Restaurant Review · Vale of Belvoir
The Martins Arms Colston Bassett Review: A Sunday Lunch Worth Travelling For
The Martins Arms Colston Bassett review starts, really, with the sort of Sunday that asks very little of you beyond a good appetite, an unhurried afternoon and someone lovely to share a bottle of wine with.
Set in the Vale of Belvoir village of Colston Bassett, this is not a shouty destination pub. It is quieter than that. More assured. A little more polished around the edges. The sort of place where Sunday lunch becomes less of a meal and more of a beautifully slow way to spend the afternoon.
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At a glance
The setting
A pub, but make it quietly beautiful
The Martins still feels, reassuringly, like a pub - which matters. There is no awkward formality, no hushed dining room theatrics, and no sense that the experience has been over-polished to the point of losing its charm.
Instead, it has that understated countryside confidence: smart but not stiff, elegant but not cold, relaxed without ever feeling casual in the wrong way. Service was attentive throughout, the atmosphere felt perfectly pitched, and there was no hurry to move us along.
It is exactly the sort of place to visit after a slow morning in the Vale of Belvoir, especially if you are pairing it with a day out at Belvoir Castle.
The Sunday lunch menu at The Martins Arms.
The kind of understated village pub exterior that makes the drive feel instantly worth it.
A refined countryside table with real food-scene credibility.
The garden is a whole mood before lunch has even begun.
This is Sunday lunch when it remembers to slow down: a little indulgent, quietly polished and deeply, deeply enjoyable.
Hey Lolly review notes
A refined countryside table with real food-scene credibility.
Why the food matters
There is a reason this place feels exciting
The Martins is now run by Laurence and Sera Henry, and if Laurence’s name feels familiar to food lovers, it should. He previously led Cleaver & Wake, which also appears in my guide to where to eat in Nottingham.
That pedigree is evident, but never overstated. The Martins does not feel like a village pub trying to elevate itself; rather, it feels like a confident kitchen has settled into a countryside setting and chosen restraint over showmanship.
The food still has comfort at its centre, but the detail is there: the seasoning, the sauces, the produce, the confidence to let a dish feel familiar without making it feel predictable.
The food gallery
The asparagus and citrus hollandaise: the dish I kept thinking about afterwards.
Cornish mussels with smoked bacon and cider sauce.
Braised lamb shank with all the Sunday lunch trimmings.
Pork belly, because some Sundays demand it.
The sort of cauliflower cheese that does not behave like a side dish.
A Sunday lunch ending exactly as it should: slowly, sweetly, and with no rush.
The other dessert at the table, because obviously one pudding was never going to be enough.
A glass of wine, a long table pause, and the kind of Sunday that asks you to stay put.
The bill came to £175.40 for two three-course Sunday lunches, wine and extras.
Wine, dessert & the bill
What we spent
With two three-course Sunday lunches, wine and a few extras, the bill came to £175.40. This is not a casual, throwaway Sunday roast, but it did feel like good value for the quality of cooking, the setting, the service and the amount of time we happily lost there.
It sits very much in the “make an afternoon of it” category — the sort of lunch you book when you want somewhere polished, relaxed and worth the drive.
The garden
The outside space is sensational
The garden deserves its own little mention because it adds so much to the experience. On the right day, this is where The Martins really becomes more than a lunch booking.
The garden area at The Martins Arms, made for a slow glass of wine.
A back garden that quietly turns lunch into a whole afternoon.
“The sort of garden where one glass of wine quietly becomes the whole afternoon.”
Make a day of it
Turn lunch into a proper countryside escape
If you are driving out for lunch, The Martins works beautifully as part of a slow Vale of Belvoir day — a castle wander, a garden moment, then a long Sunday lunch with no rush to be anywhere else.
Nearby guide
Pair it with Belvoir Castle
Make the most of the drive and add a slow wander around one of the prettiest countryside spots nearby.
Read the Belvoir Castle day out guide
More food ideas
Planning where to eat next?
From polished city dining to clever date night spots, this guide brings together more Hey Lolly favourites.
Read where to eat in Nottingham
Final verdict
The Martins Arms is absolutely worth the drive. You could easily stumble upon it, but do not expect a rough-around-the-edges, spit-and-sawdust pub. Instead, it offers a considered countryside dining experience, where thoughtful food, attentive service and a beautiful setting come together with ease.
Inside, the space strikes a careful balance. The dining room feels polished and refined, while the pub area to the right leans more rustic in character - though no less intentional in its offering. There is a quiet confidence to it all, and that rare sense that nobody is rushing you back into real life.
Every dish felt well judged and thoughtfully executed, and everything we ordered was genuinely enjoyed across the table - which says a great deal.
If the weather allows, the garden is not to be overlooked. It is very much part of the experience, and somewhere you should take the time to settle into.
This is the kind of place you go when you want a meal to feel like an occasion: relaxed, unpretentious, and quietly excellent.
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