Located close to Wantage and south of Oxford with Lambourn Valley to the south and The Cotswolds to the north, The Star at Sparsholt sits in the perfect location for Ridgeway walks and is just five miles away from the Uffington White Horse. The food and ambiance are worth the drive alone.

Wednesday night is steak night and my oh my what steaks they are.

Supplied by Vicars Game, the beef is dry-aged for 30 days. Vicars are less than 20 miles away in Ashampstead and are owned by the Yattendon Estate, after first starting life in Reading in 1886 as William Vicars & Son. They also just happen to supply such prestigious clients as the Royals at Windsor Castle!

You relax the minute you step over the threshold.

There’s a warm welcome from manager Chris Lowe, supported seamlessly by the team that includes Sparsholt villager Sharon. As a first for us on these country dining visits, they take your coat, give you an old-school token for the cloakroom and you are gently ushered to comfortable seating in the corner by a roaring wood burner. Instantly you feel this is more than just a foodie pub. The lighting is subtle, each table has a small low lamp and the music evokes thoughts of a 60s jazz era, dinner dances and eating out in times more classy and rare. How very civilised and sophisticated with service that is modern, calm and informal.

The Star dates from 1720 but has undergone sizeable investment, retaining the low beams and pub exterior but the stone-flagged floors have been replaced with warm honeyed floorboards and underfloor heating. The furnishings are modern with walls painted in a dark grey/green Farrow & Ball hue. Modern artwork and discrete lighting create a relaxed yet cosy ambiance. Be transported to a different world and let all your worries fade away.

The toasty wood burner sits in the corner surrounded by a huge sofa and armchair where we sat for preprandial drinks. You choose from an exciting and extensive wine list and cocktail menu.

This place is perfect for couples and exudes romance. You can’t help but relax on a dark winter’s evening with the glow of the fire and the gentle comforting murmur of contented diners. This is perfect for Date Night, irrespective of your vintage. If you want to stay over or make a short break of it, 8 beautifully appointed rooms are situated in an adjacent 18th-century barn has been similarly tastefully refurbished.

The Star is part of the same holding company WSH that owns Berkshire catering business BaxterStorey, Benugo and Searcys. Scotsman, CEO, founder and chair Alastair Storey bought the Star Inn in Sparsholt in 2022. It’s part of his modest but burgeoning restaurant group that encompasses The Woodspeen restaurant & cookery school and The Boxford near Newbury and The Clockspire in Sherborne, Dorset.

We were privileged that the group’s Executive Chef Peter Eaton was in the kitchen cooking for us. Peter has worked previously at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and The Vineyard, both two Michelin-starred restaurants. Peter joined the launch of The Woodspeen in 2014 and now oversees the menus and development of new seasonal dishes across all the properties. The Star currently has two AA Rosettes. Peter was ably supported by trainee head chef Erwin.

Timing is everything with our visit a few days after the launch of some of Peter’s newly created starters. We couldn’t resist a slice of the treacle bread with fennel and rosemary, served with Netherend butter. Netherend comes from a family farm by the River Severn. It is prized for its creamy texture and distinctive taste. The bread was sweet, moist, and fruity and paired perfectly with my celeriac soup.

The divine soup contained wild mushroom raviolis, sliced pickled pear and topped with a hazelnut and balsamic dressing. Velvety and creamy celeriac, with notes of garlic, woodland and nuttiness, was enhanced by the sweet contrast of the pear strips. A soup that was so multilayered in taste and texture. What a creation!

The crispy Nobashi prawns with an Asian coleslaw salad and a lime and coriander mayonnaise was equally surprising. A balanced and pleasing dish, the long crisp crumbed prawns worked well with the crunch of the salad and the colours of the mayonnaise. “Nobashi” is a Japanese term meaning “stretched”. They are stretched in preparation to create a firmer succulent texture when cooked.

Now to the meaty bit…

We plumped for two different styles of steak – a 230g sirloin and 275g picanha cut rump, which is deemed the prized cut in Brazilian and Portuguese cuisine. Served with a salad and the Parmesan cheese and truffle frites, the lean succulent sirloin steak was accompanied by a blue cheese sauce. Far runnier and with a less astringent blue cheese taste than usual, this sauce created a far better eat, perfectly complementing the tender meat not drowning it. What sets picanha apart from traditional rump steak cuts is its unique triangular shape, with a thick layer of fat cap on one side. This fat cap adds extra flavour and juiciness when cooked.

What resulted was one of the most enjoyable, refined and best-prepared steaks I’ve eaten for many a fine year.

My thick rump steak, served medium rare, melted in the mouth. The light curry sauce, the roasted plum tomato and flavoured frites created the perfect mouthful. The rump was not in the slightest bit firm or chewy as can sometimes be the case.

Puddings were so innovative they were impossible to resist.

The mandarin and lime meringue pie zinged with citrus sharpness, working harmoniously with the crispest of pastry shells and a sweet meringue filling. Treacle and lemon steam sponge pudding, vanilla custard and lemon sorbet was a welcome winter change from the usual ubiquitous sticky toffee pudding. The harmony of treacle and lemon in a steam sponge pudding contrasted with the creamy vanilla custard, neatly crowned with a sharp refreshing lemon sorbet.

Strictly speaking, this is not a gastropub.

This is very much a country restaurant with rooms but not in the slightest bit stuffy or staid. It offers beautifully cheffed food, sensibly priced. Fixed price 3-course meals offer good value as does the Steak night. There is Pie Night on Thursdays and Fish Night on Friday. The Sunday lunch sitting runs until 4pm. It’s very popular so book ahead if you want the busier 12-2pm slots. The three course “Country Set Menu” at 2 courses for £22 and 3 courses at £28 is competitively priced with three choices of mains.

Whether you want a drink by the fire, to stride out up on England’s finest chalk downland or spoil yourself with a romantic overnight break in one of the 8 onsite bedrooms, The Star at Sparsholt is seriously worthy of your attention. We had a delightful evening – fine steaks, innovative starters and unusual desserts. We left the restaurant both surprised and satisfied, feeling we had been transported to a state of relaxed luxury. I can’t recommend this place enough.

The Star Inn

Watery Lane, Sparsholt, Wantage, OX12 9P

Bitten were guests, all views are our own