Last Updated on January 22, 2025
Top quality pub fare in a cosy corner of Oxfordshire
The Lamb Inn in Little Milton has stood in this quiet corner of Oxfordshire since the 15th century. Carefully restored in 2022 by Ben Moss, the Lamb Inn is a rising star in the Oxfordshire gastropub scene, awarded the title of ‘Best Upcoming Gastropub in Oxfordshire 2024’ by LuxLife Magazine, and boasting two AA Rosettes.
The kitchen is run by Nat Berney, formerly chef at Michelin-rated Le Manoir, and the menu is seasonal with ingredients provided by local suppliers. Hungry from a brisk November country walk in the nearby Chiltern Hills, we arrived on a Sunday afternoon keen to sample the Lamb Inn’s Sunday roast offering.
The recent restoration of the pub is very tasteful, maintaining the thatched roof and exposed stone charm of the old building, whilst adding modern comforts with soft furnishings and low lighting. Service was friendly and welcoming, and the Inn was bustling with a Sunday crowd.
The menu caters for a variety of pub classics, with some additional twists. The nibbles include pork scratchings as well as cajun spiced corn ribs and wood-fired Padron peppers, and battered hake is offered as a main as well as homemade butternut squash gnocchi. To start our meal, we enjoyed the chicken liver parfait with red onion and bacon jam, served with a grilled sourdough slice. The parfait is a striking purple colour delicately presented with an edible flower. It had a smooth texture and rich flavour, and the red onion and bacon jam was pleasingly sweet and crunchy. We noted the excellent quality of the sourdough bread served alongside, which was hearty with a light crumb.
The burnt leek wood-fired skewer with tahini dressing and leek crisps was another excellent selection from the starters section of the menu. The leek was soft and melted in the mouth, and the tahini dressing was rich and delicious.
The wine list at the Lamb Inn is focused on small growers from around the world, and those preferring beer can opt for an extensive selection of locally sourced ales. We enjoyed a glass of 2021 Primitivo della Puglia from Botromoagno, a delicious fruity wine with notes of dark berries.
For the main course, we proceeded on to the classic Sunday roast, offered at the Lamb Inn with a selection of meats – either beef sirloin, lamb rump or pork belly. Impressively a fish option is also included with monkfish tail. All roasts are served with sauteed carrots and parsnips, seasonal greens, rosemary roast potatoes, pork and herb stuffing ball, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.
We ordered one each of the beef sirloin and pork belly roasts and were duly very impressed. First of all, the portion sizes were very generous, leaving even the hungriest local hiker satisfied. The quality was also impressive. The meat was excellently prepared in a delicious jus, and the vegetables were buttery with the potatoes perfectly roasted. Crackling ran through the pork belly adding bursts of crunch, and the medium rare beef sirloin was juicy and tender. The Yorkshire pudding was a faithful, crispy rendition.
For dessert, we enjoyed the spiced apple choux with apple puree, white chocolate creméux and a chocolate caramel sauce. A layered cake, bursts of tart apple shone through with each bite and the cake itself was crisp and not too sweet.
The Lamb Inn is certainly deserving of its acclaim, in the small village of Little Milton it is worth a trip into this part of Oxfordshire to enjoy high-end British pub cuisine in comfortable surroundings, particularly cosy as the night draws in around Christmas time.
It’s worth noting that while we didn’t include a walk ourselves, there are some well-established hiking routes in the area too including a circular walk from the Post Office to Wells Farm and then to Ditchend Roman Villa before returning to Little Milton. So, if you’ve got time, why not earn your Sunday lunch with a walk!
The Lamb Inn
High Street,
Little Milton,
Oxford OX44 7PU
01844279527
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