Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Maidenhead
Hardens guides have spent 34 years compiling reviews of the best Maidenhead restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 84 restaurants in Maidenhead and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Maidenhead restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Maidenhead Restaurants
16.
Roux at Skindles
French restaurant in Taplow
Taplow Riverside, Mill Lane - SL6
Reporters “love this riverside, upmarket bistro which delivers a fabulous location, professional service and simple but well-cooked dishes”. Given its starry pedigree – it was relaunched as a Gallic restaurant by hospitality royalty Alain Roux and late father Michel Roux Sr in 2017 – and also given that it’s in a “well-heeled part of West London suburbia, it represents decent value” too (especially taking into account that it has “that elusive ingredient, the ‘feel-good’ factor”). (The site has an interesting history as one of the world’s top nightclubs in the 1970s, when folks like John and Yoko would party the night away).
17.
The Hind’s Head
British, Traditional restaurant in Bray
High Street - SL6
“Classics are made very very well (with a twist) in a comfortable proper pub environment” at Heston Blumenthal’s ‘other’ operation in Bray – a 15th-century tavern a short stroll from the Fat Duck ‘mothership’. Over the years, it has successfully avoided leaning too heavily on its celeb associations and if its renown has maybe waned a little over the years, appreciation for it has, if anything, grown as a “beautiful and charismatic venue” with “top-quality cuisine in a pub”. (“Who knows how much input Heston Blumenthal still has nowadays, but the dependable menu of imaginative takes on hearty traditional fare still hits the spot!”).
18.
The Fat Duck
British, Modern restaurant in Bray
High St - SL6
“More an experience than a meal out: an amazing trip with faultless service and a restaurant and kitchen running like clockwork” – that’s a convert’s take on Heston Blumenthal’s temple of bizarre molecular gastronomy, world famous for its outlandish culinary concoctions and wacky ideas (like listening to the sea on headphones as you eat seafood). Especially for a first-timer, it can seem “outstanding in all aspects”, and to be fair even many of its detractors do actually rate the kitchen’s creations here as outstanding. But that it delivers “gastronomic theatre rather than a meal out” leads to a view in some quarters that this is “a once-in-a-lifetime experience, rather than somewhere to return to” (and a reporter who did comment on a repeat visit found the second run lacked variety). Then there’s the perennial issue of the “outrageous” prices, which continue to be a major detractor for about one third of reporters and which foster a feeling among more sceptical diners that the whole schtick is a case of “emperor‘s new clothes” – (“at least paying in advance removes some of the shock of the astronomic cost”). Finally, the ambience of this converted pub is “difficult to score as the decor is minimalist and the room is dark”: it isn’t dire but it’s safe to say that it’s not a huge contributor to the event. None of the above is new, by the way – this is a similar review to the one featured in the guide for many of the last ten years… and the show marches on…
19.
Waterside Inn
French restaurant in Bray
Ferry Rd - SL6
“A masterpiece of impeccable food and service” – Alain Roux is doing a fine job of steering the Thames-side flagship of the Roux culinary dynasty, founded by his late father Michel in 1972. It is one of the top-10 most commented-on destinations outside London in our annual diners’ poll and ratings were off-the-charts good this year, with it delivering “everything you would expect from a three Michelin star restaurant”. “This is formal fine-dining at its best” (jackets must be worn and sportswear is not permitted), with staff who “manage to make your experience feel individual and very special”. Of course, there’s a “price tag to match”, but even those who complain on this score (and a fair number do) generally go on to say something along the lines of: “even though I wouldn’t say it was quite worth it, it is a superb destination, even if you actually only go once, or just once a year for that (very) special occasion”. (The late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary here). There is a tasting menu as well as the à la carte, but at heart this is utterly classic French cuisine, with dishes such as: ‘Tartare et queues de langoustines d’Ecosse, caviar osciètre, macédoine de légumes au raifort et émulsion à l’estragon’. Especially in summer, it’s “a lovely setting too”, with pre-dinner fizz out on the terrace. “Superlative every time”. “A real gastronomic experience”.
20.
The White Oak
British, Modern restaurant in Cookham
The Pound - SL6
2023 Review: “Good food at a fair price” was reported again this year at this well-regarded pub: part of a local group with siblings in Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield. In good weather you can eat on the terrace, or book an ‘Oak Pod’ which seats up to 6 people, and incorporate a heater.
View full listings of 84 Maidenhead Restaurants
Popular Maidenhead Restaurant Searches
Best British, Modern
in Maidenhead
Search
Best British, Traditional
in Maidenhead
Search
Best Indian
in Maidenhead
Search
Best French
in Maidenhead
Search
Maidenhead Restaurant News