The story
New Wave Brasserie at 10 Burford Street, Lechlade, serves modern British seafood and holds a Good Food Guide "Good" rating for 2026. The brasserie and bar is built around fish and shellfish, and the menu follows what the market brings in.
Tim Boyd has supplied fish and shellfish to Cotswold restaurants for more than 35 years. He opened the restaurant with Bob Parkinson, a chef whose earlier kitchens include Swan at Southrop and Barnsley House. The team took over a former café and bakery on Lechlade High Street, and the restaurant opened in October 2022.
The menu changes with the market, but fresh oysters, a fish soup and a Wednesday to Friday set lunch are regular features. One reviewer praised red mullet, served as two fillets in a buttery mussel and caper sauce with Cornish potatoes. Desserts stood out too, including a wobbly panna cotta with kirsch cherry compote and amaretti crumb. The kitchen also holds one AA Rosette for culinary excellence, awarded in 2026.
Stone-tiled floors and bare stone walls, decorated with maritime artwork, set the tone in the dining room. There is alfresco seating in the back yard and an extra room for overflow. On Fridays a fresh fish stall sets up in the passage beside the restaurant, and the Super Sundays menu brings paellas and fruits de mer.
Recognition
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In contrast to its traditional Cotswold frontage, this refreshingly informal enterprise deserves plaudits for its modern approach to fish cookery. The pleasing interior (stone-tiled flooring, bare stone walls decorated with maritime-themed artworks) is a serene spot where dressed-down regulars are greeted like old friends by the accommodating staff, and Bob Marley might be on the sound system. There’s also alfresco seating in the back yard and an extra room for overspill. As a bonus, a fresh fish stall is set up in the passageway alongside the restaurant every Friday. The menu changes with the market, but fresh oysters are usually up for grabs, the fish soup is a well-regarded fixture, and there’s a bargain, limited-choice set lunch (Wed-Fri) where the main course might be mussels with pancetta and cider cream. Cured meats and steak are the only non-marine alternatives. Prices are refreshing too, especially as main courses include a serving of vegetables (our red mullet comprised two immaculate fillets cooked to perfection in a buttery sauce of mussels and capers alongside a side dish of Cornish potatoes, broccoli and spring cabbage). This was preceded by a generous portion of ultra-fresh tuna sashimi and crispy noodles, somewhat overwhelmed by a strongly fishy nam jim jeaw Thai dressing. Desserts, however, are right on the money: our firm but wobbly panna cotta was sublimely matched with a rich and tangy kirsch/cherry compôte and amaretti crumb. Wines on the Old World-accented list are well-priced too, with whites unsurprisingly to the fore. Also look out for regular 'Super Sundays' featuring festive paellas, fruits de mer and suchlike. ‘Lucky locals,’ commented one reporter.
1 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
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