The Queens Head - Cotswold

What can I say, great pub, food and drink were amazing. Staff were great and looked after me and my family. Well worth a visit.

We chose The Queens Head because unlike the majority of other pubs in Stow, this one had the cosy factor and didn’t have the extra £10 per dish addition just because it’s in Stow! It was the right choice. Food superb, service warm and friendly and the aforementioned price was right. They also have good ale. Do book though. We did and when we arrived, every other table was taken.

As ALL the pubs in Stow on The Wold, This is a very popular restaurant and you need to book ahead in person or by phone no online bookings). It had a lovely old world atmosphere and the menu looked great. I had Sausage and buttered mash with onion gravy. The Sausages were first quality and excellent but alas the mash was gray and there was no buttery taste it tasted very smooth but bland and the onion gravy was also lacking as it didn't have much flavour and the onions were still crunchy. We were seated in the middle of the pub and 3 flies kept landing on our faces and arms, they kept trying to land on our food. It spoilt the whole experience as we were trying to stop them landing on our food constantly. While we were eating a couple came in asking to eat but had no booking and were turned away as the manager said that they were fully booked. Not 5 minutes later 5 people came in looking for a table without a booking, but instead of being turned away the manager showed them to a table at the back.

Ate here by chance on the Tuesday night and the food and service were so good that we re-booked for the following evening. The food is good honest pub grub and the steak and ale pie is one of the best. The best recommendation I can give is that we went back, a couple we were talking to on the Tuesday had been in the previous evening, a couple that were in with us on the Tuesday were also back on the Wednesday and a couple in on the Wednesday were rebooking for the following Saturday. Something must be working.

Alert to all Americans and rest of Europe do not order the scampi with tail. It was a tasteless fried ball of breading, with hard to find pieces of undercooked shrimp. Scampi in the UK is nothing like it is served in the rest of the world. The restaurant wouldn’t take it back. Even if that’s the way they prepare it in the UK, it was tasteless.