Gravy First, Yorkshire Second: Where to Book Sunday Lunch in Stow in 2026

Sunday lunch is not a light decision in a Cotswold village. It is the anchor of the weekend. Get it right and a wet walk, a delayed train and a disappointing antique shop all fade into the background. Get it wrong and you spend the afternoon feeling mildly robbed. So I spent several Sundays in 2026 eating roast dinners in and around Stow with a notebook and a deliberately simple scoring system. This is not a scientific survey. Menus change. Chefs move. But if you are booking a Sunday table this year, it should at least point you in the right direction.

The scoring system

Each pub is marked out of five for five things: gravy, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables, service and value. That gives a total out of 25. I have not weighted gravy mathematically, but in practice a bad gravy cannot be rescued by a good pudding. A roast is a plate, not a collection of independent projects. The Yorkshire should be crisp at the edge and soft enough to soak. Vegetables should taste of something. Service should not make you feel like an inconvenience. Value is about what lands on the plate for the price, not whether the place is cheap.

A few booking notes apply across the board. Book by Thursday for a Sunday table. Ask for a table away from the door if you feel the cold. If you are a group of six or more, expect to pre-order. Always check the vegetarian option rather than assuming there is one. And if you want a Yorkshire pudding as a starter — yes, that is a thing — ask before you sit down.

5. The King's Arms — 17/25

Gravy 3, Yorkshire 4, vegetables 3, service 3, value 4. This is the central, no-fuss option. It is handy if you are meeting people who arrive by bus or if you have spent the morning on the square and cannot face a drive. The roast is consistent rather than thrilling. The Yorkshire was decent, the vegetables were fine, and the gravy needed a bit more backbone. Service was friendly but stretched at peak time. Good for families and anyone who values convenience over a destination meal. Book earlier than you think.

4. The Talbot — 18/25

Gravy 4, Yorkshire 3, vegetables 4, service 3, value 4. A solid village pub roast with generous vegetables and a properly savoury gravy. The Yorkshire was the weak point on my visit: fine, but not the sort of thing you would fight someone for. Service was cheerful and a little chaotic, which is not always a bad sign in a pub. This is a good choice after a muddy walk, when you want a warm room and a plate that does not pretend to be fine dining. Dogs are usually welcome in the bar, but check when you book.

3. The Bell Inn — 20/25

Gravy 4, Yorkshire 3, vegetables 4, service 4, value 5. The best value roast of the five. It is not the most polished, but it is honest and filling. The gravy had good flavour, the vegetables were properly cooked rather than merely warmed, and the price felt fair for what arrived. The Yorkshire was acceptable but not memorable. If you are a weekender watching the budget after a Saturday of independent shops and tea rooms, this is the sensible booking. It also suits a mixed group where some people want a full roast and others want something lighter.

2. The Porch House — 20/25

Gravy 5, Yorkshire 4, vegetables 4, service 4, value 3. The best gravy in the audit. Proper depth, good consistency, and enough of it to matter. The Yorkshire was strong, the vegetables were well seasoned, and the room does the historic Cotswold pub thing without feeling like a museum. Service was attentive. Value is the mark-down: this is not the cheap Sunday, and you are paying for the setting as well as the plate. Book well ahead. It suits a special occasion, a visiting parent or anyone who believes gravy is the main course and the meat is a garnish.

1. The Old Stocks Inn — 21/25

Gravy 4, Yorkshire 5, vegetables 4, service 5, value 3. The best overall roast of the five. The Yorkshire was the standout: crisp, tall and properly made. The gravy was very good, though just short of the Porch House for depth. Vegetables were neatly done, service was the most polished of the audit, and the whole thing felt calm. Value is again the compromise. This is the one to book if you want a celebration Sunday, a birthday lunch or a meal where nobody wants to worry about whether the table will be ready. It is not cheap, but it is reliable.

The verdict: which roast for which visitor

Best overall: The Old Stocks Inn. Best gravy: The Porch House. Best value: The Bell Inn. Best for a wet walk and a warm bar: The Talbot. Best for a central, no-fuss family lunch: The King's Arms.

If you are in Stow for a weekend and want one booked meal, choose according to your priorities rather than the ranking alone. A couple who care about gravy should go to the Porch House. A group of friends who have just walked six miles should go to the Talbot. A family watching the pennies should go to the Bell. A birthday or anniversary should go to the Old Stocks. And if you are simply passing through on a Sunday and have not booked, the King's Arms is the most likely to squeeze you in — but ring first.

The great Stow Sunday roast audit is not really about finding one winner. It is about matching the pub to the day. In 2026, the standard across these five is decent. The difference is in the details: the gravy, the pudding, the welcome and the bill. Choose the one that suits your Sunday, not the one that suits a generic list. And if your Yorkshire arrives limp, you have my permission to mention it.