Best Casual Restaurants in Bidford-on-avon

Always freshly cooked food. Nice wine, friendly place to eat. Pre theatre meal.

Having come up from a hick town in Sussex, my initial reaction was “ ooh this is a bit pricey “ but then I remembered that in fact I was in a very beautiful tourist location where the restaurant had to compete with numerous other top quality establishments. I chose the Popcorn Mussels with lemon alioli for my starter and was rewarded with a large ramekin full to the brim of perfectly juicy mussels that had been deep fried in a very thin beautifully seasoned coating and a lovely little dish of citrus touched alioli that proved to be more than enough for the amount of mussels. My main course choice was the venison suet pudding which was a good sized rustic parcel of just the right thickness suet pastry, packed full of amazingly moist melt in the mouth venison that had been cooked long and slow to take on all the flavours of the herbs and vegetables it had been cooked with, served with a very smooth and buttery mashed potato. For dessert I chose the most unusual thing on the menu, a parsnip creme brûlée and I have to say that it was one of the best brûlée’s that I have ever eaten. It was creamy and sweet with a lovely crunchy top but you were left with a mild taste of parsnip on your palate, which at first was a little confusing but as you work your way through the dish actually marries beautifully with the taste and texture of the creme and leaves you wanting more. Very different yet very tasty. It comes with a spiced macaron, possibly one of the fattest macarons I have ever seen thanks to the generous filling and definitely one of the most delicious. With very friendly servers that didn’t “hover” but knew how to play their role well, I have to say that this is a bistro that you should definitely check out if you are visiting the Cotswolds. My initial thoughts if you remember were that it was a bit pricey? No, it isn’t, it’s really good value for money as the food is first class.

The waitresses were very friendly and accommodating. The burgers were good size, very flavorful and juicy. The coleslaw I got with mine was excellent. Best burger I have had in quite a while. We were very happy and highly recommend this restaurant.

Lovely food lovely atmosphere and good service would recommend

A real Italian restaurant, although with some changes to menu style to suit local expectations, this is a welcome change from the many chain restaurants that are the same everywhere. Very good food, and a reasonably extensive and not over-priced wine list. My veal was perfectly cooked (pink), as was my wife's fish. The portion sizes are reasonable, so don't be afraid to order a couple of side dishes. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Service was perhaps just a little too rapid for my taste, I'd have preferred a slightly longer wait to finish my cocktail, and between courses, but that's very much personal preference. We will certainly return.