The Bull in Burford reopened in 2023 and has quickly become one of the most desirable places for anyone wanting a quintessential Cotswolds stay. It would not be much of a surprise if you found yourself sitting next to a celebrity.
Located on the High Street, it is the epitome of cool.
The interior design is spot on everywhere you look, and the offering keeps growing. They have added a pizza restaurant, a coffee shop, the Horn restaurant which was awarded 2 AA Rosettes in August 2024, and Wild, a private dining experience listed in the Michelin Guide.
I had been wanting to try Horn for a while, and my 40th felt like the perfect excuse for a midweek night out.
We were greeted by a very warm Italian front-of-house staff member who had a slight Robert De Niro quality to him. He sat us down and talked us through the specials. He knew the entire menu inside out and helped us narrow down our choices, which was much needed because everything sounded tempting. We ordered a small glass of house Viognier (£7) and settled into the evening. Cool jazzy tones played in the background, and the restaurant is divided by the bar in the middle, which serves delicious and slightly unusual cocktails. If only we had not been driving.
For mains, the fish of the day (£24) was cod served with the skin on, served over white beans with a chicken sauce and charred fennel. The fish was light, perfectly cooked, and flaky with a delicious crispy skin. A side of roast potatoes (£5) came with dill and crème fraîche. The other main was the Old Spot pork chop, served with mashed potato, apple sauce, a jus, and carrot (£30) The Nebula carrot was insanely good, a delicious earthly flavour. There was a slight mix up when the wrong dish arrived at first, but it was corrected immediately.
Both dishes were divine.
If it had not been so uncouth, I would happily have licked my plate. The combination of the perfect creamy mash, caramelised apple sauce, and jus was just incredible. Sweet, salty, and rich. I liked that the pork chop came already sliced. It was unbelievably tender and moist, and the fat was rendered so well that you could enjoy every bit of it.
To finish, we had a scoop of Hackney Gelato and Mango Sorbet (£4 per scoop).
These are not your average ice creams. I chose vanilla and briefly wondered if I had made a mistake when I saw Nonna’s tiramisu arrive at the next table, but it was beautifully creamy with a strong Madagascan vanilla flavour. It was an indulgent note to end the meal.
Prices are not cheap here, and it is hard not to comment on some of them. We chose the lower end for drinks and desserts, but in truth, you soon forget the cost. The experience they create is wonderful, shaped by real humility, warmth, and a complete lack of pretentiousness. That in itself is a pleasant surprise.
Our waiter was humorous and asked for honest feedback, positive or negative. He said he would be surprised if we had anything negative to say, and he was right. It was a faultless evening. I cannot wait to go back.
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