As I neared the ninth mile of my leg in the Cotswolds Way Relay, one thought dominated my mind: lunch. That lunch destination? Juliet, a cherished gem in Stroud.
Since opening its doors in October last year, Juliet has quickly earned high praise. Renowned food critic Grace Dent celebrated it in her Guardian review and recently named it among her top five restaurants nationwide. The local celebrity crowd adores it, and having dined there before, I was eager to return.
Nestled in the Old Music Centre, Juliet is small but perfectly formed. Its street-facing room offers a charming view of the bustling farmers’ market, while the intimate Piano Room at the back, with its bistro-style mirrors and wax-draped bottles, creates a relaxing atmosphere, enhanced by attentive service.
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Our group of four—a family with two teens—meticulously examined the menu. To start, I ordered a gin martini. Served in a beautiful glass, it was icy, lemony, and sharply crafted – a true contender against my longtime Negroni favorite.
The menu is thoughtfully curated and divided into bites (gilda, baguette and butter, pan con tomate), mid-size dishes (carpaccio of beef, fennel salame, tomato and mozzarella), and mains (tagliarini with mussels and lemon, pork chop with pea and anchovy, Anjou pigeon, and mackerel with sauce vierge).
We sampled the bread, gilda (which my wife and I shared), a standout white peach and burrata, and parmesan-topped panisse. From the larger plates, we ordered pink, flavourful lamb cutlets with fasolakia (herb-infused green beans) and steak frites served with a complex café de Paris sauce—a savory blend of butter, shallots, herbs, capers, anchovies, mustard, curry powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
Our son enjoyed the lamb as well, while my daughter savored a delicate pasta pomodoro, its precise name eluding me.
Dishes arrived as they were ready, soon filling our table. The panisse were feather-light and heavenly with parmesan, but the white peach and burrata stole the show — ripe, luxurious, with a slightly spicy herb sauce, memorable in every bite.
The lamb cutlets were perfectly cooked, tender and deeply flavorful, complemented flawlessly by the fasolakia. The steak defied my usual reluctance to order it out, boasting a melt-in-your-mouth softness, charred edges, and a sauce that harmonized sweet, savory, and subtle spice.
Despite being full, none of us resisted dessert. We shared fig leaf ice cream, affogato, chocolate crémeux, and brown butter cake—each exceptional.
Our meal totaled £160, tip included. While this may seem steep compared to the average high street meal, Juliet’s quality and experience make it well worth every penny.
Oh, and our relay team finished 51st out of 100 – a respectable result for ‘veterans’ like us. I’m already planning to book Juliet again after next year’s race.
Juliet, Old Music Centre, 49 London Rd, Stroud GL5 2AD