Stroud

Stroud sits among a set of steep, green valleys on the western edge of the Cotswolds, and its food and drink scene has grown up around that same mix of market town practicality and rural surroundings. You will find proper Italian cooking at places like Casa Romana, Grande Italia Restorant and Amalfi Nailsworth, gelato from Alfonso Gelateria Stroud, and more casual spots such as Brick And Brew and Ali's Kitchen. Amberley Shop On The Common adds a village-shop feel to the wider area, and Cafe@Painswick Rococo Garden lets you combine lunch with a look at the gardens themselves.

The town itself is compact and hilly, built up the sides of the Slad and Golden Valleys, with the kind of independent shops and market stalls that give it a reputation as one of the more alternative corners of Gloucestershire. It is a good base for exploring the wider district, with Nailsworth and Painswick both close by and each contributing their own restaurants to the local scene.

Beyond eating, Painswick Rococo Garden is the standout attraction, an unusual eighteenth-century garden that is particularly worth timing a visit around. Families are well catered for too, with Go Bananas Indoor Softplay Centre and Stratford Park Leisure Centre providing rainy-day options, while Vue Stroud and the Gloucester Apollo cover cinema and live entertainment for evenings out.

Put together, Stroud works well as a base for a few days of walking the valleys by day and eating well by night, with enough variety in both restaurants and accommodation to suit a weekend away or a longer stay in the area.