Head to the delightful market town of Thame on the Bucks – Oxfordshire border for a steak night to beat all steak nights. The Grade 2 listed Black Horse in the town centre offers an upmarket steak fest every Wednesday night. There is an extensive a la carte menu too and multiple vegetarian options.

Thame has a reputation for its annual food fair and the Tuesday market. It’s also been used many times as a location for Midsomer Murders, representing the fictional town of Causton.

The Black Horse is part of Raymond Blanc’s thriving Brasserie Bar Co. This classic coaching inn was extensively overhauled about five years ago. It’s now a relaxed bar, kitchen and brasserie with excellent staff and service. It was pretty much booked out the Wednesday night we visited. There’s a real buzz and a jolly vibe, particularly in the cosy back room.

Having been tipped off about the excellent starters by my neighbour, we plumped for the cheese soufflé and the Morteau sausage salad. The soufflé was light, creamy and cheesy – it could not have been bettered. The salad was innovative, satisfying and drool-worthy – a perfect poached egg atop the pan-fried smoked sausage, white wine potato salad and Dijon mustard dressing.

There’s a choice of 30-day dry-aged 7oz fillet, 8oz sirloin, 8oz rump and chateaubriand (14oz for two sharing) and daily specials like T-bone. The steaks come with green salad, chips and three Chef’s Extras that include aged black garlic mayo, beef bordelaise marrow sauce and balsamic tomato ketchup. Prices range from £19.95 for the sirloin to £29.95 for the fillet. The meat is sourced from Aubrey Allen and the very best British grass-fed cattle. Only 1% of beef cattle in the U.K. make the grade for Aubrey Allen butchers.

We plumped for the chateaubriand to share as a dish for two (priced at £59.90). I’ve not eaten this 80s restaurant classic for well over thirty years. The wait was definitely worth it ……. medium cooked and presented pre-carved on a stoneware platter. Accompanying peppercorn sauce and the fresh bearnaise were both exceedingly moreish.

You buy two steaks and you get a bottle of the excellent house wine thrown it for free. It’s a very decent Côtes de Gascogne in red or white (Maison Belenger retailing at £21). You can upgrade the wine for an additional £15 for a gorgeous NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Argentinean Malbec.

There’s a 2-for-1 cocktail happy hour Monday to Friday from 5pm until 7pm so if you’re in the party mood, then for less than a tenner for two drinks, you can start your evening early. Choose from eight options including an Elderflower Collins, Margarita and Amaretto Sour. There’s also an impressive wine list and an extensive further range of gins, mules, cocktails and seasonal spritzes.

Puddings certainly passed muster. The lemon tart with lemon zest confit and Normandy crème fraîche knocked it out of the park. Sweet yet sharp with perfectly baked pastry. The treacle sponge with bitter orange Marmalade and Cointreau sauce was both innovative and intriguing.

If you’re not a meat eater there are four vegetarian mains including a Moroccan vegetable tagine and a halloumi burger.

Sister restaurants include Brasserie Blanc on Walton Street. The Brasserie Pub Co is currently selectively buying up and renovating historic properties in the Midlands and Home Counties. They will reopen The Black Swan, Henley in Arden in early August after an extensive restoration and refurbishment of the famed original pub.

In summary, we left The Black Horse feeling totally replete. It’s one of the best local vibes we’ve experienced with that warm, reassuring hubbub of a loved French brasserie. Good simple food, well presented with attentive, experienced staff.

The Black Horse Thame
11 Cornmarket, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2BL
theblackhorsethame.com/