"Three Michelin stars held since 1985 — Alain Roux's riverside Bray dining room, the longest-starred restaurant in Britain, worth the pilgrimage."
About The Waterside Inn
The Waterside Inn sits on the bank of the Thames at Bray, a short drive from Windsor, and it has held three MICHELIN stars without a break since 1985 — the longest unbroken three-star run of any restaurant in Britain, and in 2025 it marked forty years at the top. Michel Roux founded it; his son Alain Roux is now chef-patron. The cooking is classical French haute cuisine: the Menu Exceptionnel for two runs £376, and Roux-family signatures like the soufflé suissesse anchor the carte. Our seven signs of a great restaurant explain why a room like this endures.
The Kitchen
Alain Roux is the chef-patron, having taken the kitchen on from his father Michel Roux, who opened the Waterside Inn in 1972 and made it one of the defining restaurants of British fine dining. Continuity is the house religion: the cooking is unashamedly classical French, and several dishes have been on the menu for decades because the kitchen sees no reason to improve on perfection.
The signature is the tronçonnettes de homard poêlées minute au porto blanc — pan-fried lobster medallions with a ginger-flavoured vegetable julienne and a white-port sauce — alongside the Roux family's soufflé suissesse, a savoury cheese soufflé cooked on cream that has outlasted every food trend of the past half-century. Pricing is haute-cuisine serious: the Menu Exceptionnel for two is £376, with the menu gastronomique and an extensive French cellar alongside. This is special-occasion dining at the very top of the British market, and the kitchen has defended that position for forty years.
The Room
The dining room looks straight onto the Thames, with a small launch for aperitifs on the water in summer and a hushed, formal service that has set the British standard for two generations. This is a restaurant with rooms, so the classic move is to stay the night and not worry about the drive home. Jackets are expected; this is the most formal end of the spectrum, the antithesis of a casual gastropub. Book well ahead — tables at one of the country's most celebrated rooms do not come easily, particularly at weekends.
Best for a Landmark Celebration
Book the Waterside Inn for the once-in-a-decade occasion — a major anniversary, a proposal, a retirement — because forty years of three Michelin stars, a Thames-side room and Roux-family classics deliver an evening built to be remembered rather than repeated. It is a textbook proposal setting and a landmark birthday table, and stands among the finest French restaurants and fine-dining rooms anywhere.
Not for
Not for a casual or budget meal — this is jackets-required, three-star French haute cuisine where two diners on the Menu Exceptionnel pass £376 before wine.
Frequently Asked
Who is the chef at The Waterside Inn?
Alain Roux is the chef-patron, having succeeded his father Michel Roux, who founded the restaurant in 1972. The kitchen cooks classical French haute cuisine and has held three MICHELIN stars continuously since 1985. See the Windsor and Bray dining guide for the area's other tables.
How many Michelin stars does The Waterside Inn have?
Three — and it has held all three without interruption since 1985, the longest unbroken three-star run of any restaurant in Britain. In 2025 the Waterside Inn marked forty years at three stars, a milestone almost no restaurant outside France has reached.
How much does The Waterside Inn cost?
The Menu Exceptionnel for two is £376, with a menu gastronomique and à la carte options alongside and a deep French wine list. This is haute-cuisine pricing — expect a serious bill per head before wine — so it is built for landmark occasions rather than everyday dining.
What is the signature dish at The Waterside Inn?
The tronçonnettes de homard poêlées minute au porto blanc — pan-fried lobster medallions with ginger-flavoured vegetable julienne and white-port sauce — has been a fixture for decades, as has the Roux family's soufflé suissesse. Both are classical French dishes the kitchen has deliberately never changed.
Is The Waterside Inn near Windsor?
Yes — it is at Bray-on-Thames, a short drive from Windsor in Berkshire. It is a restaurant with rooms, so many guests stay overnight rather than drive home after a long tasting. Bray is also home to Heston Blumenthal's three-star Fat Duck, making it a remarkable dining village.
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Reserve at The Waterside Inn
Direct booking via waterside-inn.co.uk
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Practical Information
AddressFerry Road, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AT, England
NeighbourhoodBray-on-Thames, near Windsor
CuisineClassical French haute cuisine
Menu Exceptionnel£376 for two
SignatureTronçonnettes de homard au porto blanc
Chef-patronAlain Roux
RecognitionThree MICHELIN Stars since 1985
Dress codeJackets expected
RoomsRestaurant with rooms — stay overnight
