Eating Out

Cheltenham restaurants - Food for the soul

Cheltenham should be THE destination for food fanatics everywhere, with our matchless blend of high street and street food, independent, award-winning plus 60+ places to eat outdoors. Topping the bill is of course the Michelin Star restaurant ‘Le Champignon Sauvage’ found in The Suffolks, offering an ever-changing, premier menu for the discerning diner.

Harden’s, The Good Food Guide, The Michelin Guide and The Good Pub Guide all lavish praise on innumerable Cheltenham restaurants; from the East India Cafe, led by Anglo-Indian cuisine offering spices and ingredients from far-flung places to provide food masterpieces, through to  ​​​​​Prithvi an award-winning Indian voted by TripAdvisor travellers as one of the best restaurants in the country. 

Our ambrosia is completed by independents including Lumiere (British) (winners of the prestigious Cotswold Life Food & Drink awards 2019), L’Artisan (French), Purslane (fish), KIBOU Japanese Kitchen & Bar, the restaurant at Ellenborough Park (British) and The Curry Corner described by Gordon Ramsay as “exquisite flavours better than in India” (Indian) and many more.

Other notable restaurants in Cheltenham include The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie, which has lovingly restored the Rotunda building at the top of Montpellier and WoodKraft which is owned by Masterchef Champion, Simon Wood and offers a buzzing atmosphere.

Not to be outdone, Cheltenham is also home to a number of notable food experiences which are perfect on-the-go or for those with a smaller budget. A few of the most popular restaurants with locals include Paparritos who offer awesome burritos, The Gloucester Old Spot for it's great pub grub and Bar & Wok noodle bar which has been a firm local favourite for over a decade.

The Coconut Tree is very worthy of a short walk from the Town Centre and offers Sri Lanken style street food with small dishes that delight.  Whilst local artisan chains such as The Ox (Steakhouse) and Fat Toni’s (pizza) offer niche food done well.

No food guide can be complete without afternoon tea and Huffkins, Victoria's and Memsahib Lounge are all highly acclaimed. Nor should we overlook the plethora of bars and pubs in the town, from the likes of the Sandford Park Alehouse (CAMRA National Pub of the Year) with its extensive craft ale range, to The Old Courthouse, a former courtroom designed by the surveyor of County Courts, Thomas Charles Sorby in 1869.

Independent restaurants line almost every street, most using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. There are also a wide selection of well-known branded food outlets, family favourites and new restaurants with awards to their name. 

Cheltenham is fortunate to be able to offer many beer gardens and al fresco dining experiences, allowing you to sample the continental atmosphere on offer, from the cafes on the Promenade to the restaurants and bistros in the districts of Montpellier and more modern Brewery Quarter. Many cafes and venues also provide evening entertainment on a regular basis, with local and well-known musicians performing, especially at weekends.

Not only is there a huge list of establishments to choose from, but there are literally dozens of food and drink related festivals happening in Cheltenham throughout the year, which include the annual Food and Drink Festival in Montpellier, Cheltenham Craft & Beer Festival and the Cheltenham Festivals series, with the Jazz, Literature, Music and Science festival all hosting a superb selection of pop-up tasty eats and tipples. 

Cheltenham is also home to Gloucestershire’s largest cidery, Dunkertons Organic Cider.  Guided tours take you on a journey from bud to bottle whilst explaining their 38 year history as organic cider and perry producers.

If history and food combined is more to your taste buds, then the Curry & Colonels Tour run by the Cheltenham Promenaders, specialises in a historical tour around Cheltenham learning about the rule of the British Raj, finishing off with a foodie paradise in one of Cheltenham's finest Anglo-Indian restaurants. Reenactor guide, dressed as Captain Henry Skillicorne was recently joined by none other than Cheltenham MP, Alex Chalk who thanks Phil (Captain Skillicorne) for his "great insights into Cheltenham’s history."

What are you waiting for? Book your visit to Cheltenham and come and experience our incredible restaurants, bars, cafes and foodie tours!