A TRUSTED guide to the best places to eat in the UK has recommended 25 Oxfordshire pubs and restaurants. 

The Good Food Guide 2020 by Waitrose & Partners will be published tomorrow, featuring 1,200 establishments that have met its high standards.

Of the overall top 50 restaurants, one in Oxfordshire made the cut - Orwells near Henley, coming in at number 28. 

ALSO READ: Fire safety campaign targets restaurants and takeaways

New entries for the county this year were The Eagle Tavern near Faringdon, Pompette in Summertown, the The Lamb in Crawley, The Bell Inn near Burford, The King's Head in Bledington and Delhish in Bicester.

  • Scroll down for the full Oxfordshire list

Jaya Patel, who runs the latter, said she was pleased her risk of opening the vegan restaurant in December had paid off.

Oxford Mail:

Jaya Patel

Ms Patel, who lives in Cumnor, said: "We really struggled at the beginning but word of mouth has really brought the magic.

"I'm a vegan myself and found I couldn't really go out anywhere to eat - I was quite upset by that, and really felt that there was a need for it."

ALSO READ: Pompette gets approval from leading food critic

Ms Patel, who runs the business with her son Dipesh, described her food as a fusion of cuisines, mainly with Indian ingredients.

She said: "I cook completely traditionally, like my mum is coming for dinner, so it's completely authentic but I've taken out all the allergens like sesame, peanuts and gluten. It's simple food, easy to stomach and it's healthy."

She said she is grateful to the owner of the unit in Church Street she operates in, who allowed her to take it on a management contract after the previous tenant left.

Also making the new Good Food Guide was Raymond Blanc's fine-dining haven, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton, and Michelin-starred Summertown restaurant The Oxford Kitchen.

ALSO READ: The Oxford Kitchen gets a Michelin star 

In Oxford city, the other restaurants listed in the guide were: Arbequina in Cowley Road, Turl Street Kitchen, Branca in Jericho, Cherwell Boathouse and Gee's, both in North Oxford, Oli's Thai and neighbouring pub The Magdalen Arms in East Oxford, and new French restaurant Pompette in Summertown.

The White Hart at Fyfield, which also made the list, said its team is 'always proud' to be included in the guide.

Staff at Orwells posted on Facebook: "Such an amazing achievement to climb another spot from 29th last year, continuous progression in possibly one of the most prestigious and accurate guides about.

"To be in the company of some of the best restaurants in the UK is always an overwhelming moment."

ALSO READ: Arbequina is 'tapas heaven,' our reviewer says

Elizabeth Carter, editor of The Good Food Guide, said: "Seven decades of publication have given The Good Food Guide a unique insight into eating out in Britain.

"With diners increasingly looking for flexible eating options and value for money, there has been a surge in inexpensive cafés and restaurants that rank quality of ingredients above all else.

"Small, owner-run dining rooms across the country provide clear examples of how they can and do work in direct opposition to the pizza-burger overload on the British high street."

Alongside fine dining establishments, this year’s guide features more than 350 restaurants which offer diners a three-course dinner (excluding drinks) for £30 or under.

The award for restaurant of the year went to The Mash Inn in Radnage, Buckinghamshire. 

ALSO READ: Why The Eagle Tavern is our new favourite place

In no particular order, these are the 25 restaurants included in the new guide:

- The Lamb, Crawley, near Witney

- The King's Head, Bledington, near Chipping Norton

- The White Hart, Fyfield, near Abingdon

- The Wild Rabbit, Kingham, near Chipping Norton

- Arbequina tapas restaurant, Cowley Road, East Oxford

- Branca, Jericho, Oxford

- Cherwell Boathouse, North Oxford

- Delhish Vegetarian Kitchen, Bicester

- Gee's, North Oxford

- Oli's Thai, East Oxford

- Pompette, Summertown, Oxford

- The Bell Inn, near Burford

- The Eagle, Little Coxwell, near Faringdon

- The Magdalen Arms, East Oxford

- The Miller of Mansfield, Goring

- The Nut Tree Inn, Murcott, near Bicester

- The Oxford Arms, Kirtlington, near Kidlington

- The Oxford Kitchen, Summertown, Oxford

- The Sir Charles Napier, Chinnor, South Oxfordshire

- The Star Inn, Sparsholt, near Wantage

- Turl Street Kitchen, Oxford city centre

- Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Great Milton

- Shaun Dickens at The Boathouse, Henley

- Wild Thyme, Chipping Norton

- Orwells, Shiplake, near Henley