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A ten-minute drive from Stow-on-the-Wold in Nether Westcote, this popular gastro-pub is as cozy and comforting as the name would suggest. The food here is exceptional, and the products are so local that the staff can usually point to the farm from where the meat was sourced. If you want to try as much as possible, opt for the six-course tasting menu (£80). Within the restaurant, a large bay window and terrace offer up views of the valley below, and attention to detail gives the pub some humorous touches such as the saddle-seated stools. If you decide that you are just too comfortable to move, there are four rooms to extend your stay in.
Nether Westcote, Oxfordshire, OX7 6SD, England
Known For
- Locally sourced produce
- High-end presentation
- Lovely valley views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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For over 30 years, this sleek space in the basement of the Queensberry Hotel has served top-notch English and Mediterranean dishes, finally being recognized with a Michelin star (the only one in town) in 2018. Head chef Chris Cleghorn creates a seductive, sophisticated selection of four-, six-, and nine-course tasting menus featuring delights such as smoked Devon eel with Isle of Wight tomatoes and tarragon; Cornish monkfish cooked over coal and served with leek and ginger; and raspberries accompanied by sheep curd and lemon verbena. The set-lunch menu (available Friday through Sunday) is a good value at £70.
Russel St., Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA1 2QF, England
Known For
- Only Michelin-starred restaurant in Bath
- Nine-course tasting menu
- Vegan, pescatarian, and dairy-free options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.–Thurs.
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The Bath outpost of the growing Pig empire is a funky but chic "restaurant with rooms" in a converted country house in the Mendip Hills. It's all about the local and seasonal here (everything comes from within a 25-mile radius): kale, arugula, and other leaves and veggies are sourced from the Pig’s kitchen garden; apples, pears, and apricots come from its orchard; and pork, chicken, quail, and venison are provided by animals raised on the property. Salmon, pancetta, and bacon are smoked on-site. The results are exceptionally fresh and flavorsome dishes like loin of home-reared venison or “Kentucky-fried” wild rabbit. Dining alfresco in summer, when the wood-fired oven gets going, is a delight. The 29 comfortable and reasonably priced rooms are decorated with an elegant simplicity and have glorious views. It's located about 8 miles from Bath, off the A368.
Hunstrete House, Pensford, Bath and North East Somerset, BS39 4NS, England
Known For
- Locally raised pork
- Relaxed atmosphere in a quaint deer park setting
- Alfresco dining in summer
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Head chef Brett has introduced Spanish fine dining to the Cotswolds with this spot, rightly winning numerous awards for the food. The ingredients all come from local suppliers, and the seven-course tasting menu is an incredible value at £49. There's a vegan tapas menu as well. The ambience in this casually decorated café is warm and welcoming, and the staff are friendly and knowledgable.
29 Sheep St., Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1QW, England
Known For
- Great value set menus
- Vegan options for tapas
- Excellent cocktails
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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Just five minutes from the Holburne Museum, this former rowing club house serves quality food in a picturesque setting. The global menu ranges from roasted belly pork to freshly caught fish, and the set menu is well priced at £25 for two courses. On warm summer nights, enjoy sitting on the veranda by candlelight (in winter, you can get tucked up with a throw) and enjoy food cooked to perfection. If you come during the day, you can also work up an appetite by taking out a skiff or canoe from the next-door boat station.
1 Rockliffe Ave., Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA2 6QP, England
Known For
- Riverside setting
- Quality food with a global influence
- Warm atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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At Boho Marché, Morocco meets the Mediterranean, with delicious platters featuring dishes such as marinated eggplant, jben cheese, and a zingy green slaw for lunch. In the evening, start with a cocktail and then order from the a la carte menu; the seared salmon carpaccio and slow-braised ox cheek with creamy mash and red wine jus are particularly good. On a nice day, you can eat outside on the terrace.
Queen Sq., Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA1 2HH, England
Known For
- Central location
- Imaginative design
- Family-friendly atmosphere
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The enticing prix-fixe lunch menu attracts diners to this award-winning French restaurant, which is renowned for its signature dishes like onglet steak with tarragon and sea bass with clams and samphire. Chez Dominique is also a great place to stop for afternoon tea or coffee after a walk by nearby Pulteney Weir.
15 Argyle St., Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA2 4BQ, England
Known For
- Private dining room
- Good afternoon tea
- Excellent fixed price menu
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Originally built around 1550 as a farmhouse, this spot was soon converted to an inn. The restaurant serves food freshly prepared from locally sourced ingredients, including the classic Sudeley chicken marinated in garlic and simmered in cider. If you fancy trying a traditional Sunday lunch, this is also an excellent place to visit. Local legend has it that the inn is haunted by a 12-year-old girl whose footsteps can sometimes be heard running across the floorboards above the bar.
83 Gloucester St., Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, GL54 5LX, England
Known For
- Original 16th-century building
- Traditional English desserts
- Rumored hauntings
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Close to St. James Church, this traditional tavern has low beams, a flagstone floor, and a small courtyard. The long menu includes daily specials, local ales, and enticing dishes like confit duck and deep-fried fish-and-chips. Freshly baked ciabatta sandwiches served at lunchtime are easy on the wallet. The service is swift and ideal for those in a rush. There are also six rooms where you can stay.
Church St., Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, GL55 6JG, England
Known For
- Historic pub with lots of character
- Affordable ciabatta sandwich lunches
- Local beers
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With views of the church of St. Mary's, this historic pub dating from 1554 offers a reassuringly traditional and charming milieu for food and refreshment. Light meals are available at lunchtime, teas in the afternoon, and for the evening meal you might start with deep-fried calamari and whitebait with caper sauce, then try the rump of lamb with minted mashed potato for your main course. The spotted dick (sponge with dried fruits) and custard makes a classic old-school end to the meal. The inn's grounds hold what is claimed to be the world's oldest bowling green. There are 11 well-furnished bedrooms upstairs.
New St., Painswick, Gloucestershire, GL6 6UN, England
Known For
- Traditional British food
- Beautiful views
- Plenty of history
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Lee Gallimore was head chef at some of the Cotswold's most prestigious restaurants before opening his own property in Cheltenham. Here, Lee specializes in seafood sourced directly from fishermen in Devon and South Wales, and the shellfish platter for two to share is a feast. On Sundays, there's a traditional roast lunch menu, with the topside of Hereford beef and the free-range pork loin always looking particularly mouthwatering.
22 The Courtyard, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1SR, England
Known For
- Incredibly fresh seafood
- Affordable lunch menu
- Traditional Sunday roast
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Located between Broadway and Moreton-in-Marsh, this laid-back Cotswold pub has its dishes of the day (all made with local seasonal ingredients) written on the chalkboard inside. Options might include a fillet of Loch Duart salmon with new potatoes or wild mushroom and celeriac pie. There's a pleasant garden for summer days and rooms should you wish to stay the night.
Bourton-on-the-Hill, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 9AQ, England
Known For
- Busy crowds
- Beautiful garden for dining outside
- Good menu for kids
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The relatively short, perfectly balanced menu at Le Champignon Sauvage showcases the contemporary French cooking of David Everitt-Matthias, who has run the restaurant with his wife, Helen, since 1987. The food is a favorite of the United Kingdom's most famous restaurant critics and includes delights such as chalk stream trout with oyster emulsion and miso glazed monkfish with barley broth and cockles. Fixed-price menus at lunchtime (£35 for 2 courses) help keep the cost down.
24 Suffolk Rd., Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2AQ, England
Known For
- Good value lunch menus
- Sophisticated atmosphere
- Creative modern French cuisine
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues.
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Step away from the center of town to sample the ingenious cuisine that Michelin-trained chef Gordon Jones conjures up in his open kitchen. There is no set menu, but you can choose between seven and nine courses and every dish will be a surprise; there might be smoked eel with maple syrup and purple potatoes, a crisp haggis, roasted turbot with giant raisins and caper dressing, and blackberry sorbet with marinated cucumber. You can also choose a wine flight to accompany the tasting menus. The location is unprepossessing and the decor plain, enlivened by a few antlers and phials of oil, but the service is friendly and unstuffy; if you want to talk with the chef about your food, he will willingly do so. Book well in advance; lunch is easier to reserve than dinner.
2 Wellsway, Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA2 3AQ, England
Known For
- Imaginative cuisine served with style
- Tasting menus that change every day
- Reservations required far in advance
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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Chef and restaurateur Michael Alexiou bought Woolmarket House in 1986 and transformed it into this charming restaurant serving traditional Greek cuisine. The mezze and fresh seafood are particularly good, and there are seasonal daily specials on the blackboard. The atmosphere is laid-back and the service is friendly.
High St., Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, GL55 6AG, England
Known For
- Authentic Greek Cypriot cuisine
- Charming outdoor terrace
- Friendly atmosphere
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What is perhaps Bath's tiniest restaurant is also one of its tastiest. Order a glass of wine and a bowl of patatas fritas (chunks of fried potato, made in-house daily) while you browse the menu, and then pick three to four dishes per person to share. The pulpo a la Gallega (octopus and spicy paprika) and boquerones (fresh anchovies in olive oil) are heavenly. Located on the first floor of a historic building in the city center, Ole Tapas has just half a dozen tables, so it's worth making a reservation in advance to make sure they'll have space.
1 John St., Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA1 2JL, England
Known For
- Small plates for sharing
- Delicious seafood tapas
- Fairly priced wine selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Thurs.
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Lured by the fresh ingredients and cool, unfussy surroundings, diners come here to enjoy the freshest of Cornish fish, Salcombe Bay crab, and Forest of Dean ham accompanied by unusual but delicious vegetables like borage, wild garlic, and sea cabbage. The accent is on fish, but you will also find hay-baked Cotswold lamb, vegetarian dishes, and plenty of local cheeses. The menu changes bi-monthly so it's always seasonal. and the set menu is £49 for 2 courses. The service is friendly and knowledgeable.
16 Rodney Rd., Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1JU, England
Known For
- Focus on fresh seafood
- Unusual vegetables prepared creatively
- Menu of local cheeses
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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With a courtyard at the back and a patio at the front, this chic "restaurant with rooms" is perfect for a light lunch at midday or a full meal in the evening. Menus concentrate on Modern British dishes and change seasonally. The restaurant, in a former furniture factory belonging to local designer George Russell, is modern, airy, and stylish. The less expensive fixed-price menu (£28 for two courses) is just as tempting, and there's also an attached fish-and-chips shop. You can spend the night in the very sleek, boutique-style rooms upstairs.
20 High St., Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7DT, England
Known For
- Good-value fixed-price menu
- Fresh local produce
- Stylish setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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Small and slightly twee, this tourist magnet near Bath Abbey occupies the oldest house in Bath, dating from 1482. It's famous for the Sally Lunn bunn, a semisweet bread served here since 1680. You can choose from more than 30 sweet and savory toppings to accompany your bunn, or turn it into a meal with salmon or a steak. There are also economical lunch and early-evening menus. Daytime diners can view the small kitchen museum and shop in the cellar (30p for non-dining visitors).
4 N. Parade Passage, Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA1 1NX, England
Known For
- Famed Sally Lunn bunns
- Lots of tourists
- Tiny but interesting on-site museum
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A 15th-century inn just five minutes from Lacock Abbey, Sign of the Angel serves traditional food in a cozy and intimate setting. Some dishes, such as the roast loin of beef with Yorkshire pudding or the seasonal pie of the day are as traditional as the decor, but modern touches—orange butter sauce, for instance—adds an extra dimension. Enjoy the seasonal dish of the day for lunch or relax in the garden with a cream tea. When you creak open the heavy door and are greeted by the hearty fire in the huge chimney, you could be forgiven for thinking that you stepped back a few centuries. Upstairs are five beautifully rustic rooms in which to stay.
6 Church St., Lacock, Wiltshire, SN15 2LB, England
Known For
- Historical and antique features
- Classic cream teas
- Traditional British pub fare
