An alluring and seemingly unspoilt timber-framed 16th century pub in a charming south Oxfordshire village, the White Horse offers passable Sunday roasts for a reasonable £9. The roast beef, for example, comes with three big slices of rather dry meat, crispy roast potatoes, a very dry Yorkshire pudding and a side serving of respectable vegetables, while the lamb is also sliced, rather than on the bone. The succulent white fish (£10) in batter, served with fat chips and a small bowl of peas, is better, as is the seafood risotto (£10), although it looks like it has been heated up, rather than cooked from scratch. Kids can have half-size meals at half-price. The deserts (around £4.50) include a large cube of sticky toffee pudding, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is very sweet and a little too neat and tidy. You can get two large scoops of decent ice cream for £4, which is a bit pricey for kiddy fodder. The coffees are also expensive - £2.30 for a modest cappuccino. On tap, are a couple of Arkell's bitters, such as the fairly weak and innocuous 3B. The Stowford Press cider, which is full of flavour and very refreshing, is more exciting. The White Horse's tired run-of-the-mill wood interior, which lacks the character of the exterior, is a bit of a disappointment. But the comely female staff are friendly and attentive. 7/10
