Juliet is the coolest restaurant in the Cotswolds - Review - Cotswolds - The Infatuation
"Juliet is the coolest restaurant in the Cotswolds. And you’ll probably have to do some very uncool things to eat here—like setting a booking alert weeks in advance and begging someone to eat at 5pm with you. But it’s worth it. Because gnawing on an excellent lamb cutlet at this French restaurant in Stroud, beside a grande dame-type and an even grander piano, will make you feel like a certified member of the countryside in-crowd. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna It’s achingly sleek, with staff dressed in high fashion utility wear and plates branded with a red ‘JULIET’ like a royal seal, but this bistro-style spot still has a laid-back buzz to it. A handsome wooden cabinet serves as the baguette-slicing station where waiters—best described as aloof, but in a chic way—slice locally baked Vélo Bakery baguettes like clockwork every few minutes. And nobody’s above joining in for a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’. photo credit: Ed Schofield photo credit: Ed Schofield Juliet is open during the day but her wooing works best over a Cabernet Franc than a Triple Co Roast coffee. Come from lunch onwards, when it’s busier and the white paper tablecloths wear the signs of a good night—steak juices and red wine that sloshed out of a glass during a greedy grab for caramelised, seductive tarte tatin. Food Rundown Velo Bakery Baguette If a French restaurant has bad bread, can it even call itself a French restaurant? Luckily you don’t have to ponder those big existential questions here. The baguette is lovely: the crust crispy, the middle airy and light. And the butter is very salty, which is correct. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Foie & Chicken Liver Parfait We were tempted to ask the thread count of this parfait, given how silky soft it is. Impossibly smooth and richly savoury, it’s one of our favourite things to eat here. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Asparagus, Broad Beans & Stracciatella Hiding the dollop of creamy stracciatella beneath a mound of leafy greens and buttery asparagus feels like a food-based striptease. But also, it ensures each bite has a dollop of that cheese which becomes almost a sauce. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Lamb Cutlets, Puntarelle Alla Romana There are no bells and whistles here, it’s just great-quality lamb, cooked perfectly, and served in a shallow pool of its own juices. Delicious. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Ratte Potatoes, Salsa Verde For the uninitiated, ratte potatoes are nutty and remain firm without falling apart even when you get their little jackets all crispy and smashed. The herby, salty seasoning is great too. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Caponata A comforting mix of roasted vegetables, cooked down until it becomes a thick, almost chunky sauce consistency. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Ex-Dairy Sirloin 500g & Frites This is a special, so won’t always be on the menu, but if it is, order it. Aside from an extra sprinkle of salt that we’d have liked, it’s very good. The steak is pink but aggressively charred on the outside, and the juices make for a nice sauce to baste each meaty bite in. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Chocolate Mousse We wouldn’t bother with this mousse again. It’s perfectly fine, but there are much better desserts on the menu. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Apple Tart Tatin & Crème Fraîche A generous, door-stopping wedge of tarte tatin with buttery pastry and apples that are just the right amount of caramelised—sweet and sticky, slightly bitter, but not burnt. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna" - Sinéad Cranna
