Pubs and the Cotswolds are nearly synonymous, and with so many historic coaching inns, public houses and modern bars packed within 800 square miles, it seems there’s one per mile. The biggest trick is determining what kind of bar you want to visit, and finding the best one to suit your needs. You can find bars here that date all the way back to the middle ages as well as newer brewpubs that offer up the very best in local craft beers. You’ll find whisky bars, cocktail lounges and places to grab a great meal.
Just about every kind of pub can be found around just about every corner here. Check out some of the best pubs in the Cotswolds.
- 1
National Trust - The Fleece Inn
Try a National Trust 15th-century pub
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Fleece Inn is a National Trust site with a deep historic legacy and importance, which dates back to the 15th century and offers homebrew ale and cider plus events. It’s been owned and maintained by the National Trust since 1977 to protect its historic legacy, and it’s a favourite pub with locals and visitors alike. It’s also famed for its many events throughout the year, in particular the British Asparagus Festival Day every May. This one attracts visitors from all over the world.
The decor is authentic Middle Ages with wood beams and benches, the pub grub is delicious and the beer and cider selection outstanding. The Fleece Inn is located in Bretforton.
Location: The Cross, Bretforton, Evesham WR11 7JE, UK
Open: Hours may vary
Phone: +44 1386 831173
Mapphoto by Philip Halling (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified
- 2
The Porch House
Visit England’s oldest inn
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Porch House in Stow-on-the-Wold is England’s oldest inn, dating all the way back to the 10th century, and yet manages to blend contemporary style with traditional heritage. This pub offers a menu of traditional English dishes all served up with a modern twist and prepared with locally-sourced ingredients for farm-to-table fresh and seasonal meals. The quaint surroundings offer an iconic and traditional environment so you’ll feel like you’ve truly wandered back in time, where you can experience the romance and excitement of days gone by.
The interior design maintains some of the old-world charm with exposed beams and stonework, but also has comfortable furnishings and a blackboard specials menu. It’s welcoming, warm and delicious all at the same time.
Location: 1 Digbeth St, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cheltenham GL54 1BN, UK
Phone: +44 1451 870048
Mapphoto by Mark Percy (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified
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The Green Dragon Inn Pub & Shop
Relax in an authentic 17th-century public house
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Green Dragon Inn Pub & Shop dates to the 17th century and is nestled in the small hamlet of Cockleford near Cowley, offering old-world charm and great food. The decor inside will make you feel like you’re in the 1600s, with a real wood fireplace, exposed oak beams and stonework, classic windows, stone-flagged floors and a slate roof. The bar and furniture were handcrafted by the famed Mouse Man of Kilburn, Robert Thompson, and is a popular retreat for anyone looking for fine local wine, genuine hand-pulled ales and a cottage-style accommodation.
The Inn’s locally-sourced menu offers daily specials. The onsite gift shop allows you to grab t-shirts, glasses, gifts and souvenirs to remember your trip.
Location: Cockleford, Nr Cowley, Cheltenham GL53 9NW, UK
Phone: +44 1242 870271
Map - 4
Crown & Trumpet Inn
Try a traditional Sunday roast and hand-pulled ale
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
Crown & Trumpet Inn is located in Broadway and offers award-winning 17th-century accommodation with stunning exteriors and a cosy atmosphere inside, plus classic British fare and brews. This inn offers no-frills but welcoming vibes, a warm fire in the wood fireplace and food that is all traditional English fare and made with locally-produced ingredients for a seasonal menu that’s always fresh. The brews are quality and likewise brewed seasonally so you’re always getting the best beer to pair with your food.
Not a beer drinker? The bar also offers its own brew of mulled wine and hot toddies in winter, or Pimm’s in the summer. The place is famed for its Sunday Roast.
Location: 14 Church St, Broadway WR12 7AE, UK
Phone: +44 1386 853202
Map - 5
The Potting Shed Pub
Stop by a cosy pub with handcrafted décor
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Potting Shed Pub is a charming village pub in the hamlet of Tetbury offering a menu made with locally-sourced ingredients, roaring log fires and a spacious beer garden. It’s open for lunch and dinner and the menu changes seasonally with the available produce. The drink menu offers a fine selection of quality libations, from beers and wines to cocktails. It offers a traditional vibe inside with stone walls and fireplace, exposed beams and handcrafted wooden tables and benches.
The meals, however, are of the fine dining variety and all are luxurious and delicious, especially when juxtaposed against the no-frills decor. This is a welcoming, cosy spot with delectable food to take your holiday to the next level.
Location: The St, Crudwell, Malmesbury SN16 9EW, UK
Open: Daily from 11 am to midnight
Phone: +44 1666 577833
Map - 6
The Cotswold Arms
Visit a family-owned 15th-century pub
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Cotswold Arms is a family-owned and operated 15th-century pub in Buford, serving up local ales and homemade food with locally-sourced ingredients, renowned for its lively yet relaxing vibe. Regionally known as “The Coty,” this pub is popular with visitors and locals alike. They host live music on weekends, lunch on Sundays and a vibrant beer garden outside, which is pet-friendly. They even offer a kids’ menu with kid-sized portions of sausage, fish and chips and the like.
The drink selection includes an extensive wine list, a rotating selection of 3 local ales on tap plus stouts, IPAs, lagers and ciders and a fantastic range of whiskey, rum, gin and other spirits, plus soft drinks for the kids.
Location: 46 High St, Burford OX18 4QF, UK
Open: Daily from 10 am to midnight
Phone: +44 1993 822227
Mapphoto by Jim Linwood (CC BY 2.0) modified
- 7
The Wild Rabbit
Enjoy “new Cotswolds” fine dining
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Wild Rabbit Inn in Kingham is famed as far off as London for its chic vibe and stylish decor, offering stone walls, crackling fires and comfy suede armchairs. It’s an ideal juxtaposition of traditional pub and modern rustic design, emblematic of what many call the “new Cotswolds.” It offers an escape to the country vibe with the comfort city dwellers expect, but it’s also an award-winning fine dining establishment that offers artisanal cuisine based on traditional British cooking and using locally-sourced ingredients.
The open kitchen design takes advantage of the trend that allows you to see how your food is being prepared. It’s a lavish, luxurious and relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Location: Church St, Kingham, Chipping Norton OX7 6YA, UK
Phone: +44 1608 658389
Mapphoto by Bill Boaden (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified
- 8
The Wheatsheaf Inn
Book a room at an ivy-covered inn
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Wheatsheaf Inn in Northleach is a traditional public house with traditional decor and an outside covered in climbing Virginia creeper,which gives it an aged look and a welcoming atmosphere. Inside, the pub is also an inn with 14 comfortable rooms, all with a classic design and exposed beams and stonework, giving you the feeling that you’ve walked into the past. Whether you book a room here or not, you’ll find delicious cask ales, locally-sourced dishes and an outdoor beer garden to enjoy during summer.
The inn also offers a function room that hosts events and private parties, so if you have a large group, it can be a great option. It also features an onsite car park for patrons.
Location: The Wheatsheaf Inn, West Road, Northleach, Cheltenham GL54 3EZ, UK
Phone: +44 1451 539889
Mapphoto by Jeff Buck (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified
- 9
The Angel at Burford
Experience an award-winning, luxurious pub
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
The Angel at Burford is located just off the main street in Burford and offers up traditional classic dishes, serving food all day with fine ales and welcoming environs. This pub has earned an AA rosette for its menu and has retained a Cask Marque accreditation every year for well over a decade. It’s a Hook Norton Brewery pub, meaning it serves up its own brand of fine ales. In the warmer months, the inn offers a stunning and carefully landscaped, walled outdoor beer garden.
It’s a family-operated pub and offers a warm, welcoming vibe, which is part of why it’s won the Cotswold Pub of the Year award 3 times. It’s an elegant escape from the hustle and bustle.
Location: 14 Witney St, Burford OX18 4SN, UK
Open: Daily from 9 pm to midnight
Phone: +44 1993 822714
Mapphoto by Christian Guthier (CC BY 2.0) modified
- 10
Snowshill Arms
Head for a picturesque tavern in a picturesque village
- Couples
- Food
- Nightlife
Snowshill Arms is tucked in the pretty village of Snowshill and offers a truly old-world experience with a log fire, exposed beams, brick walls and of course a stocked bar. It’s a charming and family-friendly location that dates to the 15th century and is largely unspoilt from its original form. It serves up a selection of real Donington Brewery ales and traditional English pub food with a welcoming, family vibe. The locally-sourced, seasonal menu features everything from multi-course meals to basic sandwiches, as well as daily specials. The Sunday roast is extremely popular here.
Besides a range of traditional local brews, this pub also offers a solid wine list. For fun, check out the skittle alley in the rear.
Location: Snowshill, Broadway WR12 7JU, UK
Open: Hours may vary
Phone: +44 1386 852653
Mapphoto by Roger Davies (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified