mjs

Heading to Cotswolds for about a week in Blockley. Any recommendations for restaurants, markets and things to do? Have plans for antiques, walks and have made several restaurant reservations but open for suggestions. We are definitely food oriented and like to take walks. Might visit Stratford upon Avon. have been to Bath several times and Oxford several times in the past.

KayF

You could visit Hidcote and Kiftsgate, both beautiful gardens. There's a market in Moreton in Marsh, not sure what day.

coral22

I am eagerly following this thread, we are heading there at the end of April, also.
Will you have a car?
One thing we are seeing in your area is the Broadway Tower.
Hidcote is high on our list.
Here is a list of the Cotswold Markets we are using
https://www.cotswolds.org/cotswold-market-days/
Enjoy!

bhuty

For sure go to Stratford upon Avon

My favourite place was Bourton on the water. I wished I had stayed there long enough for 2 meals and an afternoon or morning tea.
I don't think you need to worry about reservations. If you're spending a week (and assuming you have a car) then you have enough time to see everything twice and not worry about missing out on anything.

Just enjoy it and stay in the moment

janisj

Actually booking dinners at many ff not most nicer pubs and restaurants is pretty much essential. Lunches are a bit easier. The Issue with Bourton-on-the-Water (though likely easing abit when the powers that be decided to ban Coaches from parking in the coach park -- go figure? ) It is a lovey place but between about 11AM and 4 PM it is overrun with day trippers so visit early or go later in the day.

Definite ditto to Hidcote and Kifsgate as well as Sezincote and Snowshill Manor. When visiting Stratford -- Warwick with its enormous castle and wonderful St Mary's Church and the Lord Leycester Hospital (not a 'hospital') is only 7 miles away.

janisj

. . . and the Rollright Stones and Blenheim Palace.

You will be close ro Chipping Campden, Broadway, Stow-on-the_Wold, Burford, the Slaughters, Hailes Abbey, Stanton (on a clear day the views from the Mount Inn pub extend all the way to Wales), and lots more.

https://www.themountinn.co.uk/gallery/

mjs

It is actually not easy to get some reservations. Had to take a lunch at Wild Rabbit instead of dinner. Still on search for good places for food stuff and places to eat that are British

coral22

Haha! Just finished reading this article. We don't eat big dinners every night, but some of these look great.
We are busy making reservations, too.
https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/...ants-cotswolds

janisj

Uh -- everything is 'British'

Not at all surprised re the Wild Rabbit -- it is quite famous and folks drive from London just to eat there. Kingham is a tiny place (the entire parish has less than 1000 people and the village maybe 500-ish?? ) but still it has two 'destination' restaurants The Wild Rabbit and the Kingham Plough a 5 min walk from each other. I LOVE the Plough.

Since you opted for the WR my guess is you have a generous budget. A few suggestions: The Bull in Charlbury ( you might even run into a looooooong time Fodorite walking his dogs); the Chequers in Churchill; Several places in Burford including The Lamb. I doubt you can get into any of the venues in Bull (just 'Bull' - not the Bull) in Burford.

janisj

I hadn't opened coral22's link before posting - the article mentions most of the ones I listed. The Red Duke is a good suggestion..

ps edit: I've eaten at each one in my post -- a couple more than once. But really just about every village of any size (and some REALLY tiny ones) will have at least one excellent restaurant/pub. Lots of spendy places because there is a LOT of money in the Cotswolds.

bhuty

There are so many great places to eat that you don't need to book ahead for.

We stayed in this little Inn that served the best stake and chips and it was in this little village that you wouldn't even see on the map.

If you plan on eating at the well known places that everyone tells you that you must go to then you'll need to book.... but there is a lot more out there in tv land than what you read in the guide books or on fodors or trip advisor..
some of my worst meals have been in the places with 60,000 4.7 star average reviews all telling you that it's the best restaurant ever.

There is more than 3 ways to enjoy this wonderful part of the world and more than 4 best restaurants to eat at.

janisj

I didn't say those were the '4 best restaurants to eat at'. They are just four or five very good restaurants I've experienced. And not one due to reading about it or seeing it n TV. There are MANY, but since the OP is booked into the Wild Rabbit it would seem they are not looking for just any old pub. It is a special place.

You will find that if a pub is truly good, and has any sort of 'reputation' locally (not in Rick Steves or on Trip Advisor) one will need to book for dinner. For lunch -- its not as important.

I lived near the Cotswolds for nearly 5 years and have eaten literally hundreds of lunches and dinners in village pubs - back in the day booking wasn't necessary - practically unheard of but it is a fact of life now.

janisj

oh -- and for Sunday lunch booking is 100% absolutely necessary

Meant to add -- even if it wasn't required to pre-book, it is only fair to the owner to do so. The hospitality industry is a COMPLETELY different landscape now than in the 'before times' (pre-covid) and the menus, getting provisions, staffing, just everything - they need to know who/how many are expected.

coral22

Thanks, janisj, it always nice to have personal recommendations!
I am not a fan of Trip Advisor restaurant recommendations, I feel more confident with a food critics list.
It is true that there are some unheralded gems, but with what fine dining costs, I would rather have some guidance.
I always try to find a list of new recommended restaurants to try, to experience a fresh approach and the if the restaurant is full of locals, that is a bonus!
We don't only do fine dining, so there is always plenty of room for recommendations from people we meet along the way or our hotel or a fun place we happen by.
Do you have a place to recommend for Sunday lunch? Thanks!

janisj

Oh - golly -- just about an nice pub will do a wonderful Sunday Lunch. I would mostly decide based on where you are planning to be touring on the particular Sunday. It is a real tradition so for many places is their best presentation of the whole week.

In an area I don't know really well, I find asking the B&B's landlady or , where they still exist, the local 'high class' butcher shop, and you'll get good suggestions. But for Sunday one often needs to book at least a few days ahead.

Some places I have had really exceptional Sunday Lunches (besides the pubs I've mentioned up thread) - but mid you this is over a several year's span- are the quite upscale Lygon Arms in Broadway (there is a completely unrelated Lygon Arms in Chipping Campden which is not as 'posh as the Broadway one but still very good); The Lords of the Manor in Upper Slaughter -- also quite posh like the the Lygon Arms; The Howard Arms in Ilmington and the College Arms in Lower Quinton . . . these last two are a bit farther north sort of half way between Chipping Campden and Stratford-upon-Avon

mjs

Thanks for all the suggestions. Actually probably should not have given a preference for British food. Much of what I ate as a student outside the College during my UK Uni days was Souvlaki and Indian food. In fact I think I eat mostly Indian when I visit London these days. We do not need to limit ourselves to fine dining as we often eat out at places like 7-11s in Tokyo or just have a Brat in Vienna etc. Wild Rabbit is pricey but it's my birthday and it's still about 25 % of what a Michelin 3 would cost so not bad. Do look forward to English cheeses like Caerphilly, Wensleydale, Cheshire.....

janisj

Lots of good cheese shops - The Cotswold Cheese Co has shops in Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Moreton-in-Marsh. The deli in Charlbury does cheese and wine pairings if you want to do a picnic.

bhuty

I didn't pick up in the OP that the OP is asking about a specific special dining experience for a specific purpose and I don't read deeply into the thread either.

Probably best to leave all Cotswold advice to janis and like thinkers.

I'll leave this thread now. Janis has been a great help to me in the past so I will always be grateful for that and because of that I don't want to spiral into an argumentative and combative relationship with her.

bilboburgler

Before anyone panics about this "Do look forward to English cheeses like Caerphilly, Wensleydale, Cheshire....." you can get English Caerphilly even if it is normally Welsh.

I regularly pass through the Cotswolds and would always make a reservation for Sunday lunch. A January supper on a Wednesday, not so much.

janisj

Oh -- your advice is great too. We are helping two separate posters on this thread -- the OP and coral22 so some of my responses were for different people.