The Nut Tree, Murcott, Oxfordshire

Off to Murcott, Oxfordshire for lunch.  The sat nav took us past some dreamy little villages in Oxfordshire, lined with honey-coloured stone houses and cottages, along winding narrow country lanes until we arrived at Murcott.  The Nut Tree exudes old world charm: thatched roof, a duck pond to the front, low beams, a crackling fire, but the menu is modern British, with prices to match (fillet steak is £27 with triple-cooked chips).  Both food and service were a delight, well worth the journey of one and a half hours.  Thankfully on the day, there were no noisy diners, so it was a pleasantly quiet lunch.  But I have a confession to make, it is conveniently located near the Bicester Village, the discount designer shopping outlet, where coachloads of tourists from mainland China descend upon the place like locusts in a storm.