At 93 miles long, the A303 is the backbone connecting the south east to the west. It wiggles through the countryside from Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset before ending in east Devon, where the A30 continues into Cornwall. Full of short dual carriageway sections that slim down to winding single roads, getting temporarily stuck behind a tractor or a caravan is to be expected. As are the queues around the UNESCO Stonehenge site, as drivers creep along for a glimpse – though no-one admits it.
So it's worth knowing where the best stops are, both on the side of the A303, and just off it too, including cafés, restaurants, food experiences and rooms for the night to avoid uninspiring beige food at petrol stations.
After making it past Stonehenge, a good stop is near the village of Chicklade in Wiltshire. Just a few minutes off the A303 is Hindon, home to the Grosvenor Arms. It's owned by the ever-expanding Chickpea group who specialise in revamping countryside pubs and serving local ales. Expect dialled up pub classics like rarebit croquettes, hefty burgers or mains like guinea fowl or whole plaice.
For a pub alternative, book lunch (Wednesday-Sunday) at the pretty Pythhouse Kitchen Garden. Set inside an 18th century walled garden and former potting shed, it's retained a rustic charm and serves dishes like in-house smoked chalkstream trout, chargrilled flatbreads with whipped fava beans and garden XO sauce – it's not one to rush.
Completing this pocket's little triangle is the ivy-clad Beckford Arms, another traditional inn given a glow-up. The menu is elevated pub fare, such as Westcombe cheddar ploughmans and a half pint of prawns. Much of the produce is sourced from the kitchen garden and surrounding farms like chicken from Devon's Creedy Carver farm and fish from Brixham.
Half an hour further west, you'll find the little buzzy market town of Bruton, one of the most popular stops on the route. Stay at Number 1 Bruton and dine at Briar next door, or a few doors down at The Old Pharmacy. Or book a room just along the high street at At The Chapel, a bakery, restaurant and rooms in a converted chapel. If you're not staying the night, head to their bakery early to bag a loaf and pastries as they will sell out.
Pick up goodies for a picnic or gifts for your host from the Godminster cheese shop, and Farm Shop at Durslade Farm – perhaps a bottle of Maid of Bruton English sparkling wine or the honeycomb chocolate. It's owned by the same people who put Bruton on the map when they opened Hauser & Wirth gallery and gardens, a great spot to stretch the legs. Just outside the town is the new incarnation of Osip restaurant (also with rooms) run by Merlin Labron-Johnson and awarded Restaurant of the Year by The Good Food Guide in 2025.
Just over 10 minutes from the A303 at Wincanton (or 10 minutes from Bruton) is the latest spin-off from the Newt hotel: the Creamery at Castle Carey train station. It's open to everyone, offering a slice of the Newt without booking a room or having membership. The sit-down restaurant has dishes like smoked mackerel paté, lamb merguez sausages, smash burgers plus a kids menu, with produce coming from the Newt's market garden and butchery. For those shorter on time, takeaway deli sandwiches, salad pots, cakes and pastries like cruffins and chunky sausage rolls will more than suffice. Plus you can stock up on Newt cyder and cheese as it's a working creamery again.
That said, perhaps the jewel in the A303 crown is Teals farm shop and café in South Cadbury, which after opening in 2020 reimagined what a road-side service stop could be. It connects farmers and producers to customers, with a market of fresh produce, and the likes of local honey, quality olive oil and top tier crisps and snacks. It also has a deli, butchery, bottle shop, does take away coffee, sandwiches and pastry goods, plus homewares, children's toys and other worthy gifts – great if you've forgotten something. You can sit in at the casual restaurant, then walk off lunch with the dog on the dedicated trail from the car park. Accessible from both east and west bound carriageways, it's a worthy stop whichever direction you're heading. The only drawback is that it's open between 8am and 6pm only, so plan wisely.
Just round the corner from Teals is Chapel Cross tearoom, serving hot drinks and cake on outside benches. It's also home to a small herd of Golden Guernsey goats, so between April and October pick up some of its award-winning goats cheese. Then make another pitstop just a mile away at King Brain organic cider farm. As you enter the now five-generation family farm's courtyard, a sign says 'toot your horn for cider'. Following suit, one of the owners diligently appears offering tastings of the six or so kegs of their homemade cider, that ranges across dry, sweet, still, sparkling and blends. It's also sold in Teals, but it's much more fun to buy it at source, especially as you can buy in 2.5L or 5L flaggans (or fill up your own bottles). Bring them back to refill, and you'll get a small discount. You can pick up some farm-fresh eggs here too.
Over the other side of the A303, an excellent lunch or dinner spot to book ahead of time is Horrell & Horrell who host dinner parties on a long table in the prettiest converted cow barn at the end of their garden. Everything's cooked over fire and the set menu is hyper local.
If you opt for dinner at Horrel & Horrell and need somewhere to stay, just 20 minutes further south in the honey-coloured village of South Petherton is Holm, a restaurant with eight bedrooms (if available, book 'Elm' which has a bathtub in the room). Owner Nicholas Balfe's menu is based on what the producers on his doorstep have available and there's a good value set lunch at £35 for two courses, or £40 for three. The next day you'll get a belter of a breakfast to carry you through to lunchtime and beyond.
Back on the route, without requiring any diversion is Otter Valley Field Kitchen in Honiton, Devon. Along with pizzas, generously-filled sandwiches and salads in the café, there will often be queues forming for the excellent homemade gelato which comes in all the flavour favourites plus curveballs like seabuckthorn and lemon and lime meringue.
The last stop you can't miss is Dart's Farm in Topsham which over decades has evolved from a fruit stall into a huge one-stop shop complex. If it's your inaugural visit, factor in plenty of time as there's a lot to see, including an extensive farm shop, a chocolatier, a cidery, a vineyard, a butchery, and the Farm Table restaurant among other eateries. There's even a spa, which might sound at odds with the setup, but can be a welcome tonic if it's been one of those particularly testing journeys.
