The world’s scientists have concluded that the manifold benefits of a bracing walk through the countryside (fresh air, rigorous aerobic exercise, training multiple muscle groups)…
… are almost entirely undone by the sticky toffee pudding you inevitably demolish in the pub after.
But that’s basically the whole point of getting out of London. And it looks like some of the city’s top chefs agree – more and more seem to be turning to the classic country pub as a way to blend top-tier dining with genuine warmth and hospitality. There are Michelin starred pubs, rustic boltholes run by familiar names, and cosy retreats with rooms upstairs when you want to make a weekend of it.
So when you want to make a foodie pilgrimage, here are the best country gastropubs near London that are worth the trip…
The Three Horseshoes | Batcombe, Somerset
Emma Lewis
Why go? Err, because it’s basically Rochelle Canteen, but in a gorgeous, timber-eaved 17th century inn in a tiny Somerset village. Margot Henderson has cast her magic over the dining menu here, which is executed on a daily basis by head chef Nye Smith (who cut his teeth at Six Portland Road, St John and The Bradley Hare before coming here). Harrumphing British tradition is served on dainty willow pattern plates: pies, pork and treacle tarts, alongside nods to Henderson and her husband Fergus’ nose-to-tail philosophy in the form of dishes like fried pig’s head & ketchup.
How do I get there? Frankly, with difficulty, so make a weekend of it. It’s a 3.5 hour drive, or a train from Waterloo to Yeovil Junction, and then to Bruton. But The Three Horseshoes has five beautiful, antique-stuffed bedrooms upstairs for added incentive.
Anything nearby? Nearby Bruton has plenty going for it (more on which below), and you can feel smug by going on a bracing country walk before stuffing your face with pie. For a real foodie getaway, take a 15 minute stroll along to Westcombe Dairy (who supply the pub restaurant) where you can pick up a giant wheel of cheese.
Details: The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe, BA4 6HE | Book a table at The Three Horseshoes
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The Bull | Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Why go? This platonic ideal of a country pub was recently taken over and reinvented (by which we mean, taken back to how it would have looked roughly 200 years ago) by the team behind The Pelican in Notting Hill. Expect cosy chairs by a crackling fire, humble wooden furnishings (that probably cost a bomb) and wee willy winkie candle holders suffusing the place with a warm glow.
As with their latest London opening, The Hero, the menu here focusses around the hiss and char of an open grill – pork chops, Dover sole, a rib of beef to share – alongside terrines, oysters with soda bread, and roast potatoes. And to prove they’re not just some London upstart, they’re integrating with the local community by holding events like comedy nights and feasts for the elderly around one big, communal table.
How do I get there? Pretty easily, actually. It’s 1h15 on the train from Paddington to Charlbury, and the pub’s an 8 minute walk from there. But there are also rooms upstairs if you accidentally-on-purpose elect to miss the train home.
Anything nearby? The village is picturesque AF, and if you hop onto The Oxfordshire Way you can walk to several other charming Cotswolds villages while soaking up unbelievable scenery. Nearby Cornbury Park hosts a handful of events every year, including the hyper-popular Wilderness festival.
Details: Sheep Street, Charlbury, OX7 3RR | Book a table at The Bull
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The Fordwich Arms | Fordwich, Kent
Why go? Aside from this bucolic, wisteria-showered riverside view, you mean? Well, in the colder months you can hole up in the 1930s interior; a wood-panelled pub & dining room kept warm by three roaring fires. Husband-and-wife team Daniel and Natasha Smith worked in some of the country’s most accolade-laden restaurants before taking over the pub in 2017 as a pair of plucky 26-year olds. Since then, they’ve won Michelin stars for both Fordwich and another pub in a nearby village, the Bridge Arms – but they haven’t forgotten that this is a pub at heart, so while you can go for the fancy tasting menu option, they’ve kept the main menu grounded, approachable and deeply satisfying.
How do I get there? Take a half hour train from Stratford to Ashford, then another half hour train to Sturry and the town’s a 10 minute walk away. You can also drive from London in about 2.5 hours.
Anything nearby? Fordwich is officially the smallest town in England, with only 300 residents. But after you’ve taken a stroll past its chocolate-box historic buildings, you can follow the Stour for a two mile riverside walk to the bright lights of Canterbury.
Details: King St, Fordwich, Canterbury CT2 0DB | Book a table at The Fordwich Arms
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The Gunton Arms | Cromer, Norfolk
Why go? It’s a quintessential English country pub, with all the necessary ingredients: cosy fires, farmhouse furnishings, a giant elk’s skull on the wall… and a modest collection of contemporary artwork by the likes of Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Frank Auerbach. Chef and co-owner Stuart Tattersall used to work at the HIX restaurants in London, and can now take advantage of the bounty of local produce – seafood comes freshly caught from just a few miles away, while the pub sits right in the middle of a historic deer park, which supplies venison to be roasted whole over the fire in the main dining room.
How do I get there? It’s about 3.5 hours by car or train (with a change at Norwich), and there are 16 rooms upstairs if you want to stay over.
Anything nearby? A 15 minute drive takes you to Cromer on the scenic Norfolk coastline, with its sandy beach and coastal walking trails.
Details: Cromer Road, Thorpe Market, Norfolk NR11 8TZ | Book a table at The Gunton Arms
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The Leicester Arms | Penshurst, Tonbridge
Why go? This Grade II listed pub & restaurant received a top-to-toe reboot earlier this year, restoring the front snug bar to its former, old-school glory, and freshening up the main dining room with richly patterned textiles and misty-hued wall panelling. Of course, the pub’s original charms – exposed beams, mullioned windows, and a beer garden looking onto rolling fields – are all very much present and correct.
Food takes a European, gastro slant – rock oysters, focaccia and padron peppers to start; followed by roast chicken or a little fettuccine with Italian sausage ragù; and sticky toffee pudding or chocolate mousse to finish.
How do I get there? Depending on whether you hit rush hour, you can drive down from London in 1h15 to 2hrs. Or, you can take a 45 min train from London to Bridge to Tunbridge Wells, then a short bus or taxi ride from there.
Anything nearby? The pub literally faces onto Penshurst Place, once Henry VIIIth’s hunting lodge and now, unusually, still inhabited by the descendants of Sir William Sidney, who got the keys in 1552. You can mooch through the Grade I listed house, stop to smell the flowers across 11 acres of fancy landscaped gardens, and follow the cycling and walking trails across the other 37 acres of rolling parkland. You’re not far from Tunbridge Wells or Hever Castle, either, if you’ve brought a car.
Details: High Street, Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8BT | Book a table at The Leicester Arms
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The Fox | Oddington, Gloucestershire
Why go? The Fox is just a humble, 19th century village pub… with links to the nearby Daylesford and Wotton organic farms, who supply most of the kitchen’s ingredients. The dining room is set in a neatly refurbed stable block, which offsets the original stall dividers and rustic brickwork with a sleek modern extension that leads onto the terrace and garden beyond. In colder months, you can sit by the fireside in the snug with a pint. But if you’re after something more substantial, the wood-fired oven is trusted with most of the cooking, turning out pizzas, elevated pub classics and, of course, a stellar Sunday lunch.
How do I get there? It’s a 2h40 drive from London, or a 1h30 train from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh, then a 15 min taxi from there. There are also stunning rooms upstairs if you want to make a weekend of it.
Anything nearby? You’re well-placed here to go on a Cotswolds village crawl – some of the AONB’s most picturesque villages, including Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper Slaughter and Kingham are all nearby.
Details: High Street, Lower Oddington, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 0UR | Book a table at The Fox
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Osip (2.0) | Bruton, Somerset
Why go? Ok, so Osip is not a gastropub per se, but it’s one of the best-known foodie destinations outside of London that it deserves an honorary mention. It’s the passion project of chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, who launched Portland and promptly won a Michelin Star at the age of 24.
Here at Osip (which holds a Green Michelin Star of its own), he’s taken seasonality to the next level, which is a smart move given the chaos climate change is inflicting on Mother Nature. Instead of relying on calendar, he’s working with whatever happens to be growing in the two local farms and orchard that supply the bulk of the restaurant’s produce. Farmers donate surplus from their fields, and even the ciders and spirits on the drinks menu are made locally. This means that the dishes on offer each day are a reaction to what arrives on the Osip kitchen doorstep each morning, and you’ll just have to waive all decision-making and come along for the ride.
How do I get there? It’s about 1h40 on the train from Paddington to Bruton, with one change, or a 3hr drive.
Anything nearby? You can take a 50 minute train or drive up to Bath, and a 50 minute drive to Stonehenge if you want to get all prehistoric. But Bruton itself is dead charming, with narrow ancient streets, a winding river and independent shops, plus acres of rolling hills in the surrounding countryside (an invigorating walk takes you to nearby Batcombe, where you can finish up at The Three Horseshoes). Make time to catch one of the modern art exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth Somerset.
Details: 25 Kingsettle Hill, Hardway, Bruton, BA10 0LN | Book a table at Osip
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The Lamb Inn | Little Milton, Oxfordshire
Why go? It’s where the team at the multi award-winning Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons go to let their hair down. Built in the 16th century, it genuinely doesn’t feel like it’s changed much since then (ceilings are medieval peasant height; don’t come here if you’re tall). The real coup from its refurb in 2022 was the appointment of a former Le Manoir chef, Nat Berney, in the kitchens, who presents pub classics with a genteel flair. Pan-fried stone bass comes with a braised artichoke & white wine velouté; rib eye steak’s scorched over a wood fire; and the sticky toffee pudding comes with a thick miso caramel sauce.
How do I get there? You can take the coach (1h20) from central London to Oxford, then it’s a half hour cab from there. Or, you can drive the whole way in just under 2 hours.
Anything nearby? Apparently Oxford has a fair amount going for it. And it’s a half hour stroll to Le Manoir, if you want to enjoy the most expensive sleepover of your life.
Details: High St, Little Milton, Oxfordshire OX44 7PU | Book a table at The Lamb Inn
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The Bear Inn | Hodnet, Shropshire
Why go? This Shropshire freehouse has been welcoming locals and beer-deprived country ramblers for over half a millennium. Over that time, it’s hidden monks in the cellar, had a bear pit revival in the 1970s, and gained at least one ill-humoured ghost. It’s also, more recently, gained two AA rosettes and a nod in the Michelin guide for the Modern European menu in its cosy, wood-panelled restaurant. Chef Joe Andrews puts together dishes with one foot in tradition, the other in joyful experimentation: try the duck leg tart with cherry & pistachio; a chicken pasty with rice, cabbage & jerk sauce; and a chai brûlée with blackberry & ginger to finish.
How do I get there? It’s only 1h30 from Euston to Stoke-On-Trent, then you’re best off getting a 45 minute cab from there. If you’re driving the whole way, it’s 3hr45. On the off-chance you don’t fancy repeating that journey after dinner, there are rooms upstairs.
Anything nearby? It’s a short drive to Market Drayton for canalside walks and famously good gingerbread. But Hodnet itself is a pretty quaint spot, with tumbledown buildings and classic village stores including a butcher’s, a florist’s, and an antique rocking horse shop.
Details: Drayton Road, Hodnet, Shropshire TF9 3NH | Book a table at The Bear Inn
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The Sportsman | Seasalter, Kent
Why go? Probably the best known gastropub outside of London, The Sportsman is chef Stephen Harris’ self-described ‘grotty boozer by the sea’. True, it might lack some of the polish of the other spots on this list with their carefully sourced antiques and jute carpets, but its trad interiors speak to a restaurant that’s less concerned with image, and more concerned with feeding people well (even if it does have a pesky Michelin Star adding a bit of sparkle to the place). Ingredients are sourced almost exclusively from the surrounding land and sea; an approach that’s drawn pilgrims like Noma’s Rene Redzepi from as far as Copenhagen. So you can probably manage the trip from London at some point.
How do I get there? It’s a 2 hour drive, or you can take a 1h20 train from King’s Cross to Whitstable, and walk along the coast for 1h20. Trains go from Stratford to Faversham, too, which is a bit closer.
Anything nearby? Walk off your lunch by heading back to Whitstable, with its shingly beach, antique-laden high street and crabbing spots.
Details: Faversham Road, Seasalter, Kent CT5 4BP | Book a table at The Sportsman
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The Bradley Hare | Maiden Bradley, Somerset
Why go? This 19th century coaching inn has been zhuzhed with the help of a former head designer for Soho House, giving the place a home-from-home feel (especially if you stay over in one of the individually-designed rooms upstairs). There’s the Snug with its cosy fireside and mismatched furnishings, the bar area where you can join a cocktail class, and the pub dining room, led by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Daniel Duncan. The menu is full of modern European classics executed with finesse – torched mackerel with heritage tomato on sourdough; onglet with confit potatoes and the like – as well as a tempting Sunday roast, ideal to return to after a stomp through the fields enveloping the inn.
How do I get there? It’s a three hour drive from London, or it’s a two hour train from Waterloo to Gillingham, then an 18 minute cab from there.
Anything nearby? Being relatively close to Bruton, you could spend a whole weekend here hopping over to Osip and The Three Horseshoes for full gastronomic blowout. Or, you could just take a walker’s map from the fresh milk station next to the pub, and set off across the countryside – Maiden Bradley’s set in a clearing of the Sherwood Forest, so you might even pass some merry men on the way.
Details: Church Street, Maiden Bradley, BA12 7HW | Book a table at The Bradley Hare
Looking for more inspiration? Peruse our guide to amazing day trips from London