Restaurants in Marlow
Lavvin
Lavvin brings a sleek Mediterranean dining style to West Street, with a large-format room designed for long lunches, dressed-up dinners and evenings that naturally roll into cocktails. The atmosphere leans contemporary and social, making it well suited to birthdays, group meals and people who want a little theatre with dinner without losing the sense of being in the middle of Marlow. It is the sort of place that works equally well for a date night or a larger table of friends when you want a lively setting and a straightforward route to booking.
Reservations: Phone 01628 769 336 or fill in the reservation form here
SUUM Kitchen
SUUM Kitchen offers a more intimate route into Marlow’s dining scene, with Chef Nhan Nguyen’s Vietnamese cooking at the centre of the experience. The emphasis is on vibrant, story-led dishes, carefully presented, with the restaurant balancing fine-dining polish and a relaxed welcome. It suits couples, smaller groups and anyone keen to try something distinctive rather than defaulting to familiar formats on the High Street. If you cannot stay in, the kitchen also offers takeaway, so it works both as a booked evening out and as a way to bring something thoughtful home.
Reservations: Official booking page; phone 01628 471110; email contact@suumkitchen.com.
Vaasu by Atul Kochhar
Vaasu brings Atul Kochhar’s modern Indian cooking into the heart of Chapel Street, with menus that draw on regional traditions from across the subcontinent while keeping the overall experience smart, contemporary and approachable. The restaurant is particularly well suited to dinners with a sense of occasion, but its smaller plates and lunch options also make it a strong choice for a more flexible stop in town. For Marlow diners who want Indian food presented with polish, strong service and proper booking infrastructure, this is one of the town’s clearest choices.
Reservations: Official booking page; phone 020 3667 9990 or 01628 362274; email reservations@vaasurestaurant.co.uk. Order online is also available.
The Hand & Flowers
The Hand & Flowers is one of Marlow’s defining dining addresses, pairing the character of a proper pub with a polished, deeply food-led experience. Tom Kerridge’s kitchen serves a house menu built around bold, generous flavour rather than fuss, and the whole place still feels rooted in the town rather than set apart from it. If you are planning a celebratory lunch, a long-overdue catch-up or a weekend built around eating well, this is the sort of reservation that shapes the day around it.
Reservations: Phone 01628 482277 or email reservations@thehandandflowers.co.uk.
The Vanilla Pod
The Vanilla Pod is an established Marlow dining room with a quietly assured style, well known for refined French-led cooking in an intimate West Street setting. The experience feels measured rather than showy, making it a very good fit for anniversaries, slower dinners and guests who value a calmer pace over a louder scene. It is also one of those places that works beautifully when you want to eat somewhere special without the evening becoming formal or overcomplicated. For a polished meal with a little breathing room, it remains a dependable Marlow choice.
Reservations: Check directly with the venue. Phone 01628 898101; email contact@thevanillapod.co.uk.
The Ivy Marlow Garden
The Ivy Marlow Garden occupies a prominent High Street position and follows the group’s familiar all-day formula, moving easily from breakfast and lunch through afternoon drinks and dressed-up dinners. The menu mixes established British dishes with international influences, while the interiors and garden create a setting that feels more occasion-led than a straightforward casual restaurant. It is an easy choice for birthdays, family lunches, business meetings and dinners where different generations or tastes need to be accommodated around one table. Its long opening hours are particularly useful in Marlow, making it just as practical for an early coffee or weekend brunch as it is for cocktails and dinner.
Reservations: Book online or call 01628 902777.
Piccolino Marlow
Piccolino brings a polished Italian restaurant format to the High Street in the former Marlow Bar & Grill building, with a substantial dining room, marble-topped bar and outdoor space. The menu covers the familiar Italian territory of pasta, pizza, meat, fish and antipasti, presented in a setting designed as much for a full evening out as a quick meal. It works particularly well for larger celebrations, lunches that may extend into drinks and groups wanting a restaurant with enough scale to feel lively. Tableside touches and a smart interior give it a little more theatre than a conventional neighbourhood Italian without pushing the experience into formal dining.
Reservations: Book online via Piccolino or call 01628 488544
Côte Marlow
Côte gives Marlow a dependable French-bistro option on the High Street, serving the sort of dishes that work equally well for a quick lunch, an early dinner or a longer evening over wine. Expect the familiar brasserie territory of French-inspired starters, steaks, fish, salads and desserts rather than experimental cooking, with a room designed for relaxed all-day dining. The format suits couples, families and mixed groups particularly well because the experience is polished without becoming formal. For anyone combining shopping or a walk through central Marlow with lunch, its High Street position makes it an uncomplicated choice, while online booking keeps it practical for busier evenings and weekends.
Reservations: Book online or call 01628 481459
The Coach
The Coach brings Tom Kerridge’s cooking into a smaller, more informal West Street setting, built around a pub-style room, open kitchen and dishes designed to make serious food feel accessible. The Michelin-starred menu takes its cues from British pub classics, using smaller plates and contemporary interpretations rather than a conventional three-course format. That makes it particularly good for couples and small groups who want to order across the menu and make an evening of it without the ceremony of formal fine dining. Its position close to Marlow High Street also makes it an easy centrepiece for a night that continues elsewhere in town.
Reservations: Book online via the venue website or call 01628 401538.
Megan’s at Liston Court
Megan’s occupies a central spot at Liston Court and is designed around relaxed, all-day Mediterranean-inspired eating rather than a traditional lunch-and-dinner restaurant schedule. Brunch is a significant part of the offer, alongside sharing dishes, mains and cocktails later in the day, making it particularly useful for casual dates, groups of friends and weekend meet-ups. The courtyard setting gives it a different feel from restaurants directly on the High Street and works especially well when the weather allows tables to spill outside. It is also an accessible option when a group wants somewhere social and attractive without committing to a more formal dinner or a tasting-menu style experience.
Reservations: Book online or call 01628 278154.
Tiger Garden
Tiger Garden is an evening-focused Indian restaurant on West Street, a short walk from the centre of Marlow but away from the larger all-day chains clustered around the High Street. Its menu follows a broad Indian restaurant format, giving diners the flexibility to build a familiar curry-night meal from starters, tandoori dishes, curries, rice and sides. The atmosphere and opening pattern make it particularly suited to dinner rather than brunch or casual daytime eating, whether that is a straightforward meal for two or a larger table with friends. For visitors staying around West Street, it also sits conveniently close to several of Marlow’s pubs and destination restaurants.
Reservations: Book directly with the restaurant or call 01628 482211.
Maliks Marlow
Maliks has long operated from its High Street address, offering Indian and broader subcontinental cooking in a full-service restaurant rather than a takeaway-led setting. The menu covers familiar curry-house favourites alongside house dishes, making it an easy option when a group wants plenty of choice and a conventional sit-down evening. Its central position is useful for dinners before moving on to Marlow’s pubs or bars, while the established restaurant format also makes it suitable for family meals and larger tables. This is less about minimalist contemporary dining and more about settling in for a generous Indian meal with drinks, service at the table and the convenience of being directly in the centre of town.
Reservations: Book directly or call 01628 482180.
La Cantina del Vino
La Cantina del Vino brings Italian dining into a characterful converted barn at Morris Place, with exposed beams and a courtyard setting that feels notably different from the restaurants lining Marlow High Street. The menu is Italian in focus and shaped around seasonal ingredients, covering pasta and other traditional dishes in a setting suited to leisurely lunches and relaxed evening meals. The tucked-away courtyard makes it particularly appealing for dates, smaller celebrations and occasions when you want central Marlow without sitting directly on its busiest streets. It has enough atmosphere to make dinner feel like an evening out while retaining the scale and personality of an independent neighbourhood restaurant.
Reservations: Book online or call 01628 477885.
Da Luca
Da Luca sits away from the town centre in Marlow Bottom, giving the neighbourhood a proper independent Italian restaurant rather than requiring every dinner to begin on the High Street. The food draws particularly on southern Italian and Calabrian influences, with pasta, fish and other Italian dishes forming the core of the menu. It is a more intimate, local proposition than Marlow’s larger Italian restaurants and makes sense for couples, family dinners and regulars who want a relaxed meal close to home. For visitors willing to venture beyond central Marlow, it also offers a useful glimpse of the town’s residential side rather than simply following the main restaurant circuit.
Reservations: Book directly or call 01628 478150.
BRVTVS
BRVTVS — pronounced Brutus — mixes contemporary Italian food with the feel of a listening bar at its Spittal Street home. Neapolitan-style contemporary pizzas, fresh pasta and regional Italian dishes sit alongside cocktails and a serious vinyl-led music programme, with the mood becoming noticeably more energetic later in the evening. It is one of Marlow’s better fits for people who want dinner to turn naturally into drinks rather than moving between separate venues. Couples can treat it as an Italian date-night restaurant, while groups are likely to appreciate the later-night atmosphere. Dinner operates around set reservation times, with walk-ins available for the bar later in the evening.
Reservations: Dinner reservations required; book via the website or call 01628 319520.
Zizzi Marlow
Zizzi occupies a central High Street location and offers the familiar Italian combination of pizza, pasta and sharing dishes in an informal restaurant setting. The Marlow branch has the added benefit of a garden, making it useful for families and groups wanting somewhere straightforward where different tastes and age groups can comfortably eat together. It is particularly practical for an early evening meal, a casual lunch while in town or a dinner that needs to be easy to organise rather than occasion-led. Takeaway is also available, so it can cover both a sit-down meal and a more convenient option for people staying locally or eating at home.
Reservations: Book online through Zizzi or call 01628 890200.
PizzaExpress Marlow
PizzaExpress provides Marlow with a familiar, easy-going Italian option on the High Street, centred on its signature pizzas alongside pasta, salads, starters and desserts. The format is particularly useful for families, casual lunches and groups where simplicity and predictable pricing matter more than creating a big occasion around dinner. It also makes a practical pre-cinema or early-evening choice, with a central location that leaves most of Marlow within a few minutes’ walk afterwards. While the town has several more specialised independent Italian restaurants, PizzaExpress earns its place as a reliable everyday option when you want table service, online booking and a menu that most groups can navigate without much advance planning.
Reservations: Book online through PizzaExpress or call 01628 475333.
Giggling Squid Marlow
Giggling Squid brings Thai cooking to the High Street with a colourful restaurant designed for anything from a quick lunch to a more social evening of curries, stir-fries and smaller plates for sharing. The menu is broad enough to suit mixed groups, with the brand’s combination of familiar Thai dishes and tapas-style portions making it easy to order communally rather than sticking rigidly to individual courses. It works particularly well when you want somewhere lively and informal but still want a proper sit-down meal. The central location also makes it convenient before or after drinks elsewhere in town, and online booking helps for Friday and Saturday evenings when Marlow is busiest.
Reservations: Book online or call 01628 483047.
Looking for something else?
Pubs In Marlow
Restaurants in Marlow: A Guide to Eating Out in the Town
Marlow has built a dining reputation that reaches well beyond the size of the town itself. Alongside a wide choice of independent and established restaurants, its food scene has been shaped by acclaimed chefs, Michelin-recognised dining and a compact town centre where many places to eat are within walking distance of one another.
If you’re looking for restaurants in Marlow, use our directory above to explore individual venues and find the style of restaurant that suits you. Below, we’ve taken a wider look at eating out in Marlow — from lunch and date nights to different cuisines, riverside settings and making a day of your visit.
And if finding new places to eat is your sort of thing, you can join Marlow Explorers to hear about local food and drink experiences, events and new things to discover around Marlow.
Why is Marlow known for food?
Marlow has become particularly well known for its food scene because it combines a relatively compact town centre with an unusually strong concentration of notable dining establishments.
Chef Tom Kerridge has had a major influence on the Restaurants in Marlow. The Hand & Flowers on West Street currently holds two Michelin stars, while The Coach has one Michelin star. The Michelin Guide also currently lists The Oarsman and The Butcher’s Tap and Grill among its Marlow selections.
That reputation sits alongside a much broader restaurant market. Marlow offers everything from contemporary British cooking and Indian food to Mediterranean, Italian and relaxed all-day dining, giving people considerably more choice than fine dining alone.
The town’s setting helps too. Marlow sits on the River Thames at the edge of the Chilterns, with a busy High Street, independent shops and riverside walks all within a relatively small area. Marlow Town Council itself highlights restaurants, cafés and shopping as central parts of the town’s visitor appeal.
What types of restaurants in Marlow can you find?
The choice of restaurants in Marlow covers several different styles of eating out, which makes the town suitable for anything from a quick weekday lunch to a destination meal.
Depending on current openings, you can find restaurants specialising in or incorporating:
- modern and traditional British cooking
- contemporary Indian cuisine
- Italian food
- Mediterranean cooking
- meat and grill-focused dining
- Asian-influenced dishes
- modern European cooking
- all-day dining
- tasting menus and fine dining
- informal sharing plates
- special-occasion dining
This variety is important because Marlow is not simply a fine-dining destination. You can plan an evening around an ambitious multi-course meal, but you can just as easily find somewhere for a relaxed lunch, an early dinner or an informal meal with friends.
Browse the restaurant directory above to compare the individual venues currently operating in Marlow.
Where are most restaurants in Marlow?
Many restaurants in Marlow town centre are concentrated around the High Street, West Street and the streets immediately surrounding them, making it relatively easy to explore the centre on foot.
The High Street runs towards Marlow Bridge and the River Thames, with restaurants, cafés, shops and bars spread throughout the central area. West Street extends away from the High Street and has become particularly associated with Marlow’s dining scene.
This compact geography is one of Marlow’s advantages as somewhere to eat. A restaurant booking does not necessarily need to be the only reason for visiting: it can be combined with shopping, drinks elsewhere in town or a walk towards the Thames.
Marlow Bridge, Higginson Park and the Thames Path are all close to the centre, so lunch or dinner can easily form part of a longer day in Marlow. Visit Thames specifically highlights the town’s independent shops, cafés, restaurants and Thames-side walks as part of its visitor offering.
Restaurants in Marlow for lunch
Marlow works particularly well for lunch because the choice ranges from informal daytime dining to restaurants where lunch is an occasion in itself.
If you’re visiting the town for the day, a lunchtime reservation can fit naturally around the High Street, the Thames and nearby walks. There are also restaurants offering all-day formats, making it possible to eat without structuring the whole day around a formal evening booking.
For a longer lunch or celebration, Marlow also has restaurants at the more refined end of the market. The distinction between casual and special-occasion dining is therefore less about finding a completely different area of town and more about choosing the type of experience you want.
Weekend lunch reservations are worth making in advance where possible, particularly for smaller restaurants and well-known venues.
Restaurants in Marlow for dinner
Dinner in Marlow can range from relaxed neighbourhood-style dining to some of Buckinghamshire’s most recognised food experiences.
The compact town centre also makes Marlow well suited to an evening out. Many restaurants are close enough to other venues that dinner can be combined with a drink before or afterwards without needing to drive between different parts of town.
Friday and Saturday evenings naturally tend to attract more demand, particularly at established restaurants and during warmer months when Marlow itself is busier.
If you already know where you’d like to eat, booking rather than relying on a walk-in is generally the safer option.
Fine dining and special occasions Restaurants in Marlow
Marlow’s national reputation for food means there is a genuine special-occasion market here rather than simply a handful of more expensive restaurants.
The strongest example is The Hand & Flowers, which remains a two-Michelin-starred establishment and describes itself as the first pub to achieve two Michelin stars. Its current four-course house menu is positioned firmly as a destination dining experience.
The wider town gives diners other options for anniversaries, birthdays and occasions where the setting matters just as much as the food. Some favour traditional fine dining, while others provide contemporary rooms, riverside surroundings or a more social evening atmosphere.
For diners comparing restaurants in Marlow for a special occasion, it is worth considering the experience as much as the cuisine: how formal you want the evening to feel, whether you want to stay for several courses, and whether you’d prefer to remain in the town centre or be closer to the Thames.
Restaurants in Marlow for a date night
Marlow is particularly well suited to date nights because dinner can form part of a wider evening rather than being an isolated restaurant booking.
You might start with a walk beside the Thames, have a drink around the town centre and then head to dinner. In warmer weather, the river and Higginson Park add another option before an evening reservation.
Restaurant choice can then depend on the occasion. There are polished dining rooms for a more dressed-up evening, smaller venues for something intimate and relaxed restaurants if you would rather keep things informal.
The directory above is the easiest way to compare individual restaurants and choose the atmosphere that suits the evening.
Casual restaurants in Marlow
Not every meal in Marlow needs to be an occasion.
Alongside the town’s better-known destination dining, there are plenty of options for people who simply want good food in a relaxed environment. The centre includes all-day restaurants, independent venues and places suited to sharing plates or straightforward lunches and dinners.
That mix is particularly useful if you’re visiting Marlow with a group where not everyone wants a formal dining experience.
It also makes the town more useful locally: you can come into Marlow for lunch, meet friends after work or eat before another activity without committing to a long tasting-menu-style meal.
Family-friendly restaurants in Marlow
Families looking for places to eat in Marlow also have several styles of restaurant to consider.
More relaxed all-day restaurants are often the easiest starting point, particularly if you are eating earlier in the day or combining lunch with time in Higginson Park.
Individual policies vary significantly, however. Children’s menus, highchairs, opening times and space for pushchairs can change, so families with specific requirements should check directly with the restaurant before travelling.
For a family day in Marlow, the compact centre is useful: restaurants, shops, Higginson Park and the river can all be incorporated into the same visit without travelling between different areas.
Can you eat by the River Thames in Restaurants in Marlow?
Yes. Marlow has dining options close to — and in some cases overlooking — the River Thames.
The area around Marlow Bridge is particularly attractive for visitors wanting to combine food with the river. The Compleat Angler occupies a prominent Thames-side position beside the bridge, with dining including Sindhu and seasonal outdoor options associated with the hotel. Visit Marlow currently describes The Lawn at The Compleat Angler as overlooking the River Thames.
It is worth checking the exact location when choosing a restaurant, however. Descriptions such as “near the river” and “riverside” are not interchangeable: much of Marlow’s restaurant scene is centred around the High Street and West Street rather than directly on the Thames.
For many visitors, that is no disadvantage. The centre is compact enough to eat in town and walk down towards Marlow Bridge and the river before or after the meal.
More than restaurants: food experiences in Marlow
Eating your way around Marlow does not have to stop at booking a table.
The Tasting Society by Marlow Explorers is being built around people who enjoy discovering food, wine and gastronomy together, creating opportunities for experiences such as tastings, restaurant events and other interesting ways to enjoy the local food and drink scene.
The idea is simple: rather than only telling you where to eat, Marlow Explorers can help create reasons to actually get out and experience more of what is happening locally.
If wine tastings, restaurant experiences and discovering interesting local venues appeal to you, join Marlow Explorers and tell us what you’re interested in.
Eating out in Restaurants in Marlow at the weekend
Marlow becomes a popular destination at weekends, particularly when the weather is good, so planning ahead makes sense if the restaurant is an important part of your visit.
For well-known restaurants, special occasions and larger groups, booking ahead is preferable to arriving and hoping for availability.
You can also make more of the trip by leaving time either side of the meal. Marlow’s High Street combines independent shops with familiar names, while Marlow Bridge, Higginson Park and the Thames are only a short walk from the central shopping and dining area.
That makes the town equally workable for a Saturday lunch, an afternoon followed by dinner or a full food-focused day out.
Visiting Marlow for food
Marlow is compact enough to explore without needing an elaborate itinerary.
A simple day could involve walking along the Thames, crossing or viewing Marlow’s distinctive suspension bridge, exploring the High Street and independent shops, stopping for lunch or dinner and finishing with a drink or another walk beside the river.
Marlow Bridge itself dates from the 19th century and was designed by William Tierney Clark, who later designed the Széchenyi Chain Bridge across the Danube in Budapest. The river remains one of the defining features of the town.
For visitors primarily coming for food, the concentration of restaurants means you can make dining the centrepiece without it needing to occupy the entire day.
And for those who live nearby, there is always something else to discover. Join Marlow Explorers for local food and drink experiences, things to do and updates from around Marlow.
Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurants in Marlow
What are the best restaurants in Marlow?
The best restaurant in Marlow depends on what you’re looking for. The town has options spanning Michelin-starred dining, contemporary restaurants, international cuisines, casual meals and special-occasion venues. Use the Marlow restaurant directory above to compare individual restaurants and find the right match.
Is Marlow known for restaurants?
Yes. Marlow has developed a strong national reputation for food, helped in particular by its Michelin-recognised restaurants and association with chef Tom Kerridge. The current Michelin Guide includes several Marlow establishments in its selection.
Do Restaurants in Marlow have Michelin-starred restaurants?
Yes. As currently listed by the Michelin Guide, The Hand & Flowers holds two Michelin stars and The Coach holds one Michelin star. Both are associated with chef Tom Kerridge and are located in Marlow.
What cuisines are available in Restaurants in Marlow?
Restaurants in Marlow cover a broad range of cuisines and styles, including modern British, Indian, Italian, Mediterranean and international influences, alongside grills, contemporary dining and all-day menus. The exact mix changes as restaurants open and menus evolve.
Are there restaurants near Marlow High Street?
Yes. A significant proportion of Marlow’s restaurants are situated on the High Street itself or within the surrounding town-centre streets. West Street is another important dining area and meets the High Street in central Marlow.
Are there restaurants near the River Thames in Marlow?
Yes. There are dining options close to the River Thames, particularly around Marlow Bridge and The Compleat Angler. Other restaurants in the town centre are within walking distance of the river rather than directly overlooking it.
Where can you eat lunch in Marlow?
Marlow has lunchtime options ranging from casual all-day restaurants to more formal dining experiences. If you’re visiting at a weekend or have a specific restaurant in mind, booking ahead is sensible.
Where is good for dinner in Marlow?
Marlow offers a wide range of dinner options, from relaxed restaurants and international cuisines to Michelin-starred experiences. The directory above provides individual restaurant listings to help you compare them.
Are there romantic restaurants in Marlow?
Marlow has several restaurants suited to date nights and special occasions, from intimate dining rooms to more polished restaurants and Thames-side settings. The town’s compact centre also makes it easy to combine dinner with drinks or a riverside walk.
Are there family-friendly restaurants in Marlow?
Yes, although facilities and children’s options vary between restaurants. More relaxed and all-day dining venues are often convenient for families. Check directly with individual restaurants if you need children’s menus, highchairs or particular accessibility arrangements.
Do you need to book restaurants in Marlow?
Not every restaurant requires advance booking, but reservations are advisable for popular restaurants, Friday and Saturday evenings, special occasions and larger groups. Michelin-starred and destination restaurants should generally be planned further ahead.
Is Marlow good for a food-focused day trip?
Yes. Marlow combines a concentrated restaurant scene with the River Thames, Higginson Park, Marlow Bridge, independent shops and the wider Chilterns area. That makes it easy to build lunch or dinner into a full day in the town.
Are there food and drink events in Marlow?
Food and drink experiences take place across Marlow throughout the year, although individual events change regularly. The Tasting Society by Marlow Explorers is also focused on bringing people together through tastings, restaurant experiences and other gastronomy-led events.
If you’d like to hear about upcoming opportunities, join Marlow Explorers.