Places to eat in Salisbury

There’s a wide range of restaurants in Salisbury, but one of the best is Charter 1227 on Butcher’s Row. Spanning British and European influences, it’s the sort of place where jus, puree and emulsion feature prominently on the menu and the food is so good-looking and well-presented it almost seems a shame to eat it. It’s fancy fine-dining but their lunch and early doors menu (from 6pm to 7pm Tuesday to Thursday) offer good value for money.

Grillado is another high-end institution, this time dealing in Italian flavours. The Castle Street restaurant serves up the best home-made pizza, pasta and tiramisu in town, while carnivores will appreciate their rotisserie grill selection.

Just around the corner close to Guildhall Square is the Giggling Squid, a tasty upmarket Thai chain restaurant with a smart and modern interior.

Anokaa and Baroushka might be a little out of the action on Fisherton Street across the River Avon, but they’re well worth the five-minute walk from the town centre.

Barouskha deals exclusively in Middle Eastern flavours, with dishes spanning North Africa, the Ottoman empire and Lebanon. If you can’t quite decide, opt for their mezze menu or up the ante and head for their gin and mezze deal.

Anokaa meanwhile is a contemporary Indian restaurant. While this restaurant likes to entertain diners with magicians and traditional dancers, the real action takes place on the plates. Traditional spices and ingredients are given a bold twist to create a menu that crosses borders and flavours, including their tandoori-seared rack of lamb and their Persian spice rub chicken leg dish.

If you’re making a trip to Salisbury Cathedral, their Refectory Cafe is a must-visit. Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm for breakfast, lunch, a Sunday roast and home-made cakes, scones, pastries and traybakes, it’s the perfect place to sit back and soak in the cathedral’s rich history. Refectory is especially good as a treat for yourself after clambering the 123m to the top of the spire.

Head towards the town centre and you’ll find Greenages opposite the Old George Mall, a delightful, two-storey coffee shop with some of the best brews in town. Open Monday to Saturday, the best seats are in their summer courtyard where you can check out their breakfast and lunch menu – including plenty of vegan and vegetarian options – or simply go for our favourite duo: a cappuccino and bacon roll.

One of our favourite all-round cafes is Carwadine’s next to St. Thomas Church. The licensed cafe has been a go-to destination since it opened in 1992, serving everything from classic English breakfasts to coffee and muffins, toasted sandwiches, wild boar sausages and plenty more.

Head to High Street for two very contrasting cafe experiences. Boston Tea Party is a funky two-floor cafe in a historic Grade 1 listed building dating back to the 1300’s, while a little further down the street is Cafe Diwali, an excellent Indian street food outlet with a handy selection of craft ales.

If you’re heading out of town along the A36, make a stop at Bird & Carter Farm Shop Cafe, a 10-minute drive from our Salisbury South Milford hotel. Thanks to the local farm, many of the ingredients are home-grown and hand-picked, including the apple juice, scotch eggs, seasonal soup and more. Open daily for breakfast and lunch, snacks and drinks, you can also pick up plenty of treats from their on-site deli and shop.