9 Best Restaurants in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England, England

Visitors and locals alike head for the half-timber Hobsons Patisseries to indulge in the famous savory pies or scrumptious afternoon teas. Just a couple of minutes walk from Shakespeare’s Birthplace, it’s an almost obligatory lunch stop.

Sit downstairs to appreciate the hardwood floors and oak beams of this local epicurean favorite; upstairs, the look is a bit more contemporary. The updates of tried-and-true dishes include herb-crusted rack of English lamb and panfried calf's liver with creamed potato, wilted spinach, pancetta, and crisp shallot. Desserts are fantastic here, and daily specials keep the menu seasonal. The two- and three-course fixed-price menus (not available for Monday lunches) are good deals.

You feel as if you’re stepping back in time at this Victorian pub; the posters, advertisements, flags, and curios tell you the idiosyncratic landlord keeps it as it would have been during World War I. The candlelit restaurant forms one of the three snug rooms and, unsurprisingly, serves traditional fare such as lamb’s liver, corned beef hash, and gammon (thick-sliced ham) with pease pudding. You can stay overnight here as well.

Located on Birmingham's revamped Centenary Square, this laid-back café/restaurant in Symphony Hall puts you right in the heart of the city's cultural action. Portions are huge, and options like buttermilk fried chicken wings and sticky maple fried chicken are served with healthy-sized Brummie bacon cakes. Open for lunch and pre-concert dining, as well as food and drinks, it also hosts intimate gigs.

A location close to Kenilworth Castle and some good hand-pulled ales helps make this pub a nice spot for lunch. You can order home-cooked food, including steaks and grills from the bar or the ever-classic fish-and-chips. Another option is to sample more upmarket fare with an international slant at the next-door Harrington’s on the Hill restaurant, under the same management.

For the perfect Stratford-upon-Avon break, duck into the quaint Hathaway Tea Rooms, housed in a 17th-century building on the High Street. These tea rooms are reputedly the oldest in Stratford and serve a selection of tea, scones, and sandwiches, or you can go all out and get one of the generous afternoon teas. The decor is slightly tired, and it's not the best afternoon tea you will have but the service is first-rate and it is still rather quaint.

One of the most exciting restaurants in Hereford (but not an actual bookstore), you can browse the nice selection of books while you kick back for a leisurely brunch or enjoy a long afternoon with great food and drinks in a hip atmosphere. Serving modern British food, the Sunday roasts have become a must for locals. The laid-back yard, shared with the burger joint and pizza place next door, is one of the city's coolest hangouts.

Although there are lovely rooms in this 1850s redbrick inn near Ludlow Castle, the main draw is the food. The dining room serves good quality local dishes, but what really makes the modern British menu stand-out are its special evenings, such as Fish Night, in which fresh oysters and langoustines are cooked to perfection.

The only pub in Britain to be licensed under two names (the more informal one came courtesy of American GIs who were stationed here during World War II), this is one of Stratford's most celebrated and consistently rated pubs, attracting actors since the 18th-century days of thespian David Garrick. Along with your pint of bitter, you can choose from the extensive pub-grub menu of fish-and-chips, steaks, burgers, and grills; there are also good-value light bites. Now part of the well-established Greene King Inns family, the biggest draw here is the lovely veranda that overlooks the theaters and the river.