Best Cosy Restaurants in Stow-on-the-Wold

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.

A lovely authentic Italian restaurant in the Cotswolds

My parents were down for the weekend and we needed somewhere nice for Sunday lunch. We live in the Cotswolds but had never been here. It did not disappoint. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. The fire was on and the pub had a great atmosphere. We all had the Sunday roasts. The beef was cooked to perfection and was extremely soft and tasty. Crispy roast potatoes but not overdone. Great portion size and the Yorkshire puddings were the size of baby’s head! You made my Father’s Day when he asked if there was any crackling left and the waitress came back with a little plateful! :) Would definitely recommend, especially as all food is sourced locally. Thank you for a very pleasant couple of hours.

Delicious good, really lovely atmosphere in the bar area.

Great location particularly on an Autumn Sunday when the colours of the countryside looked wonderful. Well cooked roast lunch with good flavours. All served in a very friendly and professional way. Thoroughly recommend and will return when next in the area.