The dog and I were very happy to return to Mallory Park, near Leamington Spa, where we had previously passed a truly delightful couple of days a year ago. It had been so good, that this time we had bookings to stay for 3 nights including two evenings - one à la carte and the other for the full tasting menu - in the hotel’s Warwick restaurant still under the guidance of Stuart Deeley. This was a prospect I was looking forward to and the sheer pleasure of staying in the beautiful art deco rooms which look out immediately on to the gardens with the views of Warwickshire was a thing to be savoured.
Dog and I deubered at Mallory Court which dates back to 1916 having been built at the orders of James Thomas Holt who then sold it to Sir James Black, founder of the Standard motor company (my father’s first car was a Standard and he named it Clara) and we were greeted as old friends even though Lucy the Labrador was close to a frenzy with excitement at finding herself in this gorgeous hotel. It was gloriously sunny day, the sort of day when the weather is now described as being a ‘heatwave’ whereas when I was young and my father still had his Standard motor car it would simply have been described as a “lovely summer’s day”.
Our room was as lovely as I expected after last year’s experience and the dog was well provided for and we were both happy to be able to slip out on to our shady little terrace through our window door and make our way through to the gardens which have badly suffered the ravages of the hot, dry summer. The room was stylish, comfortable, light and shot through with art deco glamour.
After a lunch of charcuterie in the hotel bar, a delicious dish in itself and an afternoon roaming the hotel grounds for as long as was possible given the baking heat, I downed an admirable Singapore Sling in the Mallory Court bar, feeling I must admit, very comfortable and shockingly pleased with myself until it was time to enuber and head for the town itself for the the one rosette AA Guide recommended Oscar’s French Steakhouse and Bistro where Tuesday night is Auberge Night when a three course menu is served for £28.
The local people clearly love the place and were out there in their numbers taking advantage of the price I suppose and looking very pleased with themselves as I had earlier. Oscar’s makes an effort to be rustic and Gallic in an unchallenging way.
Oscar’s French Steakhouse and Bistro has been long established, opening in 2001 under the present patron and manager, Pascal Caulle. The restaurant belongs to the Aubrey Allen meat business with Russell Allen being the stated owner. The Michelin Guide included what was first known as Oscar’s and afterwards as Oscar’s at 39 from 2007 to 2018 with a Bib Gourmand in 2008 in which edition it was described as, “Bustling, informal and unpretentious, set in three rooms on two floors … Good value, accomplished French bistro cooking, notable steak specialities”. There are indeed two small dining rooms downstairs and a larger one on the first floor and the front of house staff busy themselves impressively rushing out the food and clearing away the empty plates in, I should think, close to record time. I arrived twenty minutes early, was seated, served complementary baton and butter (both of which were very good), olives, my starter of Gruyère cheese croquette and was well into my main course - pork rib eye with cauliflower purée, fondant potato and cider cream sauce - by the time I should have been actually arriving. The speed of service was dizzying but polite and quietly friendly. The dining room was red and pink and felt very cosy. The evening’s menu was presented on a card the reverse of which depicted a charming cartoon of the restaurant’s unassuming exterior which was a nice touch. I wish other restaurants would provide their diners with nice little souvenir menus such as this but it has to be said that Oscar’s goes far and beyond what most other restaurants, including expensive establishments, cheer up their diners with such as the complimentary olives and baton and a generous portion of butter. And also, of course, Oscar’s has a notable 25 year-long history which makes it rather special and a necessary location for any food lover in this West Midlands region to visit at least once. And it was thrilling to be waited on by Pascal himself, a local legend and someone who has seen many ups and downs in the restaurant industry over the past quarter of a century.
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| Pascal Caulle |
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| Oscar’s French Bistro as it was in 2015 |
But what about the food? Sadly this was not such a triumph. The Gruyère croquette was large and had a nice crispy coat to it but the contents had little in the way of flavour and it was decidedly uncheesy. My pork rib eye was again generous in portion but overcooked and some of it was unpalatably dry. The fondant potato however was close to being spot on and the cider cream sauce at least added some moisture to the meat and I ate the largest part of the dish and bagged up a little of the meat for Lucy The Labrador to enjoy on my return to Mallory Court.
The dessert for this week’s Auberge evening was an excellent crème brûlée with a good crisp top to it and a pleasing custard of just the right sweetness. This was the highlight of the meal and my happiness level was greatly raised by it. Coffee was served with a pleasing bespoke chocolate - another happy little touch from this charming bistro.
There were problems. The meal was rushed though the frenzy of serving calmed down after the main course. The croquette needed more cheese and the cooking of the meat could have been better. It may be that the food improves on nights when a less pared down menu is presented. It was a short evening but not unpleasant and I returned to Mallory Court to take the dog for a further walk around the gardens there as the evening grew cooler and the late summer night brought darkness and peacefulness to the fine hotel.
So it was goodnight from mid-Warwickshire.
11 August 2026
Rating:- 🌛🌛🌛
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