Harden's survey result
Summary
‘We are closed for a holiday period – looking forward to seeing you soon’ is – as of October 2025 – the message on the website (and answer-machine) of this famous Thames Valley institution, in a gorgeous Thames-side position at Sonning Eye and famous for its spit-roasted duck. Owned by the Emmanuel family since 1972, it went on the market in September 2023 but we can find no record of any sale, and it seems to have been closed for most of 2025. Will it reopen?
Summary
“Old-fashioned, but in a top-quality way” – this Thames Valley stalwart enjoys “an outstanding location on the Thames” at Sonning Eye and is “like a step back in time”. Owned and run by the Emmanuel family since 1972, its interior is “comfortable and rather cosy and romantic too”; and you are well looked after (“even though we were the only diners on that particular occasion there was no sense of being rushed”). The odd reporter feels its “solid British menu” (with the speciality of their signature spit-roasted duck) is “due an overhaul”. But that’s a minority view – most of its (silver-haired) fans like it just the way it is. Top Tip – exceptional wine from the list: “it’s a Bible”. (The future direction of the business is slightly unclear. In September 2023, it was put on the market for £12m with Michael Emmanuel announcing: “It’s not easy to say goodbye to a place that has been the heart of our family for so long, but we’re eager to see the next chapter of its storied history unfold”. The asking price subsequently dropped to £8m several months later and as of October 2024 the restaurant’s website reads: “The French Horn has not been sold and is still being run enthusiastically by the Emmanuel family.”)
Summary
“Three generations of the same family have been pleasing visitors” to this Thames Valley bastion of traditional haute cuisine, owned by the Emmanuel family since 1972 and with a first-class position overlooking the water at Sonning Eye. The famous signature “roast duck on the spit is the best”, while “the fab wine list is worth taking home to salivate over”. While a minority of reporters caution that it is “very good but too expensive”, most feel the high quality justifies the investment.
Summary
“The setting on the Thames at Sonning Eye is just fantastic, but better still, the quality of the food that comes out of the kitchen is always first class”, according to fans of this long-established and well-known Thames-valley institution, which has been owned by the Emmanuel family since 1972. “If you like formal, this is the place to go”, and while fans acknowledge that “it’s a little pricey”, they feel the investment is “well worth it for special occasions”. As well as its signature duck, spit-roasted over an open fire, it’s “very impressive wine list” is another feature (“we call it ‘The Bible’”).
For 35 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The French Horn?
Sonning-on-Thames, RG4 6TN
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £63.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
Sonning-on-Thames, RG4 6TN
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 7 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑4:30 pm |
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