The Bear in Cotswold

Been here several times this year to both eat and drink. I previously gave this pub a very mediocre review based on a single visit but have changed my mind completely. The food has been great every time. The hash browns, tomato, avocado and poached egg dish has been stolen and is now a firm favourite at home. The Butcombe beers are really good. I particularly like the Tall Tails IPA. And the staff behind the bar are chatty, friendly and a good laugh - this place is what a pub should be.

Visited during race week. Staff were friendly and efficient. All food was beautifully and obviously home cooked. Steak pie was a huge hit. Nearly full puds a lovely idea, small but delicious. Reasonably priced and full of flavour Drinks reasonable too

Spot on, good choice of food and drinks, lovely staff and very friendly

Fantastic gluten free fish and chips! Friendly service, fantastic location right in the centre of Cirencester. Watch out for the stairs up to the loos though lol! Great English pub.

I Really enjoyed my time at the bear inn you made me fell very welcome the by the team and especially enjoyed the company of Michela she was so friendly and I had the time talk to assist me with my food she had the most beautifulest smile so I bought her a bottle Prosecco rose to thank her and I made A new friend now and the food was outstanding cook to perfection by the amazing chef which I asked if I could meet him and shook his hand , had a photo with him and photo and with new my new friend Michela. And I recommend to you one of customers to order the sticky toffee pudding and she did and enjoyed it

Really nice pub inside but food really overpriced! £23 for a roast dinner which was quite disappointing. The veg was mashed carrots and some kale and one parsnip, few roasted potatoes which were ok, a Yorkshire and two slices of beef. All in all, not worth £23 by any stretch. Coffee was ok but Luke warm at best. Looking at the menu it's quite limited and again very overpriced with additional sides costing over £5 each. Wouldn't come again.

Nice pub on the inside and friendly staff. However, the meal was very average. A bit bland and lacking flavour. Onion rings were very oily (as shown in the picture). Would recommend the pub to anyone looking for somewhere to go for drinks. But there are much better food places in Cirencester

Fab food, good service, nice atmosphere.

Dog friendly, visited for lunch. Friendly and helpful staff, enjoyable stay.

Met up for lunch here with family, some of whom travelled from different parts of the country. We were given a very friendly welcome and the staff didn't seem to mind that we all arrived at different times. Great selection of meals including a good variety of vegetarian and vegan options. Great beer of course! We will be very happy to eat here again, a very enjoyable experience.

Very busy, but for a reason! Very efficient staff and excellent food

The food was exceptional as was the service. The friendly staff couldn’t do enough for us. The owner came for a chat made sure we all had a great time. The whole experience was wonderful for what was a great family get together. Ages on our table ranged from 10 years old to 84 and it was just brilliant. It’s a must go to location for dinner- Brilliant 🤩

Wow! Fantastic food, service was truly excellent, and a really lovely atmosphere. Staff clearly had passion for what they do, and it shows. This place is top notch!

We had dinner at the Bear to celebrate a family birthday. The private dining room was perfect Food delicious The staff were amazing especially with the Children, couldn’t do enough for you I would highly recommend. Thank you

Visited The Bear with the family whilst visiting daughter. Really nice atmosphere and very good friendly service. Good food too. Well worth a visit.

Amazing service. Warm and friendly smiles, very professional. Food was amazing. Thank you Vikki for looking after us. You are a star

Fantastic food topped off with fantastic service I had a little lunch date with my daughter yesterday and the staff were the absolute sweetest with her We both loved the mushroom on sourdough! See you again real soon

Thank for the great afternoon 🙏

Visiting Cirencester in our motorhome we decided to round off our holiday with a meal. I know prices are rising everywhere now but was shocked that a fish goujon burger needed chips adding to it for extra!! Nearly £20 for something that was just ok…same for the fish and chips. Not awful but not great either…underwhelmed is the word that springs to mind. On the positive side the service was excellent and the place is dog friendly.

Really good food & friendly people, highly recommend

Good value food. Excellent Butcombe Beer

Never been before, but booked at The Bear on Monday and would really recommend. Food and service were great. We will return if back in Cirencester. Many thanks

Great pub. Dog friendly. Lovely and the food is delicious

Lovely staff, atmosphere and the real fire was much appreciated today as it was 🥶 outside. We had the chicken rillette as a snack between the two of us, it was good.

It was a Monday night, but good food: fish pie/burger/steak and ale pie/faggots. Well kept Butcombe.

We had a lovely lunch at this wonderful pub! The food was excellent and the staff were very friendly! Very welcoming and warm atmosphere. Couldn’t fault anything.

Excellent service, the staff went the extra mile to be friendly and accomodating. Good choice of beers and has some tasty fish and chips. I was very hungover though so apologies if I was bad company.

Friendly staff A range of beers and spirits The food looked really good Will return again soon

Visited for dinner with friends, great food and friendly service. Will definitely be back, I highly recommend.

The whole beer inn team was amazing!! Vicky pulled a great Guinness

Excellent food and service staff very friendly and helpful easy access off main road.

A great bistro pub with fantastic vibe. Sadly the roast dinner wasn't hot enough and the roast potatoes were stale and cold. However, the waiting staff were friendly and the ervice was first class.

Been here before, when the meal was excellent. However, we ordered the same meal as last time what happened? it was horrible! must be a different cook? bar staff are great kitchen staff not so. Also, the gammon has now been moved to evening times so you can't get it at lunch time anymore.

Busy but lovely people serving. Great real ale and good honest food.

Lovely food, had the mushrooms and hash brown brunch options and they were delicious and generously priced. Very good service too

Just enjoyed a really lovely lunch at The Bear Inn. All the staff were friendly and attentive. The food was delicious. Lovely atmosphere and dog friendly too.

Great service, Maxine was brilliant. Food was great and really tasty!

Good food and service used on several occasions.

A very friendly staff, Marcus advises you what kind of beer or food to drink❤️. We with 2 children will be back ❤️

Our food was fairly low to average and was not hot enough. One in our party ate less than 20% of her chicken meal. Whilst i accept some like al dente, my cabbage was close to raw. The service was on the whole, rushed and not attentive enough, ie, only two water glasses on the table, when my American friend asked what beers were available, the server hadn't got a clue and said he could look them up. And when we were hasstled 3 times for our desert order, twice we asked for additional time, we were talking and three times it was the servers who were pushy when in reality we still had good time on our table allocation. Automatically adding a service charge when the staff had not gone the extra mile is presumptious and this is starting to be come an issue in the restaraunt trade. If you think your staff deserve more, you can pay them extra or at least let them earn 15% to 18% Auto tip, means they stop trying and standards drop. As a buttcomb loyalty card holder i was dissapointed. Its ok ill go to a different pub next time and my lotalty will mean nothing. In reviewing this post i want say Butt omb need to stop this auto tip. Had a sandwhich and a pint, supprisingly on paying i was yet again expected to tip.... for what? Cutting bread? Pouring my pint, or walking it 20 feet to place on my table and actually saying nothing to me..... yikes.

Last minute booking in a town we don’t know. Vikki and team were really welcoming. Lovely atmosphere really cosy for a cold evening and lovely food. Thank you

Great food best desert after 8 ice cream super friendly co-workers felt at home Maxine was charming thank you it was brilliant

Food was great: lovely pies, burgers and fish stew everyone was pleased with their choice. Fish stew quite small for more expensive main. Great prompt smiley service; Decor is classic cosy pub. Pies and custard were not piping hot, we were undecided whether this was actually a plus - possibly intentional so didnt burn tongue, or minus. Only problem was we were a bit chilly. The fire wasn't lit and many people sat eating with coats on. We were sat under the thermostat which read 18C.

My husband and I really enjoyed our Christmas lunch at the Bear in Cirencester. The food was delicious and the staff looked after us and were so friendly. The owner even took time to speak to everyone xx

Thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas Eve visit to the Bear Inn. All the team were simply fab, and the food and beer as good as every other one of the years we've been coming. We specifically came here because the vegetarian options are extensive and appealing.

Disabity seating overlooked Drinks were nice watched cocktails being made learning how to make them come back again next year

A lovely atmosphere, with lovely food, and great service, Vikki was excellent the entire meal!

Perfect spot for brunch. Very attentive service and the food was super. Will come back soon!

Lovely venue but we visited on a very busy Saturday. Service was slow. Food was tasty but portions small for price paid.

We stopped here for drinks whilst visiting Cirencester and really liked the vibe and atmosphere. The Xmas decorations also made it look very cosy and welcoming The service from the barman wasn’t over friendly but was professional, could do with a little more personality and charm? Overall though it was a nice place and the drinks were reasonably priced so we would return

Sought refuge from the winter cold in the Bear Inn. We were warmed by the regularly topped up log burner and pints of Guinness and San Miguel. Lunch was tasty and well presented. 🍻🔥

Great location wonderful atmosphere . Well attended by the staff and the Sunday roast was excellent . My partner and I enjoyed our time there immensely

Excellent Sunday lunch in Cirencester. Well cooked. Great service. Terrific atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

Fantastic food, great choice on menus and special menu. Just a massive shout out to Rogerio. You was absolutely fantastic from the minute we walked in until we left. You are a massive credit to here and it was great meeting you.

Came on a cold rainy day and it was as if the sun was shining, the atmosphere was amazing, the service was phenomenal props to the barman Rogerio for helping me and my family decide what to drink. The terrace area is beautifully laid out where we ate and my family could not have been happier. Will definitely be coming back to this lovely venue.

Lovely pub with a cozy fireplace/log burner, beautiful Xmas decorations. Food was good too.

The food was very good, and Vikki was such a great server. I kept it simple with a burger my first time, but the seasonal beers and lagers were great to go along with the relaxing yet inviting atmosphere. Recommended for sure!

A great, relaxing lunch after Christmas shopping

We had a wonderful lunch today, just perfect for our Christmas girls weekend away! Vikki & Max were incredible hosts, we couldn’t have asked for anything better!

Staff were very lovely and accommodating to our large group. Food was delightful too! Special thanks to Maxine’s service ☺️

Stopped here for supper whilst in Cirencester, what a treat. The food is absolutely lovely and Vicki, who served us was a delight. Friendly, cheerful and fun, she really made our evening! Great pub with a great atmosphere. The pie was exceptional! We will definitely come again.

Always an amazing experience. Super dog friendly! Maxine and Michela’s service was impeccable! Would definitely recommend.

Arrived at 4pm with no booking was told they have no wellington or burgers so proceeded to buy a round of drinks £27 to then go to order 2 Sunday roasts . Was told they have ran out also . They did go to check with the chef but to be told they have sold out then able to throw two more plates we decide to decline and not receive scrapings . The food did look nice. Shame this wasn't also communicated on arrival.

A nice old traditional pub with limited space if you go in with dogs. Friendly and welcoming. We didn't eat or see anyone eating so can't comment on that. A nice outside drinking area for summer.

We enjoyed our lunch club meeting in the dining room, perfect for 12 people. Food was well prepared, cooked and presented.

Great traditional pub, amazing location, food and staff 👌

Polite and attentive staff. Great food and great service. Thank you Taz

Had lunch with dessert here. Good food, selection of local beer on tap and very good service. So good that I also had dinner here. The pie I got then was superbly good.

Went here for Sunday roast on a trip away for our anniversary with my husband. The atmosphere of the pub was nice and liked the decor however we wasn't impressed with the food it was very expensive and cold. We've eaten out for Sunday roast in our local area in Surrey many times and the food is always tasty and hot on arrival and between £6-£10 cheaper. Have to say we were disappointed with the food.

Top class meal, food was spot on! Thank you Roger!

Really nice atmosphere, great, quick service, just felt that the food portions were a little too small for the amount of money charged. We understand that food needs to be more expensive, but we also really stretch ourselves to go out for a treat and would have appreciated a larger portion for almost £20 a main. But we still had a lovely time. Thank you.

Great pub/restaurant in the centre of cirencester, 20 minute walk from the caravan and motorhome club site .Good food and very friendly staff

Food was delicious and the service was amazing thanks to Michela. Would highly recommend.

Great Atmosphere, the team is so friendly and efficient. Was a great experience!!

Such a lovely cosy pub with delicious food! Michela took such good care of us and was super friendly and knowledgeable!

Fab food, the pie was amazing. Service was great and friendly staff.

Great British pub, nice atmosphere and food wasn't bad either and well priced.

Very nice service who does their job with passion, also likes to be surprised by the beer, all in all great food, great drink, great atmosphere

always fantastic, can't fault venue, staff, service, food and drinks, this is our go to place for special occasions, love it

Such a beautiful cozy place we felt welcomed from the get go- The food was absolutely stunning, yummy cocktails, amazing atmosphere and such friendly attentive staff !

We had a last minute booking for Sunday lunch. We arrived to a wonderful cosy bustling atmosphere and we were greeted by Vikki. She was so attentive and extremely helpful with our service. Drinks were ordered promptly and our roasts came quickly. They were fantastic! Thanks Vikki for all your help! You are a real asset to the pub! See you soon 👍🏼

We eat here at least every few weeks, I take my grandchildren and my children here. We have always loved this place. The service is excellent, the food is delicious and it’s our go to place. There is just one thing I would like head office to consider. You have recently changed your memory and to my great great sadness you have taken off scotch eggs off as a starter. This has hugely disappointed us all as it was my fav starter anywhere I have ever been. Unfortunately there was no other starter we liked so none of us had a starter this time. It’s a shame as that obviously lowered the price we would have normally paid. Please bring it back.

Wonderful place with especially nice staff. Love that they have a little menu of dog treats for your four-legged friend!

Had a fantastic time this afternoon ( 3rd nov 2024) with my wife and her friend. We had travelled all the way from Heathrow to meet a friend and have dinner. Such a beautiful place. Lovely decor, amazing food ( we all had trio of meats roast dinner, and pudding. ) absolutely fabulous service by the staff. Our 1 year old son joshua really enjoyed it too especially waving and smiling at all the nice friendly staff, who are in the picture. He also loved his fish goujon dinner and the baby changing facilities. Thank you all so much for making us all feel so welcome. We will definitely be back.

Myself, my grandchildren and my children eat here at least every few weeks. The service is fantastic, and the food is always well prepared and served. It has a lovely atmosphere and we love going here. The children enjoy it and you feel very comfortable taking children in. If anyone in management reads these reviews can I please recommend that you put scotch eggs back onto your menu. We always have them as a starter and they are one of the best I have ever tasted. Unfortunately this time we saw it had been removed, also unfortunately there was nothing else any of us could find on the starters so we all ended up having no starter at all. This was a real shame and meant we spent less than we normally would have done with yourselves.

I had roast dinner here on a Sunday with my family. It’s a very cozy pub with a good vibe. The roast dinner was ok, little bit cold and taste a bit bland however the service was great and grace was brilliant at serving us and making us feel welcome

First time here - managed to find a table for us despite being nearly full. Very well kept Butcombe ales, fabulous food with plenty of choice and friendly, professional staff. Thoroughly recommend.

Lovely looking pub, good staff. Beer was clean and tasty, unlucky. First choice just ran out. It's not a problem. As second was just as good. Butcombe.

A return visit to the Bear, always a port of call when we are in Ciren. It was busy being half term but the pub welcomes kids which is nice to see. Two of us had the always excellent haddock and chips, I had the fish soup, very different and very tasty. We’re already booked in for our next visit in a couple of weeks time

MDS Ltd Business trip to RAU saw myself and my colleague wanting somewhere for a bite to eat. Great food, we split an amazing pie and mash and chicken burger with skin on fries. Tasty non alcohol cocktail served stylishly and glass of delicious house red, the latter two not on the company!! Decent glasses which were spotless - important detail... Vicki was perfect with her service, attention to detail and helpfulness. So pleased we found this place.

MDS Ltd Business trip to RAU saw myself and my colleague wanting somewhere for a bite to eat. Great food, we split an amazing pie and mash and chicken burger with skin on fries. Tasty non alcohol cocktail served stylishly and glass of delicious house red, the latter two not on the company!! Decent glasses which were spotless - important detail... Vicki was perfect with her service, attention to detail and helpfulness. So pleased we found this place.

Lovely staff, Roger has been an amazing host together with the italian girl from Rome. Food was lovely. We enjoyed it very much. Highly recommended!

Chatty barman and well kept ales even though it was a pit stop before the bus.

Food was great, Grace (our server) & the rest of the team did a fantastic job

Returning to the Bear for the first time in a while we were impressed at both the level of service and the menu ... much improved. Our server, Grace, was attentive and extremely courteous. The menu provided good choice and the fish (fish & chips) was the best I had tasted in the last few years. My wife and I are already planning on returning ... It's a great place to eat before going to a performance at the Barn Theatre.

Great service ..Great food..didn't take long to get served..plenty of seating..dog friendly which is a bonus

Average food and poor service, and quite expensive.

Had an ace time here. Place was packed so I’d recommend booking ahead. We sat outside which was still snug as the wind breakers and outdoor heating did the trick. Everyone had the carvery, which absolutely hit the spot. The trio of meats had so much, it rivalled Noah’s Ark. Posh chips were to die for and lasted a couple of minutes between all of us. Two people had lost their sense of taste from covid and, I kid you not, could actually taste the chips. They were just short of miraculous 😂 Puddings were pretty decent too. Ice cream was killer and the doughnuts 🍩 pretty doughy, which is what I like. Dogs allowed inside. No on-site parking but there’s council parking nearby.

Booked a Sunday lunch at the Bear in Cirencester as it was half way to our end destination and it looked good on the reviews. So glad we did as we had a superb lunch in a lovely pub, served by a cheerful and helpful Alannah. Thank you for making it an enjoyable meal, Alannah; and compliments to the chef!

Loved the rump steak! Great service.