Smiths — Restaurant in Cotswold District

A stunning setting and top-tier burgers, let down slightly by the service.

Smiths is located in the beautiful village of Bourton-on-the-Water, easily one of the most charming and visited spots in the Cotswolds. The restaurant itself is set in a striking building that you wouldn’t usually associate with a burger joint — definitely a great first impression.

We had a table booked and were seated quickly, though we were only given three menus between the four of us, which was a minor oversight. About 15 minutes later, our drinks order was taken. When asking for some advice between two of the ciders on offer, the waiter simply said he had no idea — not particularly helpful. The drinks then took another 10–15 minutes to arrive, and unfortunately, they weren’t even the ones we ordered.

The same waiter took our food order but again couldn’t offer any recommendations or guidance, and his general demeanour gave the impression he wasn’t overly thrilled to be there. A bit of a shame, especially when everything else was looking so promising.

Now for the good part — the food. It took around 40 minutes to arrive, which is on the longer side, but to be fair, it was well worth the wait. The burgers were delicious. Three of us went for the Classic and one had the Hot Chick. The flavour, sauce, and quality of ingredients were spot on. Personally, I found the buns a bit too large and would’ve preferred a slightly less well-done patty, but I get that with smash burgers that’s not always an option. Still, they were bordering on overcooked.

The cheese skirt on the burgers was a brilliant touch — added loads of flavour and texture. We also tried the Nashville chicken tenders which were good, although not very spicy and could really do with a dip as standard. I paid £1 extra for a sauce which came in the smallest pot known to man — frustrating, to say the least.

The loaded dirty tater tots were absolutely fantastic — potentially the best tots I’ve ever had. The mac and cheese was rich, creamy, and generously portioned. Cajun fries were tasty but didn’t particularly stand out.

All in all, Smiths delivers some of the best burgers in the Cotswolds — no question. The food is excellent and definitely worth the visit. However, the service didn’t live up to the same standard. With a service charge already included, I chose not to contest it, but it didn’t feel particularly earned — wrong drinks, no guidance, and no check-back on how our meal was.

If you’re nearby, absolutely give Smiths a try. The food is fantastic, and despite the service blips, you’re still likely to...

My partner and I were excited to dine at this restaurant after hearing glowing reviews about its fantastic food. We decided to try a variety of dishes, but unfortunately, our experience was a mix of highs and lows.

While the pulled pork tots served as a replacement for the unavailable brisket were delightful, the Nashville butter chicken tenders were disappointingly salty, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Similarly, despite the flavorful burgers, such as the Pimento and Blue Cheese Boulevard, I encountered the same issue with my burger being overly salty.On the bright side, the staff were generally accommodating, providing us with a variety of sauces and offering in-house sauces for an additional cost.

I was eager to meet the people behind the restaurant and was told that one of the Smith brothers, the owners, was available in the kitchen as the chef. However, when I attempted to address my salty food experience, I was informed that the chef had already left, which was disheartening.

While the response from the counter person regarding my complaint felt somewhat indifferent, they did allow me to share my experience on their Google reviews. However, I believe a more empathetic and proactive approach would have been appreciated.

Despite the setbacks with the chicken tenders and salty burger, we did find some enjoyment in our dining experience, particularly with the refreshing in-house ginger beer. However, the lingering salty taste in my mouth the next morning was a stark reminder of the less satisfying aspects of our meal.

Moving forward, we may consider returning to give the restaurant another chance. However, we hope that they take customer feedback more seriously and designate someone to take ownership of ensuring every diner has a positive and...

My partner and I were very excited to visit Smiths at Bourton-on-the-Water for our wedding anniversary lunch. We made an online reservation for 2pm on a Saturday. Had we known that it would take over 30 minutes to find a parking space, we would have arrived much sooner, but we found ourselves literally running to make our table. When we arrived at the venue, we were told that our table had been given away despite us arriving roughly 10 minutes past 2, and being stuck behind a large party wanting to book before we could speak to anyone. It was explained to us that the restaurant had a 15 minute policy for reservations, however, we did make it in the door before that cutoff time and the aforementioned policy was conveyed with what seemed like annoyance.

We do appreciate the staff clearing a high top to get us sat, but we did ask to be moved from a high top table to a normal table if possible. We were told it was possible after another party of two left and we would be moved, but to our surprise, it was not brought up again until we were half finished with our food. By then we were offered the same type of high top table behind us. When we asked, we were told that the normal tables were booked already. It seemed to us that there was not very clear communication either between the staff or to us.

We can say that the food was nice, and served cooked to order. We did, however, expect a bit more empathy from the service. A combination of arriving just a bit past time and being serviced in a way that felt like a hindrance rather than a guest at a restaurant we had been looking forward to experiencing left our visit being rather disappointing. Maybe a future visit would be different, but we are very apprehensive...