Fields, flames & feasting: a guide to the countryside’s best outdoor dining

Some meals are simply eaten, others become lore. We have scoured the countryside for the best alfresco dining spots this summer and trust us, even after you’ve moved on, they will stay with you. At each one, food and flavour comes together with a picturesque backdrop to form a kind of dreamscape that’s otherworldly and restorative. Tables appear in orchards, courtyards, glasshouses, and even fields – each one an ode to local produce, proper hospitality, and the enduring magic of a meal outdoors.

The Pit Kitchen, Todenham & Cheltenham

There’s something quietly heroic about PIT Kitchen. What began as a couple of mates cooking over flame in a roadside field has evolved into one of the most vibrant, smoke-swirled food spots in the Cotswolds. The soothing yet varied grounds of Todenham Farm near Chipping Norton mean it feels less like a restaurant and more like stumbling upon a party that happens to serve outrageously good food.  

George, the culinary brains with a fine-dining past and a knack for flavour that punches way above its rustic setting, brings bright, bold dishes with Middle Eastern inspiration. Adam, meanwhile, keeps the vibe warm and welcoming, building a team that runs on warmth, music, and the unspoken rule that no one leaves hungry. This is open-air eating with real soul where the atmosphere is alive with the amiable chatter of happy customers.

Come summer 2025, PIT is packing up its smoky swagger and heading for a second home, this time in cahoots with the ever-brilliant DEYA Brewery at their Cheltenham taproom. Same blistering grills, same unapologetic flavour, just a new stretch of tarmac and a fresh postcode to play with.

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Worton Kitchen Garden, Oxfordshire

Set in stunning Oxfordshire countryside, Worton Kitchen Garden describes itself as a ‘beautiful, slightly madcap cottage garden’ with a restaurant that presents a ‘hyper-local menu.’ Worton Kitchen Garden’s deep-rooted eating ethos is nothing if not delicious. Its environmental impact is minimal. Its gastronomical force is anything but. Particular delights include Worton Pickles with Rye, Loquat, Endive, Walnut and Stichelton Salad, Whole Roast Plaice, Ratte Potatoes and Pak Choi. If we’re talking about local legends, the menu certainly makes a strong case.

This hidden haven has become somewhat of an odyssey since 2005. It began as simple kitchen gardens. Now, it’s a thoughtfully curated patchwork of field crops, an orchard, and delicate salad greens grown under greenhouses and poly-tunnels. Herbs, flowers and vegetables grow side by side. Small-scale animal husbandry brings a gentle rhythm to the land. There’s also a bakery and a shop – a cornucopia of fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs, alongside wood-fired, wild bread made from 100% organic flour.

The beautiful menu, the thoughtfulness that has been put into its curation, and the gorgeous grounds make Worton Kitchen Garden an absolute must visit this summer.

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Cotswold Lakes Brewing Co, South Cerney

A rhythm of rural life has set in around the Cotswold Lakes, but the Lakes Brewing co. are here to disrupt that with a little buzz: live music, delicious foodie pop ups, and yummy beer on tap. Fridays and Saturdays just got even better. The story of Cotswold Lakes Brew Co. doesn’t begin in a heritage barn. It doesn’t come with generations of brewing wisdom. It starts with seven friends. A shared fondness for beer. And a quiet determination to do something different. None of them knew how to brew when they began, but that wasn’t really the point. What grew from their curiosity was more than just carefully crafted beers: it became a place with purpose at its core.

Set against the stillness of the lakes and the gentle pace of the countryside, the taproom has become a place to gather. It has all the trappings of a pub garden. But this is an urban twist on the standard. Deeply comfortable. Unpretentious. Unchallenging. With a pinch of something more radical.

Expect some of the best pop-ups around: Pig’s Pizzas, Dark Kitchen, Cotswolds Chippy, and Gurt Wings. There really is something about drinking a cold pint as the sun sets over glinting water that just feels right, and Cotswold Lakes Brew Co. has absolutely nailed the vibe.

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Pythouse Kitchen Garden, Tisbury

Tucked within the sheltering walls of an 18th-century garden, Pythouse Kitchen Garden is less a restaurant and more a living, breathing expression of its landscape. Here, the natural thrum of the garden leads the way; meals are shaped by what’s ripe, what’s thriving, and what the soil is ready to give. Smoke curls gently from the outdoor fire, lending warmth and depth to a menu that is both modern and deeply rooted in tradition.

There is a quiet generosity to the place. Herbs are gathered in the morning. Plates are assembled with care. The garden is abundant, ordered, and slightly wild. Everything at Pythouse begins with what’s already here. A walled sanctuary, the changing seasons, a way of cooking that honours both.

It’s not nostalgia, exactly. It’s just how things were always meant to be. Menu highlights include Garden Beetroots, Dorset Yoghurt, and Blackcurrant Wood Vinaigrette. Parsnip Hash Browns, Truffle Mayonnaise. Hand Made Pappardelle Pasta, Guinea Fowl, Confit Garlic, and Old Winchester Cheese. The menu changes with the seasons a pattern has begun to form. It’s a place that has inhaled and exhaled over time. The dedication is something to behold and your visit will leave you with a lasting memory (if you’re not already planning to return within days).

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Josser in The Park, Cirencester

There’s a certain magic in seeing something unexpected nestled into the familiar, and Josser brings just that to St. Michael’s Park in Cirencester. From their lovingly converted circus truck, Ols and Amber run a roaming restaurant that feels like it always belonged here: beneath the trees, among friends, and in the glow of golden-hour sunshine.

The food bursts with joy, generosity, and character. The cooking brings theatre, the welcome radiates warmth, and every dish carries a sense of easy celebration. Josser doesn’t just invite you to eat well (though you absolutely will). It invites you to gather, slow down, and let something quietly extraordinary unfold in the middle of an ordinary park.

Our favourite part is their delightful ‘Brunch under Canvas’: Brunch at Josser unfolds slowly, under canvas and soft morning light. The scent of coffee and woodsmoke drifts through the park, while oak tables fill with easy conversation, fresh juice, and plates that taste like a gentle celebration of the day ahead. It’s unhurried, soulful, and exactly where you want to be. Menu highlights include Bubble and Squeak Stovie, Charred Corn Fritters & Grilled Peach Melba.

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