Best restaurants in the Cotswolds

Outside of London, The Cotswolds is on the rise as a destination for foodies – specifically the village of Kingham. With a high number of accoladed restaurants across the region, your taste buds are in for a handsome treat. But with so much choice, where are the best places to eat in the Cotswolds? We round up the formal, informal, best value and the most delicious in our guide to the best restaurants in the Cotswolds.

Best for families

The Kingham Plough, Kingham

Price Range: £££

Signature dish: Old Spot Pork Belly served with black pudding, bubble & squeak, carrot, and apple relish.

Provenance really is the key to good food at the Kingham Plough, it’s a maxim that the owners standby and it shows in their food. Locally sourced seasonal food picked and reared make this one of the best-loved gastropubs in the Cotswolds – its many awards and appearances in guidebooks and on television enhance the appeal. All you need to be convinced of its prowess is a plate of good and simple food here – this is but one of a significant sample of eateries that have put Kingham squarely on the gastronome’s hit list.

Best for fine dining

The Daffodil, Cheltenham

Price Range: £££££

Signature dish: Chateaubriand for two to share, served with chips, smoked tomatoes, wild rocket and two steak sauces.

Housed in a former cinema, this glamorous restaurant in Cheltenham echoes its 1920s Art-Deco origins, with a sweeping staircase evoking the splendour of the Hollywood high life. The Daffodil’s interior was designed by Laurence Llewellyn Bowen who has successfully blended the contemporary with a large helping of ‘nostalgenticity.’ The first floor has a champagne and cocktail bar and the ground floor is the dining room. One of our favourite fine dining restaurants in the Cotswolds, the food is an impressive blend of traditional English fare and the exotic. Sunday lunch, a la carte, afternoon tea, and a steak night are all strong features.

Stay nearby in our Cheltenham holiday cottages.

Best for a Sunday lunch

The Lamb Inn, Burford

Price Range: £££

Signature dish: 28-day aged strip loin of beef, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes and gravy

A firm family favourite in the heart of beautiful Burford, The Lamb Inn also doubles as a pub, and a fine one at that. This Cotswolds restaurant lets you choose from a mouth-watering selection of seasonal dishes and mealtime staples taken seriously. The ambience promises to be homely and friendly, with the ale being as hearty and wholesome as the meals on offer. A Sunday roast at The Lamb is reputed to be one of the best in the Cotswolds and that’s very high praise indeed.

Stay nearby in our Burford holiday cottages.

Best for Michelin star dining

The Wild Rabbit, Kingham 

Price Range: £££££

Signature dish: Wootton Estate venison served with celeriac, chicory, puy lentils, and pomegranate.

Aside from the magnificent meals on offer, the chef’s kitchen theatre is a very good reason to put the Wild Rabbit near Chipping Norton on your list of Cotswold restaurants to visit. Having won its first Michelin star in 2016, you can delight in a fantastic experience seeing the award-winning chefs concoct dishes from seasonal local produce.  Organic ingredients are sourced from the Wild Rabbit’s own garden and reared on local farms. With a light, appealing design consisting of the traditional honey-coloured stone brickwork and beam vaulted ceilings, the Wild Rabbit offers an exceptional fine dining experience in the Cotswolds. Booking is advised.

Best for couples

Purslane, Cheltenham

Price Range: ££££

Signature dish: Cornish cod served with Jerusalem artichokes, king oysters, sea cabbage, and yeast emulsion.

An excellent choice for lunch and dinner, this small independent restaurant is a revelation. One of the top restaurants in Gloucestershire, it specialises in seafood dishes made from sustainably-caught fish and shellfish, alongside freshly-picked Cotswolds seasonal fruit and vegetables, so you are guaranteed to have a memorable visit. All the best techniques for meal preparation are practised by the Purslane team, from traditional salt baking to sous vide. Their victualler will be on hand to expertly match your dining choice to the wine.

Stay nearby in our Cheltenham holiday cottages.

Best for dogs

The Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach

Price Range: £££

Signature dish: Cotswolds lamb rack served with pulled shoulder and haggis croquette, and heritage baby carrots.

This dog-friendly pub in the Cotswolds is characterised by the Virginia creeper that clads its exterior and has received some enviable industry accolades, making it a worthwhile addition to your list of quality inns to visit for an evening meal. After a wintry walk in the surrounding countryside, you and your four-pawed companion can warm up by one of the roaring fires inside, or on a sunny day, relax with a Cotswolds gin and a bowl of water in the charming courtyard gardens.

Stay nearby in our Bourton-on-the-Water holiday cottages.

Best for a gastropub

The Ebrington Arms, Ebrington

Price Range: £££

Signature dish: Beetroot and quinoa burger served with blue cheese, whole grain mayo, onion rings, gherkin and chips.

Offering thirst-quenching ciders, award-winning ales and tasty pub lunches, this picture-perfect gastropub near Chipping Campden is one of the best places to eat in the Cotswolds. A favourite with locals and holidaymakers alike, you can take a cosy seat by the fire and peruse the menu of beautifully prepared seasonal fare served alongside mouthwatering Cotswold pub classics.

Stay nearby in our Chipping Campden holiday cottages.

The Porch House, Stow-on-the-Wold  

Price Range: £££

Signature dish: King prawn and chorizo linguine with garlic, chilli, lemon and olive oil

A bewildering choice of interesting meals throughout the day are on the menu at this superb gastropub in Stow-on-the-Wold. If you’re looking for one of the best places to eat lunch in the Cotswolds, then this is a great choice – their sharing platters are particularly delicious, one of which features dry-aged grilled steak, steamed broccoli, sourdough crudités, dipping white wine and three-cheese fondue.

Stay nearby in our Stow-on-the-Wold holiday cottages.

Best for a curry

Broadway Indian Restaurant, Broadway

Price Range: ££

Signature dish: Safaid mircchi murgh - chicken breast cooked in a silky-smooth sauce infused with green chilli and garlic, and garnished with cashews.

Sometimes nothing else will suffice, your belly needs Indian food. Nothing quite beats a curry in the Cotswolds for taste and variety, and this Broadway restaurant is a superb choice for straight-forward, no-nonsense delicious Indian cuisine.

Stay nearby in our Broadway holiday cottages.

Best for fish and chips

Malt and Anchor, Cirencester

Price Range: £

Signature dish: Skin-on haddock served with homemade tartar sauce, twice-cooked chips and a fresh lemon wedge.

The all-important English fish and chip shop could never be overlooked.  Holidaymakers up and down the British Isles seek out this culinary option as it doubles up as a holiday standard whoever you are. Fish and chips with your loved ones, scoffing your face at a landmark equals greedy bliss.

The best chip shop in the Cotswolds is a moot point, as tastes are different, however, one the most highly decorated in the land is the Malt and Anchor in Cirencester. Winner of the National Fish & Chip Awards in 2018 (best newcomer category) you can eat in or take-away to discover whether you agree with the judges or not. How many chippers do you know that have panko-coated calamari on the menu?     

Map of best places to eat in the Cotswolds

From hearty pub food to Michelin star cuisine, treat your taste buds when you visit the Cotswolds at these amazing eateries found all across the region. Stay in a Cotswolds holiday cottage on your next gastronomic vacation.

If you would like some more great Cotswolds foodie inspiration, have a read of our guide to the 'top five afternoon tea spots in the Cotswolds' or our guide to the 'best restaurants in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds'.