We delve into the gourmet gastropubs, sustainable farms and bountiful local produce of the Cotswolds to round up the best places to eat in this bucolic corner of southern England.
Local butchers and game estates supply meat for the frequently changing menu at The Bull, in the Cotswold village of Charlbury. We delve into the gourmet gastropubs, sustainable farms and bountiful local produce of the Cotswolds to round up the best places to eat in this bucolic corner of southern England.
Quintessential pastoral England is wrapped up in the gentle hills of the Cotswolds. The area’s 800 or so square miles are defined by a rolling landscape of chequerboard fields, winding valleys and timeless villages of honey-hued stone. It’s a region as productive as it is pretty: the wool trade brought enormous wealth in medieval times and lamb continues to be a prime ingredient. Today’s lush pastures are also reflected in the quality of cheese produced from cows and ewes grazing here; venison is still supplied from ancient woods and forests; and there’s even wine, from a quartet of boutique vineyards. All of which inspires first-class food in pubs, restaurants and cafes. Meanwhile, in the northern Cotswolds, around Stow-on-the-Wold, Burford and Chipping Norton, culinary competition has become particularly hot, with several recent openings and an ever-rising bar for inventive cuisine. Bruern Farms champions sustainable agriculture, its seasonal produce driving the menu in its courtyard cafe including roast veggies and bread made with heritage wheat and barley. In a halcyon part of the Evenlode valley, generously crossed by footpaths, Bruern Farms is a champion of sustainable agriculture and community spirit. Its courtyard of farm buildings includes a genial cafe, opened in late 2022 and serving dishes largely based on the bounty of the land around. Breakfast choices might feature field mushrooms with warm goat’s cheese on sourdough; lunches offer seasonal soups, warm quinoa salad with roasted veg , and toasties with local Cerney cheese; sweet options range from brownies to four varieties of flapjack. The views are spectacular at this pub-cum-restaurant near Stow-on-the-Wold, yet they are marvellously upstaged by the food of chef Renemar Pinedo. His six-course tasting menu presents a symphony of tastes, starring the likes of tuna tartare with radish, pork belly with Asian cabbage and intense chocolate marquise with miso caramel. But this isn’t solely a sophisticated gourmet venue; diners can opt for top-notch burgers and more in the bar, and stellar Dover sole and chateaubriand from the restaurant’s carefully sourced a la carte menu. The incredible views from Feathered Nest are only outdone chef Renemar Pinedo's food, taking in everything from tasting menus to top-notch burgers. Pete and Louise Robinson have run this glorious, unpretentious restaurant in an old butcher’s shop since 2005 and today it’s a north Cotswolds go-to. She provides welcome and efficiency front of house, while he’s in the kitchen conjuring cuisine that reflects a passion for fulsome flavours and excellent produce. The emphasis is on fish and shellfish, such as Cornish fish soup and grilled lobster, along with less-usual meat dishes, from calves liver to venison and partridge. This is bold bistro food at its honest best, delivered with charm. Tucked away in a honey-stone hamlet, this 17th-century pub was revitalised in 2023 by landlord-chefs Nathan Eades and Liam Goff, both formerly at the high-end Wild Rabbit in Kingham. Its rustic-cosy looks provide a comfy backdrop to exceptional, wholesome dishes that celebrate the region above all, in a short menu that shouts seasonality and clever creativity. Starters include the likes of game terrine with fig chutney. Outstanding mains range from beautifully presented braised lamb shoulder with buttered kale to melt-in-the-mouth venison cottage pie, and sensational celeriac and mushroom pie. Landlord-chefs Nathan Eades and Liam Goff restored The Halfway at Kineton, a Cotswold pub with rooms serving a menu of inventive wholesome dishes and popular Sunday roasts. It would be missing a trick to explore the northern Cotswolds without visiting one of Britain’s most famous food destinations. A self-proclaimed ‘farm shop’, this flawlessly staged venue presents a cornucopia of gastronomic ingredients, luxury homeware, biodynamic wine, restaurants and far more. Much of the meat and the veg comes from Daylesford’s surrounding 2,000-acre farmland, and visitors are welcome to walk its footpaths. Come to marvel at the sumptuous cheese room here and stay for a stylish farm-to-fork lunch in The Trough café. All the cookery classes at Thyme, a hamlet-like hotel offering a range of culinary workshops, start off with a tour around the vegetable gardens to pick ingredients.Thyme is a haven of a hotel spread across a cluster of properties in picture-pretty Southrop near Burford. It evolved from a cookery school set up in 2007 by the Hibbert family who continue to own and run Thyme and still arrange cookery classes here – led by one of the hotel’s chefs. Half-day Cook and Dine workshops explore different cuisines ; two-hour ‘master a dish’ sessions range from pasta making to creating exquisite canapes. Each class starts by picking ingredients in the abundant veg garden. The rooms at The Bull, a centuries old coaching inn have had a recent revamp, while its expansive bar restaurant serves bold British dishes celebrating local game, fish and veggies. In the handsome heart of Charlbury near Chipping Norton, this landmark inn has been serving pints since the early 1500s. A recent change of hands in 2023 saw its interior dramatically pared back, to glory in the property’s heritage, highlighting stone fireplaces, exposed beams and flagstone floors; it’s a rustic-minimalist look with a strong hint of contemporary cool. Upstairs and in an adjacent barn are 10 bedrooms decorated with sophisticated simplicity – several have canopy beds, one has a bathroom with a woodburner, and many have freestanding baths. But it’s the food, packed with robust flavours, that is the star attraction, from salt-baked celeriac to muntjac deer with plums, and ambrosial potatoes roasted with rosemary. Doubles from £180 .
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