The Horse and Groom

Bourton-on-the-Hill

The pub worth the drive

The Horse and Groom is the sort of place you drive to once and then keep finding reasons to go back. It sits in a handsome honey-stone building at the crest of Bourton-on-the-Hill, a Grade II listed roadside inn owned by the nearby Donnington Brewery, looking out across the north Cotswold escarpment towards Moreton-in-Marsh and the Evenlode valley. Inside, flagstone floors, a log fire and a proper bar-and-snug set the tone, but nothing about it feels stagey or overwrought. It is a working village pub that happens to cook exceptionally well, and for us that combination is rare enough to be worth going out of our way for.

From the cottage it is only about a 25-minute drive up the A44 through Chipping Norton and Moreton-in-Marsh, so a leisurely supper and home to bed works just as well as making a night of it. The menu leans on good British ingredients from local suppliers, treated simply and changed with the seasons: game and local meats when the weather turns, lighter plates as the year warms up, with real ales and a well-stocked wine list alongside. The dining room, with its log burner blazing in winter, is the heart of the place, but the light bar and snug take walk-ins too. Dogs are welcome throughout, which makes it a natural stop on longer walks.

Why the Bib Gourmand matters here

The kitchen holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, the guide's nod to good cooking at a fair price, and it retained the award in the 2026 guide. What we like is that the recognition has not changed the character of the place: you still book a table in a village pub, order without ceremony and eat properly. The cooking is confident without being showy, the sort of food that rewards a slow evening rather than demanding your attention, and the value is genuine rather than a marketing line. It is worth remembering that a Bib Gourmand is not the same as a full star; the point is honest, well-priced food, and that is exactly what you get. If you only make one dining trip out from the cottage during your stay, we would point you here first.

What to know before you go

• Book aheadTables go quickly for weekend evenings, particularly in high season, so it pays to reserve. Weekday lunches tend to be quieter, and there is something rather wonderful about a slow lunch here with nowhere else to be.
• The garden viewIn summer the garden is the real draw: a big sloping lawn with tables dotted across it and a wide view out over the valley. Worth timing a visit for a fine evening.
• Rooms upstairsThere are five letting bedrooms above the pub if you fancy staying over, though from the cottage the drive home is short enough that you rarely need to.
• Getting thereBourton-on-the-Hill climbs steeply off the A44 just west of Moreton-in-Marsh; the pub sits right at the top, GL56 9AQ. Check the pub's own site for current opening days and to reserve.

Making an evening of it

The Horse and Groom sits in a corner of the north Cotswolds that is easy to build a day around. Batsford Arboretum is a few minutes down the hill for a wander before lunch, and Moreton-in-Marsh itself is worth a browse on market day. If you would rather stay closer to Todenham, Pit Kitchen is our go-to for proper barbecue, while The Fox at Oddington and The Howard Arms at Ilmington are both handsome village pubs in easy reach. For the full run of places we send guests to, our guide to eating and drinking in the area covers everything from village locals to farm-to-table restaurants.

“Proper food, proper pub, proper view. We always end up staying longer than we planned.”

Visit the official site →

Also nearby

• Pit Kitchen · Barbecue · Todenham
• The Fox at Oddington · Pub · Oddington
• The Howard Arms · Pub · Ilmington
• Batsford Arboretum · Gardens · Moreton