The Opposition Bistro in Stratford-on-Avon

Pre theatre meal, we always book The Opposition. Good menu providing interesting choice and reasonable set menu between 5.00pm and 6.30pm. Lovely staff and tasty food

What a treat. We’ve been to Stratford many times over the years, and we never miss the opportunity to dine at the Oppo. It’s a charming restaurant with reliably delicious food and wonderful staff.

The table was in a good position and the food was excellent and environment was nice and homely with a good service from all the staff.

We had a great meal and despite being fully booked the service was exceptional. Highly recommended.

Warm, hospitable and friendly alongside excellent and generous food. Thanks to all at Oppo.

This is a reliably good quality restaurant where it is a pleasure to eat. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the menu offers a good selection of well cooked food and the service is oustandingly good. The seating is comfortable and if you ask for a quiet table, you get a quiet table. We come to Stratford several times a year to go to the RSC and see friends who live in Stratford and we always book a dinner at The Opposition. It has never been anything but a pleasure to eat there.

Superb evening. Lovely food and excellent service.

Beautifully cooked meals in lovely surroundings. The staff were attentive and friendly. We were very impressed and will definitely return.

We visited for a pre-theatre dinner so had limited time. The service was prompt, efficient and very pleasant. Fixed price and a la carte menu were both very good. Portions good, standard of the food was also very good. The restaurant was very busy and the tables quite close together so sometimes difficult to hear each other. But would certainly re-visit

Lovely restaurant and great food. Would definitely visit again on my next trip to Stratford!

Lovely restaurant delicious food they we very helpful with my friends dietary needs look forward to going back

The whole experience was excellent. The food was excellent, especially the special white chocolate Panna Cotta with cherries in Kirsh.

Food and service was amazing would highly recommend

Myself and 3 friends visited together. Lovely restaurant with a nice selection of meals to choose from on the menu. The service was really good. Staff were friendly and helpful. Alcohol or menu extras were not pushed on us which made a refreshing change. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. Not too quiet or too loud. Would certainly come again!

A very nice meal for four of us before attending the RSC. We ate from the menu of the day which was excellent value and very tasty. The gravadlax, sea bream, venison, white chocolate pannacotta dessert special and vanilla rice pudding were all delicious. We always receive a warm welcome and service is efficient but not rushed and we know that we will always make it to the performance on time. We are regulars who travel from Nottingham to the RSC and usually eat at The Opposition too.

We booked our table for 2 for the 4th December towards the end of October and were very surprised when we arrived that the server brought us to a small table which was the only table in the restaurant not set for dinner. It was located in a type of cubby hole in a front corner of the restaurant and I had to sit sideways to my wife. This male server was not welcoming in any way and as I was sitting sideways I had a full view of the restaurant and never saw him once smile of make any light conversation with any of the diners. A female server (sounded foreign) came to us a couple of times and she was delightful, the complete opposite to her male colleague. A walk in couple arrived about 40 minutes after us and were given a table that was set for 4,? The food and speed of service was very good and the low rating is all down to the male server.

Excellent service and pretty good value .. satisfied 👍

Delicious food and wonderful service - would definitely recommend a trip to this restaurant

You always get a superb meal and the customer service is excellent so accommodating. Lovely friendly staff and a friendly atmosphere. Recommend 100%

We had a delicious lunch of Moules Frites with a basket of fresh bread. Everything about this restaurant is perfect and we make it a point to eat here whenever we're in the area.

Excellent as ever one of our regular eating establishment in S on A

Good friendly atmosphere and excellent staff. A good choice when in Stratford.

We went to The Opposition before the theater. The staff were all very accommodating. The food was delicious.

Excellent food, beautiful old space, good service. Only slight grumble is two dishes came with appropriate vegetables but two you had to choose vegetables as extra sides but prices were much the same. Would have been nice to have vegtables included with all dishes perhaps with an option of which to have.

Couldn’t fault the place great food great customer service

Really tasty & good choice. Good value. Would definitely return!

The overall experience was exceptional. The venue was aesthetically pleasing, the food was delectable, and the service was impeccable. The value for money was outstanding. I highly recommend this establishment. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Ate at the Opposition for a pre-theatre meal and received a warm welcome by staff. Cosy and relaxed atmosphere with very attentive staff. Food was delicious and very good value on the fixed price menu. A very enjoyable meal.

The best restaurant, superb service and an extensive menu to cater for meat eaters and vegetarians. (The Oppo).

A great meal and friendly service in a buzzing atmosphere. A perfect venue for pre or post theatre.

As previously experienced (every time we go to the theatre and eat there before the play - if an evening performance - or afterwards - if a matinee) The Opposition delivered a lovely meal yesterday, in a great setting with excellent service and good value (given the standard of all of the dishes delivered). Thank you to all the team for a very enjoyable experience- again ! Bernie and Liz

Great buzzing atmosphere for pre-theatre dinner. Delicious gradvalax with horseradish cream followed by sea bass in a shellfish sauce. Could not fault the food or the service.

Excellent food and great service. Nice venue in the centre of town.

Delicious food, flexible about 2 starters and no main, and service focused on getting us through without rushing but so that we could get to the RSC on time

I've been eating at the Opposition for a number of years - first place I think of if I am going to Stratford - great food and great service.

This was our fourth visit and it never disappoints. Delicious food and reasonly priced champagne by the glass! Pre the theatre menu if you fancy the selection.

Pre-theatre dinner in a lively environment. The food is excellent complimented by great service. What’s not to like?

Delicious food and friendly service. Good value for the set menu.

Enjoyed crab fish cake to start, rib eye steak for main and rice pudding to finish. All freshly prepared and well seasoned. I like my steak rare and it was cooked perfectly. For a Monday evening there was a pleasant atmosphere, not too loud or quiet with several tables occupied. Staff friendly and polite. Will definitely recommend to friends and family.

Stayed in Stratford for our wedding anniversary and ate out here after reading good reviews. The restaurant looks great from the outside and has an old style look that is Stratford. We went for the 3 course set menu. My husband enjoyed his starter, main and cheese, and biscuits. I had the soup, which was delicious, but unfortunately, my main was just sauce and hardly any fish. Maybe I should have asked for potatoes to go with it? I was tempted by the Eton mess, but adding the lemon curd and passion fruit was over sweet for me. My Pinot grigio was the best I've had for a long time. In all a pleasant experience ✨️

It is always pleasant to go to the OPPO. I go every month and have never had a meal that I have not enjoyed. The staff are friendly and efficient. I would recommend booking a table.

Fabulous place, delicious food, wonderful service!

Absolutely amazing. Wish I lived closer. Food was out of this world and the service is amazing. Going again tonight

The food was nicely prepared and presented. The staff were attentive and very pleasant. A good evening pre-theatre.

We loved the food and the lovely choice of wines. Parfait was divine! Service was wonderful. Highly recommended to those visiting Stratford upon Avon (E.g. the town of Shakespeare) ☑️

Excellent lunch as always, our favourite venue in Stratford on Avon!

As fairly regular patrons of The Opposition we have always found everything absolutely spot on - premises perfect, food brilliant, staff exemplary. What's not to like?

Another superb meal in the best restaurant in Stratford upon Avon.

Dined here with some family recently. Food was mostly good but there was an issue with one dish. Staff were very nice about things despite one of our party being quite difficult which was very good of them. I think they should get recognition for that!

Tasty food, great value and superb service. Centrally placed and convenient for the theatre. We'll be back!

Great food and service as always! It’s the reason we have been going for over 30 years! Super consistent and great value!

A true bistro experience. The fixed price menu offering is from the main menu or the specials - just less of it which was just fine for us. Wine can be by the glass, carafe or bottle. Service (we were pre theatre) is timely and very pleasant. Overall you get the impression of a well rehearsed team in both FOH and kitchen, working with good ingredients and a high standard of delivery. Have been before, and will go again.

Our 1st experience and will not be our last! Thank you to all of the team for making our anniversary meal a memorable one.

Nice place with a lovely ambience. Food was well made and presented and the team there gave great levels of service. Recommended.

Excellent meal from start to finish! With attentive staff and a good ambiance.

Friendly greeting, fast & attentive service with a smile. Set menu good value.

We had a lovely meal the service was great can’t fault anything

Excellent food! The focaccia starter was a little overpriced for what it was, but still tasty. However, the main courses more than made up as they were both delicious - and although not large portions, were a good size and a lot better than many places. I had the pork belly/pork loin with dauphinoise and savoy; my other half had the goats cheese and cranberry filo with orange and chickpea salad. Would be happy to recommend both dishes. The dessert was the real standout though. The lemon curd and passionfruit Eton mess was the choice for both of us, and it was simply superb. Little things made it so good, like the homemade meringue that was much denser than normal meringue, and the liberal application of fruit (always a bugbear of mine with this dish elsewhere). The staff were very friendly, helpful and just seemed like a really nice cheerful bunch of folks. All in all an excellent experience. This was my first visit in almost 25 years, but I'll be back again for a third visit soon!

Great food, ambience warm, vibrant and relaxed. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Sadly we live too far away to be regulars but we will return again next time we’re in Stratford. The pork was superb, potato dauphinois tasty, the gin warming and delicious to sip alongside our meal. Thanks for another great evening.

Absolutely outstanding as always.food superb and the flavours spot on. Service quick with out being rushed . Love this place and staff are so friendly and welcoming. 10 out of 10 and more

The staff were very welcoming and gave great suggestions on beers, food a desserts

All 4 of us enjoyed the food: the gluten-free meal, 2 fish and especially the 3 callabrese soup. The location was very convenient for the theatre, and the ambience excellent.

Lovely restaurant. Nice little areas to sit down not too noisy. Staff were very friendly and polite. Food was delicious. White wine wasn’t cold in the carafe, and the lamb steak only came with a rectangle of dauphinois potatoes and half a cooked tomato, so it seemed a bit steep at £26.50 with no veg. Desserts were delicious. Overall enjoyed the whole experience. Thank you

I went in for a pre theatre meal with a friend. The food and service was amazing. We just had main courses - chicken salad and butternut squash and lentil kedgeree which both tasted delicious. Would highly recommend

Thoroughly enjoyed our experience at The Oppo. Food superb, staff very attentive in all, a lovely evening.

I dine at Opposition every time I visit Stratford Upon Avon, that sums it up for me !

We are lucky if we can visit Stratford once a year to go to one of the Theatres; this year we visited in January & September: whenever we come, we always book to eat a meal at The Opposition. A very good choice of food, well cooked & the service is excellent. This time we ate before going to see 'Pericles' at the Swan Theatre (also an excellent production!) and had the set menu: the chicken chasseur was very tasty - we had to ask for spoons so we didn't waste the gravy! Our banoffi pie & hazelnut parfait were perfect. We also recommend the draught lager. We couldn't ask for a better start to our evening: at a very reasonable cost.

Interesting menu with several options for specials.

Food was amazing and staff were very friendly. It has a lovely atmosphere, If we come back for another visit to Stratford on Avon we will book again.

Superb service. Excellent choices on menu. Food was delicious. Definitely our new best restaurant in Stratford upon avon.

After spending a fortune on food and drink (which was good), we did not want a dessert but asked for a few amaretti biscuits. We were told that we couldn’t possibly have any because they were to go with one of the desserts on the menu! We found this extremely peevish and will bear it in mind when dining in Stratford in future.

On our infrequent visits to Stratford to go to one or other of the Theatres, we always book to eat at The Opposition: great service & super food.

We had a fabulous pre- theatre dinner yesterday. Great atmosphere, charming decor, excellent service and delicious food. I would highly recommend. We will definitely return.

Really nice experience with great priced drinks and very good food. The service was first class.

The Opposition delivers good food, friendly and engaging service and we always leave smiling. Thanks all at Oppo.

The food was delicious but the staff were either indifferent or surly. It was such a shame as it was for a birthday meal. Really, we just wanted to eat & get out as soon as possible.

We like this place & food is tasty, but was disappointed in starters & desserts (I'm not a fussy person) but would have liked more choices... Will still go back next time after a menu change though 😋

Warm welcome, relaxed atmosphere, lovely food and drink and good value.

Another pleasant pre theatre early evening dinner. The fixed price menu offered enough choice and the limited range ensured that food left the kitchen promptly. The staff are pleasant and efficient, being geared up to diners needing to be served quickly. Drinks are reasonably priced and the high standard of the food makes this good value for money.

What a lovely place and what a fabulous atmosphere. We are returning next weekend fir some more of your fabulous food!

A busy and popular pretheatre venue. The pretheatre menu is great value and delicious - well presented and imaginative. Very efficient and friendly service.

Wonderful decor great location fantastic food and great service

Another great meal at our favourite restaurant in Stratford-upon-Avon

Lovely everything The service is charming and attentive Good menu choices for health6 eating and vegetarians

A great gluten free choice. Excellent service, very friendly service. First time in a restaurant that I have had such a hood choice of gluten free desserts! It was my birthday and the dessert came out with a candle. I will definitely be going back

Lovely atmosphere, great food and friendly informative staff. We had a lovely pre-theatre meal.

Really great meal at the Opposition, our first time but we will be back.

Interesting menu. Food excellent - delivered quickly & on hot plates. Service was charming & efficient. The limited space means small tables & a bit cramped.

Great place to eat pre-theatre. Fabulous food. Friendly staff.

Easy to book a table on line. We received a warm welcome on our arrival, and the owner and staff were friendly and helpful throughout the evening. The menu was varied and included several gluten free options, one of the reasons for choosing this restaurant for our Anniversary meal. The staff were knowledgeable about the food on offer, and made helpful suggestions about our order. We had three courses, all of which were excellent. The mains in particular were delicious and of high quality. Everything was served hot and well presented. The seating was comfortable and the ambience relaxed. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and will definitely be back on our next visit to Stratford-upon-Avon. We recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking a relaxed evening with good food and friendly staff.

Superb Dinner and service.. food was amazing - highly recommend and appreciated restaurant fitting us in - suggest you book in advance

Everyone is so welcoming and they are set up well for theatre lovers. Service is super efficient and friendly. Food is delicious.

Absolutely my favourite restaurant ever! Love the Oppo and have been going since 1989.

A warm welcome awaits you at The Opposition. A reliable, long established restaurant ,and such great value. Menus are always varied and food is of a high quality, and perfectly cooked. Love the shortbread biscuits served with the excellent coffee. A nice touch. Service is amazing, and the staff remember repeat customers and are very accommodating. Can’t wait for a return visit.

Good value pre theatre menu, food was good as was the service.

This restaurant never disappoints. The staff are friendly, efficient and service is second to none. The food is delicious. I took a friend who had never been before and there was so much choice on the menu, it was difficult to decide what to have. She said she would definitely return, as will I. Highly recommend - you won’t be disappointed!

Had a wonderful lunch time experience prior to going to Stratford races. The service quality was excellent and the food quality similarly so. Will definitely return if in the area again.

Pre show dinner, everything was prompt and lovely. Food delicious, and our dietary quirks dealt with efficiently and in a friendly manner.

Staff were very attentive providing excellent service plus the food was excellent too. We’d like to thank the staff who were a great help at the end of the evening when one member of our party experienced a medical incident we very much appreciated their quick thinking and support. Pleased to report everyone is fine. Would certainly recommend this restaurant and we are already looking forward to a return visit.

very friendly service, good food, and lovely atmosphere