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Valentine’s Day is a special day for couples to celebrate their love for each other, and nothing shows that more than a romantic dinner for two. We’re so lucky in the Cotswolds to have a wide selection of stunning restaurants and country pubs that provide the perfect setting for a romantic Valentines dinner.
Here we’ve listed our top nine most romantic places to dine in, be it a restaurant or pub in the Cotswolds; perfect for an exquisite Valentine’s Day experience, special birthday or just because…… :
The Wild Rabbit in Kingham
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This cozy, Michelin-starred pub with its light, airy restaurant, located in the picturesque village of Kingham (the village is recorded in the Domesday Book) offers plenty of modern rustic charm. Tastefully decorated with stone mullion windows, low ceilings and 2 fireplaces in the bar visitors will discover what some might say is the ultimate fine dining experience in the heart of the Cotswolds. It really is a place to celebrate any occasion, not just for Valentines!
Featuring an award-winning menu of sub-lime food, beautifully made from locally sourced seasonal ingredients – many from Daylesford Farm just up the road – as well as a very decent wine collection. The atmosphere is warm, inviting and certainly provides a romantic and intimate setting for couples.
If you’re looking for an upmarket restaurant to impress a loved one this February, then The Wild Rabbit is an absolute gem you can’t afford to miss.
Phone Number: 01608 658389
Address: The Wild Rabbit, Church St, Kingham, Chipping Norton OX7 6YA
Website: https://thewildrabbit.co.uk
Distance from Orion HQ: 28 miles – roughly, a 45 minute drive
The Ivy Montpelier Brasserie in Cheltenham
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With its horse racing theme this beautifully decorated restaurant is location in the Rotunda Terrace, a historic Grade 1 building in Montpelier, in the heart of Cheltenham.
You’ll be greeted warmly on arrival and can take pre-dinner drinks at the bar which sits in the centre of the stunning restaurant under a domed ceiling. You’ll find a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere, in a spectacular setting, with soothing (but not intrusive) background music being played. It’s a spectacular setting for any couple wanting to celebrate Valentines in style!
The Ivy Montpelier Brasserie offers an exquisite menu that features both classic and modern dishes and food is cooked to absolute perfection. We found staff to be professional and very attentive paying attention to even the smallest detail.
Simply a 5 star dining experience with great food, great service and a lovely atmosphere and good vibes too – the Orion team would go again in a heartbeat.
Phone Number: 01242 894200
Address: Rotunda Terrace, Montpellier St, Cheltenham GL50 1SW
Website: https://theivycheltenhambrasserie.com/
Distance from Orion HQ: 20 miles – approximately a 33 minute drive
The Potting Shed in Crudwell
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A local Cotswold secret, The Potting Shed is a charming gastro pub, hidden in plain sight on the busy A429 though Crudwell, close to Malmesbury, that offers exquisite Cotswold dining.
With top-end, delicious food, great ambience and happy and helpful staff we found this pub to offer a memorable visit for all the right reasons. Traditional décor sympathetically respects the building’s Cotswold’s heritage though you’ll probably spot a wheelbarrow hanging from the ceiling (not that it’s overly pretentious or twee).
The menu quite simply is to die for and offers something for everyone including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options too. It’s so extensive you may find it a challenge to choose!
With its great hospitality and impeccable service, The Potting Shed has got it spot on and comes highly recommended for Valentines by the Orion Holidays team.
Phone Number: 01666 577833
Address: The Potting Shed, The St, Crudwell, Malmesbury, SN16 9EW
Website: https://www.thepottingshedpub.com
Distance from Orion HQ: 9 miles – around a 17 minute drive
Piazza Fontana in Cirencester
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If you’re looking for a little piece of Italy in the Cotswolds this Valentines, then you will not go far wrong booking a table at Piazza Fontana. Tucked away down a small alleyway in Cirencester, this well-established restaurant offers a real taste of old school Italian cooking.
The chefs regularly update the menu and use only the freshest and most authentic Italian ingredients, providing generously portioned cuisine at incredible value.
Their aim is to serve the very best Italian food whilst making you feel right at home. The restaurant is spacious and tables are well spaced, so you’re not all crammed in. It makes for a lovely atmosphere topped off by very friendly waiting staff, who treat you like part of the family.
All their dishes offer tonnes of flavour and their garlic bread, well let’s just say, it’s truly incredible!
Phone Number: 01285 643133
Address: 30A Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1QH
Website: https://www.piazza-fontanacirencester.co.uk/
Distance from Orion HQ: 5 miles – just 11 minutes drive from us!
The Horse and Groom Village Inn
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This traditional country inn, located in the stunning Cotswold village of Upper Oddington – just east of Stow-on-the-Wold – offers a menu made up of exquisite classic British dishes.
Food is at the very heart of what they do and the chefs take the utmost pride using only the best and freshest ingredients as well as seasonal produce, delivering high quality dishes with a modern twist, allowing exciting and innovative flavours to shine through every meal.
With ample free pub parking and a beautiful garden with its very own babbling brook, you’ll find a quintessentially Cotswold pub doing what it should do and doing it to a VERY high standard.
For couples looking for a lovely Valentines dinner you won’t go far wrong booking a table at the Horse and Groom Inn. They offer a friendly, relaxed and informal welcome for everyone and you’ll find a tastefully decorated bar and restaurant area. Waiting staff are attentive to diners needs but not intrusive allowing you to relax with your partner and enjoy their well prepared and plentiful food.
For beer fans the pub is featured in the Good Beer Guide 2022 and in its own words offers a “bloody good pint”. Pleasing to hear we say!
Phone Number: 01285 740695
Address: The Horse and Groom Inn, Upper Oddington, Moreton in Marsh, GL56 0XH
Website: https://www.horseandgroomcotswolds.co.uk/
Distance from Orion HQ: 25 miles – about a 37 minute drive
Lola and Co, Tetbury
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Lola and Co is one eatery you might not have heard of before but this beautiful decorated family run Spanish restaurant in Tetbury is a real gem. The restaurant, with its antique furniture and paintings, has a great atmosphere and is popular with locals and visitors alike. Being small and cosy it offers the perfect ambience for couples looking to dine out in style on Valentine’s Day with that little something extra special.
An amazing selection of tapas made by award winning chefs and an exquisite wine collection is on offer and, trust us on this, the quality of everything is amazing.
Probably the most authentic Spanish experience in the Cotswolds and worth saving up for! In our team’s experience it’s the best tapas we’ve tasted outside of Spain, though it’s not an inexpensive place to eat but then you are getting the real deal!
If budget is an issue, then we say you should still go and have a drink there just to take it all in with your partner before heading elsewhere in Tetbury to eat. From our experience the friendly attentive staff will be more than happy to accommodate you.
Phone Number: 01666 504000
Address: 20A Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8AQ
Website: https://www.lolaandco.co.uk
Distance from Orion HQ: 15 miles – an easy 25 minute drive
The Ebrington Arms near Chipping Camden
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Michelin recommended, this stunning Cotswold Inn in the village of Ebrington (north of Chipping Camden) offers a lovely country vibe and oozes olde worlde charm in spades with inglenook fireplaces, old brickwork, exposed beams and more. It’s an absolute treat and worth a visit for the history alone – as is the village itself.
Worth going for an afternoon walk on one of the many trails around the area and then returning late afternoon for a Valentines Day culinary treat.
Offering a warm cheery welcome, great service with staff prepared to go the extra mile and an extensive menu of classic British dishes to choose from including some amazingly delicious desserts!
Phone Number: 01386 593223
Address: The Ebrington Arms, Ebrington, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, GL55 6NH
Website: https://www.theebringtonarms.co.uk/
Distance from Orion HQ: 33 miles – 53 minutes (it’s worth making the drive in our experience!)
The White Hart Inn in Ashton Keynes
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If you’re holidaying in the Cotswold Water Park in February then this utterly charming, traditional Cotswold pub sitting opposite the River Thames should definitely be on your list to check out for a Valentine meal.
You’ll find the The White Hart Inn in the quiet village of Ashton Keynes that sits very close by to Orion Holidays HQ. It’s one of our team’s favourite haunts and it’s all very good!
The menu is top notch and friendly accommodating staff are there to make you feel totally at ease whilst you’re dining or even just having a quick drink. We always get first class service and it’s very clear the chefs are highly talented when it comes to creating delicious dishes with fresh ingredients
If you’re looking for local Cotswold hospitality with the best hosts and amongst friendly village locals then the White Hart Inn is perfect.
Phone Number: 01285 861247
Address: The White Hart, 18 High Road, Ashton Keynes, SN6 6NX
Website: https://www.thewhitehartashtonkeynes.com
Distance from Orion HQ: 3.2 miles – just a 7 minute drive from our office!
The Dining Room at Whatley Manor
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The moment you arrive at Whatley Manor, a grown-up getaway on the banks of the River Avon, close to Easton Grey and just outside Malmesbury, you know you’ve found somewhere really special to treat your partner. Perhaps we’ve left the very best to last but you certainly won’t be disappointed.
With 12 acres of gardens to wander through and country walks from the door you can arrive early for a romantic winter stroll and then return for a Valentines dinner in either Whatley Manor’s very refined 1 Michelin star Dining Room or in Greys, their more laid-back Brasserie.
Both restaurants offer a truly perfect experience, and nothing is too much trouble for the team. You’ll only find exemplary food and gastronomic delights on offer making your whole experience that “special something”.
For pure yet understated luxury, without the stuffiness, Whatley Manor really is a remarkable place to make a beeline for on Valentines. The staff are courteous, extremely professional and friendly and it certainly would be a Valentines treat to be remembered.
Phone Number: 01666 822888
Address: Whatley Manor, Easton Grey, Malmesbury, SN16 0RB
Website: https://www.whatleymanor.com/
Distance from Orion HQ: 16 miles – a 27 minute (mostly) rural drive
We trust you found our round up of the most romantic Cotswold restaurants useful! If you know of any gastro pub or fine dining eatery that should be included do let us know, we’d love to find out more about them.
