought could be a heavy dish, was actually quite light.
To finish, we decided to order a couple of cocktails and a lady from the bar came over to ask us what flavours we liked, then created a bespoke cocktail for each of us. The cocktails arrived in pretty glasses with Steve’s tasting similar to a Whisky Sour and mine, a peach infused Gin cocktail, that was both bitter and sweet and really delicious.
We had a great time at The Chequers. The staff, especially front of house manager Peter, were friendly and helpful, the atmosphere was fun, the food and drinks were delicious and it was all experienced in thoughtfully detailed and cosy surroundings. The Lucky Onion definitely have another gem in The Chequers.
Dotty Dishes was a guest of The Chequers.
The Chequers, Church Road, Churchill, Oxfordshire, OX7 6NJ.
