The Loch & the Tyne

A Pub That Doesn't Behave Like One

The road into Old Windsor winds past well-kept hedgerows and the kind of residential calm that signals you are well clear of the commuter noise of central Berkshire. The village sits in the orbit of Windsor without belonging to its tourist economy, which goes some way to explaining how a pub of this calibre has settled here: it draws from a local population that expects quality, without the footfall pressure of a high street address. Approaching from Crimp Hill, the building reads as a traditional English pub. Step inside, and the register shifts. Tartan tub chairs, walls dressed with dried heather and botanical arrangements, warm lighting, and a floor plan that manages to feel both considered and relaxed — the interior signals a Scottish sensibility filtered through a contemporary hospitality lens.

That sensibility belongs to the broader operation of chef Adam Handling, whose fingerprints are evident across the room before you look at a menu. The polish here is not accidental. This is part of a small, coherent group of venues, and the standard of service and presentation reflects what a tightly run multi-site operation can achieve when it maintains genuine standards at each address. Pubs operating at this level are relatively rare in the Home Counties: they are neither the gastropub-by-numbers model nor the full-restaurant-with-a-bar-attached format, but something more precisely calibrated.

The Drinks: Thought Before Volume

The editorial angle assigned to this page is cocktails and drinks, and it is worth spending time here because the wine list at The Loch & the Tyne makes a specific argument. Most pub wine lists in this price bracket work by volume: a broad selection at accessible prices, with a handful of bottles pushed at the higher end for occasions. This list takes a different position. With just four bottles sitting under £40, it signals that the programme is aimed at the considered drinker rather than the habitual house-white order. That is a meaningful editorial decision, and it aligns the drinks programme with the ambition of the food rather than treating it as a separate, lower-priority category.

What the list offers above that threshold is described as interesting and thoughtfully assembled, particularly at the higher end. In the context of a British pub, that framing matters. The venues setting the pace in UK drinks culture — 69 Colebrooke Row in London for technical cocktail work, Bramble in Edinburgh for approachable craft, Merchant Hotel in Belfast for formal bar programming, Schofield's in Manchester for precise execution , operate in dedicated bar formats where the drinks are the entire proposition. What The Loch & the Tyne attempts is more nuanced: integrating a considered drinks offer into a food-led environment without either element feeling like an afterthought.

For comparison, pubs operating with a serious drinks programme alongside kitchen ambition are more commonly found in city settings where the bar scene provides competitive pressure. Rural and semi-rural venues in the Home Counties rarely invest at this level in drinks curation. The list here positions the pub against a different peer set than its postcode might suggest. If you are used to venues like Mojo Leeds in Leeds, Horseshoe Bar Glasgow in Glasgow, or L'Atelier Du Vin Wine and Cocktail Bar in Brighton And Hove, the drinks here operate in a comparable spirit of intent, even if the format is different.

What the Kitchen Signals About the Room

The food at The Loch & the Tyne does not use the pub format as cover for modest ambition. The sourdough served with chicken butter, chicken-skin scratchings, and a chicken jus for dunking is a signature across Handling's venues, and its presence here indicates that the kitchen is working from a consistent technical brief rather than improvising around pub staples. Sous-vide technique, precise garnishing, and the use of components like London miso on a chicken breast dish are markers of a kitchen taking itself seriously at every service.

Steak tartare arrives with paprika-flavoured crispy shallots, an arrangement that will surprise those expecting the bare classical version but which, according to detailed review evidence, adds a layer of complexity without undermining the dish's foundations. A dessert described as the king's trifle , parkin, ginger cream, custard, strawberry jelly, candied pistachios , demonstrates a kitchen working with British culinary reference points and adding texture and spice rather than simply plating tradition. Snacks including an octopus hot dog in brioche with mustard and harissa show the range extends into more playful territory when required.

This is relevant to the drinks programme because it means the list needs to span a considerable tonal range: from the richer, more savoury notes of butter-forward snacks through to the sweet-spiced finish of a dessert like the trifle. A wine list built for this kind of cooking requires more considered assembly than one designed to sit alongside a standard gastropub menu. The fact that the list is described by reviewers as thoughtful rather than merely comprehensive suggests the pairing logic has been considered.

The Terrace, the Setting, and When to Go

In warmer months, the shaded front terrace with its view across open fields provides a context that is difficult to replicate in an urban venue. Semi-rural pubs with serious kitchens and this level of outdoor space are not common anywhere in the UK, and the combination of agricultural views, considered cooking, and a wine list that rewards ordering above the entry level makes the terrace a specific seasonal proposition worth planning around. For visitors travelling from London, Windsor is accessible by train from Waterloo or Paddington, with Old Windsor a short distance beyond the town centre , a manageable day trip that benefits from timing around good weather if a terrace seat is part of the plan.

For those used to exploring drinks culture further afield , Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin in Bristol, Digby Chick in Na H Eileanan An Iar, Harbour View and Fraggle Rock Bar in Bryher, or even Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu , the appeal of a semi-rural British pub at this level of execution is a specific one. It is not a destination for drinks alone, but for drinks in a context: agricultural quiet, careful cooking, and a room that has been assembled with more intention than the postcode would lead you to expect.

Planning Your Visit

The Loch & the Tyne is at 10 Crimp Hill, Old Windsor, SL4 2QY. Given the polish of the operation and its location in an upmarket residential village with limited passing trade, booking ahead is advisable, particularly for weekend lunch and any visit timed to secure a terrace table in good weather. The wine list trends expensive , four bottles under £40 is a narrow budget tier , so arriving with a clear sense of what you want to spend on drinks will help manage the bill. Snacks and smaller dishes add up quickly when the kitchen is operating at this level of ambition. For a broader view of eating and drinking in the area, see our full Old Windsor restaurants guide.