Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Stratford Upon Avon
Hardens guides have spent 30 years compiling reviews of the best Stratford Upon Avon restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 31 restaurants in Stratford Upon Avon and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Stratford Upon Avon restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Stratford Upon Avon Restaurants
1. Sabai Sabai
Thai restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
19-20 Wood Street - CV37
Brum’s popular Thai mini-chain established this Stratford spin-off three years ago, and its consistent food rating is in line with its siblings. “Charming staff” also received a particular thumbs up last year.
2. Lambs
British, Modern restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
12 Sheep Street - CV37
Occupying “a beautiful old building” – one of Stratford’s oldest – this beamed venue remains most often nominated as “a fantastic place for pre-theatre dinner: consistent quality with a great-value set menu”.
3. No. 9
British, Modern restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
9 Church Street - CV37
“Imaginative and excellent-value pre/post-theatre menus” (as well as more relaxed dining options for those giving Shakespeare a miss), are to be had at chef/owner Wayne Thomson’s highly rated town-centre venue, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this summer.
4. The Opposition
British, Modern restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
13 Sheep Street - CV37
2019 Review: Just around the corner from the RSC, this long-serving bistro with “Tudor-type” decor is “THE place to eat in Stratford if you’re going to the theatre – they put you through with speed (but don’t make you feel hassled)”, the food is “reliable (if not exciting)”, while “staff are helpful (but not obsequious)”. “What more does anyone want before a dollop of Shakespeare?”
5. Loxleys
British, Traditional restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
3 Sheep St - CV37
“One of the better pre-theatre places in Stratford” – this smart, two-floor, former clothes shop is barely a three-minute walk from the RSC. Even a reporter who felt the food was “nothing special” says “everything turned out well for a pleasant evening”.
6. The Fuzzy Duck
British, Modern restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
Ilmington Rd - CV37
2018 Review: “Worth the eight mile trip out of Stratford to find it!” This “contemporary-style restaurant with rooms” is “a great example of a reinvented country pub” (“good to see it still welcomes drinkers”), and with consistently well-rated cooking. “Staff are extremely efficient and helpful – down to the barmaid who called her uncle to taxi us back to town!”
7. Rooftop Restaurant, Royal Shakespeare Theatre
British, Modern restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
Waterside - CV37
“A rooftop restaurant with splendid views” makes “pre-theatre eating fun” at the RSC’s HQ – as well as “taking away the fear of being late for the show” (“it’s so convenient!”). Unsurprisingly, it’s not the last word in top gastronomy, but most reporters are mellow about any trade-offs involved (“tasty if not special…”, “nothing to frighten, but reaches a fairly good standard…”, “a bit pre-prepared, but very good for an arts venue…”)
8. Salt
British, Modern restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
8 Church St - CV37
This ambitious three-year-old, in a classic Stratford timbered house, has hit big targets, including the crowd-funding which financed its debut and a star for chef-proprietor Paul Foster from the French tyre people within 12 months of opening. But feedback from reporters this year is split: some hail “top-notch dining” and an “excellent tasting menu”, while others regret “the disastrous portion sizes (mere scraps)”, “pretentions”, and “diminishing returns with each trip”.
9. The Vintner
British, Modern restaurant in Stratford upon Avon
4-5 Sheep St - CV37
2017 Review: Fans highlight the “interesting menu” and “great service” at this “excellent value” fixture, occupying a half-timbered building in the city centre; the sceptical view? – “the setting is pleasant, the rest is adequate but not outstanding”.
View full listings of 31 Stratford Upon Avon Restaurants
Popular Stratford Upon Avon Restaurant Searches