01-05-2025
This genteel riverside town is the A-list's best-kept secret
Tree-lined roads festooned with bunting, a coxless four gliding along the Thames, a lively cricket match in the sunshine: the opening scenes of The Marlow Murder Club's second season, aired in March 2025, paint the picture of a sociable, laid back town emanating countryside charm and community spirit. And, for once, fact is not so far from fiction.
With its hanging baskets, neat streets, lush riverbanks and Georgian architecture, Marlow was last year officially deemed 'Best Kept Village' in Buckinghamshire – a hotly contested title vied for annually since 1957. Add Michelin stars, upmarket shopping and excellent pubs to the mix, and you have the perfect spot for an exceptionally genteel weekend break.
Here, we help craft the perfect sojourn in this quaint, picturesque corner of Buckinghamshire, set between Henley and Maidenhead on the River Thames – complete with Michelin stars, meandering strolls and even a dash of retail therapy.
A rich pedigree
Tucked away on the border of South Bucks, Marlow is a town with a history that dates back to the Domesday Book. By 1227, it had received a market charter from King Henry III, adding Chipping to its name to signify market town status (though – unlike Chippings Campden and Norton of the Cotswolds – it has since dropped this qualifier).
If Marlow's suspension bridge seems familiar, that's because it served as a prototype for designer William Tierney Clark's later, grander project, the striking Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest. Look out, too, for a blue plaque identifying the house where Mary Shelley finished Frankenstein, and for a bronze statue in Higginson Park; the UK's most decorated rower, Sir Steve Redgrave, was born in this riverside town where rowing heritage runs deep.
Unexpected culinary credentials
Marlow's charms have lured various high-profile names – including residents Ricky Gervais and Chris Evans – but there's a case to be made that it's celebrity chef and restaurateur, Tom Kerridge, who has most shaped its current identity. His four Marlow restaurants – all opened within the last decade – are widely credited with helping the town achieve its current status as a honeypot for destination-diners, while his brainchild Pub in the Park, the UK's largest touring food and music festival, has provided plenty of street cred.
The two Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers – a cosy, unassuming pub opened by Kerridge 20 years ago – is still the star of the show, though The Coach (another, more affordable Michelin-starred pub), private dining room The Shed, and The Butcher's Tap (a traditional butcher's with, no surprise, another pub) have helped to cement Kerridge's influence.
Others have followed suit. Atul Kochhar, another established local chef, serves up excellent Northern Indian food at Vaasu, and Southern dishes at Sindhu. For Mediterranean fare, there's Lavvin on West Street (its garden is particularly lovely), while Brvtvs on Spittal Street is all pizzas, cocktails and DJs playing vinyl, and – just down the road – you'll find Vietnamese at Suum Kitchen alongside the popular Oarsman gastropub.
Locals will also tell you to stop by Strawberry Grove for its excellent cakes; The Vanilla Pod, run by chef-proprietor Michael Macdonald, for its tasting menus; M Café; The Duke pub; and Rebellion Beer Co, a local brewery with popular Members's Nights and a great shop.
Get outdoors
If you prefer a buzz, plan your visit to coincide with one of Marlow's many popular annual events: Pub in the Park, for example, which takes place in May; the Henley regatta and festival in June; the Marlow Carnival in September; or even the Santa Fun Run fundraiser and Christmas lights.
This is, however, a delightful place to be when all is calm and quiet, particularly on a warm summer's day, when locals are going about their business or messing about on the river. It is a town made for riverside strolls, and there's even a lovely circular 10km route which takes in Higginson Park, Temple Mill Island, Hurley (stop at The Olde Bell, one of England's oldest inns, for a drink) and Bisham Woods. In spring, much of the way is blanketed with resplendent bluebells, and is said to have been the inspiration for the wildwood in Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows.
Take to the boutiques
There is no shortage of opportunities for shopping here, between the neatly curated roster of high-end high-street brands (Missoma, The White Company, Mint Velvet, Jigsaw, Space NK) and impressive line-up of independent spots (most of which exist largely to court the well-heeled weekender).
Cases in point include Un Dimanche a Paris, which also has boutiques in Henley and Barbados, Susie Watson Designs's quintessentially English interiors – which can also be found in the likes of Salcombe and Tunbridge Wells – and cult Aussie brand R.M. Williams, worn by Margot Robbie, Cillian Murphy and Alexa Chung. It's all very quiet luxury – even if you haven't hit double digits yet (I defy any parent to leave Angel & Rocket or Scamp and Dude empty handed).
Leave time for a stop at Home Barn, a rustic furniture and homeware haven, with an equally enticing farm shop next door.
Spend the night
If you want to be able to meander home on foot after an evening feast, The Hand & Flowers has 15 rooms across four cottages in town (from £325 per night, including a full cooked breakfast at the restaurant). If proximity is a less pressing concern, opt for the impossibly grand Danesfield House Hotel & Spa – where George and Amal Clooney threw their post-wedding bash – three miles up the road (from £249 per night).
