It’s easy to follow the chase, to focus on the new and exciting. But keeping a restaurant going over a sustained period of time, to maintain standards, levels of excellence and consistency is much harder than it looks.
And this is certainly the case at The Back Lane Tavern in Woodstock, winner of BEST GASTROPUB in THE OXINABOX FOOD AWARDS 2025, because complacency has never entered their minds.
So it’s time to applaud what The Back Lane team have achieved there since opening in June 2021, READ ABOUT IT HERE and continue to achieve, as evident during our dinner there on a recent balmy summer’s evening, which began in the packed out garden, full of locals enjoying the sunshine and visitors chasing the Back Lane’s reputation, despite it’s hidden location.
So a glass of wine and some nibbles – the sourdough bread served with beef butter (like Marmite) and a peppery olive oil encircling a rich, tomato tapenade, the tiny honey glazed chorizo picante sausages with a saffron aioli, olives aplenty, a plate of marinated Cantabrian sardines, setting the scene.
Led in to eat in the dining room which was packed to the rafters as always, the classics on the menu staying put because everyone complains when they remove them, including us. So the Vietnamese rolls with its delicious peanut satay, and the chicken wings with a ranch sauce and sesame, mimicked by all and sundry and still better than everyone else’s.
Some new dishes as well, implemented by exec head chef Johnny Parke, who is currently heading up the team at their sister restaurant OXTWO which opened earlier this year EXCLUSIVE: ‘Sexy, sophisticated and enticing’ Sneak peek at OXTWO, Summertown’s new restaurant, which launches tomorrow night. What a transformation!, leaving the Back Lane kitchens in the sturdy hands of Darryl Vorster and Ieuan Bell-Jackson, who conducted our meal impeccably.
The dishes came thick and fast; a sterling piece of beautifully cooked Cornish sea bream in a silky caviar and Champagne sauce – rich with samphire and mussels (£14), a plate of different hued dressed beetroot, watercress, hazelnut & whipped goats curd (£8) a masterclass in texture and colour, all the serving platters different colours and types.
The Thai beef salad, chilli & peanuts (£12) spiced things up a bit, as did the more unusual Israeli couscous, hummus, courgette,
pomegranate & soft herbs (£7), which was dressed beautifully. Some chargrilled tenderstem brocolli, ajo blanco,
toasted almonds, smoked tomato & chilli sauce (£8) which was so ornate, the almond and pepper sauce shining through, the veg al dente.
As for the spring risotto with a crispy egg, again the texture of the rice was spot on with a slight bite, the sauce creamy, the veg green and perky, the egg vibrant and oozing. The hake taco, avocado, pickled onions and wild garlic emulsion (£10) was a great addition to throw in, the tortilla framed with green avocado, the fish plonked on top and covered with onions, spices and herbs. So tasty. Hard to share!
If this sounds a lot bare in mind that The Back Lane specialises in sharing/small plates, so you can try a bit of everything and then move on, although they are all so good it’s tempting to hog the lot.
Which meant there was room for some of their delectable puds, served with the same impeccable presentation and service that we’ve come to expect. The dark chocolate mousse, with hazelnut praline, blackberry sorbet (£8), the Tonka bean panna cotta with orange curd, dulce de leche and a polenta crumb (£8) and the marinated strawberries, pistachio, white chocolate crémeux and strawberry ice cream / 8
hubard (9 a panda cotta and the chocolate ***
As we left, the dining room still busy as our fellow tables finished up and the garden emptied, I was impressed, as I always am, by how The Back Lane manages to run a vibrant pub full of locals and still maintain such incredibly high standards in their dining room without any pomposity. Always friendly, always fun, always good. A deserving winner then.
The Back Lane is at 11 Park Lane, Woodstock OX20 1UD. https://backlanetavern.co.uk
