Wiltshire dining pubs

Wiltshire isn’t short of great dining pubs and delivers everything from cosy country inns to contemporary foodie destinations. Whether you’re planning a mid-walk lunch, an indulgent dinner or a greedy getaway, you’ll find the perfect venue in our pick of the best Wiltshire dining pubs

Sign of the Angel, Lacock

This 15th-century pub in the National Trust-owned village of Lacock is a fitting setting in which to relax and replenish after a day of historical sightseeing. With beamed ceilings, rough stone walls and roaring open fires, Sign of the Angel is a proper coaching inn with a hearty menu to match.

Pub classics like fish and chips and ribeye steak will keep purists happy, while dishes such as pork tenderloin with beetroot risotto, peas, honeyed parsnips and crackling will pique more adventurous palates. Tip: don’t overload early as the puddings are not to be missed – creations such as peanut and chocolate delice with vanilla ice cream, and bakewell tart with mascarpone cream and honeycomb are as delicious to devour as they are to admire.

Red Lion Freehouse, Pewsey

From the outside, Red Lion Freehouse in Pewsey appears to be a traditional English country inn: thatched roof, swinging sign adorned with the emblematic red lion and a beer garden replete with wooden benches and parasols. However, this gem is set apart from the standard village tavern by its outstanding food and service.

Owners Brittany and Guy Manning deliver an elevated offering of modern European fusion cuisine which attracts patrons from far and wide. Almost everything is made from scratch in-house using produce from the surrounding Wiltshire countryside. Expect to find dishes such as Sika-venison scotch egg with pickled walnut ketchup, coq au vin with celeriac mash, buttered spinach and bourguignon garnish, and Cornish monkfish with braised leeks, samphire, mussels and shellfish bisque.

For the full Red Lion experience, plump for the evening tasting menu and stay the night at the Troutbeck, the pub’s five-bedroom boutique guesthouse with views over the River Avon.

The Potting Shed, Crudwell

This Wiltshire dining pub on the edge of the Cotswolds attracts a chic crowd thanks to its proximity to its sister venue The Rectory. The Potting Shed is known for its seasonal menus and relaxed yet refined interiors and is a place to while away an afternoon while imbibing a glass or two with an indulgent lunch.

The line-up is pleasingly faff-free with a focus on well-executed British gastropub favourites such as beer-battered fish and chips, pie of the day and The Potting Shed burger which is served with sriracha relish, slaw and fries.

Visit in the summer to dine in the pub’s verdant gardens where homegrown organic veg, apples and herbs are picked. In winter, snuggle up in one of the bar’s nooks and tuck into hearty comfort food such as a black-pudding scotch egg with mustard mayonnaise.

Bunch of Grapes, Bradford-on-Avon

With a cosy pub downstairs and a more formal – but no-less-inviting – dining room upstairs, this Bradford-on-Avon venue is a fabulous find for all manner of occasions.

Discerning diners will delight in chef Tony Casey’s evening tasting menus which showcase the best of British produce with a modern twist. Over a choice of five or seven courses, sample the likes of crab with watermelon gazpacho, kimchi rind and pickled mooli, and puds like passionfruit crème brûlée with burnt and caramelised white chocolate and mango sorbet. The à la carte menu is equally inspiring.

Looking for something a little more relaxed? Book in for brunch and get stuck into crowd-pleasing dishes such as crushed peas, avocado and mint on toast with poached eggs.

The Longs Arms, South Wraxall

The ethos at this village dining pub is simple: to deliver beautifully executed, yet uncomplicated, modern British dishes in an unpretentious setting. Situated between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath, The Longs Arms manages to be both a friendly local boozer and a covetable destination for those who love good food and wine.

Chef owner Rob Allcock and partner Liz bought the pub from Wadworth Brewery in 2017 and have since won numerous awards for their seasonal menus. Pop in for a real ale and bar snacks like crab and sesame spring rolls with peanut and chilli pickle, and breaded king oyster mushrooms with garlic and chive mayonnaise. Alternatively, go the whole hog and indulge in three delicious courses.

What customers love about The Longs Arms is the attention to detail that goes into every dish and the meticulous sourcing of ingredients from top-notch suppliers. Bread is baked twice-daily using flour from Shipton Mill and the team churn their own butter from Ivy House Farm Cream.

Like 5 of the best Wiltshire dining pubs? Check out our roundup of Somerset dining pubs here.

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