Rob Rees gets out out on The Ridgeway footpath and enjoys quality cooking and a warm welcome at The Greyhound At Letcombe Regis.
The Greyhound at Letcombe Regis is the village inn done right. Beneath a wide downland sky, it has cultivated an authenticity that feels effortless, turning heritage, hospitality and location into something quietly special. Step through the door and you’re submerged in its calm before you’ve even found your seat.
This is a pub that is universally loved and respected. It serves locals, tempts food lovers from farther afield, offers walkers a resting place and is the beating heart of the village. Awards have started to pile up – 2 AA Rosettes and an entry in the Good Food Guide, “Best Destination Pub” from Muddy Stilettos and “Country Pub of the Year” from CAMRA’s local branch.
Letcombe Regis itself is a cosy downland village of fewer than 600 people, tucked beneath the Berkshire Downs. Its roots reach deep: from the Domesday Book to the Iron Age hill fort on its parish ridge, with the ancient Ridgeway path still threading across its fields. The Greyhound’s recent story is one of thoughtful revival. In 2015, Martyn Reed and Catriona Galbraith bought the pub and restored it with charm and restraint. Inside, it’s warm and earthy – less your overhyped, staged Cotswolds gastropub, more beautifully lived-in comfort.
If a country inn is judged by the warmth of its welcome and the intelligence of its kitchen, then the Greyhound is a thoroughbred. Half an hour from Oxford, sitting beneath the ancient Ridgeway drovers path, this red-brick pub has mastered the art that all great rural hostelries know if they are going to prosper: a door that swings open equally for locals, walkers and foodies. Fireside in winter, garden in summer – you come for the atmosphere and stay for food that is confident, generous and rooted in quality.
The tone is set by Catriona herself and by front-of-house lead James Cameron, who runs the dining room with a nonchalant ease. Staff are local and long-serving. Service here is calm but precise. Plates appear, glasses are filled, staff smile and the low hum of conversation builds into its own sociable endorsement.
For the best value options, there is a fixed price ‘Lunch for Less’ Menu available from Monday to Friday from noon to 2.30pm. The menu includes two courses for £26; three courses for £32 and includes a decent selection of starters, mains and desserts.
The “Midweek Fix” has become a minor institution in these parts. Two courses for £22 on a Wednesday evening might sound like a bargain, but it’s more than that: a rhythm of village life. The menu shifts weekly, there’s always a well-priced house wine, and the dining room is full with those who know this secret.
I’ve visited about half a dozen times now but I specifically came for Thursday “Steak Night” and the cooking of new head chef John Harrison. His food is modern British at heart: bold flavours from simple ingredients, guided by the likes of Marco Pierre White and the late Gary Rhodes. Seasonal produce anchors every plate, with responsibly sourced fish and seafood from Flying Fish, and meat from trusted butchers Vicars Game. Local growers and suppliers play their part, while foraging from the nearby downs and the kitchen garden adds a wild, seasonal accent.
Harrison’s background is formidable. Classically trained, he has worked in fine dining kitchens including Paul Heathcote’s Michelin-starred Longridge and Marco Pierre White’s Oxford pub group. As Head Chef at Newbury’s Manor House Hotel, he helped secure its second AA Rosette. His style here is ambitious but grounded, inventive without pretension, bringing craft and confidence to a country inn kitchen.
We earned our steak supper the old-fashioned way – with a walk along the Ridgeway, that chalk-white thread of ancient road and Britain’s first National Trail. Parking where tarmac gives way to track, we set out across the downs, the Vale of the White Horse falling away below us towards the Devil’s Punchbowl. By the time we returned, wind-swept, sun-burnt and thirsty, the Greyhound’s walled garden was waiting: chairs in the early evening light, a pot of tea, and the sense of having stepped into a rhythm both timeless and welcoming.
Dinner kicked off with Hampshire watercress soup topped with a Jersey Royal & chive dumpling (£9) and chalk stream trout tortellini, butterbean purée, seaweed butter and crispy capers (£12), illustrating Chef Harrison’s adventurous cooking style.
The steaks (28 day dry aged from Vicar’s Game) did not disappoint – cooked medium-rare and served in the classic way with hand-cut chips, confit tomato, honey roasted onion, watercress salad and a choice of sauce: peppercorn ~ Oxford Blue cheese ~ garlic butter ~ Café de Paris butter. Both the 6oz fillet (£38) and the 8oz ribeye (£34) were pure perfection, matched with a glass of El Cortador Argentine Malbec in the price.
Puddings were just as divine – a deconstructed vanilla & lime macerated strawberry Eton Mess (£10) and a fresh take on the pub classic – a black treacle & stem ginger sticky toffee pudding, draped in butterscotch sauce with candied pecans and vanilla ice cream (£10).
If you’ve the time, maybe stay over. The AA award-winning breakfast is excellent and there are some decent value, two-night autumnal deals for couples. Relax into one of the eight tastefully decorated bedrooms – muted, modern country cottage style complete with wonky beams and Roberts radios, all reached via higgledy-piggledy back stairs. Each of the eight rooms is named after the area’s geography – monikers such as Lambourn, Oxford, Uffington and Ridgeway capture the country inn vibe perfectly.
The wine list is extensive and the well-kept real ales change every week. You don’t want to have to worry about driving. They’ll even order up the printed daily paper of your choice for breakfast – a pleasant treat from a bygone era. French toast, eggs ‘any which way’ and the famed cooked breakfast await. Eggs are from Cackleberry Farm with pork from Brampton’s Patrick Strainge Butchers.
The Greyhound’s magic lies in balance. It doesn’t chase trends, nor does it trade on nostalgia. Instead it weaves heritage with modern cooking, village life with destination dining. It feels deeply rooted and a place where the welcome is heartfelt, the food is top quality and the warm sense of belonging comes as naturally as the views and historic downs around the Ridgeway. You can soon escape the madness of modern life – it’s about 90 minutes from West London by car or train / taxi. Check the website for short stay offers and recommended walks.
Tell Me More About The Greyhound At Letcombe Regis
The Greyhound Inn, Main Street, Letcombe Regis, Wantage Oxfordshire OX12 9JL
T: 01235 771969 E: info@thegreyhoundletcombe.co.uk
Stay 2 nights or more for à la carte Dinner, B&B from £170 per night, two adults sharing. Rates vary by room type. From 15th September to 30th November 2025.
Nearest rail station is Didcot.
