Sunday best: The finest roast dinners in the Cotswolds

The Fleece at Cirencester, Gloucestershire

A pretty coaching inn, The Fleece has not long been refurbished and the bar, lounge and restaurant are all scrubbed up and glowing. Open all day it has a good buzz. Drop by for coffee and egg on toast; choose a sharing platter at lunchtime with a pint of Thwaites. There are daily specials and Sunday roasts, which are well worth the visit. They offer a choice of different cuts, crispy roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and homemade gravy. 

Set off into the Cotswolds for a hike with the dog, browse the antique shops, then come back to the Fleece for the night – ask about parking before you arrive, and make sure you’ve booked for dinner; it can get busy. 

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Sign of the Angel, Lacock

Occupying centre-stage in one the prettiest of all Cotswold villages, the Sign of the Angel is a genuine period piece. The inn was taken over by energetic young brothers Tom and Jack in 2014, and has been impeccably renovated to trumpet its age. The owners are from farming stock, and it shows in Head Chef Ashley’s menu. Everything from the bread to the sorbets are locally sourced and homemade: warm mackerel rarebit; brioche and heritage tomato salad; baked tenderloin in local bacon stuffed with pear and Bath cheese; Bramley crumble with toffee apple ice cream. But arrive on a Sunday, and you’ll be greeted with a selection of the classics – rare striploin of beef (with beef dripping potatoes), roast pork loin, chicken breast – and a healthy selection of alternatives for those less roast-inclined.  

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The Lamb Inn, Burford

The Lamb started life in the 15th century as a simple weaver’s cottage. You dine, in a light and elegant restaurant overlooking the garden, on great quality, locally sourced food like trout from Bibury, lamb from Barnsley and Wye Valley asparagus. Breakfast bacon and eggs are from a neighbouring farm.  

When Sunday rolls around, you’ll find all the classics, but elevated by their local sourcing and the work of some talented chefs, including a vegetarian wellington worth dodging meat for. Come with your dog – there’s a room with a private garden that is ideal – and delightful walking in the Windrush River Valley.  

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The Maytime Inn, Burford

This 17th-century coaching inn has a delightful setting in the heart of a historic Cotswold village, with the babbling Windrush River just a stone’s throw away. 

A cool young team run this rather posh pub, headed up by Dom. Good food is sourced locally and freshly cooked in a modern British style, and drinks are taken seriously: an ever-growing choice of gins, a beer menu with craft and world beers, an excellent choice of whiskies and wines by the glass.  

If you’re after a roast, however, the Sunday menu is hard to compete with. You could start unconventionally, with a burrata and heritage tomato salad and nettle pistou, and work your way towards tradition, with a choice of locally sourced cuts for mains. There are options for the culinarily adventurous, and desserts that could, though certainly shouldn’t be, shared.  

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The Feathered Nest Country Inn, Chipping Norton

This 18th-century malthouse has an appealing flagged bar that steps down to a smouldering fire in the snug… the perfect spot to enjoy the papers.  

The food here is a real draw: the kitchen churns its butter and bakes its bread and the chefs take pride in their inventive menus, and sommelier-written wine list.   

When week’s end comes knocking, Chef Matt Weedon focuses on cooking simple dishes – well. No exotic-sourced extras, no flamboyant garnishes, no unnecessary culinary fusions. Just tradition, quality ingredients and skill. If you’ve retained room for dessert, and that’s a big if, you can expect a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach, and spot things like a dark chocolate cremeux with passion fruit and a kaffir lime leaf ice cream making its way to other tables – and enjoy telling the waiting staff – ‘I’ll have what they’re having’.  

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