5 July 2026, Silverstone: from cosy pubs to French bistro fare

Perched above Regent Street in the heart of London’s West End, Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal offers one of the city’s most refined dining experiences. Francophile chef Dilling has learnt from the best under French masterchefs Alain Ducasse and Hélène Darroze and brings an unrelenting eye for detail to this two-Michelin-star restaurant, with zero compromise on ingredient quality. Dishes like a signature hunter chicken and a neatly presented pâté de campagne of Iberico pork shoulder and foie gras are a reminder of the pure joy of indulgence that this kind of restaurant experience can offer.  

 _{All photos: Justin De Souza} 

Lita is a neighbourhood restaurant at heart, albeit with a Michelin star in London’s well-heeled Marylebone. New Culinary Director Kostas Papathanasiou brings a wealth of experience from restaurants like The Fat Duck and The Ledbury to live-fire-focused, Mediterranean-leaning Lita, where a meal can kick off with a series of rösti snacks topped with exemplary British seafood, before more serious plates arrive and the kitchen really starts to show off. Do not miss the grilled Orkney scallop with pumpkin, and lobster sauce, a standout dish that will make you feel like you’re discovering this wonderful ingredient anew. 

_{Photo credit: Jess Ellis}

This relaxed French bistro in Oxford’s upmarket Summertown neighbourhood hits just the right note for a long lunch or cosy dinner. Run by husband and wife duo Pascal and Laura Wiedemann (pictured), there’s a homely and welcoming feel to Pompette, named after the French word for tipsy. Dishes are pure comfort food, think steak and moules frites, fish soup, soufflé and canelés, while prix fixe menus up the authenticity. They know their wine too and have even crafted their own range of red and white Bordeaux, available to quaff in the restaurant. A daily apéro hour between 5 and 6pm will ease you into the evening with drinks and snacks – a little taste of what they do, whether you’re staying for dinner or moving on. 

_{All photos: Ed Schofield}

The Bull, in the pretty Cotswolds town of Charlbury, is a renovated 16th-century pub with rooms, with a strong farm-to-fork ethos, buckets of character and plenty of outdoor space for warmer days. Much of the pub’s produce comes from its own market garden, with a menu leaning live fire and robust, seasonal and British – think joyous bread and butter, sweet, flame-kissed vegetables, hunks of meat and oozy pies. They offer breakfast too, even if you’re just passing through. The best thing about a big, stuff yourself until you can’t eat any more lunch at The Bull? A stroll around Charlbury afterwards to walk it off, taking in the fresh Cotswolds air.