Keen to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life but not keen to take a plane to get there? With an increasing number of us opting for no-fly holidays in the UK, it’s great to know there are endless options to holiday in Britain.
Nestled in the cosy Oxfordshire countryside is The Lion at Wendlebury. A delightful pub and restaurant complete with several very comfortable rooms, The Lion is a gem of a B&B, perfect for a short weekend retreat.
Located just a few minutes' drive from Bicester Village and a short distance from Oxford city centre, The Lion is perfectly located if you’re looking for a place to rest your head after a busy day of shopping and sight-seeing in the city of dreaming spires.
Despite being in the middle of the quiet countryside in a quaint village, The Lion is easy to find with a satnav and has ample parking for diners and overnight guests. On arrival at our stay, we were greeted by welcoming and friendly staff who showed us up to our large and spacious room complete with a bright and modern bathroom. The room even came complete with a small balcony!
It was a great decision to eat at The Lion. It’s warming fires, sensational seasonal menu and relaxed dining space makes it the perfect place to enjoy dinner. We stayed in the winter and there were plenty of choices to warm us up. The meal began with warm melted camembert cheese and tear and share brioche bread. We then enjoyed pasta flavoured with rich flavours like truffle, saffron and pumpkin before finishing the meal off with a delicious apple crumble and custard. The food was faultless, and the choice was great! The service was even better and the friendly waiting staff couldn’t do enough to make sure your dining experience was perfect. There were also plenty of drinks to choose from, including an extensive wine list plus a wide choice of different gins ensuring there was something for everyone.
With full bellies, we headed off to bed to enjoy a very comfortable sleep. The room also offers additional pillows and blankets so that everyone can have a comfortable stay. It also comes complete with a coffee machine so in the morning we had that to look forward to. The only small criticism of the rooms was that there were no glasses to have a drink in the night, so we had to make sure we took two glasses up to the room with us from dinner. Make sure you also take all your toiletries too as there were no toiletries provided in the room.
Breakfast is included with all rooms and guests can choose from both a continental and cooked breakfast menu. The continental breakfast is made up of a choice of cereal, pastries, fruit plus tea, coffee and a range of juices. There is also plenty to choose from on the cooked breakfast menu including eggs benedict, avocado on toast plus smoked salmon and scrambled egg on toast.
Perhaps the best thing, if you’re an animal lover, about The Lion is how animal friendly it is, with plenty of dogs around the bar enjoying a drink with their owner. The Lion also has its own resident cat who you may find curled up next to you at breakfast just as we did!
We look forward to returning to the Lion to sample the delicious food and escape everyday life soon!
Rooms from £76 per night - Book here