Places to eat in Bracknell

If sentences that contain ‘brisket, pulled pork, burgers galore and BBQ classics’ get your mouth watering, then head straight for Blue’s Smokehouse in the centre of Bracknell, just off The Ring. With triple-stacked burgers, perfect hickory-smoked ribs and sharing platters big enough to feed a small army, it’s a fun and informal restaurant that also houses a lively bar with plenty of daily drink deals.

A short walk from there, you’ll find Bills Bracknell. It’s a popular UK-wide chain serving up everything from breakfast burritos to lunch, coffee, snacks and a contemporary European all day and dinner menu. With friendly service, a stylish interior and plenty of food and drink options – including a vegan menu – it’s a great all-rounder and just a short walk from our Bracknell Central hotel.

Heading down towards The Lexicon, there are plenty of cafés and restaurants to choose from, but Fuego is a real favourite. A Mediterranean wine bar and restaurant, they do an excellent range of tapas dishes and hand-stretched, wood-fired pizzas, alongside one of the best wine selections in town. It’s not cheap but the food is top quality, the setting stylish and it’s right in the heart of the main shopping district.

At the other end of the price spectrum, East Asia Co is one of the best takeaway joints in town. The menu is huge and covers everything from Thai classics to Indian curries and Japanese sushi, all either delivered to you or available for collection from the Market Street restaurant. Cheap, fast and incredibly tasty, it’s a local’s favourite.

Heading out of Bracknell, the Yorkshire Rose – despite its name – is a Mediterranean restaurant several miles north of the town centre. The restaurant is a clever blend of modern dining touches housed in a converted rustic barn, while the food is an upmarket mix of steaks, seafood and pasta dishes, alongside a renowned Sunday lunch offering.

There are plenty of excellent town centre cafés to pick from, including Coffee Barker and Brown Bag, but some of the most popular are out of Bracknell town centre. A few miles north of Bracknell off Ascot Road is Fernygrove Farm, a 600-acre farm that has its own farm shop and café. Open Tuesday to Sunday, the café is the perfect place to pick up an all-day breakfast, try their award-winning sausages, homemade cream teas and a wide range of coffees and loose-leaf tea.

Nearby, you’ll find the Oaktree Potting Shed Café on Bracknell Road. Located in a garden centre, the café opens daily, serving up a wide range of breakfast options, lunches including jacket potatoes and sandwiches, and some seriously naughty cakes and sweets.

Just off Maidenhead Road is Robyn’s Nest Café, a wonderfully quirky café that boasts a full vegan menu, a kids’ play corner, ethically-sourced coffee beans and a calorific array of homemade cakes.

Lastly, the Mill Park Café is a 15-minute walk south of the town centre. Found in a popular park, the family-run café is housed in the old boathouse overlooking the lake. It serves up a traditional range of breakfasts, hot and cold sandwiches, burgers and chips, plus a wide selection of sweets and drinks. The food is tasty and well-priced, but it’s the setting in the park that makes it a winner in our eyes.