Let’s put this on the page and in writing before we begin; Salisbury feels like a contradictory sort of place. Boasting a cultural might pretty much unrivalled for a city of its size anywhere in the UK, it’s also a place that’s a little, well, lowkey. Its culinary capital follows suit, with plenty of pleasant places to dine, sure, but not many that will truly rock your socks off.
This city may boast one of the most magnificent cathedrals in the world, be within a massively heavy stone’s throw from Stonehenge, and house one of just four copies of the Magna Carta, but weirdly, you’re not going to find any Michelin-starred restaurants or one-to-watch young chefs here.
What Salisbury lacks in high-profile dining, however, it more than makes up for with its charming, locally-loved restaurants and cafes, some that offer a genuine taste of the region and others that take inspiration from the other side of the world.
From historic inns to contemporary cafes, the city’s dining scene is a reflection of its heritage. With that in mind, here’s our guide on where to eat in Salisbury, and the best restaurants in the city.
Rai d’Or
Ideal for pints and Panang curry in a historic pub…
A local favourite if ever there was one, Rai d’Or wears its inherent contrasts proudly, offering a unique blend of delicious, uncompromising Thai cuisine and a traditional British pub atmosphere – frothy flagons of ale and all – housed in a 14th-century beamed building that exudes historical charm.
Now in their third decade on Brown Street, and with a Thai team at the stoves and the amiable host Simon out front, it’s a match made in heaven. Or, at least, in Siam…
Pleasingly for a city centre operation, The Rai D’Or continues to operate as a pub, and you’re more than welcome at the bar if all you’re after is a pint. There’s a great selection of real ales here, featuring a rotating lineup of top-quality brews from local breweries, which has earned the place high praise and recognition from CAMRA via inclusion in its Good Beer Guide annually since 2004. That real ale pairs particularly well with the coconut curries here; the Panang curry of chicken is particularly well-judged.
Please note that the Rai d’Or is currently closed for a summer break, and will reopen in early September.
Website: raidor.co.uk
Address: 69 Brown St, Salisbury SP1 2AS
Fisherton Mill
Ideal for light, seasonal lunches surrounded by art and sculpture…
Fisherton Mill is more than just a place to graze; it’s something of a cultural hub that combines a gallery, studios, and a café under one roof.
Located in a beautifully restored Victorian grain mill just off Fisherton Street and a handy five minute stroll to Salisbury station, the café offers a delightful menu of homemade dishes with just a little flair, from hearty brunches to light lunches and an enticing cake display.
The emphasis here is on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, with a menu that changes seasonally to reflect the best of what’s available from Wiltshire. It’s an ethos that has earned Fisherton Mill runner-up in the OFM Awards Best Value Eats category back in 2022, as well as a Local Gem mention in 2024’s Good Food Guide.
So, that’s freshly made tortelloni stuffed with pesto and dressed with fresh peas, artichoke and pecorino, or green olive focaccia (again, made on site) with grilled courgettes, heritage tomatoes and roasted red peppers. It’s wholesome, lovely stuff, and just what you want to eat for lunch in Salisbury before exploring its sites.
The setting is equally impressive, and after enjoying a meal or coffee here, visitors can explore the gallery and studios, which showcase the work of local artists and makers.
Please be aware that Fisherton Mill isn’t open for dinner, shutting up shop at 5pm daily. It’s also closed on Sundays.
Website: fishertonmill.co.uk
Address: 108 Fisherton St, Salisbury SP2 7QY
The Compasses Inn
Ideal for an old school boozer and a globetrotting menu…
The Compasses Inn, located in the picturesque village of Chicksgrove 12 miles west out of Salisbury, is a quintessential English country pub with a reputation for excellent food and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. What more could you want?
The menu is a celebration of global gastropub cuisine, with a focus on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Though there’s Balinese croquettes with Vietnamese slaw, and lamb stifado with tzatziki, we’ve found the most joy in the more prosaic corners of the Inn’s menu. A recent dish of roast whole plaice with brown butter and capers was particularly good, as is the gold-standard fish pie, with burnished mash lid and pleasingly generous chunks of fish (mustn’t. say. swimming) beneath it.
The inn itself is steeped in history, with parts of the building dating back to the 14th century. Inside, you’ll find a cosy interior with open fires, wooden beams, and a relaxed vibe to the service. End with the chocolate mousse – dark and decadent – and settle in for a pint or two afterwards. You better make the journey count, after all.
Website: thecompassesinn.com
Address: Lower Chicksgrove, Salisbury SP3 6NB
The Jade
Ideal for an expansive, elegant Chinese feast…
The Jade is a family-run Chinese restaurant that has been a staple of Salisbury’s dining scene for over three decades (despite a 2016 announcement of closure that ended up being, thankfully, temporary).
Known for its extensive menu of traditional Chinese dishes, The Jade offers everything from dim sum and Peking duck to a pleasingly vast variety of vegetarian options. The fried-to-order pineapple fritters have been a dessert staple here for as long as its been open, and still hit the spot.
The restaurant itself is elegant yet unpretentious, with banquettes rendered in – you guessed it – jade green, and a dining room that’s defined by the gentle hum of conversation (and the odd clatter of woks when the kitchen door swings open), rather than a raucous, unruly din.
Only open for dinner, Monday to Saturday, and closed entirely on Sundays.
Website: thejadesalisbury.co.uk
Address: 109A Exeter St, Salisbury SP1 2SF
Anokaa
Ideal for contemporary Indian dining, square plates, swooshes and all…
Anokaa is a contemporary Indian restaurant that brings a welcome contemporary twist to traditional Indian cuisine whilst still keeping the flavours punchy and complex. The menu is a fusion of classic Indian dishes and innovative creations, all prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Signature dishes include the rump of Welsh lamb with cashew nut, coriander and tomato, which hits the table as pretty as a picture, its square plate decorated with all manner of 90s style dots, dabs and swipes. Boy do those dots, dabs and swipes taste alive, though.
Salisbury’s only city centre restaurant ever to be recognised in the Michelin Guide (2017), Anokaa might feel a little dated now when held up against contemporary Indian dining in the UK’s bigger cities, but the food here is carefully seasoned and creatively presented. Sometimes, that’s just what you want from a special occasion kind of meal.
Website: anokaa.com
Address: 60 Fisherton St, Salisbury SP2 7RB
The Red Lion Freehouse
Ideal for South Wiltshire’s best dining experience…
A half hour’s drive north of Salisbury in the charming village of East Chisenbury, The Red Lion Freehouse is a Michelin-recognised pub (previously starred, but for some inexplicable reason recently ‘demoted’) that offers the best dining experience in the local area, hands down and by some distance.
The menu is – as any self-respecting gastropub should be – a celebration of British cuisine, with a focus on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients that’s earned plaudits from The Spectator (“as good as pub food gets”) and the AA Rosette Restaurant guide (“astonishing cuisine”) among others.
We’re very much with them; in a refreshingly unfussy dining room, we recently enjoyed a £65 a head, five course tasting menu that was perfectly paced, celebrating summer’s bounty with precision. Bookended by a gorgeous chilled gazpacho of locally grown tomatoes and a cleansing strawberry sorbet, the Red Lion Freehouse is a class act.
It also boasts a beautiful garden, perfect for al fresco dining in the warmer months. With its combination of excellent food, charming setting, and top-notch service, it’s no wonder this pub has earned such high acclaim.
If you do choose to visit the pub from Salisbury, Stonehenge is on the way (or on the drive back), standing tall around halfway between the two. Sounds like the perfect day out to us!
Website: eastchisenbury.com
Address: Red Lion, East Chisenbury, Pewsey SN9 6AQ
Cafe Diwali
Ideal for light and bright Indian street food…
Back in Salisbury centre, and to Cafe Diwali, a vividly rendered restaurant just seconds from the magnificent cathedral. The menu is inspired by the diverse flavours of Indian street food and snacks, leaning on the lighter side of the country’s culinary canon with signatures like the always-invigorating samosa chaat, its yoghurt, mint chutney and tamarind dressing just the livener a tired palate needs. Even better are the dosa plates, crisp and airy, and served with three pots of chutney – sambar, coconut and tomato – for dipping and dredging. Lovely stuff.
In fact, the whole place has a lightness of touch, from the sunflower yellow walls and natural light streaming through the conservatory out back and into the dining room, all the way to the dexterous service. We’ve said the word ‘light’ enough now…
Though the ‘cafe’ in the name might lead you to think this is a soft drink, tea and coffee only operation, Cafe Diwali do serve beer.
Website: cafediwali.com
Address: Crane House, 90 Crane St, Salisbury SP1 2QD
Nole On The Square
Ideal for Salisbury’s best pizza…
Nole Pizza is Salisbury’s most popular pizzeria, and one that prides itself on serving proudly inauthentic Neapolitan-style pizzas, its several outposts across the city and surrounding area testament to the group’s success.
With seating overlooking Salisbury’s bustling market square, Nole On The Square is our favourite iteration. Here the dough is made fresh daily and cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven, resulting in a perfectly crispy crust with a soft, chewy centre – just as it should be.
We’re very much into some of more leftfield creations here; the pepper pork, potato, blue cheese and pesto is just as punchy as it sounds. Damn delicious it is, too. For those preferring something a little more traditional, the anchovy and artichoke number is a lovely marriage of the sweet and the salty.
Sure, the pizza prices are at the more premium end here, with the two just mentioned clocking in at £15 and £14 respectively, but this is quite comfortably the best pizza you’ll find in Salisbury, and worth those extra few coins. The craft lager, from the restaurant group’s own Rude Giant brewery, is great too.
Website: nolepizza.co.uk
Address: 4 Butcher Row, Salisbury SP1 1EP
Tinga
Ideal for tacos and tequila…
We end at Tinga, a Mexican bar and taqueria that aims to bring the flavours of Mexico to Salisbury city centre, and delivers on that promise with a pleasing range of tacos, burritos and quesadillas.
The signature dish is the eponymous tinga tacos, which sees chicken breast poached until tender before being shredded and bathed in a rich, gently spicy chilli and tomato sauce. £6.75 will get you three of these, which is an absolute steal, quite frankly. Equally good are the agave cauliflower tacos, which sit on guacamole and are dressed with a smoky adobo dressing. A couple of spicy, pokey margaritas seal the deal.
Website: tingasalisbury.com
Address: 2-4, Salt Ln, Salisbury SP1 1DU
And with that deal sealed, we’re off to Southampton to check out their best restaurants next. Care to join us?