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Since welcoming customers back in August, the team at the Black Horse have perfected the art of serving up a fabulous dining experience in the face of a challenging year. They kindly invited us to experience for ourselves how they’ve adapted to the new regulations, proving it is possible to thrive under these constraints.

Having previously dined at Brasserie Blanc, the pub’s sister venue in Jericho, I was anticipating great food and a delightful setting. I was thrilled at the chance to try some of the menu items that had caught my eye but I hadn’t been able to fit in to my earlier dinner, but also a little apprehensive that, operating under the same brand, the experiences might be difficult to distinguish from one another. How wrong I was. The look and feel of the place was totally unique, with a vast choice of spaces to explore (in my mask, of course). We nestled into a cosy corner, safely distanced from others yet simultaneously feeling in the middle of things, able to enjoy something approaching a pre-covid Friday night buzz, bathed in a warm yellow light.

Alongside the great atmosphere, the service was excellent - attentive and authentically friendly - and the drinks were delicious (delightfully complex cocktails, including a comprehensive alcohol-free menu, and highly drinkable wine). But the main event was of course the food.

I was told that there are seven highly trained chefs working simultaneously in the kitchen, and this was evident in the quality of the food - the symphony of flavours, fragrances, colours and textures meticulously executed with each course. Even the bread and homemade dips which we nibbled as an appetiser while deciding what to order were worthy of mention: fresh, fluffy baguette with a gorgeously buttery truffle mayo, a spicy citrusy tapenade and a mushroom and aubergine dip that my friend felt was the best thing she’d ever tasted (setting the bar rather high for the rest of the meal!).

I went for the special starter, a salad of morteau sausage, poached egg, lardons and new potatoes. This could almost have been a meal in itself - the sprinkling of crunchy leaves just about qualified the dish as a salad, but not as health food! Every element was lovely, and together they balanced out well: the smooth egg yolk tempering the saltiness of the bacon and sausage. My friend had the cheese souffle to start and we were both wowed. Having previously tried a sweet souffle, I was a bit sceptical as to how the unique texture would work with savoury flavours. But I have to say, now I’m a believer. The strong, satisfying cheesiness married with the crusty outside and melt-in-the-mouth middle was absolutely heavenly.

The portion sizes were so generous that we could have left after the starters and felt full. But we bravely and altruistically soldiered on in order to assess properly the rest of the culinary offering. For mains, I again chose the special, while my friend had the crab salad. I am not a fish fan, but she reported that it was delicious, and as far as I was concerned it was very prettily presented. My confit duck was nothing short of sensational. An inventive twist on the French classic, the leg was served on a Thai red curry with cashew nuts and spiced potatoes. The meat was perfectly cooked, infused with the flavours of the sauce and the subtle tang of the accompanying mango chutney. The entire ensemble was spicy yet delicate, another example of the team’s attention to detail - every single element was justified, nothing felt superfluous, and the result was as near flawless as you could imagine.

We tried to choose desserts that would wake us up a bit for the journey home, as we were both starting to succumb to the mellow contentment that so often follows hearty indulgence. We were recommended the pistacchio souffle - I had tried it before but my friend was intrigued, and I had another try (so dedicated am I to thorough research…), concluding it’s like something Willy Wonka might have created. My palate was cleansed with a light and zingy citrus parfait and a sweet, juicy berry compote.

It probably doesn’t need me to say, but I would return in a heartbeat, and am hoping I can persuade loved ones to join me there for all special occasions for the foreseeable (however distant those might have to be). The Black Horse is now taking bookings for Christmas, with a mouthwatering menu available for Christmas parties and on Christmas Day, and if their standard menu is anything to go by, this will be a fittingly extravagant way to celebrate.

To locals, the old Black Horse was a characterful establishment; it was known for its cheap drinks and late opening hours, and with that, it held a certain reputation amongst the town folk. The recent re-development of the pub by Raymond Blanc's White Brasserie Company has created quite a buzz in Thame since its opening in December 2017 so it was time to investigate - has the Black Horse changed for the better? Short answer: absolutely!

Designer Inge Watrobski intended the Black Horse to have 'a corner for everyone'. The front of the pub/restaurant is homely, with the bar area taking on a much more welcoming feel than its previous incarnation. To the rear, the old coach house has been converted into an eating space with framed pictures of hand-drawn botanical diagrams, a bright and airy space filled with greenery in a tasteful way while remaining cosy. The only criticism we had about the decor was the bizarre wallpaper; it was as if the artist had suddenly become aware of the colonial nature of the images (e.g. Victorian white women next to giraffes, complete with Indian servant boys) and had tried to cover it up with child-like prints of palm trees. Certainly not our cup of tea but it made for an interesting talking point.

Upon our arrival we were promptly seated and were really taken care of. Our waiter Callum was fantastic; he was attentive, chatty (in a good way) and was enthusiastic about our chosen dishes in a convincing way. He even managed to talk my partner into having another drink, leaving my partner surprised and slightly horrified that Callum had succeeded when others have tried and failed in the past. The only thing Callum was missing was training in wine pairing, but his suggestion of Picpoul de Pinet was a fair choice and went well with the fish pie.

After perusing the menu, I decided to be adventurous and so chose the Burgundian snails in garlic herb butter with bread. The snails were similar in texture to mussels - actually, I think I might prefer the texture of snails - and weren't at all gritty or tough. The garlic butter was amazing; I had a suspicion that they use wild garlic given the vibrant colour of the butter (especially after finding of a non-blended leaf, not resembling that of parsley) rather than the conventional bulb, and there was no skimping on the amount of butter. I wouldn't hesitate to have it again. My partner's Cheddar cheese soufflé with warm Ford Farm Coastal Cheddar sauce was silky smooth and delightful.

We didn't have to wait long for our next course to arrive. After very little persuasion from Callum, I decide to go for the 'pie of the week', a fish pie composed of fillets of salmon, smoked haddock, prawns, mushrooms and a mash potato topping, served with buttery green beans. Although deceptively simple, the pie was excellent. The potato was a glorious blend of cheesy, smooth mash piped elegantly onto of the pie and baked to form a slight crust. This was truly the mash potato one dreams about on a cold, wintry night. The amount of fish inside was great; the fillets fell apart into soft flakes, with the slices of mushroom and prawns bringing little nuggets of flavour. The chefs of the Black Horse have made me determined to raise my fish pie game.

My partner's malabar fish curry certainly looked a lot more impressive than my humble pie. The enormous king prawn had part of its shell removed, meaning optimal absorption of the sauce without compromising the aesthetic appeal, and the fish was flaky and soft. The overall flavour seemed to be that of lemongrass, which was refreshing to have as the star of the show rather than as an afterthought.

On to dessert. My pistachio souffle was massive and when opened up, revealed a gorgeous bright green colour. Rather strangely, the mix between pistachios and chocolate resulted in a flavour much like sponge fingers, which made me nostalgic and very happy. My partner's chocolate torte was pleasant and quickly disappeared from his plate.

The Black Horse is the ideal venue for a special occasion, say an anniversary meal for two or a special birthday with the family. The setting is upscale, the food is fantastic, the service is conscientious, and as a result, the atmosphere is relaxing. The old Black Horse is firmly dead and buried; long live the new reincarnation of the Black Horse!