My husband and I are going to be in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds for 9 days in early June. We love English pubs and prefer them to the expensive, tourist visited restaurants. Any suggestions for especially neat pubs or "local's eateries" in that area? Thanks!

Hi Carla -<BR><BR>I think you'll find this *extremely* helpful:<BR><BR>http://www.theaa.com/getaway/restaurants/restaurant_home.jsp<BR><BR>It's what the locals use! Just put in 'Cotswolds' or the village names into the location field, & you're away . . .<BR>Have fun!

The Eagle and Child pub in Stow-on-the-Wold has been chosen one of the top six or eight pubs in England, or so the sign on the door said last summer. We ate dinner there and really enjoyed it. It is part of the Royalist at Stow hotel. Another favorite pub, where we have eaten on three trips to the Cotswolds, is in the Unicorn hotel in Stow. Great salmon, giant prawns, and mussels. You will find friendly bartenders in each. The one at the Unicorn even remembered us from the year before!

You can't miss The Falkland Arms in Great Tew. If you're feeling adventurous you might even try one of their ciders or home-made wines. Food is always great and the village looks like something out of Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Also The Bear in Moreton-on-Marsh, not fancy but great food (they also have a ghost). The Fleece Inn in Bretforton is owned by the National Trust and doesn't look as if it's changed much since the 1700s. The Plough Inn, just north of Banbury on the A423 - again not fancy, but a real local and they sometimes have antique auctions there in the evening. It's lots of fun, if you go you must try their potato wedges with Gruyere dish. The Lyggon Arms in Chipping Campden serves great food and if you're having a craving for macaroni and cheese there is a pub in the small town of Cropredy (I can't remember the name, but it's the first right as you come into town) that's owned by a Canadian of all things and they serve great cheese and mac. It's a small village that's quite exquisite but nothing for tourists - we ended up there by chance. Also, across the road in Mollington try The Green Man, also good food. The Three Pigeons in Banbury is again not fancy but the local's local. There are tons of great pubs in Oxford, my favourite is The White Horse (beloved by Inspector Morse). You can load up on books at Blackwells, then retire to sup a pint or two. Have fun and I will post any more that I can find in my diaries. (As you can tell, we also like pubs!)

Don't miss Eight Bells in Chipping Campden on Church Street-and The Volunteer Inn for a roaring fire-great pubs! (And Lygon Arms is also fantastic as mentioned before)<BR>

Hi Carla. <BR>Another vote for the Falkland Arms- best authentic English pub I have ever been in. Great Tew is a real find - off the beaten path.<BR>Susan

Thanks so much for the wonderful response! I'm sure I can maximize our pleasure at every meal based on this good advice. Tracy, that website is a TREASURE! If only everyone traveling to England could have it. Any other suggestions will be most appreciated!

Great Tew is a very interesting place. I believe that it is the only village in England where planning permission has to be granted by central rather than local government. During the middle of the last century, this led to some rather difficult and colourful exchanges with the local landlord. Up until that time, it was considered by many the prettiest village in England.<BR><BR>I think it's a stretch to call it the Cotswolds...

Mike brings up an interesting point - what is considered 'The Cotswolds'? As Great Tew is about 6 miles fr. Chipping Norton (and is in Oxfordshire which Carla said she was visiting) - it hardly seems worth belabouring the point for a great meal and pint. You'll probably find as many definitions of what the borders are to the Cotswolds as you will great pubs. I've had hotels in Worcester try and convince me that they are in fact in the Cotswolds. I guess everyone wants to be where the tourists - and money - are.

I can't remember its name, but it was at the only hotel on the square in Fairford, on the SE edge of the Cotswolds. Was nice and served a local beer that my traveling buddy really liked.<BR><BR>In the Cotswolds, get off onto the roads that are white on the map. These little country lanes really give you the flavor of the country.

Better to ask now than to not ask and regret it later ... is it offensive to take a family to a pub and eat but not drink their ale or cider? Just our personal preference ... if it's not offensive - what are other drink options. We're mostly water (just the plain kind - not the fizzy or mineral kind), juice, and coffee or tea drinkers so we don't even have Coke to fall back on ;-) Coming from the Southern US we also also like &quot;Sweet Tea&quot; (iced), but I imagine we'd get a few funny looks with that one ;-)<BR><BR>Suggestions? Alternatives? Thanks!!!

The Crown &amp; Trumpet in Broadway (or maybe Dog &amp; trumpet??) is perfect. Lovely B&amp;B accommodation too - just round the corner from the famous Lygon Arms. <BR>

TT: Pubs serve lots of things besides alcohol. You can order orange or tomato juice, still water, coffee, etc. So not to worry. Forget the iced tea. But you could if you didn't mind the stares - order tea and a glass of ice and brew your own.<BR><BR>Some pubs will let you take the kids inside and some won't. Just ask. If they have tables out in the garden, children are almost always welcome.

Janis: thanks! Sounds like we'll have several options and not to worry. We only drink ice tea in the sultry summers here - hot tea, coffee, water, or juice works great for us. You mentioned &quot;still water&quot; - is that tap water or bottled water?

TT: &quot;still water&quot; - is that tap water or bottled water? <BR><BR>Well, it could be either. With a meal there would be no problem asking for a glass of tap water, but as pubs are in the business of selling drinks, I expect they would rather you bought bottled water! And if you didn't say &quot;tap water&quot; you would probably get a bottle of water. Specify fizzy (carbonated) or still to make sure you get what you want.

Rereading your earlier post, TT, I see you don't like mineral water. In fact a lot of bottled water in the UK is known as &quot;spring water&quot; and has a very low mineral content, although some has quite high levels. So if you are particularly concerned about this, ask to see the bottle as the levels of salts have to be listed on the label. I don't believe the staff would object to this at all, unless the pub was extremely busy. At worst it would be seen as a mild eccentricity!

We drank lemonade at the pubs. It was fizzy and quite good.