Where To Find A Gastro-Pub In A Village Dating Back To The Norman Domesday Book: Yattendon Royal Oak Pub - Eton Mess

The Royal Oak Pub., Yattendon, Berkshire. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Historic pubs are found on the squares of many cities and town and villages in the UK. Here's one which combines the amusement of the old world with the cleanliness and comfort of the new. The Royal Oak pub restaurant at Yattendon in Buckinghamshire. An easy drive from London, along the M4 and down a winding road through trees reminding you of how William The Conqueror, the Norman conqueror, whose troops famously killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings (commemorated in the Bayeux tapestry), then planted the forest. 

On the doorway of the pub-restaurant-hotel is a plaque mentioning the anniversary of the compilation of William's Domesday book. 

The green heritage plaque is on many buildings in the south of England. William ordered the compilation of the Domesday book to find out the number of his subjects and how much tax he could collect to run his new administration. 

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

From the Normans came many French words used on French menus. Restaurant, menu, hors d'ouvres, dessert. Also we see many words derived from French on English menus, such as steak, from bifsteak, and beef from boeuf meaning cow. The menu here includes steak.

Starter

You had the options of having some of the starter selections as main courses, larger portions I presume, at higher prices. My husband chose the shellfish starter as a main course. I went without the starter in order to leave room for dessert. 

(Despite still occasionally eating out, I have slimmed down from 70 kilos to 50 over a year since Covid-19 because the two main factors making you vulnerable are weight and age and I could not reduce my age but I could reduce my weight.

Main courses

 My main course was chicken. A large portion. I would have preferred less chicken and more vegetables. Pizzas for one person were large enough to share. 

The nice pub meal would satisfy most people. My group was happy. (I was in a group of 12, a reunion of pupils from a co-education Grammar School.) The pizzas were fine for modern tastes.

Traditional dessert dish, Eton mess, was reminiscent of the old days. 

Dessert - Eton Mess

However, our meal ended with a very British traditional dish, Eton mess. This dish is named after the town famous for the Eton school, across the bridge from Windsor which is dominated by Windsor Castle. The Eton Mess ingredients are colourful. 

Cropped from a larger group photo.

The mixture consists of crushed white meringue contrasting with bright red strawberries. Usually with cream on the top. Fattening and sugary! Yummy. But where are the strawberries? Some of the strawberries might sink to the bottom.

Meringue is made from egg white and sugar. Yes, sugar. 

Almond Tart

If you are watching your weight or diet, you might prefer what I and the staff suggest, the almond tart with fruit. The ice cream was mango flavour.

Ambience

The main restaurant is a modern extension at the back, large and airy with an artificial tree in the middle under a sunlit skylight. The garden at the back is extensive with small shaped trees and smart garden furniture, arm chairs at proper tables, no perching round-shouldered on planks.

The toilets are modern with hand gel and moisturizer.

I liked our private dining room. 

Private dining room. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Another separate room had a screen for presentations.

Yattendon Village, showing the Royal Oak pub,and the old style bus shelter on the traffic island in front. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I could not find any details of a bus route. 

The back road from the M4 to Yatterdon, driving down from London. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Another plus point. Easy free parking. You could even park outside, on a midweek lunch time. Two of our group stayed overnight.

Also to see in the area:

West Berkshire Brewery shop and an old red post box painted Yatterdon Green. Photo by Graham Horn in Wikimedia.

On the way back to London, we passed Kew Gardens, and Kew is the area where the original of the Domesday book is kept. Crossing over Kew Bridge we were back in London in time to eat an early supper (of leftover chicken from my lunch at The Royal Oak pub).

(More photos shortly.)

Useful Website

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Domesday_Project

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Reading-England/Yattendon

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

https://royaloakyattendon.co.uk/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g9602275-d9747409-Reviews-The_Royal_Oak-Yattendon_Berkshire_England.html

https://guide.michelin.com/en/west-berkshire/yattendon/restaurant/royal-oak189742