Pub Watch: The Falkland Arms (Great Tew, Oxfordshire).
Situated in an incredible quaint thatched village in the heart of Oxfordshire, "this pub is a haven for drinkers, with an unspoilt, relaxed atmosphere". I had actually been here three years earlier when Andy & Yasmin brought Anna and I for a couple of pints on a warm summers day. My second visit was after our weekend away at the Lake District. Driving back with Si & Kel and with the prospect of hitting London in the middle of rush hour, I thought of the Falkland Arms again and we decided to make a detour and enjoy the evening with some good beer and food.

The village itself is worth a visit alone, a small collection of thatched cottages in the Oxfordshire countryside, and the pub is also thatched and is a great old building. It is very small, just the one room, while the rest of the building is a small dining room and lodgings. While being very cosy inside (perfect for a cold and dull English summer's evening), there is still room for a selection of six handpumps of cask ale. Definitely worth a mention is that this is also one of the few pubs that I have been to that had no keg taps whatsoever at the bar - the only lager being some Bitburgers in a small fridge behind the bar. This is my type of place!

But not only is the ale good, so is the food. We had a delicious baked camembert with chutney to warm us up, before moving to the dinner room where our meal was equally delicious. It was definitely worth the stop off and the late night return to London, and in my mind is one of the quintessential English pubs.