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Watching live sport always goes hand in hand with some variety of food and drink, whether it be a steaming pie at a football game or a hotdog at the baseball game.

However, there are some sports that take dining to a whole other level, providing luxury cuisine before and after the sporting action takes place.

Much of this tends to go on in the UK, where royalty and landed gentry expect more than the average Joe. This is very much in evidence at events such as rowing regattas and even the tennis Grand Slam event that takes place at Wimbledon.

Perhaps outdoing all of these, though, is horse racing, with many tracks up and down the UK providing Michelin star-quality dining experiences that any visitor to the country simply has to try. Here are some of the best.


Nothing fuels the appetite quite like watching some thoroughbreds charge around a racetrack.

Royal Ascot
When it comes to fine dining on race day the undoubted king is Royal Ascot, with the course boasting no less than nine world-class restaurants.

This means that as demanding punters chow down on multiple courses of banquet-style cuisine, they can hear the pounding of hooves right outside as they go about studying tips for upcoming races.

However, do not expect this sort of mouthwatering experience to come without an eyewatering price. The cheapest of the eating establishments is the Wyndham Club where prices start at £575, before going all the way up to the Windsor Forrest; an exclusive area set up for 45 lucky folk who have all paid upwards of £1,400 a head.

For that you get the best possible views of the winning post as well as being able to rub shoulders with the great and the good of the horse racing world and beyond.

All nine restaurants are also to be found in the royal enclosure, meaning you may even find yourself bumping into the queen or one of her entourage.


Some of these dining experiences really are one of a kind and should not be missed.

Aintree Grand National
The Grand National is the most famous steeplechase in the world, with a huge field of horses leaping over some of the most demanding fences to be found anywhere.

The whole of the UK grinds to a halt when the race is on, as people gather together to cheer on the horse they have lumped on to win the day.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes there are chefs and table-waiting staff busy preparing meals and setting cutlery in the many top-drawer restaurants that Aintree offers.

The Princess Royal Restaurant is perhaps the best of these, seeing as it gives incredible views out over the course, so you never miss a heartbeat of the action.

If the quality of the food bothers you more than the view your restaurant affords, then head instead to the haute cuisine of The Art School, which is run by top chef Paul Askew.

Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham is one of the greatest celebrations of equestrianism on the planet with over a quarter of a million people regularly filling its stands and paddocks across the multiple days it is in session. It is also set right alongside some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside in the shape of the Cotswolds.

Just as is the case with the Aintree Grand National, it is The Jockey Club who organize everything for this meet, including the marvelous dining options.

A nice new touch that has been added here are the Orchard Pods, which are small VIP pods meant for just you and your friends, from where you can enjoy the racing in private, along with divine food and drink.