Frampton Mansell, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: A “charming, lovely and well-run village pub” that “has had its ups and downs, but seems to be on an ‘up’ at the moment”; and serving an “interesting but not over-ambitious menu”.

This “beautiful traditional country pub, a favourite of Laurie Lee, has bags of atmosphere and views over the Slad Valley” – and is one of the few to offer regular tarot readings! “The food is amazing, with a real Italian twist and lots of fresh, in-season ingredients” – often just “three ingredients on a round white plate, done to perfection”. Daniel Chadwick, the landlord for 25 years, opened a spinoff bistro called Juliet in nearby Stroud in autumn 2024. Top Menu Tip – “devilled kidneys starter a must”.

2022 Review: Now that Wild Garlic nearby has converted into rooms, this ambitious and quite well-known venue is Matthew Bearshall’s main operation, wherein all guests enjoy an eight-course tasting menu in a single sitting nightly. It has a hard-to-obtain AA ranking of 3 rosettes, but we didn’t receive reports on it this year, so have left it unrated.

2022 Review: “A great pleasure that this fine old inn was rescued from dereliction pre-pandemic by the Lucky Onion team”, a design-led Cotswolds operation. “Food has improved considerably and is well-sourced and often original”, with a “good ambience” and “charming stuff” ensuring that the establishment “works well all round”.