The Oakley Arms, Harrold

I love trying new restaurants and rarely get the chance to go back to the same places, however I always end up back at the Oakley Arms in Harrold. This lovely old pub is tucked away in the North Bedfordshire village of Harrold, it's a warren of cosy spaces serving up some of the best food in the county.

The lovely team behind this spot are husband and wife, Andy & Lizzie Slater, who took over the pub back in 2021. They completed a real refurbishment and transformed the Oakley Arms in to one of the best destination pubs in Bedfordshire and well worth adding to your list.

The menu regularly changes and there is not a chance you'll get bored of eating here, there's always something new to discover and unusual ingredients that you might not have tried before. The food is very local using as much as possible from the abundance of North Beds, including freshly foraged ingredients.

There is always a very warm welcome available here, it's one of the main reasons I keep coming back. The team will always go above and beyond to put a smile on your face. But let's be honest, I keep coming back time and again for the food. I can't not mention their fabulous Sunday roast, one of the first I had on my hunt for the Bedfordshire's best Sunday roast, and one that has stuck with me. The most beautifully cooked beef and served with all the trimmings, including delicious stuffing and cauliflower cheese, yes please!

Other delights I've enjoyed over the years have included fantastic lamb and sheep's cheese sourced from the very local Bevistan Dairy, a very beautiful (and tasty) venison ravioli, locally sourced fallow deer with sauce perigueux and very aesthetically pleasing mashed potato, and many, many, MANY desserts.

I am a sucker for a sweet treat and nowhere does it better. From perfectly creamy crème brûlée with still warm from the oven shortbreads, to the ultimate Sunday dessert, a big ol' slab of sticky toffee pudding, I've loved every single one. At Christmas, the desserts were really taken up a notch! The Festive Bauble was a feast for the eyes, a white chocolate shell encasing a fromage blanc cheesecake, burnt white chocolate mousse, caramelised pear and a ginger snap biscuit base. Heaven.

On the drinks side of things, the cocktail menu also changes with the seasons and offers something exciting and quite irresistible. My particular favourite so far has been the Cinnamon Plum Rum cocktail but I'm definitely open to testing out a few more. There is also a great wine menu and a selection of beers available too.

The Oakley Arms was recently awarded 2 AA Rosettes which goes to show the dedication and hard work the whole team puts in. If you're after a good meal, you won't go wrong here. Perfect for date nights, big family dinners and everything in between. Plus they have a great private dining room if you want to make it extra special.