The Back Garden

Is The Back Garden at Dormy House worth booking for dinner in the Cotswolds?

Yes, for most visitors to Broadway, The Back Garden is the right call. It sits inside the Dormy House hotel on Willersey Hill and carries a 2024 Michelin Plate, which in practical terms means Michelin inspectors found the cooking worth your attention without awarding a full star. At the ££ price point, that credential matters: you get modern British cooking with Mediterranean influence, locally sourced rare breed meats and garden produce, in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a 4.5 Google rating across 19 reviews. That is a solid combination for a Cotswolds dinner that does not require booking three months in advance.

If you have eaten here once and are deciding whether to return, the answer is yes, provided you go with the right expectations. This is not a destination restaurant in the way that Waterside Inn in Bray or L'Enclume in Cartmel are. The Back Garden is a hotel restaurant done well, with a concise menu that changes to reflect what the kitchen is sourcing. The Mediterranean thread through an otherwise Modern British framework is what keeps the cooking interesting: expect the kind of menu that uses Cotswolds provenance as its foundation but is not afraid to build in different directions on leading of it.

The Room and the Experience

The floor-to-ceiling windows are the room's defining feature, and they do real work. The Back Garden earns its name: the dining space is designed so that the garden outside reads as a continuation of the interior, which gives the room a brightness and openness that most hotel restaurants do not manage. If you are returning, ask for a table with a direct view. The light in the room is one of its genuine assets, and positioning makes a difference, particularly at lunch or in the earlier part of an evening service.

The atmosphere is chic without being stiff. Dormy House positions itself as a design-led country house hotel, and the restaurant reflects that sensibility: considered but not precious, comfortable enough for a relaxed dinner but polished enough for a special occasion. For a second visit, the calculation is direct: go when the garden is in good form, meaning spring through early autumn, when the connection between the room and the grounds feels most alive.

On the Wine Program

Venue database does not include a specific wine list, so it would be wrong to make precise claims about what is poured here. What the menu framing tells you is useful context, however. A kitchen built around Mediterranean-influenced Modern British cooking with locally sourced rare breed meats and garden produce is one that wants wine with enough texture and presence to hold up to flavour-forward food. In a hotel of Dormy House's positioning, the list is very likely to include both Old World European selections suited to that Mediterranean influence and a considered range of bottles by the glass for guests who are not committing to a full bottle over dinner. If wine selection matters to your decision, calling ahead to ask about the current list by the glass is the practical move, given that hours and booking contact details are not confirmed in our data.

For the food and wine pairing question more broadly: the Mediterranean influence on the menu creates a natural affinity with southern French, Italian, and Iberian bottles. If the list follows that logic, which a kitchen of this type usually does, you will find options that work well with the lighter preparations and others that hold up to the rare breed meat dishes. The Michelin Plate recognition suggests the kitchen's execution is consistent enough that the wine pairing side of the meal is worth engaging with rather than treating as an afterthought.

Booking and Practical Details

Booking difficulty at The Back Garden is rated Easy, which is one of its practical advantages over more decorated Cotswolds options. If you are in Broadway or staying at Dormy House, you are not competing against a waiting list in the way you would at Moor Hall in Aughton or Gidleigh Park in Chagford. The hotel's own reservation system is the most direct route; booking a few days out should be sufficient outside of peak Cotswolds weekends in summer and around bank holidays, when Broadway draws significantly more visitors. Phone and website details are not confirmed in our current data, so approach via the Dormy House hotel directly.

The ££ price range positions The Back Garden as accessible relative to the broader Cotswolds hotel restaurant category. For comparison, reaching the kind of cooking at Hand and Flowers in Marlow or Midsummer House in Cambridge will cost you considerably more. The Back Garden offers a Michelin-recognised experience at a price point that makes a return visit a realistic proposition rather than a once-a-year occasion.

For other dining options in Broadway, MO and Moda are worth considering alongside The Back Garden. See our full Broadway restaurants guide for a complete picture of the local options, and our Broadway hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide for planning the wider visit.

FAQs

• Is The Back Garden good for a special occasion? Yes. The combination of a Michelin Plate 2024 recognition, a designed room with floor-to-ceiling garden views, and a ££ price point makes it well suited to a birthday dinner or anniversary meal in the Cotswolds. It is not the full ceremony of a starred restaurant, but the setting and cooking quality are at a level that feels appropriately considered for a celebration.
• Does The Back Garden handle dietary restrictions? The concise menu format and hotel restaurant context both suggest the kitchen can accommodate standard dietary requirements. Contact Dormy House directly before booking to confirm specific needs, as precise menu details and contact information are not available in our current data.
• What should I order at The Back Garden? The database confirms the kitchen focuses on locally sourced rare breed meats, garden produce, and Mediterranean-influenced Modern British dishes. Without confirmed current menu details, the safest direction for a returning guest is to ask staff on arrival which dishes are using that week's leading local sourcing, since the concise menu format implies the kitchen builds around what is available.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at The Back Garden? A tasting menu format is not confirmed in our data. At ££ pricing, the value case for the a la carte is strong. If a tasting format is offered, it would represent an affordable way to engage with the full scope of the kitchen's current work given the price tier, but confirm directly with the restaurant before building an evening around it.
• Can I eat at the bar at The Back Garden? Bar seating details are not confirmed in our data. Dormy House has bar and lounge spaces as part of the hotel, but whether these extend to a full food service option is worth checking when you book. If a more casual format matters to your visit, confirm with the hotel directly.
• Is The Back Garden worth the price? At ££ with a 2024 Michelin Plate and a 4.5 Google rating, yes. You are getting a Michelin-recognised restaurant at a price point well below what equivalently credentialled cooking costs elsewhere in the country. For a regional Modern British option in the Cotswolds, the value case is clear.