Why the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley is one of the UK's most serious fine food destinations

A Michelin star sits twenty-five minutes from a Times Foodie Hotel of the Year. Between them, a Royal Warrant-holding smokery, a 17th-century hunting lodge with a 2 Rosette kitchen, and a chef who came back to Coleford after thirty years in the world's best restaurants.

The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley has quietly become one of the most serious food destinations in the UK. The reason is geography. Some of the best suppliers in the country sit on the doorstep, from Double Gloucester cheese to Severn & Wye smoked salmon. Many of the kitchens here grow their own herbs and vegetables, know their producers by first name, and change menus to match what's in season and what came in that day. It all feeds into the region's reputation as a foodie favourite.

Here are six places worth planning a trip around.

Simply Wild, Coleford

Coleford sits in the middle of the Forest of Dean and makes a natural base for a foodie weekend. Simply Wild is a must-visit. Chef-owner Michael Fowler spent over thirty years cooking in professional kitchens around the world before opening here.

The result is a restaurant that's just been awarded three AA Rosettes, with inspectors describing it as "outstanding British food with a French twist." A remarkable achievement, especially just fifteen months after opening.

The space is intimate and beautifully laid out. Tables aren't turned. You can settle in, take your time, and become part of the furniture for the evening. Just how it should be.

The menu changes frequently, built around what's seasonal and what local suppliers have brought in that week. You can choose from a four-course or six-course set menu, or order from the à la carte. The wine list is broad and most bottles are available by the glass.

Open Wednesday to Saturday. All three menus are available for lunch every day, and for dinner on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday evenings drop the à la carte but keep both set menus. On Saturday evenings it's the six-course set menu only, with vegetarian and pescatarian options available.

If you're looking for local goodies and foodie favourites to take with you, or to enjoy back at your accommodation, check out the Forest Deli next door. It's brimming with local produce and a famous cheese selection. If you only try one thing, make it the Montagnolo. Creamy, cheesy heaven, and the kind of blue cheese that converts the unconvinced.

The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny

The Times and Sunday Times named The Angel "Foodie Hotel of the Year" in 2025. Spend half a day there and you understand why. The Angel runs four different eating and drinking spaces, each doing its own thing well, all under the same roof.

The Oak Room is the main restaurant. Market-fresh seasonal cooking, with quiet skill on the plate and an award shelf to back it up. The High Tea is an iconic must-visit. The kind of afternoon that ends up in the calendar as a yearly pilgrimage, just to get your hands on the cake stand and pastries again. The Courtyard menu is the relaxed option, somewhere to sit outside with a sharing plate and a glass of wine. And the Foxhunter Bar is for the evening drink, with local ales, craft cocktails, and just enough of a buzz to round off a meal.

You can spend two days at The Angel and eat four different ways without leaving the hotel. Set in the centre of Abergavenny, a town that hosts one of the UK's best-known food festivals, this is a foodie destination on its own.

The Barn at Severn & Wye, Chaxhill

Severn & Wye Smokery was founded by Richard Cook in 1989 and has been supplying some of the country's most demanding kitchens ever since. Their client list has read like a who's who of British food and includes many of the country’s renowned chefs, food halls, restaurants and hotels.  The Smokery is also very proud to hold a Royal Warrant from His Majesty the King. This is a heritage food business operating out of the Forest of Dean, exporting smoked salmon across the UK, Europe and throughout the world.

Renovation of a dilapidated barn saw the birth of ‘The Barn at Severn & Wye”, a true showcase for the business incorporating a restaurant, fish market, deli, food hall and cafe all conveniently located under one roof. The team there are knowledgeable and approachable, with a willingness to guide customers through the range and offer advice where needed.

The food hall is extensive and interesting with a well stocked deli counter much of which is made on site by their team of talented chefs.  Smoked fish in abundance allows visitors to eat the same award winning product enjoyed around the world and made right here in Gloucestershire.

The Speech House Hotel, Coleford

The Speech House started life as a 17th-century hunting lodge for the Crown's Verderers' Court. Today it's a family-run hotel sitting in the middle of the Forest of Dean, with two AA Rosettes for fine dining and a kitchen that takes the surrounding forest seriously.

The Orangery serves brunch, lunch and dinner from seasonal menus and no pre-booking is needed. Pork from Plump Hill Farm down the road. Game and venison from the Forest. Wye Valley vegetables when they're at their best. For something more involved, the hotel runs events like Meet the Producer evenings with Plump Hill Farm. You get a tasting menu paired with the story of where everything came from, told by the people who raised it.

The benefit of being in a hotel is that you can stay the night. Be sure to check out their four poster bed, it’s the perfect end to a fun day.

Local tip: work up an appetite first with a walk around Speech House Lake or the Cyril Hart Arboretum. Both are within a short stroll of the hotel. Sunday lunch in the Verderers' Court is a firm favourite with visitors.

The Walnut Tree, Llanddewi Skirrid

The Wye Valley runs across the border into Monmouthshire. So does the food. The Walnut Tree has been a famous inn and restaurant since it opened in 1963, building a solid reputation as a must visit restaurant, and today, it proudly holds a Michelin star.

The setting is a beautiful country pub, with an open fire in the bar and a warm welcome at the door. The cooking is honest and ingredient-led, with classical technique behind every plate and no theatrics in front of them. Lunch and dinner run Wednesday to Saturday, with à la carte and set menus. The set menu is one of the better-value Michelin meals you'll find in this part of the country. Booking ahead is essential.

Twenty-five minutes from Tudor Farmhouse, thirty from Coleford. Worth the drive on any night of the week.

Tudor Farmhouse Hotel, Clearwell

Tatler called it a "culinary oasis." The Good Hotel Guide named it Foodie Editor's Choice 2026. Tudor Farmhouse is a 13th-century former working farm in Clearwell, with twenty bedrooms, a productive kitchen garden, and a restaurant that sources most of its ingredients from producers within a twenty-mile radius.

The cooking is homely and inventive. Dinner runs from seasonal small plates to a full tasting menu, and you can pair it with a matched wine flight chosen to bring the best out of each course. The team look after non-drinkers properly too, with a serious selection of no- and low-alcohol wines, drinks and cocktails. So if you're the designated driver, you'll still feel like you've had the full experience.

The rest of the day is just as well thought through. Breakfast is open to non-residents as well as overnight guests, with booking advised. Lunch carries the same kitchen garden produce as the evening menu, and the same care behind it, and they have a traditional Sunday roast every week. Afternoon tea is an event in its own right, with tiered cake stands, warm scones, delicate pastries, and pots of tea that quietly turn an hour into a lazy afternoon. A grazing menu runs from lunch through to late afternoon, bridging the gap if you arrive between services and want something to eat without committing to a full sit-down meal. Whatever time you arrive, the kitchen is looking after you.

Stay over if you can. The Stargazer bell tent is a good shout in summer.

Bonus: Cook with the best at Hart's Barn

If watching the chefs at work makes you want to try it yourself, head to Hart's Barn Cookery School in Longhope. The school runs a wide range of hands-on classes: bread, baking, butchery, fish and shellfish, cake decorating, fermentation, fire cooking, world cuisine, dietary specialisms and more. There's an Earth Oven, fire pit and large courtyard for outdoor cooking experiences, plus regular pop-up restaurants, supper clubs, and chef demos.

Their ethos is "Cooking for All," which means you don't need to arrive a confident cook to get something out of it. A class here is a great way to spend a day in the Forest.

Plan your food trip

It all adds up to one of the UK's most serious food destinations, all within an hour's drive across the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. Few of the country's serious food regions feel this much like a discovery. Worth a long weekend at the very least.

Did we mention that we can also help you find accommodation, walking routes between meals, and the rest of the food and drink scene across the area?

We look forward to seeing you soon.