The Cotswolds

There is a wealth of these within about five miles of Bruern. Pubs and Restaurants tend in fact to be one and the same, since all the pubs worth visiting in the area serve food, and almost all the restaurants are inns. All pubs serve alcohol until the end of legal permitted hours (10.30 p.m. on Sundays, 11 p.m. on all other days), and sometimes a little beyond. Pubs also tend to open for lunch (except sometimes on Mondays) but almost invariably close for the afternoon, even on weekends. Our perceptions, viewed inevitably through the prism of our own experiences, are below:

 

The Fox Inn,

Lower Oddington (01451 870555)

 

Very good food and wine, although quite expensive. A place to go to in order to eat rather than just for a pint, this is more of a restaurant than a pub really, and accordingly has a slightly more sophisticated clientele on the whole. You can eat outside at the back in summer, either on the lawn or on the terrace, which has outdoor gas heaters.

 

The King's Head Inn,

Bledington (01608 658365)

 

Run by Archie and Nicola Orr-Ewing, this is a traditional English country pub, which serves simple but good traditional English food. The clientele is a social melange spiced up with a bit of local colour. Certainly the best bet if you just want to have a drink in a convivial atmosphere, although it is definitely country rather than commuter, so you might not find the atmosphere so convivial if you are a Guardian reading animal rights activist unless of course you want to practise your debating skills, in which case you are guaranteed a lively evening. Takes food orders until 9 p.m.

 

The Tollgate Inn,

Kingham (01608 658389)

 

The food is excellent value, extremely cheap and surprisingly good for its price. However, it tends to lack atmosphere inside, although in summer you can eat at tables in the garden at the front. Takes food orders until 9.15 p.m.

 

TheOld Butchers,

Stow-on-the-Wold (01451 831700)

 

This chef owned restaurant serves by far the best food in the area although the service can be quite slow. It is often very busy so it's a good idea to book in advance particularly for larger parties.

 

947 A.D.,

Stow-on-the-Wold (01451 830670)

 

Claims to be the oldest inn in England. Has no separate drinking area, for which you have to go to the adjoining Eagle and Child (see below). Good food but expensive, with a very formal atmosphere. Takes food orders until 9 p.m.

 

The Eagle and Child,

Stow-on-the-Wold (01451 830670)

 

The pub adjoining 947 A.D. and served by the same kitchens, although the food manages to be not quite so good, and the menu is more limited (but also cheaper). Still more of a restaurant than a pub, the atmosphere is nonetheless much more relaxed than 947 A.D. Takes food orders until 9 p.m.

 

The Chequers Inn,

Churchill (01608 659393)

 

Recently re-opened under new management, this establishment has a lively bar in addition to its restaurant, and its open plan design and relatively high ceilings give it much more of a feeling of space than you will get in a typical Cotswold pub. Takes food orders until 9 p.m.

 

The Lamb Inn,

Burford (01993 823155)

 

Superb food in the restaurant upstairs, albeit quiet expensive. It can be somewhat formal and forbidding. Should you choose to eat in the pub downstairs, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and the food is exactly the same, however you can only book in the restaurant.