If you're planning a private dining occasion and looking for a country location but with an elevated menu and considered concept, The Bat & Ball offers both and more. Sitting pretty in the Oxfordshire village of Cuddesdon, this beautifully restored coaching inn combines exceptional food with an easy-going atmosphere and, with five individually designed bedrooms upstairs, the option to stay the night, too.
Rather than feeling like a venue that's only switched on for events, The Bat & Ball remains very much a proper village pub. Locals drop in for a pint, walkers arrive muddy from the countryside, families gather for Sunday lunch, while larger groups are welcomed for birthdays, reunions and special occasions.
Following its reopening in 2025, the pub has become the younger sibling to nearby The Lamb, but with a personality all of its own. Designer Sally Price has retained the building's centuries-old character while introducing forest-green banquettes, reclaimed timber, soft earthy colours and playful cricket references throughout the rooms. There's history everywhere you look, but not the stuffiness that sometimes comes with heritage pubs.
Food is, unsurprisingly, a major draw. Head Chef Rick Owens, formerly of the two Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, takes classic British comfort food and pushes it to the next level using outstanding local produce. Smaller plates such as pea and asparagus arancini with black garlic aioli, pulled Somerset lamb sausage rolls with mint ketchup and leek and watercress soup with homemade dinner rolls are ideal for sharing around the table before moving onto hearty mains.
Larger dishes include beer-battered haddock with handmade triple-cooked chips and garden peas, Stoke Marsh Farm sirloin steak and a halloumi burger finished with crispy onions and hot honey. Dessert is kept chic and simple with an affogato made using Madagascan vanilla ice cream.
One of the biggest advantages for group celebrations is that nobody has to rush away afterwards. The five colourful bedrooms extend the experience into a countryside escape, making The Bat & Ball well suited to birthdays, family occasions and reunions.