11 Best Restaurants in Bath and the Cotswolds, England

Since the 1990s, this sleek modern space in the basement of the Queensberry Hotel has served top-notch English and Mediterranean dishes, finally being recognized with a Michelin star (the only one in town) in 2018. Head chef Chris Cleghorn creates a seductive, sophisticated selection of three-, five-, and seven-course tasting menus featuring delights such as smoked Devon eel with Isle of Wight tomatoes and tarragon; Cornish monkfish cooked over coal and served with leek and ginger; and raspberries accompanied by sheep curd and lemon verbena.

The Bath outpost of the growing Pig empire is a funky but chic restaurant with rooms in a converted country house in the Mendip Hills. It's all about the local and seasonal here (everything famously comes from within a 25-mile radius): kale, arugula, and other leaves and veggies are sourced from the Pig’s kitchen garden; apples, pears, and apricots come from its orchard; and pork, chicken, quail, and venison are provided by animals raised on the property. Salmon, pancetta, and bacon are smoked on-site. The results are exceptionally fresh and flavorsome dishes like loin of home-reared venison or “Kentucky-fried” wild rabbit. Dining alfresco in summer, when the wood-fired oven gets going, is a delight. The 29 comfortable and reasonably priced rooms are decorated with an elegant simplicity and have glorious views. It's located about 8 miles from Bath, off the A368. 

At this informal, highly regarded eatery in a 16th-century coaching inn, the farmhouse-style tables are filled with fresh takes on traditional dishes that also take advantage of locally sourced ingredients. The secluded garden is the perfect place to enjoy lunchtime baguettes or sandwiches in nice weather. There are also three individually furnished guest rooms upstairs.

Just five minutes from the Holburne Museum, this wood-lined former rowing club house serves quality food in a picturesque riverside setting. The global menu ranges from roasted belly pork to freshly caught fish, and the set menus (for lunch and dinner; no à la carte options) are well priced for two or three courses. On warm summer nights, enjoy sitting on the veranda by candlelight (in winter, you can get tucked up with a throw) and enjoy food cooked to perfection. If you come during the day, you can also work up an appetite by taking out a skiff or canoe from the next-door boat station.

There's energy and buzz, from both the diners and the cooks in the gleaming open kitchen, at this plate-glass-and-chrome eatery where late breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks are served with a smile. Light bites like buffalo mozzarella, hot-smoked salmon Niçoise, and deep-fried calamari with fennel salad are particularly tasty. You can also pick something up from their sister company, Corn Hall Deli, for a picnic.

Step away from the center of town to sample the ingenious cuisine that Michelin-trained chef Gordon Jones conjures up in his open kitchen. There is no set menu, but you choose between seven and nine courses and every dish will be a surprise; choices might include smoked eel with maple syrup and purple potatoes, a crisp haggis, roasted turbot with giant raisins and caper dressing, and blackberry sorbet with marinated cucumber. You can also choose a wine flight to accompany the tasting menus. The location is unprepossessing and the decor plain, enlivened by a few antlers and vials of oil, but the service is friendly and unstuffy; if you want to talk with the chef about your food, he will willingly do so. Book well in advance; lunch is easier to reserve than dinner.

Lured by the fresh ingredients and cool, unfussy surroundings, diners come here to enjoy the freshest of Cornish fish, Salcombe Bay crab, and Forest of Dean ham accompanied by unusual but delicious vegetables like borage, wild garlic, and sea cabbage. The accent is on fish, but you will also find hay-baked Cotswold lamb and vegetarian dishes. The menu changes bimonthly so it's always seasonal. The service is friendly and knowledgeable.

This gabled pub, located in the snug village of Leighterton just 5 miles west of Tetbury, likes to satisfy the crowds that assemble here with the best creative local fare in the area. Draw up a stool at the bar or take a seat at one of the many wooden tables to try the tandoori hake or the enoki mushroom burger. Finish with a calorific dessert. There's also a sheltered walled garden for summer dining.

With a courtyard at the back and a patio at the front, this chic "restaurant with rooms" is perfect for a light lunch or full dinner, with menus that concentrate on Modern British dishes and change seasonally. The restaurant, in a former furniture factory belonging to local designer George Russell, is modern, airy, and stylish. The less expensive fixed-price menu is just as tempting, and there's also an attached fish-and-chips shop. You can spend the night in the very sleek, boutique-style rooms upstairs.

In the center of Broadway, this pub-restaurant makes a handy stop for a snack, lunch, drink, or something more substantial. Among the hot dishes, you're likely to find wonders such as slow-cooked pork belly with vegetables or king prawn, crab, and chorizo linguine. There's a good wine cellar and plenty of cask ales available. The imaginative decor blends the traditional and trendy with large mirrors, log-studded walls, and eye-catching knickknacks. The pub can be crowded on the weekends, but on a weekday it's cozy and convivial, with an open fire in winter and comfortable seating. 

This popular pub and inn dating from the 17th century specializes in updated British cuisine with choices ranging from local venison to fresh fish. Its decor successfully combines traditional features with modern style and comforts. The courtyard garden is a delight in summer, and there's also a snug coffee lounge. The inn offers 14 stylish, uncluttered bedrooms and a spa.