Not one soul in Stroud, Gloucestershire, will not thank me for my visit to Juliet. Despite being a magnet for the Cotswolds arts scene, the town has long slid under the radar of most folk fleeing London in search of fresh air. Deal, Aldeburgh, Hastings? Absolutely. But Stroud? Not so much.
But now there is Juliet, complete with a back story that will prick the ears of all right-thinking foodie types, because this is an all-day modern European bistro dreamed up by the sculptor Daniel Chadwick. It serves mousse de canard with a translucent layer of glorious fat to spread on fresh baguette, bowls of clams with chickpeas and girolles, and devilled eggs with trout roe. If you’re an early bird, Juliet opens from 9.30am Monday to Saturday for coffee and freshly baked madeleines.
