Yes, it's that Clarkson. The Farmer's Dog sits in the village of Asthall, just outside Burford, and it is surprisingly good fun. An all-British menu, Hawkstone lager on tap, and the Diddly Squat farm shop next door for the ride home.
Whatever you think of the man, the pub is a genuinely enjoyable place to eat. The menu is stubbornly, proudly British: think beef shin pie, fish and chips, and sticky toffee pudding, all made with ingredients sourced from Diddly Squat Farm or other British producers. Hawkstone beer and cider flow freely, and the atmosphere is a cheerful sort of chaos, part country pub, part theme park of Clarkson's world. It works better than it has any right to. About 25 minutes from the cottage, it sits on the edge of Asthall in the Windrush valley, a beautiful stretch of countryside that deserves a slow drive in either direction.
The farm shop is attached, and worth a browse even if you're not eating. Jams, chutneys, candles, the famous "cow juice" milk, and a reliably long queue at the till. It is busy, especially at weekends. If you can, go for a weekday lunch; you'll get a table more easily and the whole experience is calmer. Pair it with a walk along the river at Swinbrook or a wander through Burford's high street, and you have a very pleasant afternoon.
“Go with low expectations and you'll leave impressed. The beef shin pie is properly good, and Hawkstone is dangerously drinkable.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.