The Squirrel at Penn Street occupies one of the finest village settings in the southern Chilterns — right on the green, with Penn Wood directly opposite and the kind of afternoon light through beech trees that this part of Buckinghamshire does better than anywhere. Leather sofas and log fires inside, a large beer garden and children’s playground outside, and a kitchen producing food of sufficient quality to draw diners from considerable distances for Sunday lunch. The gluten-free menu is managed with real care, and the ham hock — when it appears — has generated the sort of heartfelt review that makes you want to order it immediately.
The landlord’s warmth towards new faces matches the quality of the cooking, and the whole operation has a relaxed confidence that speaks of a pub comfortable in its own skin. Penn Wood offers some of the finest walking in the Chilterns, the village green provides the perfect postcard setting, and The Squirrel provides every reason to linger long after the walk is done.
