The Retreat at Stroud in Stroud

Had a great lunch on Saturday - 13 of us. Great food, great staff who were all so accommodating for so many of us on a busy lunchtime. Would thoroughly recommend . Thank you so much.

Visiting Stroud for the very first time we searched for a pub that was even open as it was a Monday and every thing seemed to be either closed down or just shut . Asking locals ,even a traffic warden where to go we eventually located the Retreat. At 1310 hrs we expected it to be full. It wasn't . Only a lone girl behind the bar . I enquired whether they did food and was given a menu . The only dish was burger and chips . We retreated . Even could not find any details on tinternet.

Excellent for nice lunch. Had the hot chicken mayo sandwich which was more than enough to satisfy our hunger and tasted incredible. Staff were terrific and friendly.

Fantastic little pub in Stroud. A real hidden gem. Highly recommend. We often have lunch here as a family after visiting the market. The food is excellent. The dressing on the salad, which is served with the sandwiches, is awesome. The bread is really good too. Never disappointed and service is great. Good prices and good value for money. They also have a really great selection of drinks. Always a winner, especially on a cold day by the fire. Dog friendly too!

Unbelievable food!! We came here for a work Christmas meal and we’re all vegan. They created a special menu for us and were super lovely to communicate with in terms of booking etc. The food was exceptional - every little detail was thought about and all of us had a great time. Genuinely incredible mushroom wellington, best I’ve ever had. Every part of the meal was quality, you could taste the attention to detail! Beautiful. Please pass our thanks on to your chef!

We chose to eat lunch here on a Saturday after checking the menu on the website. Unfortunately it was dated June 2022 and when we got the current menu we found that it was more limited and focussed on sandwiches, with one special being a souvlaki skewer. We ordered the club sandwich and the gruyere and leek tart. Both meals were well presented with a nice selection of green leaves dressed as a salad. Service was good and the pub is clearly popular with locals and nicely presented inside.

We popped in for lunch having spotted it down a side street when the town was very busy. The staff were friendly and the whole place clean. The food is fairly average, I would say expensive for what it is. Veggie options pretty limited and no option for smaller child's portions of anything which is a shame. The chips are delicious!

We were three families & a dog arriving unannounced at 1pm. Have you got tables? Yes, but not outside - that will do! Even though we were three separate families, paying individually, they took the order as one and we paid separately. All food arrive together, impressive for 11 people! Food is very good. Portions perhaps on the large side so make sure you are hungry! A wide range of beers, lager and cider available.

Looking for a lunchtime bite this had a good feel about it and we weren't disappointed. Old pub modernised inside by crisp plain but stylish use of lots of red and black this had a prosperous feel about it. Well stocked bar attracted my attention because every last bottle was sparkling clean, the fridges well stocked and the contents all properly “faced up”. This screams “well run”. We were only there for a light lunch so a knockout steak sandwich (smoked salmon for the boss) was just the job, washed down with a very decent pint - couldn’t have done better. Steak sandwich was 8£ And would happily have paid more for it. The Landlord was happily swapping out his 4 Star Scores on the Doors” branding for his shiny new 5 Stars. Well deserved. I’d have happily spent the whole afternoon by the log burner with a few more pints and some good conversation. Great blend of traditional and modern - we need more pubs like this.

We were in Stroud for the day and wandered around looking for a pub-type lunch (and not one of those trendy cafes which proliferate). We found The Retreat down a side passage. The menu was too high up on the wall to read, so we went in to investigate. We were glad we did in spite of the higher prices than we usually pay. My companion had beef pie with vegetables and chips. There were no fish n chips, per se, so I had the fish of the day (hake with delicious pesto sauce), vegetables and a bowl of chips instead of potatoes. I must say the hand-cut chips were some of the best I have ever eaten - fluffy inside, crisp outside - genius). The many tastes coming through were simply divine. The baristress was very helpful and jolly. The decor and atmosphere are warm, a bit Boho and trendy. The toilets are pristine - always a plus! Highly recommended!!

Terrible place Arrogant owner Disgusting rude chef Rude male staff Very abusive Really seedy with lots of lower class types drooling over the bar lady’s

Spending just the day in Stroud we fancied a light lunch, and I came upon this little treat tuck down a side street off the top of the High Street. Covid procedures followed, welcomed in warmly. I opted for steak sandwich with salad and my wife went for the ham/cheese sandwich with salad. All ingredients were top quality. Beef steak tender and tasty, ham likewise. All in fresh granary bread. But the salad is no big standard ordinary salad. It included cous cous, pasta twirls, topped with a lovely dressing. Top quality food and highly recommended Service by bar staff very friendly and efficient at the same time.

Used to come here all the time and enjoyed he lunches. Tried to come today with our one year old for a quick lunch and found the door very difficult with a pushchair and when we tried to sit down at a table, were told unapologetically that they do not have any high chairs. Won’t be coming again!

This place has been around for years and always has a great atmosphere Ian dose a fabulous job running this place great for a pub lunch and a beer. When we are in Stroud we always pop in for a spot of lunch and a beer.

Nice bar restaurant in a quiet street all Local stuff sold here very nice atmosphere lot of locals use this bar restaurant and that is a good sign. Definitely worth a try.

Terrible place male staff are very rude. Was told to ~~~~ ~~~by the chef. Not very professional & I am a female. Disgusting very clicky & unfriendly

We are a group of foodie friends who were staying in a house near Stroud, but we had unfortunately chosen a very rainy weekend. We did a bit of shopping under umbrellas but to get away from the rain we went into The Retreat in Stroud which two people had recommended in nearby shops It was busy but we found a spacious table and decamped there with all our wet weather gear and brollies! Ordered a bottle of wine and then a mixture of lunch dishes. Two had Rosti dishes, one had chilli and others had sandwiches but was all good Nice atmosphere with red walls and beams we stayed here a couple of hours and met the great owner who on turn recommended a great place for dinner which we heeded his advice on and later had a lovely dinner as a result Cracking find just off the high street in Stroud

Celebrating a thirty year anniversary must be a remarkable achievement for any establishment, especially in today's competitive market. But with Ian Morrison at the helm The Retreat deserves to flourish. The menu offers a wide variety of dishes to suit all tastes and pockets. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is always good and welcoming. Long may it continue.

Visited the retreat after a fantastic meal at the corner house, wish I hadn't the landlord was a right knobhead! They advertised a espresso martini, I asked for two the landlord said I haven't got time to make them and walked off, I said if you can't make them then dont advertise that you can! He then pointed to the door man to throw me out! I said you are very rude, he ead only willing to make quick drinks to get people drunk quicker, I was embarrassed in front of my friends of the attitude of this utter t#t of a landlord who is only interested in getting punters drunk quick rather then attend to regular customers,When I complained again he ushered the bouncer to remove me ! He did this because he knew he was in the wrong and was a easy way out for him, I will never go there as long as this landlord is there, as their are better places to go!

Asked bartender for an Irish Creme and coffee. He told me he doesn't make cofffee drinks. I'm a woman over 60, btw. He was rude and serious. If you enjoy being abused, this is the place for you. Food's OK. Nice atmosphere. Boyz club feel.

Popped in on way to Forest Green for a CTFC game.Not able to book for Saturday lunch but luckily we arrived at noon. Tables all in use by 1230. Bubble n squeak/boar chilli was lovely.

On a cold grey day the warm and warmly decorated interior was a treat. Good atmosphere and lovely food. Will go again.

I like the Retreat, nice little pub. Eat here couple of times though and never blown me away but okay. Had the chilli last time which was nice but needed something else with it. Had the lamb burger this visit, the burger itself was tasty, juicy with bags of flavour. However, a spoonful of potato salad as an accompaniment was disappointing. My wife had the Rosti which was disappointing, at 12 pound I'd expect more, was bit bland, lacked texture and little bit oily. Both came with a side salad, which was described as "hearty" salad. A piece of lettuce with little bit of tomato cucumber and few cold pieces of pasta on side wasn't quite hearty nor special.

During the last six years we have never had a bad experience at The Retreat. Ian, owner has it down to a fine art, always plenty of staff for busy periods, excellent food and drink and a warm welcome. The food is delicious with plenty to choose from including vegetarian dishes and the range of drinks is difficult to surpass. The staff are very friendly and obviously enjoy working there.

I have approached him twice to ask him a question ? I was completely ignored on both occasions. He also reffered to me in a derogatory manor to anther customer. I do not know this guy in general at all so i don't see why he has such a issue with me. Its not the way to treat customers & is unprofessional . I will not be returning.

From the welcome to the last drop,a perfect in every way pub,whether its banter with the locals or a fine lunch,always consistently at the top of its game!!

Hemos estado viniendo para el último mes de reuniones y en el retiro. Siempre comida muy buena y sabrosa. Y a un precio muy razonable. Desde un filete y champiñones sándwich para el rostie. Un montón de otras comidas únicas en el menú. El personal es muy amable. Estoy trabajando mi camino el menú todo bien. Un pequeño jardín en la parte trasera, que es genial cuando brilla el sol.

good atmosphere, great staff, get served promptly. great place to go no matter if your a local or visiting.

Precioso edificio en el centro de Stroud, junto a un aparcamiento que es práctico:)

El retiro es todo un bar de la ciudad debe ser, comida excelente almuerzo, el personal encantador y muy dueño de bienvenida. Tiene una gran variedad de bebidas y la comida es muy buena. Todo el mundo que va a Stroud y está buscando un lugar para comer y beber deben llamar.

Llamado para unos tragos en nuestro camino a la cena. Personal muy amable, buena variedad de cervezas y un quemador de madera precioso, que siempre es una ventaja. Quizás la próxima vez probaremos la comida.

Llamé en el retiro para comer en un viaje reciente a Stroud como un amigo nos recomendó

John tenía una entrevista localmente así que me fui a hacer un poco de compras. Queríamos algo razonable para un almuerzo rápido. El refugio está justo a la salida de la High Street. Está bien decorado y tiene una encantadora chimenea cálida. Elegimos del menú y John ordenados desde el bar. El camarero era muy servicial y amable. John sólo queríamos un pickle en pan de queso y brown & elegí el jamón y queso cheddar Rosti. Lo servían a menos de 10 minutos más tarde John quedé muy impresionado por la calidad y el buen queso de acompañamiento de ensaladas. A LA MÍA sólo tienen cubos ecpected de jamón y un poco de queso rallado, pero me sorprendió mucho tener un gran trozo grueso de jamón delicioso, con un montón de Queso derretido encima de mi Rosti. Realmente delicioso. Sin retorno. es sin duda alguna poco agradable

Popped in for lunch had the smoked chicken & mayonnaise sandwich the wife had enchiladas filled with chicken peppers & chillies . People you really need to try this it is lovely well presented and very tasty. Nice atmosphere staff very friendly and effective. If you are in Stroud pop in you won't be disappointed

We called in at lunchtime. The menu was varied and well priced. The portions are a good size and everybody really enjoyed their meal. In particular I can recommend the wild boar chilli bowl.

Atmospheric pub ..good interesting and original menu with mid range prices. Quick friendly service when we visited for an early lunch.

Good venue and service. Nice log burner fire and a variety of food options. Reliable place to come, our chosen bar for birthdays, retirements, starters and leavers for my workplace.

Only dropped by for drinks, but had very friendly service and delicious beers in a very nice environment with all the red walls.

This well established venue is consistently excellent. The food, which has not changed for a while, is always good. The staff and Ian Morrison, the owner, are always smiling and obliging. There is also an excellent quiz on Monday evenings which is a fun event.

Fantastic food...amazing atmosphere....superb staff.....convenient car park...wonderful wines.....tasty tipples....:0))

Always a warm welcome and a great experience.Good beer and good food always available. Friendly staff and.a relaxing atmosphere well behaved dogs are welcome too.

Back for a second time. Again I love this place it has a great atmosphere and great food. Mostly middle aged people at lunch time.

Well what can be said what a great place for a drink and food on a lunch time food excellent and reasonably priced steak sandwich with side salad under a tenner drink not the cheapest in town but what a lovely friendly place to go if in stroud not to be missed

Wonderful tasty beef and horseradish sandwich - salad very, very flavoursome. Great to see a menu not reliant on chips. Rosti or bubble and squeak a fantastic alternative. Mortimer cider wonderful

A staunch favourite of mine. Ian, Stuart, Faye and the rest of the team run an excellent pub in the heart of Stroud. Versatile for any occasion.

We were forced to endure a distastefully decorated interior were we were finally served our overpriced drinks by seemingly completely incompetant bar staff. Stunned, as the pub had been formerly praised by friends and family we 'retreated' to a cramped outside area where we finished our drinks and left. We shall not be returning .

When ever we visit Stroud we always make for The Retreat. It is the nicest pub in town with a nice friendly atmosphere and most importantly good beer.

Great welcome and fantastic food as always. Not been for a few years and pleased nothings changed still great. A very good Guiness there too...

Nice pub with friendly atmosphere, always welcoming, smokers den outside, good beer, busy at lunchtimes, not bad food menu

Just visited for a drink whilst visiting family in the area. Nice location, slightly high prices but generally what I would expect from a market town pub. The rugby was playing on our visit and it was quite loud, but imagine it has quieter times too. I would come back and, judging by the reviews on the food, try lunch here.

I've popped in to The Retreat a number of times over some years. Always order a rosti with one of the superb toppings. Always gorgeous, very tasty and incredibly filling. Just writing about them is making my mouth water...

I have been going to the Retreat for years, being a local it is definitely one of my favourite places in Stroud. I came in for lunch on a Friday afternoon with my family, lovely friendly atmosphere (as usual) chatted away to the bar staff. Bought a round of drinks and then chose to have lunch. My mum had certain dietary requirements which were happily met with a variety of choices off the menu. Three of us had the smoked chicken sandwich; it was delicious, great bread, great salad and I was so full by the end of it. My Mother had the Ribeye steak (locally sourced meat) cooked medium rare, I tried it and it melted in my mouth. Always impressed with the food here! Everything is local and cooked to perfection. Meets and exceeds my expectations every time! I love it :) One of the best places to eat and drink in Stroud!

VENUEThe restaurant is a tucked away on a quiet little lane in the town centre. Conveniently there's also a council car park 30m away. There's a very pleasant walled garden outside that you can eat in, or you can eat inside but the decor is very dark, so eat out in the sun if you can.FOODThe drinks here are a little pricey. A small bottle of Peroni, for example, is £3.50. As for the food, the whole experience is a little underwhelming. Main courses are about £11 each on average. The menu is quite interesting I guess, but not particularly varied. Their full menu can actually be found on the website, so it's worth checking if they anything you like the sound of before attending. I had the 8oz rib-eye steak for £12.50. I asked for medium rare and this wasn't what I received at all. One part of the steak was medium/bordering on well-done, and the other half was very much rare. It wasn't a particularly appetising colour or taste, which makes me think it wasn't seared enough on the outside. The fact of the matter is it was a quite disappointing meal. One upside is that the accompanying salad is actually quite good. It contains some penne pasta, lettuce leaves, a delicious dressing, some cucumber and a few other leaves. Sadly, this didn't make up for my steak and so overall, I wouldn't recommend coming here for a proper meal. Their sandwiches might be better, who knows.SERVICEThe staff are very friendly and the service was fast.

Had Lunch here today. What a pleasant surprise! Can't fault the place, wonderful atmosphere, great food, lovely service and a wide selection of drinks. The lunch menu was spot on, a choice really of various sandwiches or Rosti or bubble and squeak with various toppings and fillings. My wife had Rosti with organic mushrooms and she had to fight me off stealing them! I had a chicken and mayonnaise sandwich with salad and penne. Both were delicious and flavoursome. I had a pint of Mortimers which was excellent and my wife a stowford press. It is lovely building...oozing atmosphere...I wish I had taken my camera. There is a lovely, enclosed outside terrace with a wood burner. What really made it was the buzz...there were clearly a lot of locals who loved the placed and a good mix of clientele. It struck me as very cosmopolitan. The staff were extremely efficient and friendly. Definitely going back very soon

Really tasty food and lovely staff, very friendly. Prices are a bit high but the quality of the food is worth it.Overall a great place for lunch.

Great lunch & lovely company ! Haven't been for a few weeks & once again , Chef was on the ball !! Staff as normal the best in the West!!

After beeing refused in about 6 not petfriendly restautants in Stroud, we were made very wellcome in the Retreat. The food was very nice and plenty, the staff very friendly and there is a big choice of menues. Any time again.

This place is definitely my choice for town centre drinking and the food is always lovely. They've had the same menu for a while but I think it's because they have a following for what they're good at. Could probably do with a few new specials apart from that the menu is pretty accommodating to all tastes.

Some residents of Stroud seem to think a good night out must end in a fight and the pubs they frequent are furnished accordingly. It's easy to miss this one as you walk through from Church Street car park. Plenty big enough, real mix of clients, and the staff are usually brilliant. Used it as works canteen, for business meetings, and even taken the aged mother and a friend there for lunch. There are cheaper pubs in Stroud and there are pubs that do less costly food but the whole mix makes it a great place to go.

We ate here on a busy Friday lunchtime. I had the bubble and squeak with roast beef and gravy and it was fabulous. Very generous serving of beef and everything was very tasy. Service was good and we didn't have to wait very long. Would definitely visit the Retreat again.

What a great place for lunch. Food was excellent and the coffee was superb. Staff very friendly and new how to work a bar! Def be back

Had a delicious luncheon at the retreat and we loved the doggy bags! I had a rosti with Stilton as they'd run out of the chilli which is also very delicious when available!

Friendly excellent bar staff delicious food ( note food only served lunch time ) with a difference such as a selection of bubble & squeek & rosti . If you are a smoker a lovely area with a real fire for those cold winter evenings .

Not many places that you would say were trendy, but this is the Hippest Place in Stroud so there you have it.

had a meal in the retreat on Saturday. The Rosti with courgette and leeks in a cream sauce is absolutely gorgeous but VERY filling:) my husband ordered the hot chicken sandwich which we have had before and is the BEST sandwich ever!!! Unfortunately they were out of chicken so he opted for the Brie and cranberry sandwich which he really enjoyed. The one thing that stopped me giving a 5/5 is that the girls behind the bars are not the most welcoming. My husband ordered the meal but told me he was made to feel he was interrupting their conversation.It doesn't take a lot to give a warm welcoming genuine smile and to be asked if everything is ok.

Had not been for a while , so pleasantly surprised again, great food & great service !!!! Thanks for the luvly food.

I ate here as part of a business lunch. There were 8 in our party and each person was very pleased with their meal. My bubble and squeak was wonderful; super tasty and plenty of it.

After reading about this and the rosti that they serve with different toppings we were interested to try it. Went for lunch a few days ago. Very easy parking nearby which was helpful. Pub is well decorated and the staff at the bar friendly. However the rosti was a very disappointing. We both have had the real thing in Switzerland and this did not measure up well. The outer crust was slightly toasted but the center was just a mush of grated potato. We left most of it. A shame as a really good rosti is wonderful.

So nice to visit somewhere for lunch years after last eating here to find that it's food & style haven't changed. A classic venue with great food (so pleased the hot chicken sarnie is still on the menu :-)).

This is a lovely place for a working lunch, and suitable for taking visitors from out of town. The food is always top notch, and served with a smile. It is worth the wait, and there usually is one. I've been going there on and off for twenty years, since I moved to Stroud.Stilton and mango chutney on toast with a salad were among my perennial favourites, along with a hot smoked chicken sandwich. Now that I'm trying to be gluten free, I'd probably ask staff to modify something on the menu. Good range of drinks at the bar. There is a fairly large outdoor seating area, it's a walled courtyard enclosed on all sides. Only downside I can see is that the toilet is down a steep flight of stairs, so would be unsuitable for disabled visitors. This is a shame, as the restaurant area is roomier than most in Stroud. Decor is dark red and on the sober side. Definitely worth a daytime visit, but the evenings in the bar are more for a younger, noisier crowd.

Often meet friends here for lunch (food is only served at lunchtime – in the evenings the Retreat is an altogether different animal, more of a bar). The food is consistently good. They've had the same menu since forever but it's a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" I think. Pretty much always go for chicken enchiladas or the Rösti (the one with stilton topping is especially good). All the dishes I've tried are served with a really tasty salad – not just a few token lettuce leaves but bean sprouts, great dressing etc.. A couple of good ales and lagers on tap and the coffee is good too, although nothing fancy.The atmosphere in the daytime is great, very relaxed and friendly. Bar staff are all lovely – they seem to have a policy of only employing pretty girls, as another reviewer noted.I'll keep coming back here and I hope they don't change anything about the menu or decor.

Went for lunch today, it was quite busy and there was a good atmosphere. Staff very friendly and food goo looking forward to returning soon.

This is the sister pub to The Retreat in Cheltenham, so the decor and ambience is welcoming and there is a log fire in the winter. The landlord Ian is always welcoming and like the Retreat in Cheltenham the bar staff are very friendly and of course the bar maids very pretty. They have food at lunchtimes which is very tasty and not to forget the real ale from Stroud brewery and Otter.

Wood burner and hot radiators greeted us on this cold but sunny lunchtime in January. The specials board out side boasted Salmon soup and crusty bread. We decided on a veggie enchiladas with nachos, sour cream and salad and me being a meat lover I ordered the beef with bubble and squeak. Hardly had time to drink more that a sips of my stroud ale when our ordered arrived. The enchiladas was chilli hot packed full of tasty vegetables along with a varied salad of pasta and green leaves my beef was three generous slices of beautiful (best I have has in a long time) rare rib eye beef creamed horseradish and a pot of gravy to go with the bubble and squeak. Please note they do not serve food in the evenings but it is a great lunchtime destination just at the edge of the pedestrian area just above the oldest part of Stroud.

Stumbled Upon this little gem of a pub ,if you can find it it's well Worth a visit exelant home made soup and sandwiches.

Have been going there for a couple of years, cant believe that it hasn't got any reviews (its one of those hidden gems). I take work clients here as well as social as it never fails to impress, as well as its wide range of drinks, and the quality food, the famous rostis are to die for! even the sandwiches are huge with unique twists. The specials menu has some unique combinations, and the soups are lovely in the winter! Currently they are only open for lunch times, but would be a regular visitor if they opened for evening service as well!