On Dec 27th '04, my mother and I were greeted at the door of this lovely establisment. We were served sherry in the lounge and enjoyed a smoke at the bar before lunch.
The dining room is simply lovely, the grounds beautiful. The service very pleasent.
However, the food left a lot to be desired. The soup was initially creamy but became overwhelmed by the taste of sodium. The mushroom ravioli was served with mashed potatoes and the combination was not a success to the palate. The fish was swimming in a bowl of rich sauce, which hindered the flavor of the fish. The creme brulee appeared not to be freshly made, due to its thick, cold texture and the coldness of the caramalized sugar. The coffee afterwards was too strong to drink. We left it.
I think these dishes would have to improve dramatically before we'd eat there again. Very dissapointing.

Having searched hard for a lovely country house hotel near Oxford we luckily found Fallowfields and have stayed there three times in the past two years and will be returning this June. A beautiful manor home lovingly restored and expanded by peta and anthony we enjoy the personal attention from the owners and the competent staff and the charm of the rooms overlooking the gardens -- we particularly like the Kelmscott with its sunnny yellow decor, corneted bed and spacious bath.
What make the hotel a real gem is the high quality of the food -- we often eat dinner here rather than venturing into Oxford at night and have always been impressed by the skill of the chef and the availability of some very good wines at a reasonable price.