There’s something faintly fairytale-ish about The Dew Drop Inn, right down to the address. Honey Lane, Pudding Hill — which scriptwriter dreamt up that? It is Hollywood picturesque; not for nothing is it known as “the little pub in the woods”.
Despite this, it is not far from London, Maidenhead being 20-odd minutes from Paddington and the inn only a short taxi ride after that. But it offers tranquillity of the transportive kind.
Perfectly mad chef Simon Bonwick’s departure is a loss — his understated style has been replaced by something showier — but food remains good; crayfish and clam tagliatelle, scented with garlic and rosemary and chilli, is particularly appealing, and each week there’s a different homemade sausage.
In summer, the place with its languid lawn is at its best, but wrap up warm now to sit in crisp wintery air with pints of impressively well-kept beer. Beware though, of Boxing Day, when Morris dancers are threatened.
Honey Lane, Pudding Hill, Hurley, Berkshire; dewdrophurley.co.uk
