The Royal Oak Paley Street

The whitewashed Royal Oak, tucked away down a winding road, is rather more than your everyday country pub, although with real ale on the hand-pumps, beams on the ceilings, slate on the floor and fire in the hearth, it still has bags of country charm. The black-and-white portrait photographs of Mohammad Ali and various other well-known faces confirm this is indeed the 'Parky' pub, run by Nick, son of Sir Michael, where chef Dominic Chapman is serving up food of verve and class. There is a lack of pretension throughout but professionalism abounds, and attention to detail ensures everything runs smoothly. The menu has a certain rustic Britishness about it, with seasonal and local produce figuring large, achieving the holy grail of earthy refinement. Take a first course sautéed calves' sweetbreads, for example, served in a classic combination with bacon, peas, lettuce and mint, which is a dish of real heart and soul. If you fancy a pie, how about West Country brown hare and trotter? Peppered haunch of Denham venison is a beautiful piece of meat, cooked perfectly, served with creamed spinach and sauce poivrade, and for dessert, William pear tart with vanilla ice cream shows off terrific technical skills. The wine list does justice to the high quality food on offer.