Helen’s guidebook
Best pubs in Wantage
Our favourite pubs
The Shoulder Of Mutton
38 Wallingford StSmart pub - Friendly staff and locals too.
The loveliest landlord and lady ever. Relaxed atmosphere. I would describe it as an old fella real ale pub as its not pretty but you get some of the best beer and cider here. Try Dr Hexter's Healer or Wedding Ale made just for the landlord.
The Royal Oak Inn
Newbury StreetThe loveliest landlord and lady ever. Relaxed atmosphere. I would describe it as an old fella real ale pub as its not pretty but you get some of the best beer and cider here. Try Dr Hexter's Healer or Wedding Ale made just for the landlord.
This pub is magic. You'll need to drive there but it is like stepping back in time. On a sunny evening the garden is perfect for a few drinks from the hatch and they have good ales and ciders direct from the keg. Inside, the pub is full of character with snug settles around a fire and no bar - just a hole the wall. One of our favourite pubs in the world.
The North Star Inn
2 Stocks LnThis pub is magic. You'll need to drive there but it is like stepping back in time. On a sunny evening the garden is perfect for a few drinks from the hatch and they have good ales and ciders direct from the keg. Inside, the pub is full of character with snug settles around a fire and no bar - just a hole the wall. One of our favourite pubs in the world.
This is the best pub in Wantage - cosy old pub, roaring fires in winter, big beer garden in summer, exceptionally good ales. Quiz night is fun on a Wednesday and they have other events and sports on the telly.
The Kings Arms
39 Wallingford StThis is the best pub in Wantage - cosy old pub, roaring fires in winter, big beer garden in summer, exceptionally good ales. Quiz night is fun on a Wednesday and they have other events and sports on the telly.
Best cafes
Best places for coffee, cake, lunch and breakfast
Good coffee, nice local bread, pastries and cakes including vegan options. Wantage's only contemporary independent coffee shop.
Marmalade
30 Market PlGood coffee, nice local bread, pastries and cakes including vegan options. Wantage's only contemporary independent coffee shop.
Definitely the best full English in town washed down with good coffee and Yorkshire tea. Lovely homemade vintage afternoon tea of sandwiches, scones, jam & clotted cream on vintage china and cake stands. The owners Bev and Faye bake good hearty cakes on the premises and the bakewell tart is yummy. They also cater well for kids and do lunches too.
The Bay Tree Café
9 Newbury StDefinitely the best full English in town washed down with good coffee and Yorkshire tea. Lovely homemade vintage afternoon tea of sandwiches, scones, jam & clotted cream on vintage china and cake stands. The owners Bev and Faye bake good hearty cakes on the premises and the bakewell tart is yummy. They also cater well for kids and do lunches too.
Really good veggie & vegan lunch at this cafe plus excellent home made cake but sadly only open Tues-Fri 10-3.
Down to Earth Community Cafe
Really good veggie & vegan lunch at this cafe plus excellent home made cake but sadly only open Tues-Fri 10-3.
Best Eateries in the area
Wantage isn't blessed with great food but there are a few places to suggest and more the further away you go.
The Greyhound at Letcombe is a decent gastro pub and a short drive away. Alternatively you can walk there in about 45 mins through countryside and get a taxi back for a perfect way to spend a Sunday.
14 locals recommend
The Greyhound Inn
Main StreetThe Greyhound at Letcombe is a decent gastro pub and a short drive away. Alternatively you can walk there in about 45 mins through countryside and get a taxi back for a perfect way to spend a Sunday.
There is a chippy just round the corner from Smiths Wharf but the best chippy in the area is this one which is a 5 minute drive. Customers are usually queuing out the door and you might wait 10 minutes but you'll get consistently good fish n chips and even their mushy peas are pretty good! Worth the journey.
Millbrook Fish & Chips
6 Millbrook SquareThere is a chippy just round the corner from Smiths Wharf but the best chippy in the area is this one which is a 5 minute drive. Customers are usually queuing out the door and you might wait 10 minutes but you'll get consistently good fish n chips and even their mushy peas are pretty good! Worth the journey.
This has always been our favourite. Yummy Nepalese food worth driving to. Especially good if you're travelling from Didcot Parkway or working at Harwell or Milton Park. Staff are friendly, food really good and interesting dishes we hadn't had before including more vegetable dishes than some other places. Reliable good food.
Gurkha Sunkoshi
226A BroadwayThis has always been our favourite. Yummy Nepalese food worth driving to. Especially good if you're travelling from Didcot Parkway or working at Harwell or Milton Park. Staff are friendly, food really good and interesting dishes we hadn't had before including more vegetable dishes than some other places. Reliable good food.
This is a fairly standard pizza place - the menu is really uninteresting sadly and not authentic but if you just fancy a pizza or bowl of pasta it beats dominoes or a microwave meal. The place looks nice and kids seem to love it. There is a cinema upstairs where you can see some good films and eat too. Schedule is on their website.
11 locals recommend
Wildwood
43 Market PlThis is a fairly standard pizza place - the menu is really uninteresting sadly and not authentic but if you just fancy a pizza or bowl of pasta it beats dominoes or a microwave meal. The place looks nice and kids seem to love it. There is a cinema upstairs where you can see some good films and eat too. Schedule is on their website.
Things to do in Wantage and around
Beautiful views and you can drive up so it's great if you are not a walker or have mobility issues. Take a kite.
78 locals recommend
Uffington White Horse
Dragon Hill RoadBeautiful views and you can drive up so it's great if you are not a walker or have mobility issues. Take a kite.
Lovely little local museum with hands on exhibits giving you a feel for the history of the area. Really good for kids with lots to keep them busy and a cafe too.
14 locals recommend
The Vale & Downland Museum
19 Church StLovely little local museum with hands on exhibits giving you a feel for the history of the area. Really good for kids with lots to keep them busy and a cafe too.
This is a gentle 5 minute walk from our place and lovely all year round. Find the sculptures showing Sir John Betjeman's poems around the park, the standing stones, the climbing tree, plus wildlife and wildflowers. We've spotted bats, fish, freshwater shrimp and kingfishers on the way there.
Betjeman Millennium Park
53 Mill StThis is a gentle 5 minute walk from our place and lovely all year round. Find the sculptures showing Sir John Betjeman's poems around the park, the standing stones, the climbing tree, plus wildlife and wildflowers. We've spotted bats, fish, freshwater shrimp and kingfishers on the way there.
Full disclosure: I own The Makery! But it's good for crafts and we run a Makers Market every first Sunday of the month except January which is all small scale, local, independent makers.
The Makery
Full disclosure: I own The Makery! But it's good for crafts and we run a Makers Market every first Sunday of the month except January which is all small scale, local, independent makers.