“The Braywood?” asked our bemused taxi driver when he picked us up from Maidenhead. “Where’s that?”
I tried to give him chapter and verse, but it was difficult. The Braywood, after all, isn’t located in a town or city, but in a tiny hamlet, Littlefield Green, a few miles away from Maidenhead, as well as the foodie hotspot of Bray. As it only opened late last year, it has yet to arrive on the radars of many of the areas cabbies. Then I have a minor brainwave of sorts. (Just as well; our reservation is in ten minutes.) “It’s where the Royal Oak used to be. You know, Parky’s pub.”
“Oh, of course! Parky!”
The Royal Oak, on Paley St in Littlefield Green, was for a long time one of the most beloved restaurants outside of London. Co-owned by the legendary broadcaster Michael Parkinson, it held a Michelin star for its cooking, courtesy of Dominic Chapman. Yet times change, and after the Covid pandemic it shut in late 2021, never to open in that form. Parkinson himself died in August 2023, representing the end of an era in both broadcasting and restaurants. And the Royal Oak, a much-loved but slightly anachronistic establishment, needed an overhaul.
It received this last year when the existing building was demolished, to be replaced by a breathtakingly designed (courtesy of Chris Bagot architects), Scandinavian-inspired space that encompasses a substantial bar and an equally substantial restaurant, both filled with floor-to-ceiling windows, light wood and carefully designed tables, chairs and crockery. The overall effect is of walking into something fresh and new, and the sincere warmth of the welcome that we received from maitre’d Thomas immediately set the standards for what became a very fine couple of hours.
“Would you like a drink in the bar first?” Well, such questions are never met with a ‘no’, and so a couple of cocktails are taken with great readiness, a bourbon-centred ‘Like A Stone’, which has something of the feeling of a deconstructed Old Fashioned, and the appropriately named ‘Wood and Spark’, a pear-focused combination of calvados honey, champagne and pine, with a delectable lightness anchored by an appropriate earthiness. Our daughter meanwhile was offered a non-alcoholic cocktail, but she opted instead from the superbly named “Bumbleberry juice”, which she promptly christened “Bumblee juice”. It was appropriately delicious, with no sting in the tail.
Then it was into the main restaurant, which, even on a grim and overcast Saturday lunchtime, still managed to seem light and warm, despite the minimal style of design, thanks to the natural textures. We were especially impressed by the enormous bespoke concrete wine cooler, and it would have been rude not to have ordered a half bottle of Sancerre to go with the starters that we chose, my wife’s crab pappardelle ripiene, something rolled up so closely that it resembled a raviolo, and my scallops and black pudding that came flavoured with both radish and apple broth and made for an unusually light, fresh take on what can often be a heavy starter. Head chef Sam Brennan is a veteran of the Braywood’s sister establishment, The Woodspeen, and knows his onions, and every other part of the kitchen, too. Even our daughter’s crudités, her starter, comes meticulously presented and served with a divine hummus that she swiftly pronounces ‘the best ever’.
Better yet is to come with the main courses. Nancy opts for a daily special, the turbot, which arrives proudly propped up ricotta gnocchi, and served with a smorgasbord of delights including miniature salami and brown shrimp. It is superb, as is Rose’s roast cod with broccoli which, in a typical gesture of kindness, the kitchen serves with specially made skinny fries.
However, I consider myself the victor ludorum because of what I’ve ordered, the rib-eye steak on the bone, which is not only peerlessly flavourful, with the best triple-cooked chips I can remember eating, but lifted several levels by the wild garlic chimichurri that it comes served with; garlic, apparently, foraged from the kitchen garden planted just at the back of the restaurant, suggesting a refreshing commitment both to seasonality and locality alike. Served up with a wholly appropriate bottle of light Portuguese red – the 2020 Vertente from Niepoort – it’s a headily satisfying combination that suggests that the Michelin star that the Royal Oak held for so many years is surely within reach here, too.
Desserts are suggested and seized upon after an appropriate pause, and I opt for the rhubarb and custard; the only slight oddity on an otherwise impeccable menu, as the vanilla crème diplomat has a faintly savoury, cream cheese-like quality which, coupled with some unnecessary pastry, makes this intriguing, but less immediately delicious as everything else we try.
But Nancy’s banana souffle is a thing of beauty (and I have a decent amount of it), while Rose is delighted with two jam doughnuts that come complete with a vanilla milkshake. I opt for a short, heady espresso martini as a parting shot; Nancy, meanwhile, plumps for a locally produced sweet wine, the Ortega, which makes for a welcome reminder that our country can now produce dessert wine of the very highest calibre.
We leave, replete and extremely happy. Getting home that day is a nightmare – ‘someone under the train’ – and under normal circumstances, that would spoil the meal. But everything we’ve had has been extraordinary, and The Braywood itself is an extraordinary success. RIP The Royal Oak, and Parky, but I think that you’d be pleased with what’s come next, too.
The Braywood, Paley Street, Littlefield Green, Maidenhead SL6 3JN. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.thebraywood.co.uk.
