★★★★★ "I was drawn to the words ‘Welsh rarebit crouton’, and was soon sipping on a velvety cauliflower soup with a marvellous, rich and naughty charred chunk of cheese on toast." - William Sitwell
See the full article here 
"This cosy, 40 cover restaurant likes to showcase game. Venison is sourced locally, while shoots at Thistleton and Lyndon provide the partridge and pheasant.
Look out for? Loin of local rabbit, stuffed with black pudding and roasted with puy lentils, root vegetables and game sauce, while Neil's twice-baked creamy cheese souffle has near legendary status among Rutland foodies" -The Field Magazine 
"The Good Food Guide has published its list of Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants - and one in Rutland has made the cut. Hitchen's Barn.
-The Local Good Food Guide 
★★★★★ “An unpretentious place with a real rustic feel”- AA Inspector
-AA Rated Trips 
We are thrilled and delighted to be the only recipient in Rutland of this award in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024. After only being open eight months we are so proud of our team for this amazing achievement.
"Named after Bibendum – the Michelin Man – our Bib Gourmand distinction highlights restaurants offering ‘good quality, good value cooking’ at £30 or under for 3 courses, and is a hit among our readers. 22 restaurants have been newly honoured for 2020." -Michelin Guide 
"Run by local couple Neil and Louise Hitchen, Hitchen's Barn is a must-visit for food lovers on a trip to Oakham. The enormous menu included treats such as loin of local rabbit stuffed with it's own liver, whole roasted partridge and local Victoria plum crumble."
-The Telegraph 
With a table of four, there was plenty of chance for owner/chef Neil Hitchen to showcase his talents. For starters, dishes ranged from my mum’s wild mushroom soup with tarragon and truffle cream (‘silky, delicious, lovely light foam on top’), to dad’s indulgent twice-baked creamy Red Leicester & Lincolnshire Poacher cheese soufflé (‘a fabulous cheesy hit’), to Nick’s crispy egg, with Parma ham, watercress, apple and celeriac remoulade (‘a perfect combination of contrasting textures’), to my Long Clawson stilton cheesecake, with red wine-poached quince and walnuts. My dish sounded like a bit of a gamble on paper, but, trusting in the acclaimed chef’s ability – and tempted by the inventiveness of it all – I went for it anyway. This bold move paid off… it was fabulous... if you’re ready for a break from home cooking, however good at that you are, then an exquisite meal at Hitchen’s Barn is definitely recommended.
- Local Living |
As recommended by Comedians Tom Davis & James Acaster. -Off Menu Podcast. 
"There's a great atmosphere in this country town restaurant, run by husband and wife team Neil & Louise Hitchen. Neil turns out superb dishes from the barn conversion kitchen whilst Louise is in charge of the front of house.
Many of the ingredients are sourced locally in Rutland and the well briefed team can answer any questions instantly. Set in a venerable old building in the heart of Oakham with mismatched furniture and crockery adding to the charm, its a mainstay of the town and about as good as a proper neighbourhood restaurant can get. Better still a huge effort has been made to construct dishes which achieve this whilst being affordable, so a dinner for two with some very good interesting wines is still possible for south of £100. No small achievement these days. It means you leave smiling and probably happier than when you arrived. Even nearby Hambleton Hall (where the Hitchens met working in the 90's) cant better that! Top menu tip - scotch eggs are a specialty and well worth trying." -Harden's 
Hitchen's Barn are in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.
The Travelers’ Choice Award celebrates restaurants that consistently deliver fantastic experiences to travelers around the globe. Winners like HB earned positive traveler reviews and ratings over the past year. -Travelers' Choice 
"Local produce is the mainstay of Neil's menus, ... heirloom tomatoes bursting with sweet ripeness, served with goat's curd and pesto, or cured sea trout with blood orange in hazelnut dressing, are simple fresh intros to mains such as halibut on the bone with asparagus and brown shrimps, or perhaps a sturdy meat dish like salty-skinned duck breast on hispi cabbage with potato gratin in a thyme-scented red wine jus."
-The Good Food Guide 
"At Hitchen’s Barn in Oakham you’ll enjoy beautifully cooked food. Seasonal game dishes feature prominently, inspired by head chef Neil’s love for the British countryside. Examples include Braised Shoulder of Local Venison, Mash, Red Cabbage, Walnuts & Poached Pear; and Braised Rabbit Leg, Mash, Savoy Cabbage, Mustard & Gherkin Sauce. You can also expect excellent fresh fish dishes, such as Fillet of Cornish Cod, New Potatoes, Baby Leeks & River Fowey Mussels. The menus change regularly, reflecting the seasons.
At this restaurant, the owners’ name is above the door. They run it with pride, and no-one benefits more than the diners." -Great Food Club |
What our customers think
You can read the full reviews here
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★★★★★
"From walking through the door, the customer experience is excellent. The staff are very friendly and accommodating and the food is excellent. I had the chicken with leeks and mushrooms and it was the best chicken I have ever tasted. Other members of our party had the fillet steak and they said it was cooked to perfection and very tasty. Everything is cooked fresh so there is a little wait but they provided us with complimentary bread and butter to keep us going. As you can imagine, this is a very popular place so booking is essential. Can’t wait to visit again." -Vanessa Rayner ★★★★★
"FLAVOURS!!!!!! Sunday Lunch at 14.30. Chose Mussels starter in saffron sauce....... amazing! Then Pork roast second course. Excellent service as ever. Chef reakky knows his stuff here. Highly recommended. Definateley in our top 3 in Rutland after trying 3 times. Need to book." -Ken Gill ★★★★
"Great birthday lunch for ten...superb setting, service and food....plus bubbly of course.." -Julian Cardew |
★★★★★
"Beautiful food, fantastic customer service. We had our valentines meal here and are already booked for another. Our absolute favourite restaurant. If we absolutely had to make a constructive comment it would be that it’s very quiet in there until the tables start to fill in so it feels a bit like you have to whisper. Other than that, we adore the place!" -Schtiff |
Keep Browsing
About UsFind out more about Neil and Louise and the team
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Food and DrinkBrowse menus and learn more about our local produce
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