When Liberty Nimmo and I met in Stroud for our dinner date, I anticipated a good restaurant—a pleasant evening, a decent meal. What I hadn’t bargained for was a great one. Juliet’s isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a revelation, a masterclass in thoughtful dining and community spirit. But rather than fumble through all the ways I loved it, I turned to Liberty, a wordsmith and proud local, to properly introduce Tat readers to this landmark of culinary delights. Here, the food isn’t merely worthy of accolades; it’s paired with an ethos that resonates deeply with Tat: the true luxury of creating something meaningful. Not the brash, soulless extravagance of Monaco or Mayfair, but the quiet, profound luxury of a business that enriches its community, offering joy, excitement, and opportunity. Now, that is something worth celebrating.
Juliet, Stroud by Liberty Nimmo, 9th January 2025.
Juliet in Stroud opened its doors on 28th October. In just a few months, the restaurant has caused an absolute storm on the restaurant scene; the great and good have flocked in droves, and raving reviews have flown in. It’s no surprise, really - the food is, quite simply, delicious. Whilst I’m going to leave the critics to do their work here, suffice to say, if you’ve not yet had the panisse wrapped in mortadella, I’d urge you to get there soon. Leaving the food and drink aside for one moment, the other outstanding achievement at Juliet is the approach to the restaurant’s design, the careful sourcing of ingredients, wine and the use of recycled materials, and a trusty team of locals. All of this creates a very solid foundation for things to come.
Juliet has been curated under the careful and brilliant eye of Marie Jackson (think Spring, The Woolpack and Petersham Nurseries). It is another shining example of her attention to detail combined with her love of good food and wine and her excellent aesthetic, which has given Juliet this chic, dress up, dress down, all-day bistro feel. It’s the perfect spot for a morning coffee and a madeleine, a baguette with jambon and beurre (what joy to have butter acknowledged as an ingredient), a glass of fizz and half a dozen oysters or lamb cutlets with ratte potatoes and a side of puntarelle – it’s really quite an achievement to have made somewhere that feels the perfect setting for all these scenes.
Alongside Marie and at the helm of Juliet's steady ship is General Manager Ophélie Théberge, who grew up on a biodynamic vineyard in Québec and learnt all things winemaking from a young age. The serene Ophélie works like a music conductor as her brilliant team glides about in cotton drill workwear from Ventura Foreman (who use British yarn, buttons and thread). It’s all effortlessly chic with a twist of the Stroud edge on the side. The location matters here, and it’s very nice that a restaurant feels ‘of the area’ and rooted in all ways: food, design and, importantly, the team.
On the food note, The Chefs have, of course, made sure that ingredients are locally sourced; Day’s Cottage for Apple Juice and Good Small Farms for veggies and salads are two examples. Both farms are in harmony with nature and are within a few miles of Stroud. Similarly, the carefully curated wine list by Ophélie focuses on sustainably produced, organic and biodynamic wines. It’s interesting, refreshing and, like her team leadership, you feel safe. The coffee at Juliet is supplied by Bristol-based Triple Co Roast, who source high-quality ‘green’ coffee beans directly from farmers in South America, giving them a fair price and guaranteeing the quality of their coffee. Additionally, 95% of the restaurant’s packaging or paper uses recycled materials. Suffice it to say, things haven’t just been made to look and taste good at Juliet, but there is also an entirely local, sustainable and community approach, which makes those delicious Oeuf Mayonnaise followed by Dexter steak bavette somehow taste even better.
In terms of design, with the brilliant nouse of owner Dan Chadwick, light fixtures have been created from pieces of spare guttering - I’m sure many a diner will wonder at the cost of those very expensive-looking pendants only to discover that they are tromp l’oeil of recycled brilliance. Thanks to the genius of locals Adam and Maria from Retrouvius, reclaimed wooden panels fill the piano room (which also doubles up as a private dining room) and the superb 1950s chairs are all sourced from a second-hand restaurant furniture supplier (a top-secret name, I’m afraid). Marie has that brilliant ability – which most definitely eludes me - to selectively choose which bits need money spending on and which bits don’t. The combined effect is this understated, very comfortable feel, and I can’t think what sort of a lunch or dinner Juliet wouldn’t work for.
The deliciousness of the food speaks for itself, but the added brilliance is that Juliet champions the local community, provenance, sustainability, and there is a level of consciousness around waste. All of this is wrapped up in a beautifully designed and curated space – come to think of it, the effect of being it is not dissimilar from how I felt as I helped me to a second Panisse wrapped in mortadella. This restaurant certainly feels like everyone benefits. Lucky Stroud, I say.
Juliet is open from 09:30 – 23:00 from Monday – Saturday and is closed on Sundays.
+44 1453 367019
Comments