Lunching at The Bell Inn, Langford | Oxfordshire

Ok so this meal at the Bell Inn, Langford was rather a long time ago now. But I felt like I had to share this anyway, especially as I had already drafted most of the post!

The Bell Inn, Langford is just the cosiest pub with the most amazing locally sourced offerings on the menu. I’ll share what we ate one summery lunchtime, but the menu is seasonal and changes often so it’s best just to see what they have on the day. Now I’ve finished this post I’m hoping that Dr W and I can visit again soon so I can try from their autumn/winter menu. Especially as they like to feature local game on the menu at this time of year.

Starters

Recently I have gained a real appreciation of goat’s cheese, from smoked to aged to super super soft. Therefore, the Braised Spinach and Goat’s Curd starter was instantly my choice here. Creamy goat’s curd with beautifully seasoned spinach, it was delicious. The tartness goat’s curd was balanced impeccably by the flavour of the spinach. I wasn’t drinking on the day we visited, but a dry white would’ve worked well here as a pairing.

Because Dr W and I are snafflers, we also ordered the Salt Pig Speck and Pickles to share. There’s not a lot to say here other than the speck was like nothing I’ve had before. The pickles cut through the fatty speck perfectly, with a beer and maybe a slice of bread too, this would be the perfect bar snack!

Mains

Usually we try and order two different dishes and share, but we both couldn’t resist the Chicken Milanese in this case. Tender breaded chicken breast, with a heavy dose of parmesan. I couldn’t resist! I also couldn’t resist fries on the side… it was a pub lunch after all! The dish was hearty and delicious, the table fell silent whilst we ate, which is obviously a good sign.

Dessert

As it was quite a humid day, I didn’t jump for Sticky Toffee Pud like I normally would. Instead I picked the Vanilla Panna Cotta. This was served with super sweet summer strawberries and a strawberry syrup. The Panna Cotta itself had just the right amount of wobble. Dr W also went for something different to usual, the Pear and Almond Tart. This was served with a healthy helping of vanilla ice cream too.

Overall

The Bell Inn, Langford was just the loveliest place for a Saturday pub lunch. It was the perfect lunch for celebrating having recently accepting a new job and birthdays missed thanks to lockdown. Do be mindful to book well ahead though, they do get very busy at weekends and I know why!