Hand and Flowers Marlow Review: Inside Tom Kerridge’s Two Michelin Star Pub

Some restaurants live rent free in your head long before you ever step inside, and The Hand and Flowers in Marlow had been doing exactly that for me. So when I finally booked our table, I knew this Hand and Flowers Marlow review was going to be one of the most exciting posts I would write all year.

This is the UK’s first pub to hold two Michelin stars, owned by chef Tom Kerridge, and as you can imagine, getting a table is no walk in the park. We booked our reservation a full two and a half months in advance, which honestly felt like part of the fun. Anticipation is half the magic of a special meal.

The occasion was Charlie’s 50th, and I wanted somewhere that felt both grown up and joyful. Somewhere that wasn’t trying too hard to impress, but quietly knew it didn’t have to. The Hand and Flowers fits that brief perfectly. From the outside it looks like exactly what it is: a beautiful, low beamed English pub on the edge of one of the prettiest towns in Buckinghamshire. No grand entrance. No fuss. Just a doorway that promises good things.

We arrived a little early so we could get cocktails first. I wasn’t actually sure if The Hand and Flowers had a bar, so I did what any modern diner does and asked ChatGPT. Turns out, yes, there’s a lovely bar area, and on the day we visited, the British weather had decided to play nicely.

Charlie went for an Old Fashioned, which arrived properly stirred, properly cold, and beautifully balanced. I went for a Fr’argarita, made with Scotch bonnet, fresh lime and tequila. Anyone who knows me knows I lean towards anything fruity, spicy and tequila based, and this drink hit every note. There was real heat from the chilli, but it was layered, not aggressive, with that lovely lift of agave and citrus. Easily one of the best margaritas I’ve had in the UK.

The bar itself sits in a brand new extension at the back of the pub, which feels modern but still in keeping with the original building. Great natural light, comfortable seats, and exactly the kind of space where you could happily lose an hour before dinner.

When our table was ready, we were taken through to the dining area. Low beams, low ceilings, soft lighting, and exactly the kind of cosy, classy, traditional English pub interior I love. We had a corner table, which felt private without being tucked away, and waiting on the table was a card from the team to mark Charlie’s 50th. A small, thoughtful touch that set the tone for the rest of the evening.

What I didn’t expect was just how much personality the walls themselves carry. Tom Kerridge’s mum, Eva, curates and creates much of the artwork in the pub. Many of the pieces are her own work, others are commissions, and some are deeply personal artefacts from Tom’s career.

Later in the evening we were given a little tour, and I found it genuinely moving. Old kitchen shoes that Tom used to wear, old aprons and bibs from his early career, original drawings of the food he created, including dishes that are still on the menu today. There’s even a pair of his shoes from his time working with Marco Pierre White, cast in iron. His awards sit quietly on a shelf, no fuss, no spotlight. It’s the kind of detail that tells you everything about the place: confidence, history, and a real sense of family.

There are two menus to choose from, and this is one of the first questions I get asked when people ask about my Hand and Flowers Marlow review.

We went for the Classic Menu, which felt like exactly the right call. Fewer decisions, more focus on the dishes themselves, and frankly, brilliant value for two Michelin stars. One of the lovely details on the menu is the date next to each dish, which is the year that recipe first appeared on the Hand and Flowers menu. It turns the meal into a kind of edible greatest hits.

Our server Gavin guided us through the choices with real warmth. He recommended the smoked chicken to start, the pork for main, and the trifle for dessert, and he was right about every single one.

Before our starters arrived, the team brought over a basket of bread, and I want to give it its own section because it deserves it.

This was, hand on heart, the best sourdough I have ever eaten. The crust shattered beautifully under the knife, the crumb was soft and open, and the flavour had that proper, deep, slightly tangy character that only comes from a really well loved starter. It came with two dips: a rich ale and camel butter, and a smooth, savoury second butter that I could happily have eaten with a spoon.

Charlie went straight for the Moules Marinière with warm stout and treacle bread, a dish that has been on the menu since 2012. Mussels are his absolute weakness, and he was in his happy place from the first spoonful. The broth was rich, glossy, savoury and just sweet enough from the stout and treacle bread to feel completely his own. Fun aside: a version of this dish also appears on the menu at The Coach down the road in Marlow, which we visited a few weeks earlier. Same DNA, slightly different personality. Seeing how a signature dish travels across Tom Kerridge’s Marlow pubs is one of those little details that makes eating your way around his restaurants so much fun.

I went for Gavin’s recommendation, the Braised Pearl Barley with smoked chicken, pickled pear and wild garlic, a 2011 classic. This was a quietly stunning plate. The barley was creamy and almost risotto like, the smoked chicken added this gorgeous depth, and the pickled pear cut through everything with a bright, fragrant lift. Wild garlic season is always a treat, and they had used it beautifully.

There were two mains on the Classic Menu and we were genuinely torn. On one side, the famous Hand and Flowers Fish and Chips with hot smoked salmon and caviar tartare sauce and minted pea purée, on the menu since 2005. On the other, the Tenderloin of Wiltshire Pork with pickled cabbage, garlic sausage, malted cheek beignet and mustard mayonnaise, a 2016 dish.

It was extraordinary. The pork tenderloin was perfectly pink, beautifully seasoned, and so tender it almost melted. The malted cheek beignet was the secret weapon, a little crisp parcel of slow cooked richness that balanced the leaner tenderloin. The garlic sausage added punch, the pickled cabbage brought brightness, and the mustard mayonnaise tied everything together.

On the side, we shared the Hand and Flowers Triple Cooked Chips. Picture perfect cubes of potato with a glassy, crunchy outer shell and fluffy centres. They are £12.50 for a portion and they are worth every penny.

Dessert was a fight on two fronts. There were two options on the Classic Menu: the Chocolate and Ale Cake with Muscovado and Malt Ice Cream and Frosted Pecan, a 2014 dish, or the Raspberry and Rose Water Trifle with white chocolate cremosa and raspberry sorbet, a 2009 classic that contains nuts.

I am a chocolate girl through and through, and Charlie has always been a trifle man, so there was no debate. We took one each and shared bites.

The chocolate cake was rich, glossy, and gorgeous. A thin, dense slice of chocolate intensity, beautifully balanced by the muscovado and malt ice cream and the crunch of frosted pecan. If you love proper, grown up chocolate desserts, you will adore it.

But, and I cannot quite believe I am saying this, the trifle won. It was outstanding. Layers of raspberry, rose water, white chocolate cremosa and a little biscuit base at the bottom that gave it the most beautiful texture. Bright, fragrant, creamy and just slightly nostalgic. If I went back tomorrow, I would order the trifle. From a self confessed chocolate lover, that’s saying something.

Our two servers, Gavin and Alice, made the evening. They were warm, knowledgeable, generous with their recommendations, and clearly genuinely proud of where they work.

Every member of staff we spoke to had been at The Hand and Flowers for at least two years. They described the team as a family, talked about staff parties, food tastings, and ongoing wine education. We had a very similar experience at The Coach, the other Tom Kerridge pub down the road in Marlow, where the energy is just as warm. You can really feel that the people working here are looked after, and it shows in the way they look after you.

It was Alice who quietly checked in on Charlie throughout the evening to make sure his birthday felt celebrated without being over the top. That balance is hard to get right, and they nailed it.

Here’s the part that surprised me most. For two Michelin stars, the Classic Menu at £85 per person is genuinely brilliant value. You’re getting signature dishes from a chef of Tom Kerridge’s calibre, in a beautiful setting, with seriously talented service, all for a price point that feels approachable for a special occasion.

Add in the bread, the croquette, the cocktails, the cellar tour and the artwork stories, and you walk out feeling like you’ve had a proper experience, not just a meal. The House Menu at £195 per person is obviously a bigger commitment, but if you really want to go deep on what this kitchen can do, I can absolutely see the appeal for a future visit.

One little surprise we learned during our visit: the building is actually owned by Greene King, and Tom Kerridge leases it. It made me smile. A two Michelin star pub, run by one of the best loved chefs in Britain, in a humble Greene King building. Very British. Very Hand and Flowers.

• Couples celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary
• Foodies ticking off the UK’s most iconic Michelin star pubs
• Anyone who loves Tom Kerridge’s cooking and wants to see the original
• Wine lovers who appreciate a thoughtful, well curated cellar
• Visitors to Marlow looking for one truly special dinner

To wrap up this Hand and Flowers Marlow review, the short version is this: it is, for me, the dictionary definition of a special occasion restaurant that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Two Michelin stars, world class cooking, properly trained service, beautiful artwork on the walls, and a sourdough that I will be thinking about for a long time. It’s affordable for what it is, especially on the Classic Menu, and the warmth from the team makes it feel less like an event and more like a really lovely night out with people who truly care.

Book early, go hungry, order the pork, share the trifle, and don’t be afraid to ask for the cellar tour. You’ll leave grinning.

Hand and Flowers, 126 West Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 2BP

We booked our table at The Hand and Flowers around two and a half months in advance. As the UK’s first two Michelin star pub, demand is always high, especially for weekend evenings and special occasions, so I’d recommend booking as early as you possibly can.

The Classic Menu at The Hand and Flowers is £85 per person and offers a curated selection of signature dishes from across the restaurant’s history. The longer House Menu is £195 per person.

Yes, The Hand and Flowers has a beautiful bar in a newly extended area at the back of the pub. It’s a lovely spot for a pre dinner cocktail, and I can highly recommend the Picante Margarita made with Scotch bonnet.

It’s genuinely both. The Hand and Flowers is a traditional English pub with low beams, cosy interiors and a relaxed feel, but the food is world class fine dining at two Michelin star level. That contrast is exactly what makes it so special.

Our server Gavin recommended the smoked chicken with pearl barley to start, the Tenderloin of Wiltshire Pork for main, and the Raspberry and Rose Water Trifle for dessert. After tasting them all, I’d 100 percent agree, although the chocolate and ale cake is also exceptional if you’re a chocolate lover.

The sourdough at The Hand and Flowers is supplied by Pollen Bakery in Manchester and is delivered fresh to the restaurant every day. It’s genuinely the best sourdough I’ve ever eaten.