The Double Red Duke is a beautiful, 17th Century coaching inn nestled in the Cotswold village of Clanfield, close to Oxford.
Kelmscott Manor, the home of William Morris, is about four miles away and the River Thames is easy to reach. Bampton, home to Downton Abbey, is right on the doorstep.
The pub is owned by Sam and Georgie Perman, who previously ran the Lucky Onion hotel group. It was in 2017 that they left the group and set up their new company called Country Creatures.
The pub boasts cosy log fires, good food using local produce, and a garden with terrace for al fresco dining. There are also 19 elegant and comfortable en-suite bedrooms, with free Wi-Fi.
Food is a big priority for the venue with chefs cooking on an open fire in the centre of the dining room. The pub seeks out the best suppliers, and has many that it has worked with for many years. Menus change with the seasons and there are daily specials.
Dishes on the menu include small plates such as apple glazed bacon ribs, fennel slaw, duck liver parfait, cranberry, rye brioche while large plates include haunch of venison, beetroot, pickled blackberries and grilled sea bass, pistachio romesco. It has not forgot its role as a pub with its pub grub menu including favourites such as fish & chips and cheeseburger.
Reviews of the venue have been glowing. Food critic Jay Rayner said the simple menu “barely hints at the glories of the food on your plate. It’s a class act.”
The Double Red Duke has been featured in the Good Food Guide and is a Cesar winner of the Good Hotel Guide 2023. The Telegraph listed The Double Red Duke as one of the best restaurants to visit outside London in 2021 while Sawdays calls it “An immaculately restored old inn with generous bedrooms.”
