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Eating Your Way Through the Cotswolds in 72 Hours

7/6/2026

The best way to explore the Cotswolds is through its restaurants.

Not always the obvious choices, nor the places with the biggest Instagram following. These are the places locals quietly recommend when someone asks where they should eat.

So we've mapped out the ultimate summer food journey.

From exceptional breakfasts and seafood lunches to wood-fired cooking and unforgettable dinners, this is our 72-hour guide to eating well across the Cotswolds this summer.

Day One

Breakfast: The Hive, Stow-on-the-Wold

Breakfast is often treated as little more than a warm-up act for lunch. The Hive makes a convincing argument that it deserves rather more respect than that.

Located in the heart of Stow on the Wold, it has become one of the most dependable breakfast spots in the North Cotswolds.

The poached eggs and avocado on sourdough with chilli jam is the smart order. The chilli jam adds just enough heat to stop the dish becoming another forgettable avocado-on-toast cliché. However, we would never put you off the Full English. It's generous without becoming ridiculous and manages to feel indulgent without ruining the rest of the day's eating.

www.eatcotswolds.co.uk/the-hive

Also worth considering:

The Straw Kitchen, Whichford Pottery

Part café, part destination in its own right, The Straw Kitchen feels like one of those recommendations that locals are slightly reluctant to share. Excellent coffee, naturally served in a Whichford Pottery mug made at the bottom of the garden, good eggs and bacon and a setting that encourages lingering far longer than intended.

www.whichfordpottery.com/visit/straw-kitchen

Lynwood & Co, Moreton-in-Marsh

A place that makes some of the best sourdough in the Cotswolds is naturally going to find excellent uses for it. The scrambled eggs on toast and breakfast sarnies are both superb.

www.lynwoodandco.com

Broadway Deli, Broadway

A firm favourite of ours. The nduja scrambled eggs are excellent, the baked eggs deserve attention and the deli itself provides plenty of temptation for later in the day.

broadwaydeli.co.uk

Lunch: Zonda at The Halfway, Kineton

A few months ago, nobody was driving to Kineton specifically for pizza.

The pub's transformation from a Michelin recommended classic dining pub into a pizza-led dining destination has been one of Cotswold food stories of 2026. Most importantly, it works because the food is genuinely excellent.

Start with the rare breed pork belly bites, courgette fritti and an order of cheesy garlic bread because self-restraint is entirely overrated on a food tour, before ordering the a pizza. Our choice would be the Nduja & hot honey ‘Diablo’, but they are all incredibly good.

The whole operation feels refreshingly free of pretension. Nobody is trying to reinvent dining. They're simply serving food people want to eat. And judging by how busy it has been since opening, they're getting it exactly right.

www.thehalfwayatkineton.com

Also worth considering:

Smiths of Bourton

Some burgers are designed for Instagram, the Béarnaise Bad Boy is designed for eating.

Juicy, unapologetically indulgent and exactly the sort of lunch that reminds you why burgers remain popular despite endless attempts to improve them.

www.smithsofbourton.com

Dinner: The Old Butchers, Stow-on-the-Wold

Ask enough local chefs and serious food lovers where they eat on their day off and The Old Butchers appears more than most.

For years, The Old Butchers has quietly maintained its reputation as one of the most consistently impressive restaurants in the North Cotswolds.

Seafood, steak and good wine remain a particular strength, yet what makes The Old Butchers so good is its confidence. There is no sense of a restaurant trying to prove itself. It simply knows exactly what it is and exactly what it does well.

www.theoldbutchers.com

Also worth considering:

Moda, Broadway

Recently included in the Michelin Guide, Moda combines ambitious modern cooking with the sort of precision and confidence that marks out serious fine dining.

Led by Head Chef James Wilson, formerly of The Newt in Somerset, it's a restaurant quietly building a serious reputation.

www.houseofgeorge.uk

Pit Kitchen

Summer and cooking over fire feel like natural companions.

Pit Kitchen has built its following around exactly that idea. Expect exceptional flatbreads, smoke, flame and food designed to be shared. Relaxed, informal and packed with flavour, it's one of the most enjoyable summer dining experiences within the North Cotswolds.

www.pitkitchen.co.uk

Day Two

Breakfast: Eleven, Bibury

Some breakfasts are memorable because they're innovative. Others are memorable because they're executed flawlessly. Eleven belongs firmly in the second category.

Order the Eggs Royale. It's the standout dish and a fair reflection of Eleven itself; elegant without being fussy and indulgent without going overboard. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's influence is evident throughout the interiors, creating a space that feels a little more interesting than the average breakfast stop.

www.elevenbibury.com

Also worth considering:

The Twig, Bibury

Also in Bibury, The Twig offers excellent coffee, excellent pastries and a good excuse to visit the most beautiful village in England (William Morris' words, not mine) before the crowds arrive.

www.bazfred.com/the-twig

The Kitchen, Calmsden

A beautiful space serving excellent local coffee, quality pastries, decent smoothies and croissants that consistently hit the mark. Perfect if four-legged company is joining the itinerary.

Lunch: New Wave Brasserie, Lechlade

The idea of outstanding seafood in the Cotswolds still surprises some people, and it really shouldn't.

New Wave Brasserie has become one of the best restaurants around, bringing the best of Cornwall, Devon and the Scottish coast to Lechlade. The menu changes according to availability, the fish is exceptional and the cooking has the confidence not to overcomplicate things.

newwavebrasserie.com

Also worth considering:

Lola & Co, Tetbury

I despise the term hidden gem, but Lola & Co is somewhere that needs to be discovered by everyone. Excellent tapas and a wine list to match, and the sort of place where lunch accidentally becomes dinner if you are not careful.

www.lolaandco.co.uk

Jolly Nice, Frampton Mansell

Part farm shop, part cafe, part roadside institution. The burgers remain excellent, the atmosphere refreshingly relaxed and the outdoor seating makes it a particularly strong summer stop.

jollynicefarmshop.com

Dinner: Juliet, Stroud

Created by the team behind The Woolpack, Juliet has quickly established itself as one of the best restaurants in the Cotswolds.

It's a calm, confident bistro that feels as if it has quietly decided Europe still knows best. The cooking is seasonal, restrained, and pointedly unfussy, drawing on France and Italy while leaning heavily on British and local produce, including their own Walled Garden at Lypiatt Park. Dishes arrive designed for sharing, moving from small, precise plates to grill-led larger ones, all underpinned by a sense that good ingredients, properly handled, are quite enough.

www.julietrestaurant.co.uk

Also worth considering:

Sam & Jak, Cirencester

For us, Sam & Jak is Cirencester's standout restaurant. The menu takes British food and reworks it with seasonal confidence, rooted firmly in the Cotswolds. The cooking is hearty, refined where it matters, and clearly driven by good sourcing rather than fuss.

www.samandjak.co.uk

Sauce at The Painswick

Elegant without becoming formal and refined without becoming intimidating, the team cook with a clear focus on seasonal, top-quality produce, turning it into a sharing-style menu that’s built for flavour rather than formality. It’s thoughtful cooking, but never fussy, letting the ingredients do the heavy lifting.

thepainswick.co.uk

The Rectory, Crudwell

The Rectory is all about relaxed evening dining: classic dishes given a light contemporary lift, served in an elegant dining room and its striking glasshouse. It feels polished without ever becoming formal with a menu designed for unhurried dining and food that’s straightforward, well-judged, and quietly confident.

therectoryhotel.com

Day Three

Breakfast: Quince and Clover, Great Tew

Quince and Clover is a relaxed and focusses on breakfast and brunch done properly. Seasonal, straightforward cooking built around good local produce, free-range eggs, sourdough, and the kind of ingredients that don’t need dressing up.

Alongside the classics, there’s a strong counter of homemade pastries and cakes if you’re there more for grazing than planning, all served in an easy, unhurried space that suits a slow morning as well as a late brunch.

quinceandclover.co.uk

Also worth considering:

Missing Bean, Charlbury

Opened in 2025, Missing Bean Charlbury brings a welcome outpost of its East Oxford originals to the Cotswolds.

It’s a simple equation done well with excellent coffee, freshly-made pastries, and a relaxed, welcoming space that turns a quick stop into the best possible start to the day.

www.themissingbean.co.uk

Bromley's, Chipping Norton

Bromley’s in Chipping Norton is built around a simple idea: great coffee, fresh local produce, and food made without unnecessary complication. It’s rooted in the Cotswolds and proudly so, working closely with nearby suppliers to keep things local and well sourced.

Excellent coffee sits alongside superb Cacklebean eggs, smoked salmon, and sourdough. A simple combination, executed perfectly.

bromleysofcotswolds.co.uk

Lunch: The Killingworth Castle

The Killingworth Castle is one of the Cotswolds’ standout food pubs with a 3 AA Rosette kitchen and a place in the 2026 Michelin Guide.

The cooking is confident, seasonal, and rooted in quality produce, with thoughtful organic menus that make the most of wild and local ingredients from the surrounding countryside. It’s proper destination dining, but still feels like a pub; relaxed, welcoming, and entirely unpretentious about how good it is.

www.thekillingworthcastle.com

Also worth considering:

Thyme & Lovage, Burford

This is Burford’s only riverside cafe, where the cooking follows the seasons with quiet precision. Menus are built around what nature is offering at its peak, so every dish feels direct, fresh, and full of flavour.

There’s a clear commitment to local producers too, working closely with small farmers and growers around Burford and beyond. It’s simple, seasonal food in an easy setting.

thymeandlovage.com

Dinner: Wild at Bull Burford

Every great food tour deserves a memorable finale, and Wild delivers one of the most distinctive dining experiences currently available in the Cotswolds.

Wild at The Bull Burford is an intimate open-fire restaurant tucked into a sunken courtyard, where Chef Ben Chamberlain has created an 11-course tasting journey built around flame, smoke, theatre and the simple pleasure of people coming together.

www.bullburford.com/explore-wild

Also worth considering:

Canteen Cotswolds, Gagingwell

Canteen arrives in the Cotswolds as one of the most exciting pop-ups of the summer; a London favourite brought countryside, without losing its rhythm or confidence.

The cooking is simple, Italian-leaning, and ingredient-led, changing with the week and built for easy, generous summer eating. Fresh pasta, pizza, seasonal plates.

www.canteen310.com/cotswolds

What makes these three days work is the rhythm of it: driving through some of the most beautiful parts of the Cotswolds, then sitting down to food that feels rooted in where you are, even when the ideas travel further. It’s not about discovery for its own sake, but about eating well in places that feel entirely of their setting.

By the end, it’s less a list of restaurants and more a map of experiences, each one adding something to a picture of the Cotswolds that’s quietly, consistently, eating very well indeed.