More and more, the Cotswolds is becoming a great hub for foodies from all over the country. Great chefs are coming here for the wonderful produce and to showcase their talent and their food, great food lovers come here from all over the country, and in fact the World, to enjoy the food on offer.
Now, I'm lucky, I don't have to travel to the Cotswolds to experience all these wonderful culinary delights, I live here and being the Cotswolds Concierge, I get to go to these places all the time... yup, you're right, mine is about the best day job there is!
So when you next visit the Cotswolds, make sure these seven great eateries are on your list of places to go:
1. The Angel at Burford.
Image credit: The Angel at Burford.
You love a nice pub with a great, friendly down-to-Earth atmosphere. You love a nice beer garden on those sunny days. You love it when you and your kids and your dog are made to feel really welcome in a pub. And then you love it when you can go to a place where you can get all of those things while not having to compromise on 5-star quality food made from only the best local produce. Well, such a place is The Angel at Burford. Their menu is exciting, changing with the seasons and the produce available on the day. Their food is British classics when they're best, no fancy extras to jazz up the plate or attempts to be something they're not, just really great food.
2. Eckington Manor.
Image credit: Eckington Manor.
In a lovely little village just on the other side of the Cotswold border to the north, is Eckington Manor. A hotel and cookery school as well as a wonderful restaurant, Eckington Manor do a British and European cuisine combo, creating diverse menus that incorporate local produce, both from the Cotswolds but also from right there on their own farm and foraged in the surrounding area. The common denominator is that taste is king in every single plate of food that comes out of the kitchen and no compromise is ever made on quality. You are in for a major culinary event when you dine at Eckington Manor.
3. PREGO in Broadway.
Image credit: PREGO.
I quite simply will never tire of visiting PREGO in Broadway, the best Italian restaurant north of Italy... in my humble opinion. The menu is created and cooked by Head Chef Pietro, a native Italian from Florentine. He regularly goes back to Italy to get inspired, try all the new trends and get back in touch with his home country.. and then he comes back to the Cotswolds to share his experiences with us all in PREGO. If you're a fan of real, athentic Italian food and you find yourself in the Cotswolds, don't miss this gem!
4. Mallory Court.
Image credit: Eden Hotel Collection.
One of this country's up and coming chefs is Paul Foster, the Head Chef at Mallory Court Hotel, part of the Eden Hotel Collection. Paul is local to the Cotswolds, he has worked in a number of 2 and 3 rosette restaurants as well as at Raymond Blanc's two-Michelin starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxford. You may have seen him on BBC1's Saturday Kitchen and BBC2's Great British Menu, and has earned high praise from some of the industry's most highly regarded food critics, including Observer reviewer and MasterChef critic Jay Rayner. But we don't care about Paul Foster for any that.. we care because when we go to eat at Mallory Court we eat some of the most fantastic food we've ever had, and so will you when you go there, so get yourself booked in!
5. The Old Stocks Inn.
Image credit: The Old Stocks Inn.
The new kid on the block in the Cotswolds is The Old Stocks Inn in Stow-on-the-Wold. Recently refurbished, this old hotel reopened in March of 2015 with a new and, quite simply, FAB-U-LOUS look! Before you even order, you will Ohh and Ahh over the stunning, Scandinavian decor and the beautiful little design touches throughout. But don't go there just for all the pretty, the food is as great as the decor. The menu is a fresh take on classic pub grub, a real taste of the Cotswolds with hearty, locally sourced fayre.
6. The Bell Alderminster.
Image credit: The Bell at Alderminster.
On the way to Stratford-upon-Avon in the north Cotswolds, is The Bell in Alderminster. For going out with friends, for taking your mum out, for Sunday Lunch with the kids, for a romantic meal, for a light lunch, for a barbecue outside... for all those occasions and more, The Bell in Alderminster is perfect with a fantastic and varied menu full of delicious and beautifully presented dishes. Great service, atmosphere and flavoursome food, that about sums it up.
7. Lord & Lady Food.
Image credit: Lord & Lady Food.
If you love burgers (and who doesn't?), you absolutely MUST try Lord & Lady Food's gourmet street food burgers cooked in a cool Piaggio Apé Van called Kong 1. You will need a little bit of luck or clever planning when in the Cotswolds, because Lord & Lady Food can be found only at top Cotswolds events, so you need to make sure one is on when you're visiting, but when you take the first bite of one of their burgers, you'll realise the extra effort was more than worth it. "Tasty" isn't enough describe this culinary street food sensation.. in fact no word is, you will just have to come to the Cotswolds and try this one yourself!