The Best Pubs, Cafes & Restaurants in Stroud
Stroud has many independent pubs, cafes and restaurants for visitors to eat and drink in. It’s a great place for lunch out or a few beers and has lots of choices.
The villages of the nearby valleys also have many top-notch restaurants. These are excellent, especially after a walk in the Cotswold countryside. Many of the pubs, cafes and restaurants in Stroud are dog friendly, thus welcoming of canine guests.
Pubs & Restaurants in Stroud
Stroud offers plenty of places to dine out or enjoy a drink. These include fantastic pubs and cafes that serve food. Many are open while the Farmers’ Market is in full flow.
Galgos Latino
Based in the heart of Stroud, Galgos Latino is in the former pub The Greyhound. The restaurant focuses its menu on Latin American dishes, including Venezuelan and Mexican dishes. The venue has a nice, comfortable vibe with comfy seating, including a nice sofa next to the bar.
The menu includes main courses such as steak chimichurri and carne mechada, a traditional shredded beef stew from Venezuela. They also offer a superb choice of fish dishes and vegetarian options. The bar serves a variety of drinks, including beer from local breweries. Soft drink options include a variety of juices, including peach, orange, cranberry or ginger beer.
The Old Fleece Restaurant
Near Stroud is The Old Fleece, a nice place to dine out for an evening meal. The Old Fleece is a 250-year-old former coaching inn and looks rather impressive and historical. The Fleece is perfect for outdoor eating or a more formal sit-down meal inside the nicely decorated bar or dining area.
The Old Fleece serves food daily from 11 am until 10 pm. They are even dog-friendly, so you can bring Fido along. Their menu is pretty special and includes delights such as lamb shank, local meats, vegetarian katsu curry, mixed grill and more. They also serve a traditional roast dinner every Sunday.
Stroud Brewery
The Stroud Brewery & Taproom in Brimscombe is a fantastic place for food and drink. They are a local brewery that makes some great beers, from hoppy IPAs to flavourful organic lagers. Their brewery site in Brimscombe near Stroud is lovely to visit and a great place for a meal out or to enjoy a few beers. The Stroud Brewery menu includes brunch options, sharing plates, burgers and delicious pizzas. They also host live music events on the weekends.
Queen Vic Pub
On Gloucester Road, near the cinema and bus station, is The Queen Vic, a pleasant pub. It’s a nice free house with indoor and outdoor seating in a courtyard. They have a good range of drinks, including real ales, lagers, spirits and cocktails. On my recent visit, I enjoyed a few pints of Estrella. They also host various events and live music, which you can find out more about on their Facebook page.
Rajdoot an Indian Restaurant
Indian restaurant Rajdoot is near the town centre and serves food from India. Rajdoot is unique in how their creative head chef cooks daily specials, so you can try something new every visit. Their menu includes some delightful tandoori specials, including lamb shaslik. They marinate the lamb, spice it, then cook it in the tandoor with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and green capsicum.
Curio Lounge
Curio Lounge is a bar and restaurant in Stroud that serves nice food and drink. They are within walking distance of the train station and easy to find. They serve an excellent selection of drinks, including coffee and beers. Curio Lounge also has a variety of cocktails, including some alcohol-free options.
They have an interesting food menu which includes tapas, burgers, sandwiches and more. Their tapas plates are rather nice and fantastic to share. As with all the Lounges, Curio Lounge is a great place to meet up and enjoy your time out.
The Black Horse: A Country Pub
The Black Horse is a lovely pub in Minchinhampton, a common near Stroud. The area is famed for its fabulous views of the Cotswolds, and the pub is no different. The Black Horse is over 400 years old and is a popular country pub. It has both indoor seating and a pleasant beer garden for warmer days.
They offer an eclectic menu with some fantastic dishes. The Black Horse has a dedicated burger menu and some dedicated mains. This includes local gammon served with egg and chips. Overall, The Black Horse is a fantastic place for lunch before or after a stroll in the nearby countryside.
Callaghan’s Kitchen For Milkshakes
Callaghin’s Kitchen is a vendor that serves delicious thick milkshakes made with ice cream. They also serve vegan-friendly smoothies, sweet Belgian waffles, and iced coffees. Callaghin’s can also create tasty dairy-free milkshakes with either soy or oat milk.
La Cantina
For those who like Mexican food, La Cantina is a popular Tex-Mex stall in the market. They have a menu filled with Tex-Mex-style food, which includes burritos, nachos, and quesadillas. You can choose a filling for each, including meat or vegetarian options. You can then choose salad, guacamole, sauces, cheese & salsa to suit your tastes.
Pieminister
Pieminister is a chain of pie restaurants that are in many towns throughout the UK. They also have a place in the Five Valleys Market. Their pies are delicious, in my experience, especially the Moo pie, which is steak and real ale. They also offer a selection of other meats and vegetarian options, like jackfruit with craft ale and pepper.
The Old Lodge Minchinhampton
The Old Lodge is an eatery on Minchinhampton Common, an ideal place for sustenance after a walk or a round of golf. This restaurant has some stunning views of the local Cotswold hills and Stroud Valleys. The bar has a relaxed vibe with comfy indoor seating or a beer garden to sit in on a warm day.
They base their menu on locally sourced food cooked to a high standard. The Old Lodge prides itself on its “strong vegan dishes” and fantastic meat options. I enjoyed a few meals here and really enjoyed their steak and pies.