The Orangery at RH England

RH England’s magnificent Banbury HQ is home to five - yes, five - restaurants and bars, turning this one time country house wedding venue into one of England’s largest dining destinations. As far as first impressions go, RH England sure knows how to make one - pristine gravel crunches under your tyres as you sweep into the driveway, and a battalion of staff wait at attention, ready to show you to your intended destination (of which, as we’ve said, there are many).

The Orangery is RH England’s flagship fine dining restaurant, and you can expect some pretty modern, live-fire cooking that trends towards boho New York style dining. Unsurprisingly, RH has nailed the interiors at The Orangery - towering ceilings, huge arched windows and plaster columns give the space a palatial vibe, which is only enhanced by the presence of admittedly gorgeous RH furniture.

The a la carte is compact, handing out a handful of choices among starters, mains and desserts, as well as a few salads and sandwiches for those in search of a quick lunch bite. There are no pretences about who might be dining here - two of the three starters feature caviar, with prices to reflect. It is, at least, not a stingy amount of caviar, and scooping caviar and creme fraiche onto gossamer thin crisps whilst quaffing Hundred Hills sparkling is not at all a bad way to enjoy the countryside views.

The same can be said of a 12 oz slab of Australian Wagyu ribeye, grilled in the smoke of a wood fire and given a hefty char - it’s a fabulous cut of meat, very ably cooked, but it’s no snip at £95. Cheaper options are available among the plant-based mains, and the cauliflower steak was excellent, carrying more of that wood smoke and char from the grill before being simply dressed with herbs and good olive oil.

The Orangery isn’t breaking any new ground - there’s a classic Caesar salad, for example, and rotisserie chicken too - but what it does it does well enough. The prices range from expensive to exorbitant, but you can still eat here on a bit of a budget (or visit the excellent Loggia on the other side of the building).

The Orangery is the flagship live-fire, international restaurant at RH England in Oxfordshire - the first European site for US luxury retailer Restoration Hardware. Restoration Hardware (now known simply as RH) is a US-based luxury furniture and home furnishings retailer - it has multiple large sites in the US which function as both showrooms and dining destinations. RH England is the company’s first foray into Europe, taking over the magnificent, historic 17th century mansion at Aynhoe Park in Banbury. The site is easily accessible by car, or by train from nearby Bicester, where you’ll need a short cab ride to get there.

The Orangery itself is a palatial space with high ceilings and large arched windows that look out onto RH England’s extensive grounds and local wildlife. The lighting installation has been designed and built by glass designer Alison Berger, and is composed of 567 individually-blown glass pendants. As is customary for RH restaurants, much of the furniture and furnishings is from the company’s range, so guests can buy pieces they like should they choose to.

The Orangery is predominantly a live-fire fine dining restaurant, but it also serves a brunch menu, and lighter lunch bites like sandwiches and salads as well as a classic a la carte of starters, mains and desserts. Among the starters you’ll find dishes like grilled avocado with caviar, and fresh burrata with heirloom tomatoes and rustic pesto, whilst mains are split between meat, fish, and plant-based mains, with the majority being cooked over a wood-fired grill. Dishes here include a whole Australian Wagyu ribeye, whole grilled branzino, grilled maitake mushroom with rosemary potatoes, and cauliflower steak with herbs and olive oil.

There are a variety of other restaurants and bars to choose from at RH England too. Food options include The Loggia and The Conservatory, as well as The Juicery, which serves breakfast. Head to The Wine Lounge for fine wines, and The Tea Salon serves fine teas as well as afternoon tea.