Where (not) to eat in the Cotswolds!
The Cotswolds is blessed with fantastic places to eat. In fact, we think it’s a foodie’s heaven. Our very un-official survey of Cotswold pubs and restaurants serving delicious food prepared with seasonal, locally grown ingredients shows more of them per square mile than anywhere else in the UK! In truth, there really isn’t a place in the Cotswolds where you can’t find a great place to eat. So, hold the headline and follow us on a tour of our favourite Cotswold restaurants…
Quayles Cornerhouse, Tetbury
A fantastic brasserie with an upmarket vibe, offering a superb selection of freshly made dishes for breakfast, lunch and supper. You can sit in a window seat playing backgammon while you wait for your delicious food to arrive. In our opinion, Quayles Cornerhouse serves the best-ever gazpacho, outside of Spain! Even Marco Pierre White agrees with us: saying Quayles serves, “the best, the very best food in and around Tetbury. Trust me!”
Wild Garlic, Nailsworth
Chef-Patron Matthew Beardshall offers fresh and local produce at the Wild Garlic Bistro, serving coffee, brunch and evening suppers. A warm, professional service and a carefully chosen wine and cocktail list complete the Wild Garlic experience, and an incredible experience it is too. Booking is essential.
The Potager at Barnsley House, Barnsley
The Potager at Barnsley House in the village of Barnsley, near Cirencester, serves some of the freshest food in the Cotswolds. The delicious seasonal menus use vegetables and herbs harvested from the beautiful kitchen garden, which you can have a look at when you’re there. Booking is essential. And just across the road is…
The Village Pub, Barnsley
This pub is considered one of the best in the Cotswolds. It is owned by Barnsley House and is always very busy, so if you plan to visit be sure to make a reservation.
View this post on Instagram
The Swan at Southrop, Southrop Manor Estate
Set in a 17th century village inn, The Swan has a simple motto: “Home grown, homemade” and so seasonal produce inspires the menu, with ingredients coming fresh from the Southrop Manor Estate’s farm every day.
The Ebrington Arms, Ebrington
This award-winning pub, in the beautiful village of Ebrington, which also produces its own ale (you have to try a pint of Yubby!), attracts diners from far and wide with its delicious pub classics using local produce wherever possible. The pub has recently been awarded ‘Organic Served Here’ 3* status – one of only 10 pubs and restaurants in the whole of the UK achieving that status.
The Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach
The Lucky Onion’s Wheatsheaf is an award-winning (Best of British Tatler Restaurant Awards) restaurant, bar and hotel with treatment rooms which serve a mouth-watering selection of “quality, locally sourced, simple rustic food”, including gin-cured chalk stream trout. The Wheatsheaf has a super duper “snug” area – perfect for post-Sunday lunch relaxation in front of the open fire.
The Bell at Sapperton, Sapperton
A charming pub and restaurant between the arty towns of Stroud and Cirencester in a sleepy little village called Sapperton. The pub has great big, roaring log fires and a beautifully landscaped garden and courtyard, while the village is famous for Sapperton canal tunnel and its connection with the Cotswold Arts and Crafts Movement.
Wild Thyme Restaurant and Rooms, Chipping Norton
A Michelin Guide-recommended gem run by husband and wife team Nick and Sally, serving up fresh, seasonal, British modern dishes made from produce with a focus on local with relaxed, friendly service. The entire restaurant or their garden room can be reserved for private events.
The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
This award-winning eatery has an enviable reputation across the Cotswolds, serving up delicious Michelin Guide-recommend food in a very impressive setting in the cute village of Kingham. Food here is seasonal and locally sourced wherever possible, giving you a great ‘taste of the Cotswolds’ experience. Although it’s not the cheapest it’s certainly the perfect destination for a memorable feast.
King’s Head Inn, Bledington
This award-winning, traditional Cotswold country inn is in a very pretty location – right on Bledington’s village green. Food here is of excellent quality, locally sourced and seasonally changing, with provenance at the heart of each of the ingredients used. Expect excellent, restaurant-quality dishes in a laid-back pub setting.
The Ivy, Cheltenham
Located in the beautiful, Grade I listed Montpellier Rotunda building, the Ivy offers all-day dining in a relaxed yet sophisticated setting, with a wide selection of modern British and international classics, plus a vegetarian and vegan menu. We are super lucky to have this as the office ‘local’ – catering to our meat-eating and vegan staff alike!
Need somewhere to stay for your foodie weekend in the Cotswolds? Look no further than our mouth-watering portfolio of properties, from crooked townhouses to rambling, thatched rural cottages – we’ve even got a Shepherd’s Hut! Simply select your dates and chosen location on the Bolthole Retreats home page. We hope to see you dining in the Cotswolds soon!
