With two Michelin star restaurants in the county and an abundance of phenomenal fine dining restaurants, Gloucestershire's foodies are spoilt for choice.
SoGlos rounds up 15 of the most fantastic fine dining restaurants in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, promising heavenly flavours, the very best seasonal produce and exceptional service.
Lumière in Cheltenham
Having been awarded the first brand-new Michelin Star in the county for more than a decade, as well as featuring in Harden's Top 100 Restaurant list, Lumière is one of Cheltenham's finest restaurants, offering an intimate and sophisticated environment, with a menu of artistically presented modern British cuisine.
The venue invites foodies to sample its four, six and eight-course menus featuring dishes like Cornish day boat pollock with nori, cauliflower and fennel; Stokes Marsh Fram Aberdeen Angus and Hereford steak with a side of cottage pie, morel and Wye Valley asparagus; and Arnold Fram forced rhubarb with ginger, Orelys chocolate and sorrel. An eight-course vegetarian menu is also available but the restaurant isn't able to cater for vegans.
The Fox at Oddington
Owned by Carole Bamford of Daylesford Organic, The Fox at Oddington near Stow-on-the-Wold underwent a huge refurbishment in 2023, transforming the 16th-century inn into a stylish gastropub with an impressive garden.
It offers a variety of dining options from an à la carte menu to bar snacks and pizza, which impressed Michelin inspectors so much it made their list of favourite new restaurants in December 2022.
Prithvi in Cheltenham
Tucked away on Bath Road in Cheltenham, Prithvi is a unique fine dining Indian restaurant, which serves both modern and traditional cuisine in ultra stylish surroundings.
Promising a relaxed but memorable dining experience, the menu blends exquisite techniques and presentation with authentic Indian flavours, creating brightly coloured dishes that are delightfully refined. Tables are booked months in advance so be sure to plan ahead for special occasions.
Wilder in Nailsworth
Located on Nailsworth's Market Street is modern fine dining restaurant, Wilder. With head chef Matthew Beardshall — who has worked with some of the UK's best chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, Angela Hartnett and more — at the helm, the venue offers foodies an inspiring array of gastronomic delights.
The restaurant features a surprise eight-course tasting menu every night, with the choice to enjoy it with an arrival drink, a matching wine or soft drink flight, tea or coffee and petit fours. They can also accommodate all dietary requests — just make sure to specify on booking.
The Slaughters Manor House in Lower Slaughter
The Slaughters Manor House is one of the finest 17th century country houses in the south of England, serving fine dining cuisine in its three AA rosette restaurant.
Light and contemporary, its stunning orangery is home to a team of fantastic chefs and delicious menus made with the very best produce the Cotswolds has to offer. Guests can visit The Slaughters Manor House for snacks and lounge food, afternoon tea or a full fine dining service of three courses in its restaurant.
The Wild Rabbit in Kingham
Another exceptional Daylesford-owned establishment, The Wild Rabbit is a stylish gastropub located in the Cotswold village of Kingham. Offering modern British menus created using local, seasonal ingredients from Daylesford farm, the venue promises a relaxed atmosphere, a warm welcome and incredible food, with the option to book a private dining experience with sommeliers for up to 18 people.
The constantly changing menu features organic fruit and vegetables alongside organic and free-range meats, with mains like confit pork belly with potato dauphinoise, cabbage and sage sauce; Daylesford organic beef fillet with charred spring onions, potato puree and red wine sauce; and miso grilled cauliflower with trompette mushroom, dukkah and spinach.
The Nook on Five in Cheltenham
Cheltenham's first rooftop restaurant, not only does The Nook on Five boast incredible views across the Regency town and beyond, it also specialises in European fine dining, with an afternoon tea lounge and cocktail bar, too.
The seasonally changing menu incorporates the best local ingredients to make dishes such as gin-cured Loch Duart salmon; pan roast scallops; dry-aged sirloin; and calvados and apple terrine.
Lords of the Manor near Bourton-on-the-Water
Located in the affluent village of Upper Slaughter near Bourton-on-the-Water in the heart of the Cotswolds, Lords of the Manor Hotel is home to two indulgent dining spaces — The Atrium and The Dining Room.
The Atrium is where diners can sample the venue’s tasting menu, offering impeccable standards and boasting three AA Rosettes, alongside being listed in the Good Food Guide; while The Dining Room offers an à la carte menu and a more relaxed experience with a quintessentially Cotswold feel — and is also open for weekend lunches.
Purslane in Cheltenham
Offering relaxed fine dining with a focus on seafood, Purslane is an independent restaurant in the heart of Cheltenham run by chef patron Gareth Fulford.
Using fresh and sustainably-caught seafood from Cornwall, Purslane’s menu changes bi-monthly and incorporates the best possible locally sourced ingredients to create interesting and inventive dishes — such as crisp Burford Brown hen's egg with parsley root, chanterelles, three-cornered leeks and aged parmesan; Cornish monkfish with confit potato, St Austell mussels, smoked haddocks, purslane, leeks and sea spinach; and Worcestershire forced rhubarb with buttermilk custard, honeycomb and pistachio frangipane. The indulgent six- and eight-course tasting menu is available in the evenings too, all expertly paired with complementary wines.
5 North Street in Winchcombe
Described as the ‘acme of excellence’, Restaurant 5 North Street in Winchcombe is an independent, modern British restaurant offering both à la carte and tasting menus for its guests.
While the menus are ever-changing in line with the season's fare, some of the restaurant’s signature dishes include Winchcombe partridge with potato terrine and girolle pineapple chutney; Cornish brill with pasta, mussels, popcorn and tomato tartar dressing; and pistachio and olive oil cake with strawberry ripple lemon meringue and nut brittle.
Le Champignon Sauvage Restaurant in Cheltenham
Gloucestershire's first Michelin-starred restaurant is one of the finest places to dine in the entire country. Run by husband-and-wife team, David and Helen Everitt-Matthias, Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham prides itself on being unpretentious while producing exceptional food.
The restaurant features brightly coloured walls, comfortable chairs and generously sized tables along with a refined menu of dishes like lightly poached hake, salsify and hazelnut bon bons; Highfield Farm poussin, roasted poussin cream and slow roasted onion; and roasted Cotswold lamb with romaine lettuce, peas and sheep's curd.
Restaurant Journey in Cheltenham
Restaurant Journey in the Suffolks is one of Cheltenham's most unique fine dining destinations — and also caught the eye of Michelin inspectors in 2023, earning it a place on their list of favourite new restaurants.
With colourful decor, a lively soundtrack and an owner and chef who has worked at Heston Blumenthal's three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Bray and Gareth Ward's two-Michelin-starred Ynyshir in Wales, the whole experience is creative and fun, with exceptional flavours throughout its incredible 12-course tasting menu.
Ellenborough Park in Cheltenham
With a plethora of exceptional dining experiences, from laid-back lunches and elegant afternoon teas to its exceptional à la carte menu, Gloucestershire's only five-star hotel, Ellenborough Park, is a must-visit for foodies.
Dine in its opulent wood-panelled dining room, the refined but relaxed Horse Box Brasserie or its unique outdoor dining carriages when the weather is good — and enjoy a truly memorable experience. There's a dedicated vegan menu, too, with the restaurant also able to cater for most dietary requirements with advance notice.
The Lygon Arms in Broadway
Just over the Gloucestershire border, The Lygon Arms in Broadway is home to two restaurants headed up by none other than celebrity chef, James Martin.
Gastronomes from across the county and beyond travel for a taste of the celebrity chef's finest flavours — created by Martin and his team — featuring signature cocktails such as the fabulously named 'Taylor-Burton Affair' and dishes like a wild mushroom arancini; Cornish cod; 30-day dry-aged beef steaks with lobster tails; roasted cauliflower with chickpea dahl; and his 'legendary' white chocolate and whisky bread and butter pudding.
Yoku at No.131 in Cheltenham
An exclusive Japanese sushi and Asian fine dining restaurant set within No.131 on the Promenade, with an ultra-stylish Tokyo-themed cocktail bar too, Yoku is one to book for a very special occasion.
Expect sumptuous Japanese interiors, artistic cocktails and curated menus that you'll be savouring for days. Its à la carte menu features delicacies like octopus sushi, classic gyozas and miso black cod; whereas the eight-course tasting menus offer tastebud explosions with seared Wagyu beef and truffles, miso glazed aubergine with enoki mushrooms and coconut fried tempura banana. Plant-based diners will be pleased to know that it also offers a fully vegan eight-course tasting menu, too.
