Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England Restaurants

Stratford has many reasonably priced bistros and unpretentious eateries offering a broad choice of international fare; Warwick and Kenilworth both have good restaurant options. Birmingham has good international restaurants but is probably most famous for its Indian and Pakistani "curry houses"; you'll find good choices both in the city center and out of town. The city hosts the annual Taste of Birmingham Festival in July. In the rest of the Midlands, casual spots dominate, although Ludlow has some exceptionally good restaurants.

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  • 1. 33 The Scullery

    $$ | British

    This small restaurant has attracted quite a following thanks to its fresh, seasonal ingredients. This is British cooking at its best and includes...

    This small restaurant has attracted quite a following thanks to its fresh, seasonal ingredients. This is British cooking at its best and includes good options for seafood, game, and vegetarian dishes. The menu changes with the seasons, but try the crab salad if it's available.

    33a Greenhill St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6LE, England
    01789-205–700

    Known For

    • Buzzy atmosphere
    • Seasonal ingredients
    • High-quality British dishes

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 2. Draper's Hall

    $$$ | Modern British

    The dark-wood paneling, antique furniture, and intimate lighting of this 16th-century hall make this a distinctive dining spot for modern British...

    The dark-wood paneling, antique furniture, and intimate lighting of this 16th-century hall make this a distinctive dining spot for modern British cuisine. You might try the loin of Rhug Estate pheasant breast or loin of halibut. For dessert, the apple crumble soufflé and the plum and ginger “cobbler” are excellent. The restaurant also has six gorgeous guest bedrooms if you wish to stay the night.

    10 St. Mary's Pl., Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY1 1DZ, England
    01743-344679

    Known For

    • Modern British food
    • Chic decor
    • Wild game dishes
  • 3. Hobsons Patisseries

    $ | British

    Visitors and locals alike head for the half-timber Hobsons Patisseries to indulge in the famous savory pies or scrumptious afternoon teas. Just...

    Visitors and locals alike head for the half-timber Hobsons Patisseries to indulge in the famous savory pies or scrumptious afternoon teas. Just a couple of minutes walk from Shakespeare’s Birthplace, it’s an almost obligatory lunch stop.

    1 Henley St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6PT, England
    01789-293330

    Known For

    • Delicious cakes and pies
    • Cheap eats
    • Low-key afternoon tea
  • 4. Il Moro

    $$ | Italian

    Chef Massimilliano Melis takes pride in serving up Italian dishes with a Sardinian emphasis in this slick, family-run restaurant. You could...

    Chef Massimilliano Melis takes pride in serving up Italian dishes with a Sardinian emphasis in this slick, family-run restaurant. You could start with an aperitivo on the roof terrace (in summer), followed by fresh-pea-and-fregola (pasta made with semolina) soup, and then move on to pork with pecorino cheese, pancetta, and arugula salad. Try a Sardinian dessert wine or homemade truffles to round off the meal. It also offers pretheater set menus (for lunch or early evening).

    27 Henley St., at Windsor St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6QY, England
    01789-415770

    Known For

    • Aperitivos on the roof terrace in summer only
    • Sardinian-style Italian food
    • Location close to Shakespeare’s Birthplace

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 5. Lambs of Sheep Street

    $$ | British

    Sit downstairs to appreciate the hardwood floors and oak beams of this local epicurean favorite; upstairs, the look is a bit more contemporary...

    Sit downstairs to appreciate the hardwood floors and oak beams of this local epicurean favorite; upstairs, the look is a bit more contemporary. The updates of tried-and-true dishes include free-range pork belly with braised pig cheeks, and panfried calf's liver with creamed potato, wilted spinach, pancetta, and crisp shallot. Desserts are fantastic here, and daily specials keep the menu seasonal. The two- and three-course fixed-price menus (not available for Monday lunches) are good deals.

    12 Sheep St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6EF, England
    01789-292554

    Known For

    • Good-value set meals
    • One of the oldest buildings in Stratford
    • Modern twists on British classics

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.
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  • 6. L’amuse Bouche

    $$ | French

    One of Malvern’s best restaurants, L’amuse Bouche specializes in French cuisine with a contemporary English edge. Start with the scallops with...

    One of Malvern’s best restaurants, L’amuse Bouche specializes in French cuisine with a contemporary English edge. Start with the scallops with samphire and pancetta dust before sampling the seared Malvern Hills lamb's liver or the apple-cider-braised pork belly. It also does a very good afternoon tea for two for £40. The restaurant is part of the Cotford Hotel; if you feel like making a night of it, the pleasantly traditional rooms start at £140 for a double.

    Cotford Hotel, 51 Graham Rd., Great Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 2HU, England
    01684-572427

    Known For

    • One of the best restaurants in the region
    • Garden views from the elegant dining room
    • French-inspired cuisine with English ingredients

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Sat.
  • 7. Opus

    $$$ | City Centre | Modern British

    This stylish, modern restaurant specializes in local, seasonal British flavors. Expect Aberdeen beef with duck-fat chips or perhaps some grilled...

    This stylish, modern restaurant specializes in local, seasonal British flavors. Expect Aberdeen beef with duck-fat chips or perhaps some grilled sole with rich, brown shrimp butter. Meat is free-range and fish is freshly caught. Adventurous diners may want a seat at the chef’s table, right in the heart of the kitchen. After establishing how much interaction you’re comfortable with, the kitchen staff will either chat to you as they prepare the food, or just leave you to enjoy the special five-course meal (£45, or £80 with matching wines, available Friday and Saturday) while you observe the action.

    54 Cornwall St., Birmingham, Birmingham, B3 2DE, England
    0121-200–2323

    Known For

    • Free-range meat and fresh fish
    • Fabulous tasting menu with wine pairings
    • Chef's table that puts you front and center in kitchen

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 8. Purnell’s

    $$$$ | City Centre | Modern British

    Business moguls and sophisticated foodies alike can be found sampling an aperitif in a comfy armchair before moving to the sleek, slate-floor...

    Business moguls and sophisticated foodies alike can be found sampling an aperitif in a comfy armchair before moving to the sleek, slate-floor dining room at this establishment run by a Michelin-starred chef. Located in a Victorian terracotta and redbrick building, this is where chef Glyn Purnell creates his adventurous modern British fare. In addition to a few à la carte options, you can choose from a couple of different, whole-table tasting menus, depending on how adventurous you’re feeling. The "Purnell’s Journey" option includes haddock and eggs served with cornflakes, alongside monkfish masala. Chef Purnell is also finally turning his hand to vegan cooking and he also runs a bistro and cocktail bar (Purnell’s Bistro and Ginger’s Bar) on Newhall Street, which is a good deal more affordable. Prices at lunchtime are half what they are in the evening.

    55 Cornwall St., Birmingham, Birmingham, B3 2DH, England
    0121-212–9799

    Known For

    • Innovative take on British cooking
    • Tables booked up two months in advance
    • Affordable lunchtime prices
    • Innovative take on British cooking, including some impressive tasting menus

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 9. Pushkar

    $ | City Centre | Indian

    A vogueish dining room is the perfect setting for the inventive Punjabi cuisine at this popular curry palace and cocktail bar on bustling Broad...

    A vogueish dining room is the perfect setting for the inventive Punjabi cuisine at this popular curry palace and cocktail bar on bustling Broad Street. White linen tablecloths and accents of gold and amber create a plush dining setting, and the food doesn’t disappoint either. Try the spinach and prune cakes to start or the chef’s selection of five appetizers, the Pushkar Panorma, if you want to to try some unexpected flavors. Your server will guide you on the main, depending on how spicy you like things—the house specialty Tariwala Murgh is a good medium-spiced option and the buttered naan is heavenly. For dessert, try the Gajar Ka Halwa Tart, a bed of grated carrots with condensed milk and spices and a side of pistachio ice cream.

    245 Broad St., Birmingham, Birmingham, B1 2HQ, England
    0121-643–7978

    Known For

    • Cocktail menu
    • Independent curry restaurant in a sea of chains
    • Late night dinner service
    • Good cocktail menu
    • Late-night dinner service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
  • 10. Rose & Crown

    $$ | Modern British

    Plain wood floorboards, comfy sofas, sturdy wooden tables, and solidly good food and drink set the tone at this contemporary gastro-pub with...

    Plain wood floorboards, comfy sofas, sturdy wooden tables, and solidly good food and drink set the tone at this contemporary gastro-pub with rooms on the town’s main square. It’s popular with locals, and the owners take pride in offering seasonal food that mixes British and international influences with only the best ingredients. The butcher that supplies the meat holds a Royal Warrant and the pub was recently named Britain’s Best Brigade, as voted by British punters. Thirteen moderately priced bedrooms provide stylish lodging in the pub and across the lane.

    30 Market Pl., Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 4SH, England
    01926-411117

    Known For

    • Seasonal produce
    • Great pub
    • Warm atmosphere
  • 11. Simpsons

    $$$$ | Edgbaston | French

    This bright and modern restaurant with rooms housed in a gleaming Georgian villa is known for its French-influenced cuisine with resolutely...

    This bright and modern restaurant with rooms housed in a gleaming Georgian villa is known for its French-influenced cuisine with resolutely British ingredients. The assured and welcoming service makes it easy to savor specialties such as Aberdeenshire beef bavette and cheek, or quail with elderberries and parsley. There are also three well-priced guest rooms for those who wish to stray no farther. It's a mile south of the city center.

    20 Highfield Rd., Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 3DU, England
    0121-454–3434

    Known For

    • Impressive tasting menus
    • Adventurous kids' options
    • Beautiful Georgian decor

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Closed Mon.
  • 12. The Townhouse

    $$ | Modern British

    Theatergoers tucking into an early supper to the strains of the piano in the bar, grandmothers enjoying afternoon tea, and couples lingering...

    Theatergoers tucking into an early supper to the strains of the piano in the bar, grandmothers enjoying afternoon tea, and couples lingering over candlelit suppers can all happily be found at this restaurant with rooms on Church Street, which is part of the Brakspear Brewery. Chefs source the best ingredients locally where possible, and serve up dishes such as oven-roasted duck breast and whole grilled plaice. There is also a good value pretheater menu, which even includes steak.

    16 Church St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6HB, England
    01789-262222

    Known For

    • Good-value pretheater menus
    • Chic decor
    • Sunday roast with all the trimmings
  • 13. Albion Inn

    $ | British

    You feel as if you’re stepping back in time at this Victorian pub; the posters, advertisements, flags, and curios tell you the idiosyncratic...

    You feel as if you’re stepping back in time at this Victorian pub; the posters, advertisements, flags, and curios tell you the idiosyncratic landlord keeps it as it would have been during World War I. The candlelit restaurant forms one of the three snug rooms and, unsurprisingly, serves up traditional fare such as lamb’s liver, corned beef hash, and gammon (thick-sliced ham) with pease pudding. You can stay overnight here as well.

    Park St., Chester, Cheshire West and Chester, CH1 1RN, England
    01244-340345

    Known For

    • Old-fashioned British food
    • Historic, old-school ambience
    • Local hangout

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
  • 14. Café at All Saints

    $ | British

    A good spot for lunch, this coffee bar and restaurant occupies the western end and gallery of All Saints Church in the heart of Hereford. The...

    A good spot for lunch, this coffee bar and restaurant occupies the western end and gallery of All Saints Church in the heart of Hereford. The imaginative menu is cooked fresh each day, with Herefordshire wild venison and mushroom casserole frequently appearing on the menu. For something lighter, try the tasty sandwiches (maybe the roast tofu and crunchy Asian vegetables), salads, cakes, and local ice creams. Breakfasts are good here, too. From 3 pm until closing (4 pm), all food is half price.

    High St., Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 9AA, England
    01432-370415

    Known For

    • Inventive lunchtime menu
    • Delicious coffee
    • Half-priced menu from 3 to 4 pm

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner
  • 15. Chez Jules

    $$ | French

    Once a fire station, this bustling bistro is now unashamedly French and rustic, with red-and-white-check tablecloths and a menu chalked up on...

    Once a fire station, this bustling bistro is now unashamedly French and rustic, with red-and-white-check tablecloths and a menu chalked up on the blackboard. Start perhaps with some moules marinières (mussels cooked in a white-wine-and-onion sauce) or French onion soup, followed by grilled sea bass or a classic rib-eye steak with Café du Paris butter. The two-course, prix-fixe menu is a great value at £12.95.

    71 Northgate St., Chester, Cheshire West and Chester, CH1 2HQ, England
    01244-400014

    Known For

    • Rural French cooking
    • Dishes that change daily
    • Good value set menus
  • 16. Clarendon Arms

    $ | British

    A location close to Kenilworth Castle and some good hand-pulled ales helps make this pub a nice spot for lunch. You can order home-cooked food...

    A location close to Kenilworth Castle and some good hand-pulled ales helps make this pub a nice spot for lunch. You can order home-cooked food, including steaks and grills from the bar or the ever-classic fish-and-chips. Another option is to sample more upmarket fare with an international slant at the next-door Harrington’s on the Hill restaurant, under the same management.

    44 Castle Hill, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1NB, England
    01926-852017

    Known For

    • Classic pub grub
    • Good kids' menu
    • Closed kitchen from 3 to 5:30 pm on weekdays
  • 17. Hussain's

    $ | Indian

    The luxuriant marigolds in the window might draw you in, but locals will tell you it's the Indian dishes that are the real appeal here. The...

    The luxuriant marigolds in the window might draw you in, but locals will tell you it's the Indian dishes that are the real appeal here. The extensive menu lists plenty of balti and rogan josh choices; for a little less heat, try the tandoori chicken with mild spices, cream, ground almonds, and mixed fruits, or increase the heat a bit with jhinga bhuna (king-size prawns in a spicy tomato sauce with onions, green peppers, and coriander). Wash it all down with Cobra draft beer.

    6A Chapel St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6EP, England
    01789-267506

    Known For

    • Range of tandoori specialties
    • Local curry-house atmosphere
    • Prompt, friendly service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Wed.
  • 18. Itihaas

    $$ | City Centre | Indian

    Birmingham has some of the country’s finest Indian restaurants, and this is one of the best in the city. The cooking concentrates on north Indian...

    Birmingham has some of the country’s finest Indian restaurants, and this is one of the best in the city. The cooking concentrates on north Indian dishes like koila murgh (chicken marinated in yogurt and seared over charcoal) and hara bara gosth (a casserole of lamb cooked with garlic, chili, and spinach). The decor is traditional and colonial; potted palms and portraits rub shoulders with Raj-style antiques. The restaurant also has a second outlet in the food court at Selfridge’s.

    18 Fleet St., Birmingham, Birmingham, B3 1JL, England
    0121-212–3383

    Known For

    • Delicious Indian food
    • Colonial-style decor
    • Tasty tandoori starters

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
  • 19. Le Bistrot Pierre

    $$ | French

    There's always a satisfied hum in the air at this large, modern, and bustling bistro, part of a small chain, that’s close to the river. It’s...

    There's always a satisfied hum in the air at this large, modern, and bustling bistro, part of a small chain, that’s close to the river. It’s French and the menu makes that known; olives from Provence, sausage from the Beaujolais region, pâtés, mussels in a Roquefort sauce, beef bourguignon, and rustic French cheeses all appear. Croque monsieur (toasted ham and cheese sandwich) is a popular lunchtime dish. Vegetarians and kids are well catered for, and the service is amicable and attentive.

    Swan's Nest La., Bridgefoot, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7LT, England
    01789-264804

    Known For

    • Regional French cuisine
    • Riverside dining
    • Good menu for kids
  • 20. Opposition

    $$ | Modern British

    Hearty, warming meals are offered at this informal, family-style restaurant in a 16th-century building on the main dining street near the theaters...

    Hearty, warming meals are offered at this informal, family-style restaurant in a 16th-century building on the main dining street near the theaters. The English and international dishes—chicken roasted with banana in lime butter and served with curry sauce and basmati rice, for instance—win praise from the locals. There’s a good range of light and vegetarian options and fixed-price menus as well. Make reservations a month ahead in summer.

    13 Sheep St., Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6EF, England
    01789-269980

    Known For

    • Historical ambience
    • Plenty of vegetarian and healthy options
    • Summertime crowds

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.

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