Discover the Charm of The Falcon Hotel
View our handy Food & Drink Map with cycling route and list of places to eat
Rutland is proud of its farming and agricultural background and it is thanks to this strong tradition of supporting local produce that there is an excellent selection of quality food and drink available now, not only when eating out but also with local businesses producing delicious fare to enjoy in your own home.
Award Winning Food & Drink
Inspectors and reviewers are repeatedly impressed with the quality food offer here, with many establishments winning awards in guide books and reviewed in the national press.
The Olive Branch in Clipsham has an enviable clutch of hospitality industry honours. Crowned ‘Best Pub’ in the GQ Food & Drink Awards 2021, this year it has also been recognised as the finest gastropub in the county in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards. Being placed in ‘The List’ is one of the pub world’s highest accolades and The Wheatsheaf in Greetham is also proud to be among the recipients of this coveted award.
The Good Pub Guide, awarded The Olive Branch ‘Pub of the Year 2021’ and also recommend these excellent Rutland pubs:
- The Grainstore Brewery, Oakham
- The Kings Arms, Wing
- The Wheatsheaf, Greetham
An AA Rosette Award is an highly sought-after accreditation for culinary excellence, awarded annually on a rising scale of one to five. Rutland is proud to have a multitude of recognised venues:
Hambleton Hall 
The Olive Branch
Lake Isle
The Kings Arms
Barnsdale Lodge
Since 1951,The Good Food Guide has reviewed the best restaurants, pubs and cafés across the UK. Each year, the guide is completely rewritten and compiled from scratch. All reviews are based on a huge volume of feedback submitted by readers, together with anonymous expert inspections to ensure that every entry is assessed afresh. Rutland boasts four entries in 2021;
The Olive Branch, Clipsham | Hitchens Barn, Oakham | Lake Isle, Uppingham | Hambleton Hall
Michelin Awards of Distinction
For top quality English elegance, it is hard to beat Hambleton Hall on the Rutland Water peninsular, it has the longest retained Michelin Star in the UK (since 1982) and appeared in The Good Food Guide’s Top 50 best UK restaurants for 29 years, it is also renowned for a quality wine list, luxury accommodation and an award winning bakery, not to mention outstanding hospitality – come and see what all the fuss is about on your next visit.
Hitchen’s Barn opened on Burley Road in Oakham in 2019 and as well as featuring in The Good Food Guide, has also been distinguished with a Bib Gourmand, an award which showcases “delightful little restaurants selected by MICHELIN guide inspectors for their very good value for money.”
Featured Listings
A cosy and stylish restaurant seating up to 360 people; with an outdoor verandah that’s perfect for summer and a lovely ‘snug’ area by the wood burner in winter. It’s a warm and relaxed environment that welcomes visitors of all ages.
Blossoms – one of the best restaurants in Rutland
Renown for its superb food and spectacular views, Blossoms is one of the best restaurants in Rutland.
The Fox Country Pub and Dining is an 18th Century Inn idyllically set in the quiet picturesque village of North Luffenham in Rutland, England’s smallest county. An attractive 18th century double fronted stone property with a local Collyweston slate roof, the building affords lots of charm and character.
Hambleton Bakery on Cottesmore Road, Exton sprung into life in 2008, since then the little shop at one end of the Bakery has surpassed all of our expectations. Traditional bread, made slowly with top quality English or French stone ground flour, makes up a significant part of our output.
Home of Ferneley’s Ice Cream, an adventure golf course, children’s play areas and an amazing countryside view from the cafe, visitors can be sure of a warm welcome come rain or shine.
Rutland is a county bursting with flavour! The variety and quality of produce made in this area is astonishing.
Your Local traditional English Pub
The kitchen specialises in taste-packed classics, using ingredients from their own paddock as well as the surrounding countryside and local producers and supplies. They skilfully work with flavours that were made to go together as well a few unusual combinations.
Bowl Everyone Over With Our Grilling Courses
A Warm Welcome awaits everyone at the Courtyard Café, adjoining Rutland Water Golf Course. The beautifully renovated stone barn enjoys great views of the course and Rutland Water beyond.
With a focus on offering the finest produce, sourced locally wherever possible, Gates Farm Shop promises customers a true foodie experience.
Your local bar & kitchen
Start Date: 01/01/2017
Hambleton Hall, a Relais and Chateaux property, is one of Britain’s finest country house hotels. It has a spectacular lakeside setting and its restaurant is a haven for gourmets.
Mallard Point is a family-run Single Estate Vineyard and Distillery located in Essendine, Rutland, offering tours and creating a range of local gins and still and sparkling wines.
Set within a Grade II listed former hunting lodge circa 1604, Hunters Bar & Kitchen offers honest tasty food, locally sourced, created and prepared by renowned local chef Neil Hornsby. We serve specialist coffee from Oakham’s local roaster Two Chimps, local craft beer from the Oakham based Grainstore Brewery and locally produced spirits, including from Market Harborough the award winning Two Birds range of gin and vodka.
