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| The Fox and Hounds, ample outdoor seating |
I've been to the Fox and Hounds a few times and it is a must do day out for anyone on the west side of London who fancies a walk in the Royal Park and a visit to Savill Gardens. Even then the restaurant itself has enough merit to warrant a day trip out there alone but for me, I recommend staying close by at the Savill Court Hotel & Spa because it is very likely that you will end up wanting to stay and enjoy a few beverages, it's an easy walk down the road to the hotel - which is five minutes away, and there is a Spa to enjoy also. I would suggest, however, to do a mid week stay as the Hotel is popular with wedding parties in the weekends esp. during the summer months - the normally tranquil spa gets overrun by excited bridal parties donning slippers and gowns.
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| The Fox and Hounds, Horse Feed and Facilities |
You might find a distinct difference when you venture out of London to a place like Fox & Hounds or any of the pubs in this part of Windsor. You'll have a more relaxed time with a real sense of community. This is partly because the staff are usually local people who share a genuine friendliness. In addition to this, it is Polo Country, so you may find yourself dining alongside a South American polo player between the months of April to September. The Fox and Hounds is not only dog friendly, whether they intended or not, they are also horse friendly! It is not unusual for folk to literally (I use 'literally' as its original meaning) arrive on their horses, so the pub has provided an area especially for horses to be tied up, watered and feed - you see the carrots above are for the horses and loose hay feed is provided in the black baskets mounted to the wall.
Table 409 at The Fox and Hounds, Condiments for All
The Fox and Hounds have a very good formal restaurant but on this day we opted for a simple pub lunch after a trip to The Savill Gardens, a mere two minute drive away. We found ample seating in the front outdoor area of the establishment which is private and nicely sheltered. Tip: Don't be fooled by the pub's small appearance - there are extensive outdoor areas in the front of the pub, inside has a formal dining restaurant and there is another sizeable outdoor eating area at the back. All nicely presented with excellent facilities to boot.
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| Lunch time Fish and Chips, The Fox and Hounds |
They have a simple bar menu from which we selected a couple of small bites - crispy squid and whitebait, then a burger, fish n chips and a salmon sandwich. If you opt for the fancier indoor restaurant do note that it is pricey but the food is excellent and the restaurant chef uses local produce wherever possible. We found all of the food to be very tasty, the sauces served with the meals appeared to have been made by the pub - chilli sauce with the squid was good as was their tartar. There was one issue with the leafy green salad served with the sandwich, it was browning but everything else was fine. The fish was fresh and the squid was very good indeed, with an excellently soft texture and nice peppery seasoning in the batter. The burger pattie had a paprika/smoky flavour to it. It wasn't juicy but I thought the flavour tasted great.
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| Burger and Chips, Salmon Sandwich with Red Cabbage Coleslaw |
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| Crispy Squid had soft texture |
You'll need to be good at coming up with excuses to go back to Fox and Hounds because once you go, you'll be boomeranging back there time and time again. It is timeless and consistent, and part of the community with strong ties to The Guards Polo club - heck, with HRH Prince Philip as founder and president of the club, I doubt Fox & Hounds will be going anywhere, any time soon. So if you're ever in the area or fancy a day trip out of Richmond & Twickenham its a lovely place. I am forever thankful to the local who years ago suggested we try F&H while on a country roadside walk back from a pub nearby. I don't know how many folk know of it other than those in the polo, horsee, Windsor world and maybe the odd cyclist, but it's definitely a hidden gem.
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| Bar area and front seating, Fox and Hounds - Surrey |
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