The Curious Wine Cellar

Northleach, a delightful (and mercifully comparatively quiet) Cotswold town, was once at an important crossroads on the Roman Fosse Way but grew to Europe-wide notoriety in the 15th century as the centre of the wool trade.

The Curious Wine Cellar perches on one side of the Market Place, which has changed little since those wool-trading days (perhaps with the exception of the car park), and is a very welcome break from the road. Smiley staff are almost always happy to chat and you’ll often find locals sharing news at the bar. This is a real community hub where locals meet and visitors pass the time of day.

Browse the ‘Cotswold Tapas’ menu to build your own snack or meal later in the day, perhaps a pork and Seville orange marmalade sausage roll, spinach, feta and roasted tomato quiche or ‘Cotswold pasty’; there’s also the occasional pop-up restaurant and live music. Coffee is very good and can be supped at the breakfast bar in the window while you watch the world go by, but of course with a name like the Curious Cellar, non-drivers really should exploit the wine expertise.