Two Cotswold establishments have been included in the SquareMeal Top 100 UK restaurants list.

The Old Butchers in Stow and The Slaughters Manor House in Lower Slaughter made the cut, placed at 82 and 98 respectively.

SquareMeal is the UK’s leading independent restaurant guide and deliberately excludes London restaurants to allow venues from around the UK to be recognised.

The full Top 100 list can be viewed over at the SquareMeal website.

What did SquareMeal say about The Old Butchers?

Cotswold Journal: The Old ButchersThe Old Butchers (Image: Google Maps)

SquareMeal wrote: “Housed inside an old butchers - in case the name didn’t give it away - this family-run restaurant works with a nose-tail ethos to ensure minimal waste.

"A cosy spot found in the pretty Cotswold market town of Stow-on-the-Wold.

The Old Butchers was opened by Pete and Louise Robinson in 2005, originally as a butcher's shop.

Pete has worked in a number of restaurants including a stint as head chef at two Michelin-starred Bibendum.

Louise, meanwhile, runs the day-to-day operations of the restaurants, and their daughter Millie works front of house.

It has been well-reviewed on Tripadvisor, earning a four-and-a-half rating from 1,300 reviews.

SquareMeal added: "The dining room is rustic and cosy inside, with wooden tables, stone brick walls and a feature shelf showcasing its wine collection. 

"The Old Butchers menu incorporates a nose-to-tail ethos into its cooking to ensure as little as possible is wasted.

"The menu changes regularly in line with what’s available and seasonal at the time, especially for things like meat and seafood. The latter plays a prominent role on the menu, with dedicated sections for shellfish and ‘fruits de mer’."

The Slaughters Manor House - What SquareMeal had to say

Cotswold Journal: The Slaughters Manor HouseThe Slaughters Manor House (Image: Cotswold Journal)

SquareMeal wrote: “Found in Lower Slaughter, this hidden gem celebrates the best of Cotswolds produce, with seasonal, regional and freshly foraged ingredients being at the heart of the restaurant’s menu."

The restaurant is headed up by chef Nik Chappell, who has a breadth of experience in the industry having spent time at some of the country’s best restaurants including Mallory Court and L’Ortolan.

Nik actually started out his professional life studying fine art and discovered his passion for cooking while working in a pub at university.

On Tripadvisor, The Slaughters Manor House has a rating of four following 472 reviews.

SquareMeal added: "Setup with crisply dressed tables, the dining room further benefits from floor-to-ceiling windows which flood the space with light at lunchtime and during dinner in the summer months.

"While things of course change with the seasons and depending on availability from the small-scale producers Nik favours, there is always a modern European style on show."