Whether you're looking for cosy café to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake, or an artisan coffee shop serving the very best locally roasted beans, you're spoilt for choice in the Cotswolds.
From venues nestled in chocolate box towns to farm shops offering incredible views over the Cotswolds countryside, SoGlos selects 21 of our favourite independent cafés and coffee shops in the area of outstanding natural beauty.
Glaze Café and Kitchen in Cirencester
Housed within New Brewery Arts in Cirencester, the aptly named Glaze Café and Kitchen serves up wholesome food made from British ingredients.
Ideally located for Cirencester town centre, the friendly café provides a relaxing spot to enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or coffee and homemade cakes, with its menu including delicious options like Welsh rarebit on toast; seasonal soup; filled jacket potatoes; Glaze signature quiche; cheese scones; blueberry brioche and classic chocolate brownies.
Café 53 in Tetbury
Café 53 is open for breakfast, lunch and 'the finest coffee in Tetbury' with a varied menu of freshly-made food using seasonal produce, plus outdoor seating in its cute Mediterranean-inspired courtyard garden - where dogs are welcome, too.
Breakfast options include the ultimate breakfast brioche stuffed with smoked back bacon, pork and sage chipolatas, hash brown and a fried egg; Belgian waffles with maple syrup and a fried egg, or caramelised banana, toasted hazelnuts and cider toffee crumb; or a vegan breakfast with pea and mint avocado smash, roasted tomatoes, crumbled vegan feta and toasted chilli and turmeric sourdough. While for lunch, diners can go for options like a classic soup and sandwich combo; oven-baked camembert; cauliflower popcorn; smoked mackerel salad; or barbecue pulled pork brioche.
Blockley Café near Moreton-in-Marsh
Ideally located for some of the Cotswolds must-see tourist attractions, but still considered a hidden gem, Blockley Café is well worth making a detour for. Its breakfast menu includes chorizo hash; courgette and sweetcorn fritters; Eggs Benedict; and buttermilk pancakes served from 9am to 12pm each day.
Lunch options include halloumi fries; mushrooms on toast; salmon and pollock fish cakes; wild garlic and asparagus tagliatelle; Todenham Manor steak sub and Blockley boards with charcuterie or a selection of cheeses to share. Plus there's plenty of sweet treats, from toasted tea cakes to salted caramel chocolate brownies to accompany a coffee.
The Old Prison in Northleach
Located within, you guessed it, an old prison, The Old Prison café in Northleach is one of the most unique places to stop for a coffee in the Cotswolds.
Visitors can take the chance to explore the prison cells, the old courtroom and the Lloyd-Baker wagons while they enjoy a latte, a slab of homemade cake or a freshly made sandwich, making for a memorable trip.
Coach House Coffee in Stow-on-the-Wold
Known for being one of the best places to people watch in town, Stow-on-the-Wold's Coach House Coffee is also known for serving up delicious coffee from Ritual Roasters and fresh pastries from St George's Bakery in Cheltenham.
On top of that, diners can try one of its famous milkshakes to speciality drinks like turmeric or beetroot lattes. It also offers a light lunch menu of soups, sausage rolls and sandwiches with the menu changing daily.
Morris and Brown in Broadway
Promising some of the most spectacular views in the Cotswolds, Morris and Brown café is the perfect pit stop after the hike up to Broadway Tower.
Offering a wholesome menu of breakfasts like dippy eggs and soldiers, bacon butties and smoked salmon and scrambled eggs; lunches including quiche of the day, homemade pies and a ham and cheese ploughman's lunch, as well as homemade cakes and scones, enjoy a bite to eat inside, or dine out on the terrace when the sun is shining so you can really soak in those views. On a cold or drizzly day, its hazelnut hot chocolate is a must-try.
Luxe in Cirencester
Cirencester's Luxe café is an Instagrammer's dream, with pretty pink décor, a flower wall and a whole host of sweet treats to indulge in, from Nutella cookie sandwiches, Lucky Charm Rice Krispie treats and Oreo pancakes to doughnut-topped iced lattes and Reese's peanut butter hot chocolates.
It's also dog-friendly, providing the paw-fect opportunity to get a snap of your four-legged friend enjoying a puppaccino.
Lynwood and Co in Burford
Traditional Cotswold café, Lynwood and Co in Burford, offers a delicious selection of coffee, cakes and bakes.
From classic combos like a flat white and gluten-free chocolate brownie to dirty chai and a Reuben melt, there's plenty to choose from - with the café being a popular choice for locals and their furry friends.
Grouch Coffee in Moreton-in-Marsh
Just off the High Street in Moreton-in-Marsh, Grouch Coffee specialises in 'proper' coffee, homemade brownies and traybakes.
The independent coffee shop also serves up tasty overnight oat breakfast bowls, fresh juices, iced lattes and more - plus it hosts espresso martini cocktail nights, too!
Lucy's Tea Room in Stow-on-the-Wold
Lucy's Tea Room serves up traditional Cotswold cream teas in the heart of Stow-on-the-Wold. Sit inside the 300-year-old building complete with exposed beams and flagstone floors, or grab a table in the courtyard on sunny afternoons and indulge in dainty finger sandwiches, scones and jam with a steaming pot of loose leaf tea or coffee.
Lucy's also serves up cooked breakfasts until 12pm, as well as all-day breakfast baps; homemade sausage rolls; paninis; fish finger sandwiches; rarebit; and homemade quiche.
Fire and Flow in Cirencester
Cotswold coffee roaster, Fire and Flow, recently opened its own espresso bar at its roastery in Cirencester. The dog-friendly coffee spot has indoor and outdoor seating where coffee aficionados can enjoy a choice of roasts for their espresso and filter coffee, alongside delicious doughnuts from Glazed Bakehouse in Stroud.
Visitors can also buy bags of beans to take home, which Fire and Flow will grind for you, ready for your aeropress, coffee machine or cafetière.
Bakery on the Water in Bourton-on-the-Water
Located next to the River Windrush in the picturesque Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Bakery on the Water is a favourite with locals and tourists.
From coffee and breakfast pastries; scrambled eggs on toast for brunch; freshly prepared sandwiches and picnic lunches; to afternoon tea, everything is made with local produce wherever possible, from the likes of Rave Coffee in Cirencester, Cotswold Dairy milk and Matthews Cotswold Flour.
Henry's Coffee House and Dairy in Minchinhampton
With all of its organic dairy produce made on its farm less than a mile from Minchinhampton, Henry's Coffee House and Dairy is a must-visit for local foodies.
As well as tucking into delicious dishes like breakfast brioche buns, handcrafted pastries, gooey toasties made with Hobbs House sourdough bread and freshly ground coffee, visitors can also pick up Henry's own butter, cheese, milk, cream and yoghurt, as well as a selection of locally produced bread, cakes, meats, eggs and coffee to take home.
Broadway Deli
The café at Broadway Deli serves an all-day brunch menu spanning tasty pastries, cooked breakfasts, freshly baked sausage rolls, vegan club sandwiches and plenty more.
There's indoor and outdoor seating available - and of course, an incredible selection of locally sourced produce, from fresh fruit and vegetables to cheeses, chutneys, pies, wines and spirits to shop for, too.
The Cotswold Outpost in Windrush
This farm shop and café on the A40 near Burford uses lots of lovely local produce in its dishes, including Cacklebean eggs, Matthews Cotswold Flour and Stow Town Coffee.
Wake up to a full Cotswold breakfast, Eggs Benedict, mushrooms or avocado on sourdough; enjoy sourdough sandwiches, paninis, soup or quiche of the day for lunch; or go all out with a main meal like Cotswold pork belly with caramelised apples, bubble and squeak and creamed parsnip puree; butternut squash, asparagus and mushroom Wellington with new potatoes and seasonal veg; or The Outpost's rich beef lasagne with salad and chips - not to mention freshly made cakes and local ice cream.
Lavender Bakehouse in Chalford
With all of its cakes and patisseries prepared fresh on site using local ingredients, Lavender Bakehouse in Chalford, near Stroud, is a popular spot for coffee, cake and afternoon tea.
It also offers a brunch menu until 12pm with options including a full English or full vegan breakfast, Eggs Benedict, pancakes, Belgian waffles, and Turkish eggs; as well as a lunch menu of baguettes, grilled sourdough sandwiches, soups, salads and jacket potatoes.
The Hive in Stow-on-the-Wold
Describing itself as 'the place to bee' in Stow-on-the-Wold, cute café and coffee shop The Hive offers a variety of locally sourced drinks including Fire and Flow coffee, loose leaf tea, wine and spirits — with The Hive's own Bloody Mary on the menu — as well as breakfast, brunch and lunch.
The brunch menu spans lighter options like homemade granola and porridge, to a full cooked breakfast, with lunch options including sharing charcuterie and cheese platters; homemade soup with sourdough; veggie frittata; Old Hooky rarebit; plus a delicious selection of scones, cakes and bakes.
Pretty and Pip in Cirencester
With a walled courtyard adorned with colourful street art, Pretty and Pip is a lovely coffee spot close to Cirencester Park.
From classic cakes, brownies and pastries, to quirky Kookie Pies, homemade savoury rolls and crispy cruffins, there's plenty to choose from - and it's dog-friendly, too.
Jolly Nice Farm Shop in Frampton Mansell
The Hive at Jolly Nice Farm Shop in Frampton Mansell serves up coffee, cookies, cakes and Harriet's Jolly Nice ice cream in 10 different flavours from its rustic wooden hut. Visitors can grab a takeaway treat to enjoy in the fresh Cotswold air, before browsing the farm shop yurts packed with delicious local produce.
There are plans to open a seating barn for diners next to the drive through in the future, too.
The Old Stables in Castle Combe
Located in the gorgeous Cotswold village of Castle Combe, this deli and coffee shop serves up Rave Coffee and a selection of fresh, homemade savoury and sweet treats.
Savoury options include locally made quiche in the summer and homemade soup in the winter, sausage rolls, pasties, and made-to-order baguettes; alongside Victoria, lemon, coffee or apricot and pistachio sponge cake, spiced banana or carrot loaf, chocolate brownies, maple or blueberry flapjacks, millionaire's shortbread, cinnamon buns and scones.
No. 32 Broadway
This stylish café and restaurant on the High Street in Broadway serves everything from coffee and cake to New York deli bagels, bacon and cheese burgers, stone-baked pizza and warm lentil salad.
Its freshly baked cake selection is equally impressive, with options including classic chocolate, carrot or ice lemon cake; lime and coconut cake; flourless brownies; Biscoff tiffin; Bakewell tart; white chocolate and apricot rocky road; millionaire's shortbread; and scones.
