Gloucestershire restaurants continued to impress this year with 18 of the county’s eateries featured in The Good Food Guide 2019, which is compiled annually by Waitrose and was published in September 2018.
From cosy village inns to elegant fine dining restaurants, see which top county restaurants and pubs have been selected for inclusion in the bestselling guide.
1. Le Champignon Sauvage
Michelin-starred Cheltenham restaurant Le Champignon Sauvage features in The 2019 Good Food Guide, but this year’s update also saw the establishment “lose one of its previous two Michelin stars.”: https://www.soglos.com/food/44890/BREAKING-Le-Champignon-Sauvage-loses-Michelin-Star-in-2019-guide
The independent French restaurant, run by chef proprietor David Everitt-Matthias, receives rave reviews from far and wide and has been described by The Observer food critic Jay Rayner as ‘one of the best meals of my life.’
2. The Bell Inn
Located in a rural setting in the quaint village of Selsey, The Bell Inn offers a relaxed dining experience at the country pub, which benefits from stunning views of the Stroud Valleys.
The kitchen prides itself on showcasing the best of British flavours, serving locally-sourced food, seasonal game and preparing everything fresh on-site. The pub also offers a range of real ales, while its gin bar features nearly 70 varieties of the spirit.
3. Koj
A new entry in 2018, Koj only opened its doors in Cheltenham in spring 2017, demonstrating that the Japanese eatery has certainly made a strong impression in such a short space of time.
Owned by MasterChef finalist Andrew Kojima, the restaurant serves innovative Japanese grazing dishes, including miso roast salmon and pork tonkatsu, along with sashimi and a host of tempting sides.
4. Restaurant 5 North Street
Restaurant 5 North Street has been at the heart of Winchcombe’s dining scene since chef proprietor Gus Ashenford and his wife Kate set up the gastronomic restaurant in 2003.
The restaurant’s evening offering is a seven-course gourmet menu featuring creative dishes crafted from the finest ingredients, while is also serves up two- or three-course lunches.
5. Lords of the Manor
Synonymous with exquisite fine dining, Lords of the Manor has held a Michelin star for eight consecutive years and is one of the Cotswolds’ best known restaurants.
Head chef, Charles Smith, relishes the hotel’s rural setting and sources excellent local and regional produce to craft impeccably refined French-influenced dishes that follow the seasons.
6. Lumière
Known for its culinary excellence, Cheltenham’s Lumière offers a contemporary menu created by chef proprietor Jon Howe, who takes inspiration for his dishes from produce that’s available in and around Gloucestershire.
The restaurant offers a relaxed yet refined dining experience that invites foodies to sample its five-course dinner and impressive nine-course tasting menu, while a three-course lunch option is also available.
7. Purslane
Specialist seafood restaurant, Purslane, has been making waves in Cheltenham since it opened its doors in 2012. The independent eatery, which is run by chef proprietor Gareth Fulford, combines the freshest sustainably-caught seafood from British water with the best local produce.
In addition to its à la carte offering, the restaurant serves up a monthly tasting menu for the whole table to enjoy, while the two or three-course working lunch menu can be turned around in under an hour if you’re pressed for time.
8. The Butcher's Arms
Located in the village of Eldersfield, The Butcher’s Arms is a 16th century public house that offers a charming country pub setting, while its restaurant features a small seasonal menu that uses ingredients from a hand-picked selection of local suppliers.
The award-winning Gloucestershire eatery, which was named Michelin’s Pub of the Year in 2016, was established by James Winter and his wife Elizabeth in 2007 and went on to be awarded a Michelin star in 2011.
11. The Old Passage
Located in a picturesque setting at the end of a peninsula overlooking the River Severn, The Old Passage is a seafood restaurant that specialises in serving sustainably sourced fish and shellfish.
Diners will always find lobster fresh from their own tanks, while it’s also known for serving freshly shucked oysters and seafood platters. The tasting menu offers the chance to sample a range of fish dishes, while its à la carte menu includes tempting starters, mains and desserts.
12. The Old Butchers
The Old Butchers in Stow-on-the-Wold has been serving up top-notch cuisine since 2005 when Pete and Louise Robinson transformed the former butchers into a restaurant, which has gone on to attract a foodie fan base across the Cotswolds and beyond.
The restaurant has a nose-to-tail ethos, and although the restaurant is called The Old Butchers, it predominantly specialises in seafood, changing its menu daily to ensure the freshest produce and ingredients for its dishes.
12. The Painswick
Not only does charming Cotswold hotel The Painswick offer a delightful spot to spend the night, its restaurant is also a destination in its own right thanks to the creative talent of head chef Michael Bedford, who uses fresh and punchy flavours in his dishes.
The restaurant’s sample lunch menu features the likes of twice-baked Parmesan soufflé with smoked salmon and spinach, while in the evening diners can expect dishes such as pan-fried stone bass with beef shin ravioli and buttered greens.
13. The Wheatsheaf Inn
Part of The Lucky Onion group of hotels and restaurants, The Wheatsheaf Inn in Northleach is a Cotswold country pub with rooms that offers a stylish yet cosy setting for sampling dishes from its creative menu.
Whether you fancy a leisurely lunch, a fancy dinner or laidback Sunday dining, the pub’s regularly-changing à la carte menu features sample dishes such as burrata with heritage beetroot and maple roasted walnuts; and Wiltshire lamb rump with white beans, peppers and salsa verde.
14. The Potager
Located in the sublime setting of The Calcot Collection’s Barnsley House hotel near Cirencester, The Potager serves up delicious dishes using the best local produce and vegetables grown from its very own kitchen garden.
The kitchen is headed up by Francesco Volgo, who works closely with local farmers, butchers and sustainable fishmongers to create innovative menus that include two- or three-course lunch offerings and an evening à la carte option.
15. Wesley House
Wesley House offers diners an exciting and varied menu to enjoy at its elegant restaurant, which is located in a 15th century merchant’s house in the historic town of Winchcombe.
The kitchen uses fresh, local produce where to possible for its dishes, which include the likes of goat’s cheese mousse with grilled Evesham asparagus, toasted hazelnut and rocket salad, while its popular Thursday Tasting Nights invite diners to sample a five-course tasting menu.
16. The Village Pub
Sample delicious rustic cuisine at The Village Pub, a cosy Cotswold country pub in Barnsley near Cirencester, which showcases simply cooked British ingredients at its best.
Produce is sourced locally and menus change seasonally depending on what’s available, with plenty of lunch and dinner options to choose from, along with tempting bar snacks, including the home-rolled quail and black pudding scotch eggs which makes the perfect accompaniment to a pint of Cotswold ale.
16. The Churchill Arms
The Churchill Arms in Paxford brings a slice of contemporary dining to the classic 17th century pub, which specialises in serving clever twists on British classics.
The kitchen team is led by chef proprietor Nick Deverell-Smith who has more than 15 years’ experience, and uses three main local suppliers, all within a 10-mile radius, along with daily fresh fish from Cornwall.
17. The Swan at Southrop
The Swan, part of Thyme in the Southrop Manor Estate has a menu inspired by the site’s own kitchen garden and farm.
Quintessentially Cotswolds, this 17th century village pub is a former coaching inn and bakery. Serving up dishes made with carefully sourced ingredients from across the UK and France, guests can expect seasonal vegetable plates, classic steaks, chicken and bacon pie and cheesy truffle chips.
18. The Woolpack Inn
A new entry for 2019, The Woolpack Inn on Stroud’s Slad Road is a bit of a local gem. Combining real ale with deliciously good food, guests to this new entry can expect traditional pub favourites with a modern twist.
Serving up lunch and dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays, Sunday lunches and a special home-made pizza night every Monday, there’s an ever-changing menu, made using the freshest local ingredients.
