
Part Home Counties, part South Midlands, Bedfordshire wears several hats when it comes to eating out. There's plenty to seek out when you drive through the acres of Brussels sprouts and sheep pastures that dominate the landscape hereabouts. Woburn Abbey and Safari Park is a focal point of the county. It has spawned a complete village of tourist attractions including restaurants, brasseries and pubs. Elsewhere, Bedfordshire's towns have their share of ethnic eating places, while the countryside is dotted with exclusive hotels and restaurants.
St Helena RestaurantNamed after the nearby Abbey Church of St Helena, which has associations with evangelical author John Bunyan, this stylish and elegantly appointed restaurant occupies a secluded sixteenth-century manor house behind a walled garden just a few miles from Bedford.
High Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: International
The Barns Hotel, Riverside RestaurantBuilt in the early years of the eighteenth century on the site of a medieval tithe barn, this Bedfordshire manor house was - for many years - the country seat of the Whitbread family (of brewing fame).
Cardington Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: International
The EmbankmentIn an ideal location just a couple of minutes walking distance along the promenade from the bustling town centre of Bedford, The Embankment boasts a picturesque position overlooking the tranquil River Ouse.
6 The Embankment, Bedford, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Woodlands Manor Hotel, AutographsWoodlands Manor is a secluded period manor house surrounded by acres of wooded grounds and gardens, only two miles from the centre of Bedford.
Green Lane, Bedford, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: European
The Plough at BolnhurstAfter a ten-year stint (and numerous plaudits) at the Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon, Martin Lee recently moved south to this delightful old tavern in rural Bedfordshire.
Kimbolton Road, Bolnhurst, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Modern European
Cornfields Restaurant & HotelWhen Grahame Goodhew and Janet Abbott opened Cornfields Restaurant in July 1995 their mission statement was to create the kind of restaurant that we would like to eat in.
Wilden Road, Colmworth, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
Chez Jerome @ il MillefioriThere has been a restaurant on this site for over over 30 years, with a number of different owners, and under a few different names but In October 2007, Jerome and Lina Dehoux took over the place and developed Chez Jerome into a Contemporary French Cuisine restaurant.
26 Church Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: French
Flitwick ManorNestling in the tranquillity of acres of rolling gardens and wooded park land, Menzies Flitwick Manor is a classical Georgian house which continues its ancestral traditions of hospitality.
Church Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: European
The Muntjac Pub & RestaurantNamed after the species of 'barking deer' introduced to Bedfordshire a century ago, this 300-year-old coaching inn has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment.
71 High Street, Harrold, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: European
Knife and CleaverThe Knife and Cleaver at Houghton Conquest, a 17th century country inn which has established itself as a restaurant with rooms is a charming and friendly place.
The Grove, Houghton Conquest, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Modern
Five BellsRefurbishment has given a new lease of life to this 400-year-old village pub a short drive from Leighton Buzzard. Its new image is defined by reclaimed timbers, rich blush-coloured walls and a modern outlook - especially in the comfortable dining area.
Station Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: International
The Kings HeadThe Kings Head is an ivy clad 16th century building situated in the heart of the pretty village of Ivinghoe.
Station Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire - Cuisine:
Adam's BrasserieHoused within the historic Robert Adam Stable building of the Luton Hoo Hotel and designed by the distinguished 18th century architect Robert Adams, Adam's Brasserie offers a less formal style of dining.
Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, Luton, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Modern British
Luton Hoo Hotel, Wernher RestaurantFor exquisite fine dining, there can be few more spectacular settings than The Wernher Restaurant in Luton, proud owner of 2 AA Rosettes, awarded for the restaurant's cuisine.
The Mansion House, Luton, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Modern European
Nakorn Thai RestaurantIf you're looking for one of the best Thai restaurants that Luton has to offer, then you must give Nakorn a try.
45 Wellington St, Luton, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Thai
Moreteyne ManorDating from 1562 Moretyne Manor is now a country house restaurant providing excellent cuisine in one the most picturesque settings in England.
Woburn Road, Marston Moreteyne, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Traditional
Moggerhanger Park RestaurantArguably Bedfordshire's most auspicious building, Moggerhanger Park is a meticulously renovated Grade I-listed Georgian mansion set in 33 acres of parkland originally landscaped by Humphrey Repton.
Park Road, Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Modern English
Hare & HoundsPart of the tourist-friendly Shuttleworth Estate (home to the famous Shuttleworth Collection of classic cars and vintage aircraft), this distinctive village pub was built in almost Swiss style with projecting gables and attractive barge-boarding, and has the bonus of a superb sloping garden and terrace for fine-weather visits.
The Village Green, Old Warden, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
Galloway’s RestaurantCollections of sporting memorabilia and celebrity photographs are a reminder that Galloway's is a firm favourite with the golfing set.
Aberdeen House, Woburn, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: British
Olivier's RestaurantLocated in the heart of the Georgian village Woburn, on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, the Inn at Woburn's charming restaurant Olivier's combines contemporary English flavours with a Continental twist under the direction of Chef Olivier Bertho.
1 George Street, Woburn, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: English
Paris House RestaurantHerds of photogenic deer graze gracefully in the grounds of Woburn Park as you meander up the drive towards this extraordinary black-and-white timbered Paris House Restaurant.
Woburn Park, Woburn, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: French
The BirchLike much else in Woburn, the Birch looks confident and affluent. It's a four-square cream-painted building within easy reach of the famous local attractions and has been given a gentrified country-style makeover.
20 Newport Road, Woburn, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub
The Black HorseAnother addition to the forward-looking Peach Pubs Company stable, this Black Horse has been around long enough to justify the title 'Woburn's local'.
1 Bedford Street, Woburn, Bedfordshire - Cuisine: Gastro pub