Eating & Drinking
The pubs, restaurants, farm shops, delis and supermarkets we send every guest to.
The pubs, restaurants, farm shops, delis and supermarkets we send every guest to.
The pub scene in this corner of Oxfordshire is genuinely unusual. Within 25 minutes of the cottage, there are two Michelin-listed pubs, a Good Food Guide restaurant, and the kind of proper thatched country inn that people drive an hour to reach. Our usual approach: start at the Falkland Arms on the first evening, book the Kingham Plough or The Wild Rabbit for a special dinner, and leave the Blue Boar in Chippy for when you want something uncomplicated on the way back from a day out. Daylesford handles the weekend shop.
Oxford's oldest pub, dating to 1242, a cosy little place just off the High Street famous for its collection of snipped-off ties.
A 17th-century pub and dining room in Charlbury — seasonal British cooking rooted in Daylesford farm produce, craft ales, log fires in winter and an orchard garden in summer.
A historic Chipping Norton coaching inn dating to 1641, now a lively pub and restaurant with a seasonal British menu.
One of Chipping Norton's oldest buildings, a snug town pub serving real ales and hearty plates beside the old market place.
A handsome village gastropub in Churchill — exposed beams, flagstone floors, open fires and candlelit tables, with locally brewed beers and proper food in a relaxed, unpretentious room. Dogs welcome.
An award-winning village pub on the green at Ebrington near Chipping Campden — chef-led country cooking, five rooms above, a terrace garden and proper open fires.
A picture-perfect 16th-century thatched pub on the green at Great Tew, with flagstone floors, an inglenook fire and a proper Wadworth ales-and-country-food welcome.
Jeremy Clarkson's Cotswold pub near Burford — an all-British menu, Hawkstone on tap and a Diddly Squat farm shop on site.
A modern British village pub with crackling log fires and a menu celebrating local producers, including its sister farm at Daylesford.
A Grade II-listed 18th-century village pub a couple of minutes away — currently being refurbished and set to reopen; one to watch for your stay.
An award-winning 17th-century thatched freehouse in a quiet village by the River Swere — local ales, proper pub classics and Sunday roasts.
A Grade II listed hilltop inn at Bourton-on-the-Hill, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand for honest British cooking, a big garden looking out over the valley, and five comfortable rooms above. Dog-friendly throughout.
A 400-year-old Cotswold pub, restaurant and B&B overlooking the village green at Ilmington, listed in the Michelin Guide.
An award-winning gastropub near Blenheim — 3 AA Rosettes, a Good Food Guide ranking, seasonal organic Cotswold cooking and dog-friendly rooms. Roaring fires in winter, an orchard garden in summer.
A storied Oxford institution opposite the Bodleian, opened in 1607 and long a favourite of students and dons alike.
A beautifully run village gastropub in the heart of Kingham, serving contemporary British cooking driven by the best seasonal British produce.
A historic village pub on the green at Shipton-under-Wychwood, between Burford and Chipping Norton — cosy bar, big beer garden, country cooking and rooms upstairs.
A near-250-year-old coaching inn at the heart of a quiet West Oxfordshire village, serving thoughtful, classic pub food with seasonal produce.
A wisteria-clad 16th-century inn beside the River Windrush at Swinbrook, with award-winning food and Mitford family memorabilia throughout.
A warm village pub at Asthall near Burford, with local ales, seasonal comfort food and a big garden looking out over the Cotswold hills.
A 17th-century riverside inn on the Thames at Wolvercote, with a stone terrace by the weir, a peacock or two, and a long Morse-and-Lewis cameo history. The walk to Godstow Abbey ruins is the classic add-on.
A hidden 14th-century alleyway pub in central Oxford, with a maze of walled gardens and a roll-call of famous former drinkers.
A characterful 17th-century country pub and inn on the edge of the Cotswolds, serving a daily-changing menu built around produce from nearby farms.
A polished 18th-century inn on the Daylesford estate, dining, drinking and sleeping with a hyper-local, seasonal menu in one of the Cotswolds' prettiest villages.
A laid-back all-day café at The Old Coal Yard that turns into a proper restaurant Thursday to Sunday — modern British plates, an easy room, walk-ins welcome.
A long-running, authentic Thai restaurant tucked down a passage off Oxford's High Street in a characterful timbered building.
South Indian cooking on Cowley Road — dosas, curries, BBQ dishes and Indian cocktails in an atmospheric room with a palm-fringed terrace. Open daily from noon.
A farm-to-table restaurant in a heated tent on a 900-acre working Cotswold farm — chef Christopher Ellis cooking the estate's own beef and seasonal produce. Burger nights Fridays, lazy Sunday roasts, breakfast to dinner.
The clubby, art-filled restaurant of the Old Parsonage Hotel, serving classic British dishes and a renowned afternoon tea within 17th-century stone walls.
Fire-led, ingredient-led, outdoor cooking in a seasonal garden setting near Moreton-in-Marsh — a few things done really well, almost everything sourced from within a few miles. Dog-friendly.
A buzzy brasserie of European classics in a former banking hall at the Old Bank Hotel, in the middle of Oxford's High Street.
A Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in a yurt built from upcycled materials, serving bold Mediterranean-influenced dishes from a kitchen garden and neighbouring regenerative farm. Private dining huts available. Dogs welcome.
A 15th-century country inn turned acclaimed restaurant-with-rooms, serving relaxed fine dining with sweeping views over the Evenlode Valley.
Daylesford's flagship restaurant — a Michelin Green Star kitchen serving grass-fed beef, smoked salmon and seasonal farmhouse dishes, all from the organic estate around it. Menus change six times a year.
A working kitchen garden, wood-fired sourdough bakery and farm-to-table restaurant on the edge of Oxford — Good Food Guide listed, with supper clubs, workshops and a quietly perfect lunch in a walled garden.
A pioneering organic farm and farmshop near Kingham, with a celebrated café, creamery, bakery, cookery school and the Bamford spa.
Jeremy Clarkson's famous little farm shop on the Chadlington road — Diddly Squat produce, Hawkstone lager and Clarkson's Farm souvenirs. Expect a queue at weekends.
Artisan farm shop and café in Guiting Power, born from a private-cheffing background and built on the best Cotswold ingredients — open Sunday to Saturday for breakfast and lunch.
A proper working-farm shop near Banbury — home-grown fruit and veg, a butchery, a cheese deli and a kitchen turning out pies, sausage rolls and ready meals.
A relaxed Cotswold café in Great Tew serving thoughtful seasonal breakfasts, brunch and lunch, plus its own house-made ice cream.
A straw bale café tucked at the end of the Whichford Pottery car park — seasonal brunches and lunches, homemade cakes, great bacon sandwiches, and the most wholesome atmosphere in the area. Wed–Sat, 10am–4pm. No reservations.
Aldi on the edge of Chipping Norton for budget-friendly basics, good-value wine and the legendary Specialbuys middle aisle.
Handy Co-op in the town centre for everyday essentials, fresh bread and local produce.
M&S Food in Chipping Norton — reliable for quality ready meals, deli items, decent wine and breakfast essentials.
Full Sainsbury's in Chipping Norton — well stocked for the weekly shop, fresh produce, wine and everything you need for a long stay.
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.
