The Ebrington Arms, Chipping Campden

An attractive looking Cotswold stone pub, tucked away in this pleasant but very small village, I assume it doesn’t get too much in the way of passing trade, but was nonetheless very busy on our recent mid-week lunchtime visit, although most of the punters who were there were dining, no doubt enticed by the number of Michelin accolades on the door. The pub is split across several levels, with the main bar area being in the narrower part at the front of the pub. This is quite traditional, with old wooden boards on the floor that have been worn smooth over the years, along with some flagstones at the far end. A very large fireplace with a stone-built hearth was something of a feature, and there was also a much smaller fireplace with a wood burning stove and a pile of logs stacked up at the opposite end. Walls were a mixture of exposed stonework and purple plasterwork, along with purple wood panelling down below. Chunky wooden beams on the ceiling had been painted white which perhaps spoilt the effect somewhat, but overall it was all very convivial. A number of old black and white photographs of the locale were dotted around the walls, and a TV screen was up in the corner, although fortunately this was switched off on our visit. The rest of the pub seems to be more given over to dining, and whilst broadly similar in terms of style with a good mix of rustic and contemporary and with flagstone flooring throughout. Some curved wooden seating was an unusual feature, looking as though they had been carved straight from an enormous barrel. Beers on tap were both from the North Cotswold Brewery with their Jumping Jack Frost and Winter Solstice, whilst a further two pumps appeared unused. That said, pump clips for the same brewery’s Hung, Drawn & Portered as well as Butty Bach were prominently displayed behind the bar, so perhaps these were also available. The solitary cider meanwhile was Stowford Press. Overall, a very pleasant pub, but perhaps the strong emphasis on food makes it slightly less of a destination for the committed drinker.