Nut Tree Inn

Last Updated on December 10, 2025

Michelin-star dining in an Oxfordshire country pub

4.5 out of 5.0 stars

Michelin-starred pubs are relatively rare in the UK. There are around 20. What I enjoy most about those I have visited is the relaxed atmosphere. These are local pubs, and while the food is serious business, the service is welcoming and friendly in a way that feels more down-to-earth than in some starred restaurants. Invited to a midweek review of the tasting menu at Nut Tree Inn, located in an Oxfordshire village, I consulted Google Maps and reckoned I could leave London after work and arrive in time for dinner. Needless to say, the M25 was slow, the night was icy, and once on the rural backroads towards Murcott, the freezing fog and rain resulted in a few wrong turns. We arrived late, and I was frazzled, cold, and tired. The warmest of welcomes revived my spirits, and by the time we left, many hours later, we had not only eaten a capacious meal, but had chatted about life with the young barman, and been shown around the kitchen by Michelin-starred chef, Mike North.

The Nut Tree Inn is a local village pub, and while clearly popular for a drink, it is also a destination restaurant for those of us who are not fortunate enough to call it our local. The pub was bought in 2006 by chef Mike North and his wife, Imogen, who live next door with their family. Two years after they took over the pub, it was awarded a Michelin star – along with 3 AA rosettes – which it has retained ever since 2008.

The Nut Tree Inn is housed in a mid-15th-century thatched building. Being dark and wet outdoors, I only got a glimpse of the pub garden, but I can report that it is large and must be rather lovely on a warm summer’s day. There is also a vegetable garden I will have to return to see. Indoors, it is a perfect venue for a cold winter’s night – stone walls, wooden beams, a wood-burning fire, low lighting and soft background music. For those popping in for a drink, alongside the bar is a most inviting snug.

The tables were laid with white linen. A small bowl of popcorn awaited us and was most welcome while we perused the menu. There was also a gorgeous wooden salt and pepper tray and a pat of Ampersand butter, which hinted at good things to come.

The well-crafted tasting menu was new for December and was accompanied by a wine flight (five glasses at £65 for the Classic Flight and £125 for the Prestige Flight). We each chose one glass from the list rather than working our way through the whole selection. Pouilly-Fuissé, L’Ame, Eric Forest, Burgundy 2023 was fruity on the nose with well-balanced acidity and minerality. Bodegas D. Mateos, Rioja Crianza, 2021 had notes of dark fruits and was enjoyed by my husband, who prefers a dry red wine.

Once we had our drinks in hand, we were offered bread from an impressive selection. Baked in-house at the Nut Tree Inn, this was a generous offering of breads, beautifully displayed. I chose a slice of walnut and raisin bread and another of rosemary focaccia, while my husband tried the sourdough. There were also baguettes and granary rolls on offer. An excellent start for those of us who love well-made bread. If left alone with the basket, I could have made a satisfying meal of bread and butter.

An amuse-bouche was served in a small cup and saucer. A seasonal parsnip soup was topped with a milk foam, curry oil, croutons and chives. It was hot and delicious. It reminded me of why I enjoy fine dining. It is not that the dish itself is necessarily unusual – I regularly make parsnip soup – it is what a Michelin-starred chef has done with it that takes it up so many notches. This soup was a pleasure to eat and set me to wondering how I could attempt a curry oil at home.

The starter course was parfait of chicken livers served with Sauternes jelly, brown sugar onion chutney, and a slice of toasted brioche. The quenelle of silkiest parfait sported a wafer-thin fragment of chicken skin that added crunch, the delicious chutney cut through the richness, while the Sauternes jelly added sweetness. The parfait had a wonderful mouthfeel, satisfyingly rich and indulgent.

Fillet of Cornish Sea Bass (line caught) was artistically composed with contrasting hues of greens and pops of yellow and white. A perfectly cooked fillet of seabass, with a lovely crisp skin, was accompanied by a scallop boudin topped with Oscietra caviar. These were perched on a velvety vermouth sauce along with tiny cubes of green and yellow courgette, thin slices of spring onion, adding crunch and colour, as well as an emerald green herb puree and a small seaweed tapioca crisp cracker. This was a most luxurious plate with many components that fused into a well-balanced and thoughtful dish.

Loin of venison was served on a Jerusalem artichoke puree with wild mushrooms, seared duck liver, black winter truffle and a Madeira sauce. The venison was served medium rare, tender, pink, and gamey. The wild mushrooms brought silkiness to the dish as well as umami flavour, which was further enhanced by the black truffle shavings. The Madeira sauce was really fabulous – deeply meaty and flavoursome, one of those sauces that makes you want to lick your plate clean. I eat red meat rarely, but when I happen upon a plate this good, I am very pleased that I still do on occasion.

A pre-dessert was called chocolate egg – an egg cup with a real egg shell was presented, filled with layers of salted caramel, chocolate mousse, praline crème, topped with popping candy. I found this to be overly sweet, especially since there was further caramel in the dessert to come.

Dessert was prune and Armagnac soufflé served with a quenelle of bitter caramel ice cream. The soufflé looked most impressive, standing proud and tall. It was gossamer light and packed a boozy punch. I liked the bitter touch in the ice cream, which balanced the sweetness of the caramel. The ice cream swooned into the soft soufflé, where it melted around the edges.

The tasting menu at the Nut Tree Inn has the option of a cheese course with a supplement of £25. Having already eaten so well, we simply had to sample the cheese selection and asked to share a plate. Five cheeses were brought to the table on an attractive wooden tray, each under a glass cloche. They were introduced to us by name before being taken away for plating.

The selection at The Nut Tree Inn changes according to season and ripeness. They were served with apple slices, grapes, celery, hazelnuts, quince paste and a chutney, along with crisp breads. We had Elrick Log –  a pungent goat’s cheese rolled in ash, from Lanock in Scotland; Cashel Blue from southern Ireland;  the hard cheese was Witheridge from the local Nettlebed Creamery (the only English cheese to be aged in hay) which has both sweet and umami notes; Tallegio from Milan; and the washed rind cheese was Langres from the Champagne region. I would happily transport the collection to my own cheese board for Christmas Day.

Service was well-paced, with well-trained and knowledgeable staff. The Nut Tree Inn offers both a seasonal tasting menu and a pub classics menu. The former is terrific value at £95 for lunch and £115 for dinner. Londoners, weep with envy, or make your way up the motorway.

The Nut Tree Inn is open Tuesday – Saturday 12 – 11 pm, Sundays 11.30 am – 6 pm, closed Mondays.

Nut Tree Inn,
Main St,
Murcott,
Kidlington,
OX5 2 RE

Telephone: 01865 331253

Where to stay if you are visiting the Nut Tree Inn

We were invited to stay overnight at a most unique location, a 15-minute drive from Nut Tree Inn. The Windmill Blackthorn Hill is a beautifully restored 17th-century windmill, a labour of love by the owners, who have decorated it tastefully. It has two double bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a sky lounge on the top floor with 360-degree views over the surrounding countryside.

I am not a naturally early riser, but  I was advised to set my alarm for sunrise, which was stunning, viewed from the sky lounge windows. The Windmill is one of the most unusual places I have stayed, and I wish I could have spent a few days there. It is located a five-minute drive from Bicester Village, and not far from Blenheim Palace and Waddesdon Manor. You can easily access Oxford. If you are in the area for a meal at Nut Tree Inn or some shopping at Bicester Village, make a night of it and book yourself in at The Windmill.

The Windmill, Blackthorn Hill, Oxon OX25 1TJ

Telephone: 07973 202313

Looking for something closer to London? Check our review of the Harwood Arms – another Michelin-starred pub, this time in Fulham.