Best restaurants in Cheltenham Published 11 May 2025
Cheltenham may be known for its regency façades and racing calendar, but its restaurants tell a story of creative, confident cooking and quiet ambition. Whether it’s the precision and depth of Le Champignon Sauvage, the elegant restraint at Lumière, or the seasonal flair found in newer arrivals, Cheltenham’s best dining spots combine substance with serious attention to detail.
This isn’t a town trading on charm alone - its chefs are crafting refined, expressive food that draws diners from well beyond Gloucestershire. Explore our guide to the best restaurants in Cheltenham and discover where classic technique meets modern thinking in one of the South West’s most stylish settings.
It's a tribute to the serene longevity of the Champignon that reporters typically begin their accounts by reckoning up in decades, rather than years, how long they have been coming here. David and Helen Everitt-Matthias are well i… Read more
It's a tribute to the serene longevity of the Champignon that reporters typically begin their accounts by reckoning up in decades, rather than years, how long they have been coming here. David and Helen Everitt-Matthias are well into their fourth decade of operations in the Montpellier district of Regency Cheltenham, and their restaurant still radiates energy and commitment. In an understated dining room – its sandy and stony tones offset with splashes of contemporary art – a highly burnished Anglo-French culinary repertoire continues to dazzle, with all the extras one might expect, from extraordinarily creative nibbles to serried regiments of petits fours.
Prawn ravioli with wilted spinach in lemongrass bisque kicked things off in fine style at an August dinner, an outrider for Cotswold white chicken with charred aubergine and girolles, and a dish of plaice with celeriac purée and rocket. There is always a neat balance between flavours that come at you full-throttle straight off, and others that develop more slowly and subtly, but still land perfectly.
Combinations can be the last word in daring, as in a starter of pigeon with black pudding, chocolate ganache, cherries and radicchio, to the extent that one can only shudder at what would happen to them in a less assured kitchen. By contrast, other ideas work with the grain of ingredients and tradition, perhaps for a main course of miso-glazed monkfish with barley broth, cockles and samphire, or glorious chump of lamb with romaine lettuce, peas and sheep's curd. That August dinner ended with poached peach, yoghurt sorbet and honeycomb – at least for those whose heads were not turned by the two dozen or so fabulous cheeses – while others will hear of nothing but bitter chocolate and pistachio délice with positively luminous pistachio ice cream.
The fixed-price menus at both lunch and dinner are an amenity for which Cheltonians give thanks. As for wine, the list is a carefully curated and quality-conscious collection with house Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at £28 (or £8 a glass), and markups that city-dwellers might find surprisingly kind. An extensive listing of half-bottles has long been one of its attractions.
Personally run restaurant dedicated to home-grown, local and sustainable food
It’s easy to walk past this ‘hidden gem’, so tastefully understated is its sign. Once inside, the dining room is a symphony of soothing grey, with damask covered tables, statement mirrors and shining silverware. … Read more
It’s easy to walk past this ‘hidden gem’, so tastefully understated is its sign. Once inside, the dining room is a symphony of soothing grey, with damask covered tables, statement mirrors and shining silverware. However, there’s nothing 'grayscale' about chef Jon Howe’s 'detailed, expertly crafted and playful cooking', which is showcased in a choice of three tasting menus.
The restaurant celebrates its 15th birthday in 2024, and Howe’s cooking has climbed to new heights since the chef took on his own smallholding during lockdown, allowing for a more committed and expansive farm-to-table experience. Home-grown produce is beautifully presented in say, a canapé of coronation carrot with a delightfully light lemon curry marinade, apricot purée, yoghurt and pickled sultanas encased in a crispy waffle case made with local pale ale. Or how about a cottage pie of slow-cooked Wiltshire beef with diced root vegetables topped with a celeriac mousse, blue Wensleydale and a sourdough crumb. Exquisitely delicate tuiles in bold colours add a certain wow factor to a dessert billed as ‘forced rhubarb, ginger, Orelys chocolate and sorrel’ – a simple description that belies a dazzling display of skill while creating a panoply of textures and flavours.
Howe’s commitment to local and sustainable food is explained in detail in the menu notes that accompany each course – read them on a tablet left on your table. Service is smartly professional, yet warm and personal – the staff brim with cheerful enthusiasm. A carefully curated selection of wines is offered in a series of good-value flights, or by the glass and bottle. If you’re driving, various homemade herbal ‘jukes’ designed to mimic different varieties of white wine are a fun alternative to booze.
For a small artisan bakery to have found great success with such limited hours says a great deal about the amazing things coming out of its ovens. Six Chimneys opens on Saturdays only and that’s it. Their once-a-week offerin… Read more
For a small artisan bakery to have found great success with such limited hours says a great deal about the amazing things coming out of its ovens. Six Chimneys opens on Saturdays only and that’s it. Their once-a-week offerings include such crowd-pleasers as sourdough loaves, viennoiserie, morning buns and creamy patisserie, as well as more playful items along the lines of an egg custard Danish with spiced cream, or honey, brown butter and almond croissantine, or even lemon, basil and black-pepper cake. Also expect meaty sausage rolls, substantial sandwiches and savoury pies such as slow-cooked shin of beef marinated in red wine.
Occupying a corner on one of Cheltenham's broad avenues, the Tivoli wears its traditional credentials on its sleeve. Drinkers congregate in the front bar, while a spacious, wood-floored, low-lit dining area is run with friendly ef… Read more
Occupying a corner on one of Cheltenham's broad avenues, the Tivoli wears its traditional credentials on its sleeve. Drinkers congregate in the front bar, while a spacious, wood-floored, low-lit dining area is run with friendly efficiency. Classic pub stalwarts are backed up with special deals on certain days, and there is just enough creativity within the format to maintain interest. A slab of chunky ham hock and parsley terrine is a good bet for opener, ahead of roast partridge with bacon and bread sauce or well-timed cod fillet with cabbage and brown shrimps in buttery chicken reduction. Finish with baked rice pudding and boozy prunes. Good cocktails, beers and wines contribute to the cheer.
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