As I neared the ninth mile of my leg in the Cotswolds Way Relay, my thoughts were singular and focused: lunch. Not just any lunch, but a visit to Juliet in Stroud—a restaurant that has quickly earned its place among the UK’s culinary elite since opening in October last year.
Juliet has garnered rave reviews, including from renowned food critic Grace Dent, who named it one of her top five favorite restaurants nationwide on Instagram. It’s also a hotspot for the local celebrity crowd, and having visited before, I was eager for another indulgent experience.
Housed in the charming Old Music Centre, Juliet is small but impeccably designed. The front room overlooks the bustling street outside and the famed farmers’ market, while tucked away at the back is the cozy Piano Room. Here, several intimate tables sit beneath bistro-style mirrors and candles dripping with melted wax, creating an inviting and relaxed atmosphere.
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The attentive service immediately put us at ease. Our party of four—a family with two teens—carefully examined the enticing menu. While we waited, I ordered a gin martini, served perfectly chilled with a sharp lemon twist, tempting me to reconsider my longtime allegiance to the Negroni.
The menu is beautifully curated with sections of small bites like gilda and pan con tomate, mid-sized dishes such as beef carpaccio with fennel salame and tomato mozzarella, plus hearty mains like delicate tagliarini with mussels and lemon, a flavorful pork chop with pea and anchovy, Anjou pigeon, and mackerel with sauce vierge.
We decided on a varied feast: bread to start, a gilda each for me and my wife, the white peach with burrata, and parmesan-topped panisse. For mains, lamb cutlets with fasolakia—herbed green beans—and steak frites featuring a rich café de Paris sauce. Our son enjoyed sharing the lamb, while our daughter savored a beautifully delicate pomodoro pasta.
Dishes arrived as they were ready, filling our table with an array of colors and aromas. The panisse, light as air and topped lavishly with parmesan, were exceptional. Yet it was the white peach and burrata that left an indelible mark—ripe, creamy, and accented with a subtly spicy herb sauce.
The lamb cutlets were perfectly pink and bursting with flavor, complemented superbly by the fasolakia. The steak defied expectations for a dish many reserve for home-cooking—it was melt-in-the-mouth tender, beautifully charred, and paired with the café de Paris sauce that balanced sweet, savory, and gentle heat flawlessly.
Despite feeling satisfied, dessert was irresistible. Between us, we shared fig leaf ice cream, an affogato, a rich chocolate crémeux, and a divine brown butter cake, each without needing notes—they spoke for themselves.
The total bill, including tip, was £160. While this may seem steep, it’s easily justified when compared to the average high street meal, and Juliet surpasses those experiences by far.
As for the relay? Our team finished 51st out of 100—a proud showing for some seasoned ‘veterans.’ One thing is certain: I’ll be booking a table at Juliet again after next year’s race.