A HENLEY guesthouse has been given a recommendation in the Michelin Guide 2010.

Falaise House, in Market Place, is singled out for its luxury bedrooms, good choice of breakfasts and location.

It is a big turnaround for the business since Richard Morgan and his wife Jane took it over in 2007.

Mr Morgan said: “When we bought it, the business was pretty much on its knees.We spent a fortune on refurbishment and it is starting to pay dividends. To be recommended in the Michelin Guide is fantastic. We have also just been updated to five stars and awarded a gold star for service and hospitality by the English Tourist Board.”

Luscombes at The Golden Ball in Lower Assendon is one of only two restaurants in the area to be mentioned in the guide.

The authors note it is “popular with locals,” serving a menu of “tasty, simply cooked dishes”. Owner and chef Stephen Luscombe, who opened the restaurant 18 months ago, said: “I am pleased to be included and plan to use it as a building block. This is a beautiful place and we are building up a great reputation.”

Hotel Du Vin in New Street, Henley, is singled out for its “stunning” bedrooms and “excellent” wine list.

General manager Stephen Hodgkinson said: “We try to be non-pretentious. We are perceived as quite expensive but when you get down to brass tacks, we are about great rooms and providing a great experience for our guests. We have just been re-awarded two double-A rosettes for the quality of our food and we do have a great wine list.

“What the hotel brings to the town is a lot of corporate business that uses all the other eateries.”

The guide also recommends the Five Horseshoes pub at Maidensgrove as “paradise” for walkers, providing “comforting classics” and popular barbecues in the summer.

Daniel Taverner, who has run the pub since April with wife Tracey, said: “The pub has been featured in the Michelin guide for many years and it is always nice to be mentioned.

“The pub is still in transition from when we took it over and we are hoping that we will continue to get recognition for providing a very high standard of food using local suppliers at attractive prices.”

The other restaurant in the area to be featured in the guide is the The Goose at Britwell Salome, which has been awarded a Michelin star, as reported in the Standard last week.


Published on 08 February 2010