AFTER a major refurbishment, The Bull on Bell Street in Henley has reopened and we were invited to take in the new makeover and menu.

We decided to sit in the new outdoor space, named the Courtyard, which was decorated with plants, a water feature and a retractable roof.

Before ordering food, we chose the house white wine which was very smooth and went down a treat.

Oxford Mail: The CourtyardThe Courtyard

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Being a huge cheese fan, the hand cut halloumi fries were a no brainer for me as a starter. Six large fries were served with a jalapeno ketchup which paired nicely with the cheese.

Oxford Mail: The house wineThe house wine

I struggled to finish the generous plate but my friend, who was equally obsessed with the cheesy fries, helped herself to a second serving.

Costing £8, I would recommend sharing with your date so you can save more room for your main.

Oxford Mail: Halloumi friesHalloumi fries

As a vegetarian, I was pleased to see the variety of dishes I could select for my main from a quinoa grain bowl to a garden pea and asparagus risotto.

Despite the variety, I still I went for the classic margherita pizza made with Italian tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil and a sourdough base.  

The pizza was also generously sized and I did my best to power through the light but delicious main.

Leaving a couple of slices, I was excited to take them home in a pizza box to share with my partner.

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It cost a reasonable £12 considering the size of the meal especially when compared with the likes of Domino's.

My friend ordered the lightly spiced vegan burger, costing £15, which was served with skin-on seasoned fries.

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She was disappointed with the burger saying she’d have preferred a meat alternative such as Quorn but she thoroughly enjoyed the fries which were lightly covered with parmesan.

For dessert we decided to go for the apple crumble with a honeycomb top and vanilla seed ice cream costing £8.

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We also ordered the sticky toffee pudding with glazed bananas, butterscotch sauce and Brakspear beer ice cream, also costing £8.

The sticky toffee pudding was the winner for me. It was gooey, warm and paired nicely with the glazed bananas. I was fearful the pudding would be too sickly but I finished the lot with no issues.

The apple crumble was nice as well but the honeycomb was an unusual pairing and the additional fruit in the pudding made for an odd texture.

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Overall the meal was a delight but the starters and desserts were a little pricey. However, it would be somewhere I’d visit again for a fancier celebratory occasion.

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This story was written by Gee Harland, she joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland