37 Best Restaurants in Bath and the Cotswolds, England

Since the 1990s, this sleek modern space in the basement of the Queensberry Hotel has served top-notch English and Mediterranean dishes, finally being recognized with a Michelin star (the only one in town) in 2018. Head chef Chris Cleghorn creates a seductive, sophisticated selection of three-, five-, and seven-course tasting menus featuring delights such as smoked Devon eel with Isle of Wight tomatoes and tarragon; Cornish monkfish cooked over coal and served with leek and ginger; and raspberries accompanied by sheep curd and lemon verbena.

A 10-minute drive from Stow-on-the-Wold in Nether Westcote, this popular gastropub is as cozy and comforting as the name would suggest. The sophisticated food here is exceptional, the products are so local that the staff can usually point to the farm from where the meat was sourced, and the beer and wine list is impressive. If you want to try as much as possible, opt for the six-course tasting menu. There is a vegan menu, too. Within the restaurant, a large bay window and terrace offer up views of the valley below, and attention to detail gives the pub some humorous touches such as the saddle-seated stools. If you decide that you are just too comfortable to move, there are four rooms to extend your stay in.

An artisan kitchen and coffeehouse that serves breakfast and lunch, the Find is one of the best places in Cheltenham for afternoon tea (best to prebook; £32). The drawing room is a serene spot, and the tea menu perfectly balances savory and sweet treats, incorporating British favorites, such as sausage rolls and coronation chicken sandwiches, with a contemporary twist. The fruit scones are fluffy, and you can add a glass or two of Champagne for the ultimate indulgence. 

The Bath outpost of the growing Pig empire is a funky but chic restaurant with rooms in a converted country house in the Mendip Hills. It's all about the local and seasonal here (everything famously comes from within a 25-mile radius): kale, arugula, and other leaves and veggies are sourced from the Pig’s kitchen garden; apples, pears, and apricots come from its orchard; and pork, chicken, quail, and venison are provided by animals raised on the property. Salmon, pancetta, and bacon are smoked on-site. The results are exceptionally fresh and flavorsome dishes like loin of home-reared venison or “Kentucky-fried” wild rabbit. Dining alfresco in summer, when the wood-fired oven gets going, is a delight. The 29 comfortable and reasonably priced rooms are decorated with an elegant simplicity and have glorious views. It's located about 8 miles from Bath, off the A368. 

At this informal, highly regarded eatery in a 16th-century coaching inn, the farmhouse-style tables are filled with fresh takes on traditional dishes that also take advantage of locally sourced ingredients. The secluded garden is the perfect place to enjoy lunchtime baguettes or sandwiches in nice weather. There are also three individually furnished guest rooms upstairs.

Just five minutes from the Holburne Museum, this wood-lined former rowing club house serves quality food in a picturesque riverside setting. The global menu ranges from roasted belly pork to freshly caught fish, and the set menus (for lunch and dinner; no à la carte options) are well priced for two or three courses. On warm summer nights, enjoy sitting on the veranda by candlelight (in winter, you can get tucked up with a throw) and enjoy food cooked to perfection. If you come during the day, you can also work up an appetite by taking out a skiff or canoe from the next-door boat station.

Sit in this casual, bustling café, part of a chain, and watch the comings and goings of the Bath square outside as you choose from the all-day menu. Impressive choices include everything from a full English breakfast to toasted sandwiches, and there's a wide range of teas, coffees, and smoothies. Another café is on Alfred Street. 

A bustling small café, the delicatessen serves breakfasts, coffee, and light lunches. You can browse local cheeses, honey, fresh fruit, and vegetables in the shop amid a constant stream of locals and visitors. Take a seat and enjoy your meal, or stock up for a picnic.

At this buzzing little café in an ancient building with wooden beams, locals drop in to discuss horses and dogs over a glass of wine, families gather around the big round table for lunch, and tired shoppers sink into armchairs for a reviving coffee. The Italian-inspired menu is filled with light dishes like antipasti, bruschetta, soups, baked potatoes, and salads. An English baker makes the cake specials on-site daily. There's also a terrace for warm days.

The enticing prix-fixe lunch menu and a wide-ranging à la carte dinner menu featuring French and European fare attract diners to this award-winning restaurant, which is renowned for its signature dishes like onglet (hanger) steak with tarragon and sea bass with clams and samphire. It's also a great place to stop for afternoon tea or coffee after a walk by nearby Pulteney Weir.

This sophisticated and popular restaurant on the corner of the Circus has an enticing, seasonally changing menu that covers everything from morning coffee to late-night dinners. The husband-and-wife team prioritize locally sourced ingredients, and wines come from old-world small growers. The colorful modern art on the walls always makes for a great conversation topic.

Located in a former pharmacy, this small independent café sources its beans from single estates, aiming to bring the best flavors to the people of Cheltenham. It also serves cakes and snacks from local suppliers. If you're not sure which coffee to purchase, the staff will "prescribe" something for you.

Close to St. James' Church, this traditional tavern known for its food has low beams, a flagstone floor, and a small courtyard. The long menu includes daily specials, local ales, and dishes like steak-and-ale pie and deep-fried fish-and-chips. Freshly baked ciabatta sandwiches served at lunchtime are easy on the wallet. The service is swift and ideal for those in a rush. There are also six rooms where you can stay.

With views of St. Mary's Church, this historic pub dating from 1554 offers a reassuringly traditional and charming milieu for food and refreshment. Light meals are available at lunchtime, teas in the afternoon, and for the evening meal you can choose from the seasonal menu and start with a mushroom and spinach tart, then try the Gloucestershire pork chop with fondant potato for your main course. The inn's grounds hold what is claimed to be the world's oldest bowling green. There are 11 well-furnished bedrooms upstairs.

Fabulous modern food, real ales on tap, and gin cocktails are offered at this 17th-century inn, which retains its historic past but has plenty of modern style. Choose from a wide range of dishes including venison, steak, and seafood specialties, or try the selections on the daily specials board. Upstairs there are 28 rooms, including one where Charles II and Lady Fisher hid from Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War.

Lee Gallimore was head chef at some of the Cotswolds' most prestigious restaurants before opening his own property in Cheltenham. Here, the chef specializes in seafood sourced directly from fishermen in Devon and South Wales, and the shellfish platter for two to share is a feast, but there's plenty more on the menu. On Sundays, the traditional roast lunch offerings are appealing, with the topside of Hereford beef and the free-range pork loin always looking particularly mouthwatering.

In this popular, casual Argyle Street eatery with white-painted stone walls, wood tables, and metal chairs, it's all about the steak. The mouthwatering meats all come from Aberdeen Angus and Hereford Cross cows on local area farms. Those who aren't fans of red meat will find other menu options, including homemade pastas and diverse cheese boards.

Set in an opulent Regency building with a statement bar, the Ivy serves first-class food with British and European specialties. In its heyday, the Rotunda building was a bathing pool with spa water on tap, and its domed roof and seating area have been exquisitely restored to house the smart restaurant. Racehorse murals line the walls in a nod to Cheltenham's equestrian heritage. Choose from dishes such as apple and Stilton salad, aromatic duck curry, or crab linguine. The Ivy also serves a classic afternoon tea. Reservations are advised, especially when there are race meetings and festivals.

The relatively short, perfectly balanced menu here showcases the creative contemporary French cooking of David Everitt-Matthias, who has run the restaurant with his wife, Helen, since 1987. The food is a favorite of the United Kingdom's most famous restaurant critics and includes delights such as chalk stream trout with oyster emulsion and miso glazed monkfish with barley broth and cockles. Fixed-price menus at lunchtime (£40 for 2 courses) help keep the cost down. 

There's energy and buzz, from both the diners and the cooks in the gleaming open kitchen, at this plate-glass-and-chrome eatery where late breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks are served with a smile. Light bites like buffalo mozzarella, hot-smoked salmon Niçoise, and deep-fried calamari with fennel salad are particularly tasty. You can also pick something up from their sister company, Corn Hall Deli, for a picnic.

Step away from the center of town to sample the ingenious cuisine that Michelin-trained chef Gordon Jones conjures up in his open kitchen. There is no set menu, but you choose between seven and nine courses and every dish will be a surprise; choices might include smoked eel with maple syrup and purple potatoes, a crisp haggis, roasted turbot with giant raisins and caper dressing, and blackberry sorbet with marinated cucumber. You can also choose a wine flight to accompany the tasting menus. The location is unprepossessing and the decor plain, enlivened by a few antlers and vials of oil, but the service is friendly and unstuffy; if you want to talk with the chef about your food, he will willingly do so. Book well in advance; lunch is easier to reserve than dinner.

Chef and restaurateur Michael Alexiou bought Woolmarket House in 1986 and transformed it into this charming restaurant serving traditional Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. The mezes and fresh seafood are particularly good, and there are seasonal daily specials. The atmosphere is laid-back and the service is friendly. There's also a B&B in the building. 

What is perhaps Bath's tiniest restaurant is also one of its tastiest. Order a glass of wine and a bowl of patatas fritas (chunks of fried potatoes, made in-house daily) while you browse the tapas menu, and then pick three to four dishes per person to share. The pulpo a la Gallega (octopus and spicy paprika) and boquerones (fresh anchovies in olive oil) are heavenly. Located on the first floor of a historic building in the city center, Ole Tapas has just half a dozen tables, so it's worth making a reservation in advance.

Set in the airy Pavilion at Siddington Park and with a glorious south-facing terrace overlooking the gardens, The Orangery is a fine 2024 addition to Cirencester's dining scene. The chefs' focus is on fresh, seasonal flavors, with an all-day menu of light and more substantial options featuring many ingredients grown in the restaurant's own kitchen garden. The afternoon tea menu is especially popular and includes a tea selection from Born Wild as well as delicious finger sandwiches, scones, and homemade cakes.

A few minutes' drive from Bourton in the quiet hamlet of Cold Aston, the Plough occupies an old, restored 17th-century inn. Flagstones, original beams, a fireplace, a quiet bar area, and simple, classic pub fare done well make this an ideal retreat from the Bourton crowds in high season. Enjoy your pint in the sunshine, admiring the centuries-old tree opposite the pub. There are three quiet rooms for those wishing to prolong their stay.

The 18th-century Pump Room, with views over the Roman baths, serves morning pastries and brunch, as well as afternoon tea (from noon until late afternoon), to music by a pianist or string trio who play every day. The stately setting is the selling point rather than the food, but do sample the the house-made cakes and pastries, including scrumptious scones.

Lured by the fresh ingredients and cool, unfussy surroundings, diners come here to enjoy the freshest of Cornish fish, Salcombe Bay crab, and Forest of Dean ham accompanied by unusual but delicious vegetables like borage, wild garlic, and sea cabbage. The accent is on fish, but you will also find hay-baked Cotswold lamb and vegetarian dishes. The menu changes bimonthly so it's always seasonal. The service is friendly and knowledgeable.

Plain wooden tables and understated decor are the backdrop for the wholesome British dishes served in this traditional restaurant beautifully sited on the banks of the River Windrush. There's a large outdoor area for alfresco dining. Sip a cocktail on the riverside terrace while you wait for your order. Desserts include vanilla panna cotta and sticky toffee pudding.

This gabled pub, located in the snug village of Leighterton just 5 miles west of Tetbury, likes to satisfy the crowds that assemble here with the best creative local fare in the area. Draw up a stool at the bar or take a seat at one of the many wooden tables to try the tandoori hake or the enoki mushroom burger. Finish with a calorific dessert. There's also a sheltered walled garden for summer dining.

With a courtyard at the back and a patio at the front, this chic "restaurant with rooms" is perfect for a light lunch or full dinner, with menus that concentrate on Modern British dishes and change seasonally. The restaurant, in a former furniture factory belonging to local designer George Russell, is modern, airy, and stylish. The less expensive fixed-price menu is just as tempting, and there's also an attached fish-and-chips shop. You can spend the night in the very sleek, boutique-style rooms upstairs.