Star Inn - Vale of White Horse

We recently stayed at the Star Inn in Sparsholt and had a delightful experience. Despite the cold and wet weather, we were warmly welcomed by Sharon, Chris, and Nes by a roaring log fire. Our room was comfortable and well appointed, with a great shower. Dinner, served efficiently by Nes and assisted by weekend staff Haley and Cassie, was delicious. The Full English breakfast prepared by Chef Erwin was one of the best we've had. The Star Inn is a hidden gem in a quiet village, perfect for exploring historic places like the Ridgeway, the White Horse, the Blowing Stone, Wayland Smithy, and Alfred the Great. The entire staff, including Lizzie the Housekeeper, work together as a great team. Highly recommended.

We began our dining experience by enjoying a drink at the bar, as we arrived early. The entire restaurant, especially the bar area, has a welcoming atmosphere. We started with the recommended Nobashy Prawns as our appetizer, which was thoughtfully prepared. For our main courses, the Risotto and Beef Bourguignon were cooked to perfection and satisfying. We ended our meal with a delicious cheesecake and Panna Cotta, paired with an espresso. I highly recommend visiting this amazing restaurant for a special occasion or everyday dinner. I will definitely be returning in the future.

We had a fantastic dinner at this restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious. The crispy Nobashi prawns were outstanding, and we also enjoyed the seafood risotto and beef cheek bourguignonne which were both very tasty. The desserts were the perfect ending to the meal. Everything was perfect, I would give it 5 stars.

Deeply disappointed with our experience. Despite having dined here several times in the past, we chose this venue for my birthday lunch on Sunday (4th Feb). Upon arrival, we were seated in the bar area, where we ordered wine. The general manager took our wine order, requesting the number rather than the name of the bottle. Unfortunately, he forgot the number and had to ask again. The rose wine arrived, and we were informed it was the last bottle. Opting to cancel the current bottle and we ordered the AIX rose the more expensive bottle as we discovered they had more in stock. The wine was unevenly poured, with some glasses having more than others. After finishing the first bottle, we ordered another and were shown by the waitress to our table. However, upon entering the dining room, we were directed to a table that was not set up. We decided to return to the bar and finish our drinks before being shown to the correct table a few moments later. Throughout we had to chase up our wine on several occasions. We ordered starters and main courses, including one ‘rare’ and one ‘medium-rare’ roast beef dishes, roast pork, and nut roast. Starters were pleasant, but throughout the courses, we continually had to chase up the wine. Eventually, we requested the wine bucket to be left on the table so we could pour it ourselves. The side dishes for the roasts arrived, but we weren't informed which gravy was for the vegetarian dish and what the other sauces were for each dish. While waiting for the plated meats and nut roast, the vegetables grew cold. When the dishes arrived, the ‘medium-rare beef’ was ‘rare’. Despite requesting it to be cooked longer, by the time it returned from the kitchen, all other dishes were cold and had to be sent back. The waitress, aware of our regular patronage and previous bad experiences, was apologetic, especially considering it was my birthday. She offered to recook the dishes or order something else, but at that point we had reached our limit. We moved back to the bar to finish our wine, and the waitress returned with boards of nibbles, expressing her disappointment. When we requested the bill, it had been adjusted to reflect the issues we encountered. Despite understanding the venue's short-staffed situation, and having enjoyed previous meals, my birthday celebration left us feeling deeply let down and disappointed.

We had the most delicious sunday roast here . Cooked to perfection and the sides were also perfect and generous in portion. Service from nes was excellent and atmosphere great. Would thoroughly recommend.