The Black Horse is located in the pretty Cotswold Village of Salford, just outside Chipping Norton, and radiates cozy charm. From the moment you step through the wooden doors into the candlelit dining room, warmed by an open log fire, this pub exudes a relaxed atmosphere. 

For our starter, we ordered the tempura tiger prawns (£10) served with sweet chili sauce from the snack menu. The prawns themselves were plump and delicious, however, were slightly overshadowed by the batter which lacked the featherlight crunch of true tempura, saying that we polished off the plate and they paired perfectly with the sweet chili sauce.

We also ordered the skinny lamb chops (£13), the lamb was ridiculously tender and flavorsome, and they’re served with a house barbecue sauce that has a Worcestershire-type kick without being overpowering, a triumph. 

We shared a porterhouse steak (£65) for our main. It was beautifully presented and perfectly cooked, generously portioned, and served with an indulgent cracked peppercorn sauce which our waitress said was the “best she’d ever had” and we can see why.

For our sides, we opted for fries and garlic mushrooms to accompany the generous porterhouse steak. While the garlic mushrooms were super buttery and garlicky, the portion of fries wasn’t quite enough to share. Next time, we’d definitely order a double portion of fries to fully satisfy our potato craving. Though we stuck with the fries out of loyalty, we heard rave reviews about the Hasselback potatoes.

We both have sweet tooths and their unusual desserts caught our eye, we ordered the pineapple cobbler (£9), the pineapple was thinly sliced and soaked in an almost sticky toffee sauce with a flaky biscuit topping and cream. It was super sweet but an interesting creative alternative to your traditional pub dessert menu.

The doughnuts (£8) are a genius creation and a perfect sharer, served warm and made with sourdough starter, they’re super fluffy and fun to dip into the orange curd and milk chocolate sauce. The orange curd is so indulgent and delicious but slightly overpowers the chocolate, even so, these were such a pure fun delightful way to end the meal.

With talent in the kitchen, gracious service warming the intimate ambiance, and a homely vibe, the inn entices return visits to this charming country gem. With its warm hospitality, we’d definitely recommend the Black Horse.

The Black Horse
Lower End, Salford, Chipping Norton OX7 5YW

Bitten were guests of The Black Horse, and all views are our own