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Boutique hotels in Cotswolds

Self-catering properties in Cotswolds

Cotswolds
Eating, drinking and dancing

We've tracked down the sweetest tearooms, the best gastropubs and the most accomplished restaurants in the Cotswolds.

Restaurants

(+44 (0)1285 740000)

Barnsley House

Having done stints at respected London venues Caprice, Bibendum and Chez Bruce, chef Graham Grafton knows a thing or two about turning out a decent plate of food. Here, he makes the most of produce grown in the restaurant’s own kitchen garden, giving it an Italian spin for modern palates. On fine days, a table on the terrace is a lovely treat.

Barnsley, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5EE

(+44 (0)1285 641497)

Jesse’s Bistro

Situated in a stableyard behind one of Cirencester’s highly respected butchers, this small and relaxed restaurant specialises in fresh meat and fish. In the summer, there’s live jazz in the courtyard (www.jessesbistro.co.uk).

The Stableyard, Black Jack Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 2AA

(+44 (0)1242 573449)

Le Champignon Sauvage

The two Michelin-stars say it all: this is the destination restaurant in the Cotswolds, serving audacious, high-wire dishes where English and French cuisine collide (www.lechampignonsauvage.co.uk).

24–26 Suffolk Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 2AQ

(+44 (0)1242 700055)

The Daffodil

The atmosphere’s as high as the ceilings at this buzzing restaurant that’s set inside a converted art deco cinema, complete with 1920s movie artefacts on the walls. Expect a neat line in mouthwatering modern Anglo-Mediterranean dishes (www.thedaffodil.com).

18–20 Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 2AE

(+44 (0)1451 820243)

Lords of the Manor

Set in a honey-coloured former rectory in the gorgeous (and gorgeously named) Cotswolds village of Upper Slaughter, this whisper-quiet, romantic hotel restaurant is known for its on-trend British cuisine. That said, its signature dish of slow-roast beef is a melt-in-the-mouth classic (www.lordsofthemanor.com).

Upper Slaughter, near Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire GL54 2JD

(+44 (0)1386 840256)

The Kings

With its panelled wooden pews and enthusiastic service, this Chipping Campden hotel restaurant oozes country charm and cheer. The menu combines ‘greatest hits’ Brit dishes with more experimental international fare: try the king prawns flamed in brandy, or the steak and kidney sausages with bubble and squeak (www.thekingsarmshotel.com).

The Square, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AW

(+44 (0)1666 890391)

The Conservatory

A lovely country-house hotel restaurant, rightly popular with Mr & Mrs Smiths, just three miles outside Tetbury, with two restaurants. The Conservatory offers fine dining that makes the most of fresh, local ingredients, in an airy and informal setting; have a quick drink at the Gumstool Inn first, the hotel's snuggle-up gastropub.

Calcot Manor, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8YJ

(+44 (0)1242 222200)

Lumière

This glass-fronted restaurant with an elegant, 28-cover dining room offers an upbeat, ‘modern global’ menu that tends oh-so-slightly towards the Pacific Rim. All dishes are robustly flavoured and herb-heavy – there’s even a snippet of greenery in the lemon sorbet. Worth the splurge.

Clarence Parade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3PA

(+44 (0)1451 830670)

947AD

This hotel restaurant’s food brings mediaeval banqueting to mind with its rich array of meat, fish and game. Braised osso bucco and ox cheeks, mackerel and guinea fowl can all be savoured in the stylish and atmospheric dining room – you can’t throw your chicken bones over your shoulder, though… Booking advisable.

The Royalist Hotel, Digbeth Street, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1BN

(+44 (0)1285 770310)

The Wild Duck Inn

Built from Cotswold stone, this low-lit 16th-century inn is a step-back-in-time treat, with oak panelling, an enormous fireplace and ancestral oil paintings hanging from the deep red walls. There’s a handful of real ales on tap and a killer wine list in the restaurant – but the big draw is the canopied summer courtyard with an ancient apple tree at its, ahem, core (www.thewildduckinn.co.uk).

Drakes Island, Ewen, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 6BY

(+44 (0)1386 840330)

Juliana's

Smart and quietly elegant, this restaurant at Cotswold House serves Modern British and Mediterranean food with an emphasis on local produce, fish and game. It's popular, so book a table if you want to dine there at the weekend; get there early and have a pre-dinner drink at the bar. It's open for Sunday lunch, too – choose a table by the French windows for a view of the garden.

The Square, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AW

(+44 (0)1285 644 700)

The Rectory Kitchen and Cellar

A foodie’s paradise with fresh, delicious homecooking to either eat in this sweet mews setting, or to take away. Squirrel away some freshly baked biscuits for the car journey home, or a jar of The Rectory lemon curd as a souvenir.

2 Templar Mews, Black Jack Street, Cirencester GL7 2AA

Cafés

(+44 (0)1242 719999)

Hot Pepper Jelly

A deli up in the Suffolks, Cheltenham’s villagey quarter, with shelves of chili jelly and a dappled, sunlit courtyard. Great hot paninis, white chocolate and berry slices and home-made lemonade.

42 Suffolk Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 2AQ

(+44 (0)1242 239111)

Gusto

This Italian deli shakes the best coffee beans in Cheltenham and will pop goodies from the shop into a picnic hamper for you.

12 Montpellier Walk, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1SD

(+44 (0)1453 752222)

Mills Café

A stalwart of Stroud’s well-established café scene, Mills Café’s espressos are Continental, but its tarts and teacakes are truly British. The daily changing lunch menu includes meat from herds reared on a nearby farm.

8 Witheys Yard, High Street, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 1AS

(+44 (0)1453 767123)

Angel Café Bar

A stylish, Spanish-y place with retro furniture, paella-yellow walls, and a large selection of organic tapas, much of it veggie-friendly. There’s also jazz on Friday evenings, and less regular Spanish guitar and flamenco sessions. ¡Olé!

12 Union Street, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2HE

(+44 (0)1453 759195)

Woodruffs

Thanks to this street-corner spot, Stroud lays claim to being the birthplace of Britain’s organic food movement; in 1988, it was the first café in the UK to go organic. These days it offers a strong vegetarian menu, Fairtrade coffee and – so as not to be too wholesome – whacking great cream cakes.

24 High Street, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 1AJ

(+44 (0)1666 504466)

The Chef's Table

Having moved on from the excellent Trouble House Inn, Michelin starred chef Michael Bedford's new project is a top-notch gastro deli and bistro in Tetbury. The presentation may be different, but the philosophy is the same: seasonal, local, discerning. Here, the epicurean ingredients and pantry delights will stimulate your taste buds and your culinary imagination – pop in and graze while you shop for kitchen-cupboard treats.

49 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8AA

(01285 644700)

The Rectory Kitchen & Cellar

A foodie’s paradise with fresh, delicious home cooking and locally sourced produce; either eat in, in a sweet mews setting, or take away. Squirrel away some freshly baked biscuits for the car journey home, some picnic snacks, or a jar of the Rectory's lemon curd as a souvenir.

2 Templar Mews, 8 Black Jack Street, Cirencester GL7 2AA

Bars and clubs

(+44 (0)1242 241144)

Thirteen Degrees

Set over several floors of a restored Regency townhouse, this after-hours bar is a well-heeled cocktail hangout, with regular DJs and well-attended live music events (thirteendegrees.co.uk).

1 Chapel Walk, 13 St Georges Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3DT

(+44 (0)1386 840330)

Hicks’ Brasserie

Light and modern, the bar at Cotswold House hotel's Hicks' Brassserie is good for a quick kick-back. A popular pitstop for pre-dinner cocktails or a glass of champagne. During the day, the brasserie menu is appealing.

Cotswold House, the Square, Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AN

Pubs

(+44 (0)1386 840371)

Eight Bells

This traditional pub, in the centre of the village, is ideal for a Sunday roast after a long walk, or an informal dinner. With only six tables, you’ll have to book – though there’s a lovely terrace for alfresco dining (www.eightbellsinn.co.uk).

Church Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6JG

(+44 (0)1666 890391)

The Gumstool Inn

A lovely snuggle-up gastropub attached to country-house hotel Calcot Manor, rightly popular with Mr & Mrs Smiths, just three miles outside Tetbury. The Manor also has a fine-dining restaurant, the Conservatory, which makes the most of fresh, local ingredients, in an airy and informal setting.

Calcot Manor, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8YJ

(+44 (0)1242 870271)

The Green Dragon Inn

In the most idyllic of settings – down a narrow lane and overlooking a valley – this charming pub serves adventurous grub. The madeira-marinated herring crostini and parma-wrapped baked figs stuffed with brie tear strips off the scampi-and-chips fare offered by lesser local boozers (www.green-dragon-inn.co.uk).

Cockleford, near Cowley, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 9NW

(+44 (0)1452 812113)

The Butchers Arms

Award-winning pub in a picturesque village in Sheepscombe Valley that was the favourite haunt of Cider with Rosie author Laurie Lee. Home-made dishes are packed with flavour, thanks to their locally sourced ingredients, and the pub is very family-friendly. Cask ales and draught ciders are a speciality (www.butchers-arms.co.uk).

Sheepscombe, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 7RH

(+44 (0)1451 830670)

Eagle and Child

The gastropub attached to the Royalist is a popular lunchtime stop-off, with British favourites cooked imaginatively and with flair. We loved the steak, kidney and thyme suet pudding. You might want to book ahead for weekend visits.

The Royalist Hotel, Digbeth Street, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1BN

(+44 (0)1285 760298)

The Bell at Sapperton

Lovely country dining pub between Cirencester and Stroud with an accomplished menu of mouthwatering dishes. Winter brings hearty, warming dishes such as Cirencester Park venison casserole, smoked haddock brandade and braised belly of Gloucester Old Spot pork; summer's menus are lighter and refreshing. Chalk boards list fresh fish dishes of the day and specials.

Sapperton, Gloucestershire GL7 6LE

(+44 (0)1666 577833)

Potting Shed Pub

A charming grade II-listed country pub, where you can get a more laidback serving of the Rectory Hotel’s excellent seasonal dining. Young, friendly staff serve well-heeled locals, young and old, quality British produce in stylish flagstone-floored, sage-walled surroundings. Chef Ed Sargent’s menu celebrates a love of Slow Food with tasty roasts and rib-sticking stews; and make sure you leave room for the yummy desserts – a modern take on classics.

The Street, Crudwell, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9EW

(+44 (0)1386 700413)

The Horse & Groom

The staff seem to have swallowed happy pills at this golden-stone Cotswolds pub in Bourton-on-the-Hill, where nothing is too much trouble (even shooing wasps away from your alfresco wine glass is part of the service). The Modern European menu changes so frequently, it's only ever committed to chalk. Buffala Mozzarella and Spiced Aubergine Salad or Courgette Carpacchio and Parma Ham Salad typify the upscale options that make a great light lunch here. Dine in the garden (wasps allowing) on sunny days or next to the crackling open fire in winter.

Bourton on the Hill, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9AQ