A weekend getaway in The Cotswolds: The Ebrington Arms

I’ve been talking about a return to the Cotswolds ever since we went two years ago (how has it been two years?!). This sprawling English countryside is one of my favourite places to visit in the United Kingdom. The landscape, the stone coloured villages, beautiful homely cottages, the Cotswolds is always a treat to visit. 

And there’s certainly something to be said about living in the countryside. On the lookout for a relaxing quiet getaway, I was determined to find somewhere we could simply enjoy being, the romance of finding comfort in an old English pub or hotel.

The Ebrington Arms 

Enter, of course, The Ebrington Arms. Located in midst of Ebrington, a tiny little hideaway village, stands the village resident’s favourite local pub and where we would be resting our heads that night. Even according to The Times, The Ebrington Arms is the UK’s number 1 village pub. And it’s not hard to see why.

The Ebrington Arms itself has been around since the 1640s but in the past 13 years, owners Jim and Claire have taken over the historic Cotswolds pub turning it into the beloved favourite it is today. With a refurb to certain parts of the building, the pub and restaurant has expanded, along with the addition of their beautiful rooms. 

Walking into The Ebrington Arms is like walking into an old friend’s home. It’s instantly warm, welcoming and with the strong scent of a roaring fire wafting through the pub air, its unmistakably cosy. 

An English Cotswold romance at its finest. This is exactly what I was looking for. 

Cosy. Warm. Inviting. The perfect place to spend an entire evening lounging about in. Though don’t bring up the darts board, because Joe really wanted to play and then typically, I got distracted, so we’re saving darts for another visit… 

The Ebrington Arms Pub & Restaurant 

Much like our lunch at The Killingworth Castle, food at The Ebrington Arms is equally top rated. In fact, it’s a serious culinary experience. The restaurant has 2 AA Rosettes for food and has for 9 consecutive years running.

The menu itself contains English pub classics, but these are classics done to such an impeccable standard. The Ebrington Arms have committed to serving up a menu with 50-70% organic food and they’re continuing to move that number higher and higher. I can’t ever recall seeing a pub menu with such commitment to organic ever before. It’s absolutely brilliant. 

During our overnight stay at the pub we had two meals, dinner and breakfast. For dinner, I was feeling particularly boujee and ordered a steak fillet and Joe went for classic fish and chips. We also split a salmon starter… again, it was all phenomenal. I’m by no means a food expert but going by my tastebuds is key. And The Ebrington Arms is delicious. I think it also goes without saying that you’ll want to try to get a table near one of their roaring fireplaces! 

Don’t miss: At breakfast, and I cannot stress this enough, order the blueberry pancakes. And if you’re travelling as a pair, one of you order the pancakes, the other a full English. Because I always find the best meals are shared.

The rooms at the inn 

Each room is a little bit different, which is what makes it such a special place. We stayed in Room 3, the Luxury King En-suite room, which was super spacious and comfortable. To be honest, the room is just downright cute. Exposed wooden beams, the decor is countryside perfection. Country Living Magazine probably should hold a shoot here immediately if they haven’t already.

And there’s even little sherry glasses and a bottle for you to tuck into upon arrival. We decided to have a little tipple pre-dinner giggling all the way. It felt like we could have cosied up in this room for days on end. 

Last but not least, a big roll top bathtub was waiting for us in the en-suite. My ultimate house goal is to have a bathtub like this, so it was a welcome sight. The ideal spot to soak with a cup of coffee in hand – and exactly what I did the next morning. 

Things to do nearby: 

If you’re like me, you are 100% perfectly content enjoying time in the pub. And it’s true that you could spend countless hours at The Ebrington Arms. But otherwise, there are many suitable walking trails to explore. And less than ten minutes away is the town of Chipping Campden where you can wander in for a spot of coffee and a little mooch around the shops. 

PS I’ve seen some photos of the town when it’s snowing and my goodness – I hope to someday experience the Cotswolds in the snow! And I think we’re absolutely going to have to plan another trip back when spring has sprung. 

I think it’s obvious that I could go on and on singing my praises for the pub and restaurant. But there’s another highlight that I think is extra important. The staff are absolutely lovely. Mind you, I was here for a review… but the staff are lovely with every single person that walks through the door. From conversations over breakfast recommending places to visit through to general conversations about life… the staff who work here truly love what they do and love chatting with visitors. 

It’s a seriously nice feeling. Remember what I said about walking into an old friend’s home? It really is like that at The Ebrington Arms. 

I have to say, I already know we’ll be back again soon. 

Rooms at The Ebrington Arms start from £149 (and include breakfast), you can book direct here. 

Kelly xo

Ps. This was a complimentary stay at The Ebrington Arms but all thoughts, opinions and photos are my own.