How to choose between the best Gloucestershire restaurant wedding venues
Gloucestershire’s historic inns, country pubs, and fine dining establishments offer couples celebration spaces where exceptional food and drink take centre stage. These characterful venues combine centuries of hospitality tradition with contemporary culinary expertise, creating weddings where guests enjoy genuine warmth and outstanding dining experiences.
The Nook on Five
The Nook on Five is a stylish contemporary restaurant and event space located at the top of The Quadrangle in Cheltenham. This innovative venue combines urban sophistication with exceptional culinary credentials and a dramatic rooftop setting that offers panoramic views across Cheltenham and the surrounding Cotswold hills. Check out this beautiful Nook wedding day here!
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The main restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light while showcasing panoramic views across Cheltenham and the distant Cotswold landscape. This flexible space can be configured for ceremonies and dining for up to 100 guests, with sleek contemporary décor that provides a stylish backdrop requiring minimal additional styling.
- Outdoor Spaces: The venue’s crowning feature is its extensive roof terrace offering breathtaking views across Cheltenham and toward the surrounding countryside, a rare combination of urban convenience with spectacular vistas.
What Makes The Nook on Five Stand Out for Couples:
- Culinary Excellence: As a restaurant first and foremost, The Nook offers wedding food that transcends typical banqueting fare. Their experienced culinary team specialises in contemporary British cuisine using locally sourced ingredients, with the flexibility to create bespoke menus that reflect each couple’s tastes.
- Urban-Meets-Rural Setting: The venue’s unique position in Cheltenham offers couples a distinctive “best of both worlds” location; the convenience and contemporary edge of an urban setting combined with spectacular views toward the surrounding Cotswold landscape.
- Built-In Bar Atmosphere: As an established bar and restaurant, The Nook offers the immediate atmosphere and energy that purpose-built wedding venues often lack.
Wild Thyme & Honey
Wild Thyme & Honey is a boutique hotel, restaurant and pub venue housed within a beautifully restored Cotswold stone building in the picturesque village of Ampney Crucis near Cirencester. This characterful establishment combines traditional architectural elements with contemporary luxury to create a stylish yet relaxed setting for couples seeking a celebration with authentic hospitality at its heart. Could this be one of the best Gloucestershire restaurant wedding venues?
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: This versatile space accommodates up to 150 guests and features large windows that fill the room with natural light while offering views across the countryside. The adjoining Crown pub provides additional characterful spaces for welcome drinks or more intimate gatherings.
- Outdoor Spaces: The grounds connect to gentle countryside walks along the nearby River Ampney, offering couples beautiful settings for photography and guests the opportunity to explore the quintessential Cotswold landscape.
What Makes Wild Thyme & Honey Stand Out for Couples:
- Destination Venue with Accommodation: Unlike traditional restaurants or pubs, Wild Thyme & Honey offers 24 beautifully appointed bedrooms and suites that can accommodate up to 50 guests, allowing key wedding party members to stay on-site and create a weekend-long celebration.
- Exceptional Food and Drink Heritage: As an established dining destination, the venue brings significant culinary expertise to wedding celebrations. Their experienced chefs specialise in refined comfort food that elevates familiar favorites with sophisticated technique and presentation.
- Indoor-Outdoor Flow: The venue’s design creates seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces, with French doors connecting the main celebration areas to the courtyard garden. This thoughtful layout allows events to expand outdoors in good weather while maintaining cohesion and atmosphere regardless of conditions.
Hare and Hounds Hotel
There are many Gloucestershire restaurant wedding venues. The Hare and Hounds Hotel is an elegant country house hotel and restaurant set within acres of beautifully maintained gardens near Tetbury and one of the best! This traditional Cotswold stone building combines classic architectural grace with a contemporary approach to hospitality.
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The hotel features several distinctive areas for celebrations, including the charming Westonbirt Room with its period features and countryside views for intimate ceremonies, and the impressive Cotswold Suite, a self-contained space with private entrance, bar, and terrace that can accommodate up to 150 guests.
- Outdoor Spaces: The hotel is surrounded by acres of manicured gardens designed to showcase seasonal beauty throughout the year. The grounds include a traditional walled garden and expansive lawns perfect for outdoor ceremonies.
What Makes Hare and Hounds Stand Out for Couples:
- Country House Celebrations: The Hare and Hounds offers inclusive wedding packages starting from £120 per person, with options that can be tailored to specific requirements. Their comprehensive approach includes venue hire, three-course wedding breakfast, evening food, drink packages, accommodation for the wedding couple, and dedicated coordination. Additional bedrooms are available at preferential wedding rates for guests.
- Destination Weekend Potential: The hotel offers 42 individually designed bedrooms accommodating up to 84 guests, allowing couples to extend their celebration into a weekend-long experience. This comprehensive accommodation allows for rehearsal dinners, post-wedding brunches, and informal gathering spaces throughout the event.
- Gastronomic Reputation: The hotel’s restaurant holds significant culinary credentials, with an established reputation for quality that translates directly to wedding catering. Their executive chef brings fine dining expertise to celebration menus, with a focus on seasonal Cotswold ingredients and elegant presentation.
Holford Arms
The Holford Arms is a characterful country pub with rooms set within six acres of gardens, orchards and wildflower meadows near Tetbury. This independently owned venue offers a refreshingly relaxed approach to weddings, combining traditional pub warmth with festival-inspired outdoor spaces to create celebrations with an informal, natural atmosphere.
Main Offerings for Weddings:
- Ceremony and Reception Spaces: The main pub building provides a charming setting for intimate ceremonies and gatherings with its open fireplaces, wooden beams, and traditional bar creating an immediately welcoming atmosphere. For larger celebrations, the venue’s permanent stretch tent can accommodate up to 120 guests for dining and dancing, offering a covered outdoor option that combines shelter with connection to the surrounding gardens.
- Outdoor Spaces: The pub sits within extensive grounds that include productive kitchen gardens, traditional orchards, and wildflower meadows maintained with biodiversity in mind. These natural spaces can host outdoor ceremonies, garden games, and festival-style celebrations.
What Makes Holford Arms Stand Out for Couples:
- Relaxed Pub Hospitality: This authentic pub setting encourages celebration without pretension, perfect for couples who want their wedding to feel like a fantastic gathering of friends and family rather than a formal production.
- Glamping Accommodation: The venue offers unique on-site accommodation options including bell tents and shepherd’s huts situated throughout the grounds, allowing couples and their closest guests to extend the celebration in festival style. These characterful spaces provide a memorable alternative to traditional hotel rooms, with wood-burning stoves, comfortable bedding, and private outdoor seating that creates a glamping experience connected to the natural surroundings.
- Garden-to-Glass Ethos: The pub’s culinary approach centers around produce grown in their own kitchen gardens or sourced from neighboring farms, with menus changing to reflect what’s being harvested that week. This commitment extends to their drink offerings, with orchard fruits used in house-made ciders and seasonal botanicals incorporated into signature cocktails.
