The story
The Waterside Inn is a Classic French restaurant on Ferry Road (SL6 2AT) in Bray, Maidenhead, awarded three Michelin stars in 2026. Michel and Albert Roux founded it in 1972, and Michel's son Alain has run it since 2002.
Fabrice Uhryn has recently been promoted to executive chef, and the cooking remains firmly in haute French territory. A langoustine soufflé opens the meal, served with a truffle-scented cassolette of langoustines. Grilled rabbit fillet comes on celeriac fondant with Armagnac sauce and glazed chestnuts. Whole braised Dover sole arrives with lobster mousseline, asparagus tips and a Champagne and chive sauce.
Alain Roux is a master patissier by trade, and the desserts show it. Expect a rhubarb mousse or a dark chocolate délice with lime, citrus tutti-frutti and pomelo sorbet. The Francophile wine list runs deep into vintage bottles. The Good Food Guide (2026) describes the service as correct in every detail yet approachable and friendly.
Willows shade the riverbank outside, and the main salon has a reputation for cosiness. A private dining room is available for larger parties. Rooms are offered too, though guests staying overnight must dine at the restaurant at least once. Lunch des Amis, a four-course lunch, runs Wednesdays to Saturdays until 30 April 2026.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Exceptional cuisine
'Unique, authentic and elaborate,’ this ‘ restaurant avec chambres ‘ has always been about keeping it in the family. Founded by Michel and Albert Roux in 1972, it’s currently in the safe hands of Michel’s son Alain, who has presided over the place since 2002 – although there has been a significant change of dynamic in the kitchen of late, with Fabrice Uhryn promoted to executive chef. Refined haute cuisine in all its gilded finery is the order of the day, and readers confirm that the results are ‘unflashy, clever, skilled and perfect' in every way. Impeccable ingredients of rare quality are treated with a respectful sense of occasion: the langoustine soufflé is a winning opener, served with a truffle-scented cassolette of langoustines, or you could marvel at the seasonal splendour of white asparagus stuffed with creamed morels and finished with an almond and mint sabayon. Among the main courses, tender grilled rabbit fillet presented on celeriac fondant with a rich Armagnac sauce and candy-sweet glazed chestnuts had one recipient reaching for the superlatives, while cuisine ancienne is given full rein when it comes to whole braised Dover sole accompanied by lobster mousseline, asparagus tips and a voluptuous Champagne and chive sauce. Occasionally, the kitchen steps out of its Gallic comfort zone, but it's back to the home country for a flurry of intricately fashioned desserts. Alain Roux is a master patissier by trade and his confections range from a fabulous rhubarb mousse to a dark chocolate délice flavoured with lime, citrus tutti-frutti and pomelo sorbet. Service is correct in every detail, but it’s also ‘approachable, knowledgeable and friendly’. Of course, all of this may cost you a king's ransom – especially if you deep-dive in the vintage treasures of the aristocratic, Francophile wine list – but who could resist the serene willow-shrouded riverbank, the ‘absolute cosiness’ of the main salon or the seductive Gallic charm of it all.
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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