Roux at Skindles

Should You Book Roux at Skindles?

Getting a table here is easier than you might expect from an Alain Roux venue. Unlike the Waterside Inn in Bray, where booking weeks in advance is standard practice, Roux at Skindles operates at a more accessible pace. That accessibility is a feature, not a warning sign: the kitchen holds a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, and the Google rating sits at 4.6 across 698 reviews. If you want confident French cooking beside the Thames without the three-star booking anxiety, this is where to come.

The case for booking is clear for a special occasion or a serious lunch. The ££ price range positions Roux at Skindles well below the Roux family's flagship, making it a practical entry point for anyone who wants the rigour of classical French technique at a price that does not require a second thought. For a date, a birthday, or a business lunch where the setting needs to carry weight, the riverside terrace and cocktail bar add ceremony without the formality of a tasting-menu-only format.

The Venue in Detail

Roux at Skindles sits on Mill Lane in Taplow, on the banks of the Thames, close enough to the Waterside Inn to share the same stretch of river and the same ownership pedigree, but distinct in format and ambition. This is a contemporary brasserie and cocktail bar, not a temple of haute cuisine. The kitchen's output is rooted in traditional French and broader European cooking, and the confidence shows most clearly in the classical elements: rich, meaty sauces handled with the kind of assurance that comes from trained technique rather than approximation.

The menu leans on a format that suits both lunch and dinner, but the two experiences are worth separating in your thinking. Lunch here has a particular logic: the terrace, if weather allows, is the main event, and arriving early for drinks before a midday meal gives you the full benefit of the riverside position. The setting does real work during daylight hours in a way that a dinner booking, however pleasant, cannot fully replicate. If you are choosing between a lunch and a dinner visit for a special occasion, lean toward lunch in the warmer months and make use of the terrace from the start.

Dinner brings its own reward. The cocktail bar comes into its own in the evening, and the brasserie format means you are not locked into a single tasting structure. The blackboard specials are worth watching: the fruits de mer, when available, represent the kind of addition that lifts a meal from reliable to genuinely memorable. These are not guaranteed on any given visit, but they are a signal of a kitchen that responds to what is good rather than defaulting entirely to a fixed menu.

The awards record is honest about what this venue is. A Michelin Plate, held consecutively, signals that inspectors find the cooking creditable and the kitchen consistent, without placing it in the same conversation as the three-star Waterside Inn or the two-star restaurants in the region. That is not a criticism. For many diners, a Michelin-recognised brasserie at ££ pricing, with a riverside setting and an accessible booking window, is a more useful venue than a tasting-menu destination that demands months of planning and a much higher outlay. For the full French fine dining experience in the region, the Waterside Inn remains the benchmark. Roux at Skindles answers a different question.

For context on what Michelin Plate recognition means in the broader British restaurant picture, comparable venues carrying similar credentials include hide and fox in Saltwood and Hand and Flowers in Marlow, the latter being a useful local comparison given its own Thames Valley positioning and its reputation for classical technique applied without excessive ceremony. If you are travelling further afield for a similar register of confident European cooking, Midsummer House in Cambridge and Gidleigh Park in Chagford occupy adjacent territory.

For a special occasion in Taplow specifically, Roux at Skindles is the right call at this price point. Arrive for drinks, secure the terrace if the weather holds, and ask what is on the blackboard. The kitchen has the training to make those decisions count. See our full Taplow restaurants guide for alternatives, and if you are planning a longer stay, our Taplow hotels guide covers accommodation options nearby. For pre- or post-dinner drinks beyond the in-house cocktail bar, the Taplow bars guide is worth a look.

Ratings at a Glance

• Google: 4.6 / 5 (698 reviews)
• Michelin Plate: 2024, 2025
• Price range: ££
• Cuisine: French / contemporary brasserie

Booking and Practical Details

Booking difficulty is low relative to the venue's recognition level. There is no indication that tables are hard to come by with reasonable notice, which makes Roux at Skindles a viable option even for semi-spontaneous special occasions. If a terrace table matters to you, book early and confirm your preference when you reserve. The cocktail bar provides a strong fallback if the terrace is full, and arriving early for drinks regardless of where you sit is the recommended approach. The venue is on Mill Lane in Taplow, Maidenhead SL6 0AG. Our Taplow experiences guide covers what to pair with a visit, and the Taplow wineries guide is useful if you are extending the day.