Restaurant in Marlow, United Kingdom
Michelin-recognised pub, easy to book.
A Michelin Plate pub-restaurant at 46 Spittal Street, The Oarsman delivers British contemporary cooking and a Star Wine List-recognised wine programme at the ££ price point — making it Marlow's strongest value-for-quality option below the Hand and Flowers tier. Midweek pricing sharpens the deal further. Easy to book, serious about both food and wine.
At the ££ price point, The Oarsman delivers a level of cooking that sits well above what you'd expect from a pub-format venue in a market town. You're looking at a Michelin Plate holder for both 2024 and 2025, a Star Wine List White Star, and a Google rating of 4.3 across 427 reviews — credentials that justify a reservation rather than a casual walk-in. If you want Marlow's most serious fine dining, Hand and Flowers at ££££ is the answer. But if you want well-sourced British contemporary cooking with a strong wine programme at roughly half the spend, The Oarsman is the right call.
The Oarsman sits at 46 Spittal Street in central Marlow, occupying a part-red-brick, part-timbered building with an enclosed terrace — the kind of physical setting that works across seasons, whether you're after an outdoor lunch in warmer months or a sheltered table inside when the Thames-side chill sets in. The atmosphere tends toward warm and unhurried rather than high-energy and noisy. This is not a venue you visit for a quick meal on a loud Friday night; it's a pub-restaurant that takes its kitchen seriously, and the room reflects that in its pace and feel. The energy sits comfortably between relaxed local and focused dining destination, which is part of what makes it a useful venue for a range of occasions , a midweek dinner, a relaxed weekend lunch, or a celebratory meal where you want quality without the formality of a white-tablecloth room.
The cooking approach centres on natural ingredients handled with confidence , bold flavours are not avoided, with dishes like nduja-laced roasted poussin signalling a kitchen that is comfortable with heat and fat alongside its more restrained British contemporary instincts. The midweek pricing structure offers particularly strong value, so if your schedule allows a Tuesday-to-Thursday visit, that's when the cost-to-quality ratio sharpens further. Keep an eye on Steak Frites Night if that format appeals; it points to a kitchen that knows its audience and programmes accordingly.
Wine programme warrants specific mention. The Star Wine List White Star recognition is not a common credential for a ££ pub-restaurant in a Berkshire market town, and it signals genuine investment in the list rather than a functional house-wine operation. For food-and-wine enthusiasts, this distinguishes The Oarsman from most venues at this price tier in the area. The combination of a Michelin Plate kitchen and a credentialled wine list at ££ is the core reason to choose it over other options in Marlow's mid-range bracket.
Marlow's dining scene sits in an unusual position for a town of its size. It is home to Hand and Flowers, the only pub in the UK to hold two Michelin stars, and The Coach, Tom Kerridge's more accessible sibling operation. That creates a local reference point that is unusually refined, and it means visitors often overlook venues that don't carry a famous name. The Oarsman fills a specific gap in that hierarchy: it is the venue you book when you want genuine quality , Michelin-recognised, wine-accredited , without the booking pressure or price step of Marlow's headline names. For locals, it functions as a reliable neighbourhood anchor: a place where the kitchen takes the food seriously and the wine list rewards attention, at a price that allows return visits. For visitors who have read about Marlow as a food destination and want to explore beyond the obvious stops, it belongs on the itinerary alongside , not instead of , the bigger names. See our full Marlow restaurants guide for a broader picture of the town's options, and browse our Marlow bars guide if you're building a longer evening.
For context on where The Oarsman sits within British contemporary cooking more broadly, the category includes venues as varied as The Fat Duck in Bray, CORE by Clare Smyth in London, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, and Gidleigh Park in Chagford. At the ££ end of that spectrum, The Oarsman competes with venues like hide and fox in Saltwood and Dog and Gun Inn in Skelton , Michelin Plate-level pub-restaurants that prove the format works when the kitchen commitment is real. Internationally, Jaan by Kirk Westaway in Singapore shows how far British contemporary cooking travels as an export, which reinforces how coherent and recognisable the idiom has become at every price tier.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. The Oarsman does not carry the same reservation pressure as Hand and Flowers, where waits of weeks or months are standard. That said, for weekend evenings and specific event nights like Steak Frites Night, booking ahead is still the sensible approach , popular slots at any Michelin-recognised venue in a well-visited town will fill. Midweek is the easiest window to secure a table, and as noted, that's also when the pricing is most competitive. There is no phone number or online booking link in the current data, so approach directly via the venue address at 46 Spittal Street or check current booking channels on arrival in town.
Hand and Flowers is the obvious step up , two Michelin stars, ££££, and booking pressure to match. The Coach at £££ sits between the two on price and offers a more casual Tom Kerridge experience without the full Hand and Flowers commitment. For ££ with a different focus, The Butcher's Tap and Grill covers the meat-focused end of the market. If you want Indian contemporary, Sindhu is worth considering. The Oarsman is the pick if a credentialled wine list alongside Michelin-recognised British cooking is your priority at the ££ tier. See the full Marlow restaurants guide for a complete comparison.
The venue is a pub-restaurant format with an enclosed terrace, which typically suits groups up to around 8–10 comfortably in a pub-style setting. There is no confirmed private dining room in the current data. For larger groups or a formal private hire, contact the venue directly at 46 Spittal Street to check current capacity and availability. Midweek bookings will give you more flexibility on table configuration than weekend evenings.
Yes. A pub-restaurant format with bar seating and a relaxed atmosphere is one of the better solo-dining setups in any town, and the wine programme gives solo diners with an interest in the list a genuine reason to linger. At ££, the spend per head is manageable without a shared bill. If you're visiting Marlow alone for the food scene, The Oarsman and The Coach (counter seating available) are the two most solo-friendly options in the mid-range bracket.
There is no confirmed tasting menu format in the current data , the venue operates as a pub-restaurant rather than a set-menu destination. The Michelin Plate recognition reflects kitchen quality in an à la carte or set-menu pub context rather than a multi-course tasting format. If a full tasting menu is your priority, Hand and Flowers is the Marlow option, though it runs at ££££. The Oarsman is the better choice when you want recognised cooking quality without a structured tasting format.
Yes, with the right expectations. The setting , part-red-brick, part-timbered, with an enclosed terrace , has genuine character, and the Michelin Plate and Star Wine List credentials give the meal substance. At ££ it won't feel like a grand celebratory blowout in the way Hand and Flowers does, but for a birthday dinner, anniversary lunch, or a meal that marks something without requiring a ££££ spend, it works well. Book in advance for weekend evenings to secure the table you want, and consider midweek if you want a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy relative to Marlow peers. For a midweek dinner, a week or two of lead time is likely sufficient. Weekend evenings, particularly Friday and Saturday, will fill faster , aim for two to three weeks out. For specific event nights like Steak Frites Night, check availability as soon as you know your dates. Compare this to Hand and Flowers, where waits of several weeks to months are standard, and The Oarsman's booking accessibility is one of its practical advantages.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Oarsman | British Contemporary | ££ | The Oarsman Marlow is a wine bar venue.without_translation_and restaurant in Marlow, UK. It was published on Star Wine List on November 23, 2022 and is a White Star.; Spend an hour or two at this lovely pub and you'll leave feeling a good deal happier than when you entered. The impressive kitchen and service teams will ensure you are looked-after and well-fed, inside the charming surroundings of their part-red-brick, part-timbered pub – which also boasts a lovely enclosed terrace. The cooking puts naturally delicious ingredients at the forefront and doesn't shy away from big flavours, like warming nudja with roasted poussin. Look out for the 'Steak Frites Night' and come midweek to make the most of the wallet-friendly pricing.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Hand and Flowers | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| The Coach | Modern British | £££ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| The Butcher's Tap and Grill | Meats and Grills | ££ | Unknown | — | |
| The Troublesome Lodger | Unknown | — | |||
| Vaasu | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Hand and Flowers is the obvious comparison, but at two Michelin stars it operates in a different price bracket and requires weeks of advance planning. The Coach nearby offers a similar accessible-pub format with Michelin recognition. The Oarsman at ££ sits closest to The Coach in terms of value and booking ease, making it the more practical choice for a spontaneous or midweek meal in Marlow.
The Oarsman's part-red-brick, part-timbered pub format with an enclosed terrace gives it reasonable capacity for groups, and booking difficulty is rated Easy, which suggests availability is not a major obstacle. For larger parties, booking in advance is advisable to secure the terrace. The ££ price point makes it a low-friction option for group dining without the per-head exposure of Hand and Flowers.
A pub-format venue with bar seating and a relaxed atmosphere generally suits solo diners well, and The Oarsman's accessible price range and Michelin Plate cooking make it a practical stop for one. The wine bar credentials, recognised by Star Wine List in 2022, also mean there's a decent list to work through at the counter. No reservation pressure makes it easier to show up alone without the friction of a high-demand booking.
The venue database does not confirm a tasting menu format at The Oarsman — the kitchen is noted for à la carte-style cooking with event nights like 'Steak Frites Night' rather than a set tasting progression. If a fixed multi-course format is what you're after, Hand and Flowers or The Coach may be more appropriate. The Oarsman's strength is Michelin Plate cooking at ££ prices in a pub setting, not a structured tasting experience.
For a low-key celebration where quality matters more than ceremony, yes. The Michelin Plate (2024 and 2025) confirms the kitchen is operating above casual pub standard, and the enclosed terrace adds a sense of occasion without the formality of a fine-dining room. It is not a white-tablecloth destination, so if the occasion calls for full-service theatre, Hand and Flowers is the upgrade. For a relaxed but considered meal, The Oarsman holds up.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so a few days' notice is typically sufficient for most visits. Midweek slots are particularly accessible and the venue's own recognition notes that midweek pricing is more wallet-friendly. For weekend evenings or a specific table on the terrace, a week's notice is a sensible buffer — but this is not a venue where you risk losing months of planning if you leave it late.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
