Two michelin stars and deep fried pigs head
Chef Tom Kerridge hit the road running with the Hand & Flower - not only did it receive a Michelin star within a year of opening back in 2005, but it recently received a second star, making it the only pub in the country to do so. However, it's a little disingenuous to describe the Hand and Flowers as a pub, even a gastro pub. You won't find anyone propping up the bar with a pint and a packet of crisps. The cosy, heavily beamed interior is given over entirely to rustic candle-lit dining tables which you're best to book (even for midweek lunch) to guarantee your spot among the romantic couples lingering over their Michelin starred meal.
And linger you can't help but do. The building sits uncomfortably close to the side of one of the main roads exiting Marlow in Berkshire, but this quickly becomes forgotten once inside. The restaurant is so warm, the candle-light so relaxing, the leather banquettes so comfortable, the ceilings so cosily low and the staff so attentive, that it's hard not to find yourself hypnotised into a delicious stupor - and that's before the food even arrives. Read more....
