Join the rewards club for food lovers and unlock rewards

The Woodsman

British·
££££
·
Silver Award
·

SquareMeal Review of The Woodsman

Silver Award

A love letter to wild British food cooked over coal and fire, The Woodsman trumps Shakespearean history and trips to the theatre as the key reasons to visit Stratford-upon-Avon.

Framed by a roaring brick oven and iron charcoal grill, the open kitchen sits at the 15th-century heart of the meticulously restored Hotel Indigo, where the bulging wooden frontage stands out as gorgeously archaic even amongst The Bard’s ancient residences.

Within are a warren of rooms where deer pelts on gleaming wooden feasting tables or stuffed falcons and pheasants perched below vast sanded beams are offset by decidedly contemporary marble-topped bars and puffy, studded-leather chairs and banquettes.

Food, overseen by Mike Robinson of Michelin-starred Harwood Arms fame, walks a similar line between old and new. Robinson manages the hotel’s estate and has shot much of the venison personally, which explains why such care is taken in preparing it.

Our roasted pavé of fallow pricket came blushing pink and tasting of fire and field alongside butter-rich mash scattered with crisp roasted shoulder meat, smoked bone marrow and young cavolo nero. We’re now itching to return for the slow-cooked roe deer shoulder for two.

More game – hare – was slow braised and tossed through fine strands of pappardelle as a starter, although the unanimous top dish was a punchy terrine of wild duck, pork and pistachio served with precise little piles of gherkin, pickled walnut and ratatouille-like chutney for balance.

Fire is also applied to fish. Our modestly sized John Dory came licked with both flame and seaweed beurre blanc alongside a salty triple-header of samphire and brown shrimp that we soaked up with whole new potatoes roasted to crispness with garlic and parsley.

Mushrooms – girolles with Cornish cod, roast cep purée in a classic wood pigeon salad – are picked in the wild while other seasonal touches include quince paired with roast partridge or an autumnal, delicate pumpkin cheesecake with a wonderful cinnamon ice cream.

An ample wine list, serious cocktail menu (courtesy of The Woodsman’s super-slick Falcon Bar) and knowledgeable, committed staff are the stuff of destination dining but there’s a definite casual vibe thanks both to a front-of-house team that treats diners like humans and a bargain three-course set lunch perfect for locals or, heaven forbid, those not wishing to linger.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisines
British
Ambience
Cosy, Lively, Romantic, Traditional, Unique
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Special Features
Vegetarian options, Wheelchair access
Perfect for
Birthdays, Celebrations, Child friendly, Romantic, Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

At home within a 300 year old inn, The Woodsman is a restaurant with rooms championing locally-sourced British produce, in Stratford-Upon-Avon. History buffs will adore the original Tudor facade and period details inside, and the fact that this building was once used as The Royal Shakespeare Club’s annual dinner, starting from 1824. 

The Woodsman comes from restaurateur Mike Robinson who bases its concept on a contemporary approach to wild, foraged food. Ingredients are sourced as close to the restaurant as possible, often within 100 miles, while the in-house huntsman delivers game from their own estates, chefs work with closeby farmers, makers, foragers, as well as picking from the botanical and herb garden in the grounds.

To get a feel for the menu, the website provides some sample examples, such as an a la carte, tasting menu and Sunday offering. The tasting menu is perfect for a special occasion and features seven courses, starting with the likes of charred Wye Valley asparagus with Coppa ham, crispy hen's egg and truffle custard, followed by black garlic glazed rump of spring lamb with broccoli, anchovies, Shepherd's pie and lamb's heart.

As for the a la carte, starters look like Coronation dressed Salcombe crab with pickled mango purée and smoked almond, followed by mains such as woodfired fillet of Gilthead bream with pesto purée, fricassee of spring veg and St. Austell bay mussels with cuttlefish gnocchi, plus desserts like pistachio and white chocolate mousse with English Skyr yoghurt, blood orange sorbet, pistachio cake and white chocolate aero.

If planning a birthday party, important client meeting or get together with family or friends, check out the private dining rooms, with a capacity of either 30 people or 10 people, depending on the space. In the feasting room, the larger of the two, you can wow your guests with suckling pigs, whole roasted wild deer or spit cooked ducks over charcoal, carved for the table. 


FAQs

Is private dining available?

Yes

Helpful? 0

This venue also offers

The Woodsman
Private Group Dining

The Woodsman

Location

Hotel Indigo Stratford-upon-Avon, 4 Chapel Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6HA

01789 331535 01789 331535

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon 12:00-15:00
Tue 12:00-15:00
Wed 12:00-15:00
Thu 12:00-15:00
Fri 12:00-15:00
Sat 12:00-14:30
Sun 12:00-15:30
Dinner
Mon 18:00-21:00
Tue 18:00-21:00
Wed 18:00-21:00
Thu 18:00-21:00
Fri 18:00-21:00
Sat 18:00-21:30
Sun 18:00-20:30

Reviews

Share your thoughts with other diners

Write a review

Book a table

Find a table

Sorry, you cannot spend SquareMeal vouchers here yet.

Other restaurants we like near The Woodsman

Black & Green
Birmingham

Black & Green

Zindiya
Birmingam

Zindiya

The Kingham Plough
Chipping Norton

The Kingham Plough

Check availability