"Great Gastro Pubs with Rooms - There are six colourful bedrooms at this delightful vine-covered 17th century inn by the River Thames - David Williams the comedian called in during his mammoth river swim - just outside the Oxfordshire village of Bampton, The Trout, which recently won the AA's coveted pub of the year award, is in a lovely setting for a weekend of indulgence, with a cosy bar and an elegant restaurant. Starters include: chicken liver and duck foie gras, Hebridian scallops and chilli and coriander marinated squid. Mains include roasted partridge, steaks and rack of lamb"

"Riverside Hits - It might be too chilly for a waterside lunch in the garden or a picnic in their punt, but go inside and you'll find a cosy bar with log-burning stoves. Try roast partridge with caramelised baby pears straw potatoes and beetroot sauce"

Denise Barkley gives an overview of eating out in foodie Oxfordshire and picks out her top spots, The Trout at Tadpole Bridge maintains a fine reputation. Well deserved recognition for owners Gareth and Helen Pugh who have worked tirelessly since they bought the pub in 2006.

"A couple of miles south of Bampton,where Tadpole Bridge crosses the Thames stands the lovely Trout Inn, named by the AA as England's 2009 Pub of the Year. Doubling as a rural restaurant and an honest village local - with well-kept cask ales, including several Oxfordshire pints - this is a stand-out experience in every way, from the warm welcome and the superb setting to the courteous, efficient service. The food is classic English prepared with style: expect local pork, rack of lamb, saddle of wild rabbit and the like, as well as special Thursday "Sausage Club" menu, from venison to black pudding. Mains cost £11-19. The pub is also a member of the "Cotswolds Finest Hotels" group, offering six spacious rooms, decorated in contemporary style. Room prices go up at the weekend, when a two night minimum stay and half board are compulsory."

Fiona Stapley, editor of The Good Pub Guide nominated the pub and comments that we "offer contemporary food and have a lovely summer garden".

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"Located at Tadpole Bridge between the villages of Buckland and Bampton on the banks of the river Thames, the Trout Inn combines a 16th-century pub with all the trimmings: first rate restaurant, crisp modern bedrooms and a dreamy garden that slopes down to the riverside".

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"A peaceful location on the Thames adds to the charm of this historic free house." says Jackie Bates. It offers log fires, cask ales, riverside walks, berthing for six boats and a kitchen that makes use of the best local ingredients. Food is taken seriously, but not so much as to marginalize the drinker, as the locals coming in every night for the fine range of regional beers would undoubtedly affirm.

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We needed a night south of Oxford at short notice. Anything decent would do; we weren't searching for a near perfect place in a little known, idyllic location- but that's what we found.

Winning ingredients, in no particular order include lovely bedrooms that make you stop in surprise; a clutch of faithful regulars propping up the bar, the owner's young sons playing on the lawn or catching crayfish in the river before proudly handing their haul to the chef; great breakfasts in an elegant room; cheerful local staff.

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The setting - on the banks of the infant Thames - is straight out of Wind in the Willows. Since the arrival of Gareth and Helen Pugh in 2006 and the subsequent refurbishment of the restaurant and bedrooms this 17th Century inn now offers first - class food and accommodation.

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Good Pub Guide 
"Pub of the Year"