• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Major Foodie

Fine Dining Honestly Reviewed

  • About Me
  • Most Recent
  • Highest Rated
  • Restaurant Map
  • Locations
    • London
      • City
      • East
      • East Central
      • Mayfair & Central West
      • North Central
      • Southbank
      • South East
      • South West
      • West End
    • Rest of UK
      • Central England
      • Jersey
      • North England
      • Northern Ireland
      • South East England
      • South England
      • South West England
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • Rest of World
      • Europe
        • Croatia
        • Denmark
        • France
        • Germany
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Malta
        • Norway
        • Portugal
        • Spain
        • Turkey
      • Asia
        • Bali
        • China
          • Beijing
          • Hangzhou
          • Hong Kong
          • Macau
          • Shanghai
        • Japan
          • Kobe
          • Kyoto
          • Tokyo
        • Singapore
        • Thailand
          • Bangkok
          • Phuket
          • Koh Pha Ngan
          • Koh Samui
      • Dubai
      • America
        • Chicago
        • Las Vegas
        • Napa Valley
        • Nashville
        • New York
        • Washington DC
      • Australia
  • Cuisine
    • African
    • American
    • Asian
    • British Modern
    • British Traditional
    • Chinese
    • Classic
    • Creative
    • Croatian
    • French
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • Meats and Grills
    • Mediterranean
    • Modern
    • Nordic
    • Peruvian
    • Portuguese
    • Regional / Country
    • Tempura
    • Turkish
    • Seafood
    • Spanish
    • Sushi
    • Vegetarian
  • Best For
    • Atmosphere
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Burgers
    • Counter / Bar Dining
    • Celebrations
    • Fish & Chips
    • Michelin Starred Pubs
    • Pizza
    • Pre-Theatre
    • Private Dining
    • Romantic
    • Set Menu Under £25
    • Sunday Roast
    • Top Major Foodie Rating (90%+)
    • Value Set Menu
    • Vegetarian
    • View
  • Filter Search
  • Blog

The Butchers Arms (Eldersfield)

16th September 2016 by Richard Bagnold Leave a Comment

16th Century pub awarded best pub in Britain by Michelin 2016 also serving Michelin starred food

From the moment I stepped in to this cosy pub I was made to feel completely at home.  I was hideously late for my table but I was accommodated in a wonderfully happy manner which was lovely to see especially as I had made no indication of writing reviews on eateries (as usual for new places).  The Butchers Arms from husband and wife team James and Elizabeth Winter received the aponymous best pub in the UK award from Michelin, 2016 and interesting to learn at the end of the meal that it is James on his own in the kitchen(!) preparing things for his diners.  A great place – details of the meal at the below button.

Read full review

First up, the home made focaccia bread was very good – fresh out of the oven, just the right squidgy, moist feel to the bread itself with lovely crusts.  Unfortunately I couldn’t do the whole works as was still full from the previous night so I settled with two starters.  I thought the onion and cheese tart was wonderful – such gentle, thin pastry with gorgeous filling and although I was not looking forward to the beetroot, its toned down and slightly pickled character actually made this absolutely outstanding with the tart.  It’s a rare thing to be cooked an ingredient you don’t normally like to really enjoying it; and this is what this chef actually made possible.

The crispy, corned beef with romesco (pepper and nut) sauce was pleasant and like the tart, showed a simple confidence of cooking to not over complicate things and just serve the few components very well – again, this is what happened.  Lastly, the pudding was a commanding dish with an absolutely fabulous and creamy custard laced with drambui to smother the marmalade sponge.  I’ve never really loved marmalade and I went for the dessert mainly for the custard but again, the bit I was only luke warm on the idea of turned out to be perfectly nice and was not too sickly in tanginess as marmalade often is.

If I had to choose one word for my impression of The Butchers Arms it is happy.  I couldn’t have been more impressed with how utterly engaging and friendly the hospitality from the hosts on front of house were here and it was kind of James to spare a few moments to chat on things.  The small team here clearly love what they do and this radiates out to all folk who were present, either at the bar or sat down by the two, cosy log fire dining areas and was clear as a bell to see.  The simple and effective food, combined with sheer charm of the hosts, with the fact that the real ales are poured directly from the casks and all of this is enjoyed in a very cosy (albeit quite snug) 16th Century pub, exactly as they were originally designed for makes me understand very easily now why this one was given best pub in the UK by Michelin.

I believe this is actually a little gem of a place for the above reasons and those that live locally to this pub are lucky people.  I now have the desire to practially frog march various people to here that I know would equally love this place – and I will be doing so when I get the chance!

Food Grade: 81%

The Butchers Arms
The evening menu – 16 Sep 16
Home made focaccia
Onion tart with beetroot relish
Corned beef with romesco sauce
Marmalade pudding with drambui custard

Location

Leave a Review of this Restaurant Cancel reply

  • Food Rating - 81%
    81

Summary

Ultimate hospitality.
Cosy interior.
Simple dishes that work.

Interior space.

Restaurant Details

Michelin Stars: N/A

Cuisine: British Modern

Address: The Butchers Arms, Lime Street, Eldersfield, Gloucester GL19 4NX

Website: The Butchers Arms (Eldersfield)

Telephone: +44 1452 840381

Recent Visit – 1 Star

Mikla (Istanbul)

8th March 2025

Recent Visit – 2 Stars

Brooklands by Claude Bosi (Hyde Park)

16th May 2024

Recent Visit – 3 Stars

L’Assiette Champenoise (Reims)

22nd June 2023

Recent Visit – Not Starred but Recommended

Dishoom (Covent Garden)

5th November 2022

Food Consultancy

Concierge Services

Concierge food-themed experience

Concierge day out experience

Concierge tea experience

About Me

meMy hobby-turned-passion began to evolve during my assignments to London where I was fortunate enough to be able to explore all the Michelin starred restaurants in my spare time and as a result, I gradually built up a catalogue of all these venues.

Recent Additions

  • Kioku Bar (Raffles at The OWO) 2nd May 2025
  • Bleecker Burger (Bloomberg Arcade) 1st May 2025
  • Mikla (Istanbul) 8th March 2025

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Sign up to be notified whenever a new review is posted.

Read our privacy policy here.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy (UK)

Copyright © 2025 · swank WordPress Theme By, PDCD