The Martins Arms

A Michelin-recognised village pub with one very good reason to order cheese instead of dessert

There are only six dairies in the world licensed to produce Colston Bassett Stilton, one of them operates within walking distance of this pub. That single fact does more to explain why The Martins Arms earns a Michelin Plate in 2025 than almost anything else about the room. If you are planning a special occasion meal in the East Midlands and want a setting that combines genuine culinary provenance with a proper pub atmosphere, this is one of the most credible options at the ££ price point.

The Martins Arms has been through a change of ownership and has come back with renewed focus while holding onto the features that gave it character in the first place. The carved Jacobean fireplace in the bar remains in place, the room carries the kind of settled, unhurried energy that formal restaurants in the region cannot replicate. The dining room is more structured for those who want a clear separation from the bar, the terrace works well in warmer months when the suntrap aspect comes into its own. This is not a loud venue. The atmosphere leans toward quiet conversation rather than background noise, which makes it a workable choice for a business meal or a celebration where you actually want to hear each other speak.

The cooking sits firmly in the hearty British tradition: dishes like ham hock with piccalilli point toward a kitchen that treats pub fare seriously without trying to reframe it as something more ambitious than it is. This is not the place to look for tasting menus or modernist technique. Compare it to Hand and Flowers in Marlow or Pipe and Glass in South Dalton and you are in the same broad category of Michelin-recognised rural British pubs where the kitchen takes the ingredient sourcing seriously. The Martins Arms earns its place in that group through local provenance rather than technical showmanship.

Stilton case is worth taking seriously as an editorial angle on the kitchen's strengths. Ordering it in place of dessert is a reasonable decision here in a way it simply is not at most restaurants. You are eating a geographically protected cheese at the point closest to its production. Our full Colston Bassett restaurants guide covers what else is available in the village, but the Stilton alone justifies building a meal around this address. For guests combining a countryside visit with an overnight stay, our Colston Bassett hotels guide has the local options.

At ££, The Martins Arms sits in a pricing tier that makes it accessible without requiring the kind of planning that a destination restaurant demands. Booking is rated easy, which is notable for a Michelin Plate venue. You do not need to reserve weeks in advance in the way you would for L'Enclume in Cartmel or Moor Hall in Aughton. That said, for a weekend celebration meal or a specific occasion, booking ahead is still the sensible approach for any dining room that holds a Michelin recognition. Walk-ins may work midweek, but plan ahead if the date matters.

That pattern fits what the venue is: a well-run rural inn that delivers reliably at its price point, with one genuine point of local distinction in the cheese course. For the East Midlands, that combination is not common. For a broader overview of what the area offers beyond eating, our Colston Bassett experiences guide and bars guide are useful starting points.

If your frame of reference for a Michelin-recognised country pub is somewhere like Gidleigh Park in Chagford or Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton, adjust your expectations. The Martins Arms is not a destination dining hotel. It is a village pub that happens to cook with enough care and local intelligence to earn Michelin's attention. That is a meaningfully different proposition, for most diners in the area, the more useful one.

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