The Lion at Wendlebury
By Leila Stocker. Leila is the Founder of Turtle PR, the award-winning, London-based agency, creating fresh PR solutions for travel and lifestyle clients. A keen skier and beach lover, Leila never wants to stop exploring.
The Lion is a smart Oxfordshire gastropub just five minutes’ drive from the upscale mall Bicester Village, with its designer outposts. A quaint yet luxurious country pub, The Lion offers a laid-back ambience, due to its country-chic dining spaces and traditional bar, complete with beamed fire and cosy spots to relax in.
The night we visited the pub was lively with a warm and friendly atmosphere. We began the evening with fishbowls of pink gin, paired with upmarket tonics to whet our appetites. After enjoying the bar’s merry Friday night banter, my other half and I ambled into the sophisticated yet quirkily-designed dining room.
The night we visited the pub was lively with a warm and friendly atmosphere. We began the evening with fishbowls of pink gin, paired with upmarket tonics to whet our appetites. After enjoying the bar’s merry Friday night banter, my other half and I ambled into the sophisticated yet quirkily-designed dining room.
Our starters of smoked ham hock and pea terrine and pan-roasted Atlantic scallops with pea velouté, pancetta crisp and green herb oil were both to die for.
For the main, we shared their signature Chateaubriand with creamed spinach and truffle fries. The waiter was keen to explain how the premium steak gained its famed name – a tall tale worth googling, if you are a steak-lover yourself.
Pudding was a cocktail, as it was the weekend. We ordered white Russians – mixed expertly by The Lion’s own mixologist.
After dinner we retired to our deluxe suite at the pub, which overlooked the gardens and brook. The room’s muted grey colour scheme exuded a calm luxury, brought together by pure Egyptian cotton sheets, upscale bath products and the obligatory Nespresso machine, which all helped us enjoy the overnight stay a little more.
Rooms at The Lion at Wendlebury start from £110 per room per night, based on two sharing on a B&B basis. Find flights to Birmingham or London, with travel search site Cheapflights.co.uk.
For the main, we shared their signature Chateaubriand with creamed spinach and truffle fries. The waiter was keen to explain how the premium steak gained its famed name – a tall tale worth googling, if you are a steak-lover yourself.
Pudding was a cocktail, as it was the weekend. We ordered white Russians – mixed expertly by The Lion’s own mixologist.
After dinner we retired to our deluxe suite at the pub, which overlooked the gardens and brook. The room’s muted grey colour scheme exuded a calm luxury, brought together by pure Egyptian cotton sheets, upscale bath products and the obligatory Nespresso machine, which all helped us enjoy the overnight stay a little more.
Rooms at The Lion at Wendlebury start from £110 per room per night, based on two sharing on a B&B basis. Find flights to Birmingham or London, with travel search site Cheapflights.co.uk.