Restaurant in Egham, United Kingdom
Windsor Great Park venison, Michelin-recognised, no London prices.
A Michelin Plate (2024) country pub on the edge of Windsor Great Park, The Bailiwick earns its £££ price point through technically accomplished Modern British cooking and genuinely charming service. Go for the à la carte during game season — the Windsor Great Park venison is the specific reason to book now. Rated 4.4 across 815 Google reviews.
The Bailiwick sits at the end of twisting country roads on the edge of Windsor Great Park in Englefield Green, and at £££ per head it positions itself firmly above a gastropub and just below the serious destination-dining tier. The Michelin Plate recognition it earned in 2024 is the clearest signal you have that the kitchen is operating at a level above its postcode — and for a special occasion dinner or a long Sunday lunch in the Surrey countryside, that credential matters. Go for the à la carte; it is where the kitchen's confidence shows. The bar menu is lighter and simpler, and while it is a reasonable option for a midweek lunch, it will not give you the full picture of what this place can do.
The physical setting is a genuine asset here. The Bailiwick is a pretty pub in the old-fashioned sense , charming without being self-consciously rustic, and quiet enough that conversation at the table does not compete with ambient noise. The location on the edge of Windsor Great Park gives it a tranquility that is hard to find this close to the M25 corridor. This is not a large or grand room, and that works in its favour for a date or a small celebration: the scale keeps the atmosphere personal. For groups larger than four or five, check ahead on availability, since a room this size fills quickly and the atmosphere shifts when it does.
Right now, game is the reason to book. The Bailiwick sits within a hunting area and draws venison directly from Windsor Great Park itself , sourcing that is both genuinely local and verifiably traceable in a way that most pubs citing provenance cannot claim. In season, expect venison on the à la carte alongside other local game. This is not a venue dressing itself in countryside aesthetics; the menu reflects the actual landscape on its doorstep. The experienced chef shapes these ingredients into complex, attractively presented dishes , the Michelin assessors noted the complementary flavours and attractive flourishes. The cheese trolley is worth noting separately: it carries prime British options and is the kind of detail that signals a kitchen and front-of-house team that take the full meal seriously, not just the centrepiece course.
At £££, the service standard is the variable that most determines whether a visit feels worth it. The Bailiwick is described consistently as charmingly run, and at a Google rating of 4.4 across 815 reviews, that warmth appears to hold across a wide range of visits. For a special occasion, charm is a meaningful service quality , it is the difference between a meal that feels like a transaction and one that feels considered. What you are not getting at this price point is the formality or choreography of a city fine-dining room. There is no team of sommeliers or a brigade delivering elaborate tableside theatre. What you are getting is attentive, personal service in a room that the staff clearly care about running well. If that trade-off suits your occasion, the price is justified. If you need the full white-tablecloth apparatus for your celebration, look elsewhere , though you will pay significantly more for it.
Booking difficulty sits at moderate. The Bailiwick is not impossible to get into, but it is popular enough that walk-ins for dinner are a risk, particularly at weekends. Book ahead for any weekend visit or special occasion. The bar menu at lunch offers a lower-commitment entry point, and midweek lunches are your leading chance of a spontaneous visit. No phone number or online booking link is confirmed in our data , check Google or approach the venue directly to confirm current reservation methods. The address is Wick Road, Englefield Green, Egham, TW20 0HN. Car is the practical approach given the country roads; the venue is not easily walkable from Egham station.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Setting | Leading For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bailiwick | £££ | Moderate | Country pub, Windsor Great Park edge | Special occasion, game season dining |
| The Tudor Pass | ££££ | High | Hotel dining room | Tasting menu, fine dining occasion |
| 1215 | £££ | Moderate | Hotel brasserie | Reliable all-rounder, groups |
| Hand and Flowers | £££ | Very High | Country pub, Marlow | Two-Michelin-star pub experience |
| Waterside Inn | ££££ | Very High | Riverside fine dining, Bray | Major celebration, formal occasion |
Book if you want a Michelin-recognised meal in a genuinely pleasant country setting without paying London fine-dining prices. It works well for a birthday dinner, a quiet anniversary lunch, or any occasion where the setting and the quality of cooking matter more than formality or prestige. The game menu in the current season is a specific reason to go now rather than later in the year. If you are after a tasting menu format, a large private dining room, or the full brigade-service experience, The Tudor Pass is the more appropriate local choice, though it costs more and is harder to book. For a broader view of where The Bailiwick sits among dining options in the area, see our full Egham restaurants guide. If you are planning the wider trip, our Egham hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover everything else you need.
Yes, with the right order. At £££ per head with a Michelin Plate (2024), the à la carte delivers technical cooking at a price that sits well below comparable Michelin-recognised restaurants. The bar menu is cheaper but will not show the kitchen at its leading. If you are eating here, commit to the à la carte , that is where the value argument holds. For comparison, Hand and Flowers in Marlow offers a two-star pub experience at a similar price tier but is considerably harder to book.
Go for the à la carte rather than the bar menu, and go during game season if you can. The Windsor Great Park venison is the dish the Michelin guide specifically flags, and it is available now. The location requires a car , Wick Road in Englefield Green is down country lanes, not a short walk from any station. Book ahead rather than walking in, especially at weekends. For more context on eating in the area, see our Egham restaurants guide.
Yes. The bar menu is available and offers lighter, simpler dishes than the full à la carte. It is a reasonable option for a midweek lunch or a lower-spend visit, but it does not represent the kitchen at full stretch. If you are making a special trip, the à la carte in the dining room is the better use of the journey. The bar is also your leading chance of a spontaneous visit without a reservation.
It is a pretty pub with a scale that suits smaller parties well. For groups larger than four or five, contact the venue directly to confirm availability and whether any private or semi-private space can be arranged , this is not confirmed in our data. Large groups should book as far in advance as possible. For groups wanting a guaranteed private dining setup in the area, 1215 at Great Fosters is worth considering as an alternative.
Yes, particularly for celebrations where setting and food quality matter more than formality. The combination of a charming country pub environment, Michelin Plate cooking, and a cheese trolley makes it a strong choice for a birthday lunch or anniversary dinner. It is not the right venue if you need a large private room or white-tablecloth service theatre. For those requirements, The Tudor Pass is the local alternative, and for a grander occasion further afield, the Waterside Inn in Bray sets a different standard entirely.
The two closest comparisons in Egham are The Tudor Pass , a tasting-menu-format restaurant at ££££ that is harder to book and more formal , and 1215, a hotel brasserie at £££ that is more reliable for groups and easier to access. If you are willing to travel, Hand and Flowers in Marlow and Waterside Inn in Bray are the benchmark country dining venues in the wider area. See our full Egham restaurants guide for a complete view.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bailiwick | Hidden away down twisting country roads in an affluent part of Old Windsor, this charmingly run pub is a quirky, pretty operation where the food is given pride of place. The location – a tranquil spot on the edge of Windsor Great Park – is a hunting area, so expect plenty of local game on the menu in season, such as venison from the Park itself. The experienced chef crafts his ingredients into complex, attractively presented dishes, with the Bar Menu offering lighter and simpler options. Do look out for the cheese trolley, which is bursting with prime British options.; This pretty pub sits in a tranquil spot on the edge of Windsor Great Park. The à la carte menu best shows the chef’s experience, with dishes exhibiting attractive flourishes and complementary flavours; at lunchtime, there’s also a lighter bar menu available. Don't miss the Windsor Great Park venison.; Michelin Plate (2024) | £££ | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| The Ledbury | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | ££££ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between The Bailiwick and alternatives.
At £££ per head, The Bailiwick earns its price on the à la carte — the Michelin Plate recognition confirms the kitchen is working at a level above a standard gastropub. The bar menu brings the cost down and is a reasonable middle ground, but the full menu is where the value case is strongest. If you want Michelin-level cooking in a country-pub setting without central London pricing, it holds up.
Book the à la carte rather than defaulting to the bar menu — that is where the chef's technique shows. If you are visiting in game season, the Windsor Great Park venison is sourced directly from the Park and worth ordering. The Bailiwick sits at the end of twisting country roads in Englefield Green, so allow extra time if you are unfamiliar with the area around Windsor Great Park.
Yes — the bar menu is a distinct offering from the à la carte, with lighter and simpler dishes at a lower commitment level. It is the right choice if you want a more casual visit or a shorter lunch. For a special occasion or to see what the kitchen can do, the full à la carte is the better call.
The venue is described as a charming, quirky operation rather than a large-format dining room, so it is better suited to smaller groups and intimate occasions than to large parties. For groups of six or more, call ahead to confirm availability and seating — the Bailiwick's contact details are not listed publicly, so check directly via the venue address at Wick Rd, Englefield Green, Egham TW20 0HN.
Yes, and it is a particularly good call for occasions where you want a sense of occasion without the formality of a city fine-dining room. The setting on the edge of Windsor Great Park, the Michelin Plate standard cooking, and the cheese trolley with prime British options all make it a stronger birthday or anniversary choice than a standard gastropub. Book a table rather than arriving and relying on bar seating.
The Bailiwick is the clearest Michelin-recognised option in the immediate Egham and Englefield Green area. For higher Michelin ambition in the broader region, options exist further into Surrey and towards London, but none replicate the Windsor Great Park setting and direct-source game menu. If you are open to driving further for a step up in formal fine dining, the London options become relevant — but at a significantly higher price point.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
