Whilst it may not often be termed as ‘groundbreaking’, the food scene in Cheltenham has long been one of the UK’s strongest. In a place that’s as moneyed as the stones are honeyed, this isn’t much of a surprise.
The town may be famous, first and foremost, for its racing festival and Regency architecture, but its restaurants have been consistently delivering excellent food for decades – from Michelin-starred institutions to characterful independents and a fair amount in between.
In fact, leave the paddock behind (you didn’t sleep in there last night, did you? You look fucked) and you’ll discover a thriving restaurant landscape that perfectly balances refined dining rooms with relaxed independents. So, whether you’re in town for the races or simply exploring this handsome corner of Gloucestershire, here are the best restaurants in Cheltenham.
Lumière
Ideal for innovative fine dining in intimate surroundings…
It took the Michelin inspectors long enough, but they finally got there. Jon and Helen Howe’s intimate restaurant in Cheltenham town centre recently received its first star (some 15 years after first opening), a recognition of cooking – and an atmosphere, too – that manages to be both precise and soulful. Much of what lands on your plate comes from the couple’s own 15-acre smallholding, transformed by Jon’s classical technique and contemporary vision into something magical.
Both garden and carefully sourced local produce is precisely cooked and beautifully presented, with a finesse that never sacrifices on big, bold flavours. On a recent visit, Gloucestershire’s Stinking Bishop cheese was celebrated in a delicate tart where a crémeux made from the cheese was burnished with a pear gel, all decorated with Alyssum flowers & spiral chives. This was a clever dessert (yep, it was a sweet course) that made total sense, since the cheese is washed in a Perry made from the namesake Stinking Bishop pear during the maturing process.
The dining room feels special without trying too hard – Helen’s warm presence and sommelier Matthew’s thoughtful wine pairings create the sense that you’re in the hands of people who genuinely care about your evening. Choose between four, six or eight courses (£75-£145), book well ahead, and settle in for something memorable.
They’re only open Wednesday to Saturday, and tables are becoming increasingly precious since that star arrived, so plan a few months ahead if you’re keen to cap off your evening with the signature Tequila Slammer sorbet.
Website: lumiererestaurant.co.uk
Address: Clarence Parade, Cheltenham GL50 3PA
Le Champignon Sauvage
Ideal for masterful French-influenced cuisine from a Cheltenham institution…
There’s something wonderfully reassuring about David and Helen Everitt-Matthias’s Suffolk Road restaurant. For over 35 years, they’ve been doing their thing – David has famously never missed a service – and their thing happens to be some of the finest classical cooking in the country.
The menu reads like modern French cuisine and tastes like pure joy: pigeon might come with black pudding and chocolate ganache, monkfish with barley broth and cockles, but whatever lands there, everything on the plate is precise and (cue Masterchef judge pontificating) there for a reason.
Dessert offerings are equally well-judged, the bramble and wood sorrel ‘cannelloni’ balancing the earthy tartness of sorrel with delicate bramble flavours, all given luxury via a refreshing buttermilk sorbet. Visually, it’s all very Prince, in the best possible way, of course.
For a place of this prestige, the wine list feels refreshingly honest – yes, there are trophy bottles for those who want them, but you can drink well for around £30 here. Go for lunch (two courses £40) if you’re watching the budget, or splash out on the full four-course evening menu at £100. Whatever you do, save room for ‘the selection of cheeses’ – a description which doesn’t do the whole thing justice. It’s the finest cheeseboard you’ll see this side of the channel. Or, at least, this side of Chez Bruce…
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, though you’ll want to book ahead – after three decades, they’re still one of the toughest tables to land in town, even if Michelin, in 2019, demoted the restaurant from two stars to one. It remains one of the weirdest decisions the Big Red Book has made.
Website: lechampignonsauvage.co.uk
Address: 24-28 Suffolk Rd, Cheltenham GL50 2AQ
Read: What makes The Cotswolds such an enduringly popular staycation destination?
Prithvi
Ideal for a refined take on Indian dining that transcends curry house clichés…
Sometimes a restaurant comes along that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about a cuisine. That’s Prithvi (‘Mother Earth’ in Sanskrit)…
Set up by cousins and restaurateurs Jay Rahman and Taj Uddin, since 2012 the restaurant has been quietly showing that Indian fine dining needn’t feature dots of mango chutney presented artfully in ellipsis, or an arrangement of lamb cutlets that looks more like a cairn than dinner. Instead, at Privtvi you’ll find familiar but punchy Indian flavours plated in surprising, minimalist ways. But most of all, you’ll find objective, undeniable deliciousness.
The elegant first-floor lounge sets the tone – this is a place that takes itself seriously but not stuffily. Chef Thomas Law’s seven-course tasting menu (£95) might feature tortellini filled with spiced ox cheek floating in burnt shallot consommé, or chalk stream trout bobbing about in a curry beurre blanc and a dainty little quenelle of avruga caviar.
It works because Law has a handle on both classical European technique and Indian spicing. This isn’t fusion for fusion’s sake, make no mistake; it’s a thought-provoking interpretation of a cuisine that doesn’t lose sight of flavour.
Dinner bookings are essential – this is one of Cheltenham’s – if not the South West’s – hottest tables.
Website: prithvirestaurant.com
Address: Prithvi 37, Bath Rd, Cheltenham GL53 7HG
The Nook On Five
Ideal for modern British dining with skyline views…
Cheltenham finally has a rooftop restaurant worth climbing stairs for. The Nook on Five combines panoramic views over Imperial Gardens with cooking that’s confident enough to compete with the vista. Sure, you can come for brunch – their smashed avocado on sourdough is exemplary (and also pretty steep at £13, it has to be said) – but evening is when this place really shines.
The dry-aged T-bone to share (£130) has its own loyal fan club, and the Loch Duart salmon with seafood risotto shows they can do delicate just as well as dramatic. The Nooks Bubble Martini has ruined many a productive Monday morning and induced a fair amount of vertigo all the way up here.
They’re open from lunch until late (and from 9am weekends) – though you’ll want to book ahead for those coveted terrace tables.
Website: thenookcheltenham.co.uk
Address: The Quadrangle Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1PZ
KIBOU
Ideal for contemporary Japanese dining under cherry blossoms…
What started in a tiny basement has blossomed into something spectacular. KIBOU now holds court in Cheltenham’s Regent Arcade, where artificial cherry trees create a canopy over diners and anime projections dance across the walls.
The food needs to stand up to this faux-dramatic setting, and there are some fine touches on display on the KIBOU menu. The Volcano Roll isn’t just clever marketing – it arrives at your table looking ready to erupt, while the A5 wagyu nigiri (clocking in at just shy of £30) offers a moment of pure indulgence – all buttery, beefy notes that will have you resenting your chewy old supermarket topside forever more.
Save room for their miso ice cream. Made in-house, the salty/sweet interplay is harmonious and delicious, which isn’t an easy feat when deploying miso in desserts. Served in a golden choux pastry and finished with a drizzle of warm miso butter sauce, it’s pure indulgence.
The sake flight options here make for an educational evening, though the rare Japanese whiskies might mean you forget the lesson. Try to snag a spot in the traditional horigotatsu sunken dining area – there’s something especially satisfying about removing your shoes and settling in for the night. Liberating, even…
Open daily from noon until late, making it perfect for everything from quick lunch stops to leisurely evening feasts.
Website: kibou.co.uk
Address: Unit 36, Regent Arcade, Regent St, Cheltenham GL50 1JZ
Purslane
Ideal for sustainable seafood in intimate surroundings…
Gareth Fulford’s cooking at Purslane makes you wonder why more inland restaurants don’t focus on seafood. His connections with small Cornish day boats mean the fish on your plate was likely swimming yesterday, and his Cotswold Life Food & Drink Awards ‘Chef of the Year’ title from 2018 suggests he knows exactly what to do with it.
The bi-monthly changing menu (three courses for £69) from this independent might feature cured Cornish pollock that tastes of pure ocean, or halibut so perfectly cooked it makes you think you’re eating by the coast.
The menu, which champions Cotswolds produce with equal devotion, is naturally seasonal. This autumn featured dishes of Loch Duart salmon with handmade beetroot cavatelli, Severn & Wye smoked eel, horseradish, and bilberry. Or, red gurnard paired with Delicia pumpkin, suckling pig belly, russet apples and rainbow kale. Gorgeous stuff, indeed, the former so well balanced that even the presence of sputum on the plate was forgiveable.
The wine list is as carefully considered as the fish is fresh – these people understand that great seafood needs great wine, and don’t get pretentious about it, with plenty of drops available by the large glass under the £10 threshold.
They’re only open Thursday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, and booking ahead is essential – this intimate spot has earned its reputation as one of the UK’s top seafood restaurants.
Website: purslane-restaurant.co.uk
Address: 16 Rodney Rd, Cheltenham GL50 1JJ
Domaine 16
Ideal for Alpine-style feasting and fondue…
Domaine 16 is what happens when someone takes their cheese obsession to its natural but extreme conclusion. Owner Stephanie Ronssin envisions Domaine 16 as a place where people can gather to savour the classic combination of cheese and wine, and it’s a noble aim majestically realised. With her French heritage and extensive background in food and wine – honed through training in Paris and Michelin-starred experience – she knows a thing or two about cheese.
The three-cheese fondue (from £21.95 per person) is perhaps the headliner here, a blend of Appenberger, Schlossberger and Comté that you just want to smear all over your body. Once it’s cooled down, of course…
…Hang on; I’ve rendered the damn thing inedible.
Not to worry; the Forager version adds wild mushrooms and confit garlic because sometimes too much is just enough. Their ‘Yard of Cheese’ should come with a warning, and the whole baked Winslade (£24) is what cheese dreams are made of. Who said the bloody stuff gives you nightmares?
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find Alpine classics like Tartiflette – a rich and gooey gratin of potatoes reblochon cheese, lardons and onions, and a twice baked soufflé made with Barber’s 1833 cheddar that arrives as a dome of rich, eggy, cheesy, pillowy goodness.
On Tuesdays and Tuesdays only, it’s raclette night, where for £25.50 you can indulge in an unlimited amount of oeey, gooey raclette cheese, charcuterie and potatoes.
The wine list exists purely to help you justify more cheese – all big, brassy reds and the odd white that stands up to the dairy onslaught. The Gewurztraminer from Alsace (£42 a bottle but much needed) falls into that camp, and is an essential pairing indeed.
Open six days a week (closed Sundays), and while they welcome walk-ins, you might want to book ahead – melted cheese waits for no one.
Website: domaine16.co.uk
Address: 16 Regent St, Cheltenham GL50 1HE
Read: The best restaurants in Winchester
Bhoomi Kitchen
Ideal for sophisticated South Indian flavours in sumptuous surroundings…
There’s something instantly transporting about stepping into Bhoomi Kitchen’s elegantly appointed dining room. The dark walls adorned with carefully curated artwork, velvet chairs trimmed in gold, and soft lighting create an atmosphere that feels both sophisticated and welcoming – much like the food that emerges from the kitchen.
Run by the third generation of a family who settled in Cheltenham from India half a century ago, Bhoomi manages that rare feat of honouring tradition while executing it with finesse. The menu leans heavily into South Indian territory – think delicate dosas filled with spiced potato and fresh coconut chutney, or Kerala lamb leg enriched with cardamom and curry leaves. But there’s also space for northern classics from the tandoor, with their barbecued prawns winning particular praise from regulars.
The masala dosa here deserves special mention – crater-pocked and golden, it arrives spanning the width of your table like an edible piece of architecture. Their baby aubergines in ground coconut curry might make you forget every other curry you’ve eaten this year. And speaking of forgetting – don’t you dare leave without trying their chocolate samosa, an inspired riff on the beloved street food snack that somehow makes perfect sense.
Open daily (lunches Wednesday to Sunday, dinner every evening), though you’ll want to book ahead for weekend services when the dining room fills with a mix of loyal regulars and appreciative locals. This is refined Indian dining that respects its roots while delivering them with contemporary polish.
Website bhoomikitchen.co.uk
Address: 52 Suffolk Rd, Cheltenham GL50 2AQ
Sam’s Montpellier
Ideal for casual fine dining that doesn’t forget to be fun…
Tucked away in Montpellier Courtyard, this recent winner of the ‘Best Restaurant 2024’ at the Gloucestershire Foodie Awards (and recipient of a cracking Jay Rayner review) strikes that perfect balance between serious cooking and laid-back charm. Their black pudding scotch eggs with Burford Browns have developed something of a (rightful) cult following, while the Shetland mussels in cider broth show a lighter touch. The wine list ranges from Tuesday night bottles to serious weekend splurges, and their cocktails deserve far more attention than they get.
Like all the best restaurants, it feels special enough for celebrations but casual enough for a Wednesday – though you’ll need to plan those celebrations around their schedule, as they’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Open Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, plus Sunday lunch, with weekend bookings strongly advised.
Website: samsmontpellier.co.uk
Address: Montpellier Courtyard, Montpellier St, Cheltenham GL50 1SR
Join us in nearby Bath next, to check out the city’s best 22 restaurants. Yep, there are really that many special ones…