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.

Good pub guide

The Good Pub Guide, awarded The Olive Branch ‘Pub of the Year 2021’ and also recommend these excellent Rutland pubs:

 

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    aa rosette smallaa rosette smallaa rosette smallaa rosette small
The Olive Branch  aa rosette smallaa rosette small
Lake Isle                  aa rosette smallaa rosette small
The Kings Arms     aa rosette smallaa rosette small
Barnsdale Lodge    aa rosette small

 

Good Food GuideSince 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.”

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.
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.

Start Date: 01/01/2018

Supplying wines, beers and spirits to the local area and also to our online community. We pride ourselves in the quality of fine French wines, and only source from the very best suppliers in Europe, the US, Australia and beyond.
From Farm, To You, By Lou X Visit Our Farm Shop for Meat, Poultry, Farmhouse Pies, Artisan Burgers, Craft Sausages & More.
Rutland CAMRA [Campaign for Real Ale in Rutland] is dedicated to preserving real ales, ciders and perries in real pubs for real people. We are a body of over 200 men & women, most of whom live in Rutland, who are dedicated to preserving Real Ales & Cider in Real Pubs and Clubs for Real People like you and me.
A multi award winning restaurant in the heart of Oakham.
Bat and Bottle are Rutland’s only specialist importers of Italian wine.  Truly multum in parvo, we are winners of the Decanter Retailers Awards for Best Italian Wine Merchant, and came second for Best Subscription Wine Club, as wel as being the first ever (2020) London Wine Fair Wine Buyers Award for: UKs ‘Best Online Specialist Wine Buyer’. Our small warehouse on Oakham Enterprise Park is packed with artisan wines – shoppers are welcome to drop in whenever we are open; we sell directly to the public and there is no minimum purchase. Our wine club was shortlisted by the IWC as one of the UK’s top two wine clubs, we have even represented UK small businesses at Downing Street… You can be assured that though serious when we buy our wines, you will never find life is too serious when you shop with us.
Fresh quality ingredients, an excellent dining space and exceptional service. Come and visit Sarpech, Rutland’s wine bar and fine dining restaurant with an Indian flavour in the heart of Oakham.
A single site vineyard in between two valleys located on Jurassic limestone soil.
Occupying a stunning position overlooking the picturesque Chater Valley to the east of Lyndon, the barn was rescued from near ruin and is now home to a wonderful café, with additional meeting area spaces in the extensive mezzanine floor.
Nestled next to the water with fantastic views across the water, our newly refurbished Harbour Café offers something for everyone.
Ganders Goat pride themselves on their green focused farming and production methods. Come Goat Walking on the farm, where they produce a range of Soap and Ice Cream from the goat milk.
The place to buy your luxury foods and indulgent treats, making it a top destination for foodies!
Set in ten acres of meadowland with a fantastic children’s play area, the Country Cafe offers a warm welcome, and delicious home made cakes.