The long-running need for the ultimate Food & Drink guide in the Cotwolds is solved this month with the launch of a brand new service for our readers

Great British Life: From fine dining to gastro pubs, The Menu has it coveredFrom fine dining to gastro pubs, The Menu has it covered (Image: Archant)

We’ve never been faced with more choice when it comes to dining out. The range and quality of restaurants and eateries in our region is stunning. You could literally eat out every night of the year if you wanted to.

Great British Life: Log on to the Cotswold Life website to discover a handy directory featuring hundreds of local places to eat and drink.Log on to the Cotswold Life website to discover a handy directory featuring hundreds of local places to eat and drink. (Image: Archant)

But with that range of restaurants comes the problem of making choices of where to go and when. Like all of us, I have a number of questions when it comes to picking a place to dine out.

Is the menu to my liking? Does the range and style of food meet my needs? Is it in the right location? Is it in my price range? When is it open? Are there any special offers which might tempt me?

The list of ‘unknowns’ can be overwhelming and that can often lead to us playing it safe and reverting to the places we already know.

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Nothing wrong with that: it’s good to know where to eat and enjoy the experience. But, wouldn’t it be good to have that little EXTRA bit of help in making an informed choice about new places? Or, indeed, learn something new about somewhere you already know?

Which is where Cotswold Life comes in. Welcome to The Menu, our indispensable, unique guide to dining out in the Cotwolds.

I am proud to reveal this ‘must have’ answer to your dining out needs – with both a print and online solution helping make your choices even simpler.

Cotswold Life has specially selected our choice of the top 100 dining out venues in the county and gathered them together in a unique collection called The Menu.

The Menu is about choice, quality and supporting the wonderful Food & Drink producers in the Cotwolds.

It’s unlike any other dining out guide you will have encountered. Collected together on our website and featured on a specially created app for the county, The Menu lists all you need to know about the top 100 places to eat in the Cotwolds - all at the click of a mouse or via your smartphone.

It’s a simple way of browsing and selecting places to eat across the county…with lots of tempting offers and latest updates to whet your appetite.

And as well as The Menu online, each month in the pages of Cotswold Life we will also feature reports on the restaurants and eateries we have selected for The Menu. Read all about signature dishes, discover the people who make the restaurants tick, find out our tips on a tipple or two, learn where the top tables are and take in the latest Food & Drink news for the county.

Whether it’s a light lunch with friends, a romantic dinner date for two, a family meal out or a spur-of-the-moment trip out as a treat then The Menu has all you need in one single place.

I hope you enjoy using The Menu as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. My mouth is already watering at the choice of places to dine out at!

Mike Lowe

Editor, Cotswold Life

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How The Menu can help you

As well as keeping you up to date with your favourite magazine, we have some great new ways of bringing the best of food and drink information to you

Get the app...

Enjoy discovering the best restaurants in the region with the new Cotswold Life Food & Drink app. Featuring a range of recommended restaurants, it’s now easier than ever to find a restaurant near you with a GPS-enabled map. We’ve also rounded up the best local food and drink producers and included a selection of tasty recipes to whet your appetite. Available to download for free on iOS and Android devices, you can now browse while you’re out and about and find discounted offers from local food businesses.

...and our e-newsletter...

Keep up-to-date with the latest local food and drink offers by signing up to receive our weekly newsletter. Delivered direct to your inbox, the newsletter features exclusive local offers along with spotlights on regional restaurants to help you discover new places to eat and drink in your area while enjoying money-saving deals.

...and find our online directory

For full details of the restaurants in the county, log on to the Cotswold Life website to discover a handy directory featuring hundreds of local places to eat and drink. Whether you want to find a local gastro pub or French bistro near you, the searchable directory helps you to find the perfect restaurant for you. Don’t forget to also have a look at the range of food and drink offers available to you now too!