Lunchtime eating venue - Cheltenham?
Discussion
Not sure quite what you're after, but Brasserie Blanc at the bottom of Montpellier is always very pleasant and a nice relaxed atmosphere.
Also quite a fan of Zizzi in Suffolk Square. It's in a converted church and is the most fantastic room to eat in - the pizza chefs are twirling dough on the altar!
Also quite a fan of Zizzi in Suffolk Square. It's in a converted church and is the most fantastic room to eat in - the pizza chefs are twirling dough on the altar!
Thanks for the advice folks - actually went on Thursday afternoon and ended up in Montpleier wine bar - quite nice food, though not overly keen on the atmos!
Did look at Blancs but the lunch menu seemed lacking, possibly due to the NYE celebrations that they were closing at 3pm to set up for
Did look at Blancs but the lunch menu seemed lacking, possibly due to the NYE celebrations that they were closing at 3pm to set up for
As and aside, for our NYE celebrations we ended up at Copa
(friends are local to Cheltenham and offered to get tickets for us a few months ago)
I thought it was a good little place, just the right amount of people to keep an atmosphere without having to barge through crowds
Had glass of bubbly on arrival, canapes, 2 choc fountains with choux buns, strawberries and marshmallows plus a play casino and disco - not bad going for a £12 entry fee.
Helped that we had quite a few drinks at our friends prior to setting out.
And congrats to Cheltenham for having taxi Q wardens, made the whole getting a taxi thing a calmer, speedier process
(friends are local to Cheltenham and offered to get tickets for us a few months ago)
I thought it was a good little place, just the right amount of people to keep an atmosphere without having to barge through crowds
Had glass of bubbly on arrival, canapes, 2 choc fountains with choux buns, strawberries and marshmallows plus a play casino and disco - not bad going for a £12 entry fee.
Helped that we had quite a few drinks at our friends prior to setting out.
And congrats to Cheltenham for having taxi Q wardens, made the whole getting a taxi thing a calmer, speedier process
Ah, shame I missed this, we live about 2 minutes from the wine bar. So close I could have shouted and you would have heard me!
Wine bar OK, but sometimes a little full of people with jumpers draped over their shoulders....
A 30 second walk from there would have brought you to 'Armagnac', a small French restaurant also on Montpelier, 2 course lunch for about a tenner? Food superb, nice atmosphere.
Also, The Storyteller, on the other side of town, 2 courses for £8, very nice restaurant.
As has been said, you can't beat Morans, although it's a bit of a trek from the town centre (worth it) on Bath Road.
Also very near the wine bar, for a small lunch, both 'Tiffins' (little sandwich shop) and 'Gusto' (Italian deli with cafe) are both excellent. Both on Montpelier.
Gusto has the best coffee in town, by far.
Make a note of this in future, all of the above are a little more 'friendly' than the Wine Bar!
Wine bar OK, but sometimes a little full of people with jumpers draped over their shoulders....
A 30 second walk from there would have brought you to 'Armagnac', a small French restaurant also on Montpelier, 2 course lunch for about a tenner? Food superb, nice atmosphere.
Also, The Storyteller, on the other side of town, 2 courses for £8, very nice restaurant.
As has been said, you can't beat Morans, although it's a bit of a trek from the town centre (worth it) on Bath Road.
Also very near the wine bar, for a small lunch, both 'Tiffins' (little sandwich shop) and 'Gusto' (Italian deli with cafe) are both excellent. Both on Montpelier.
Gusto has the best coffee in town, by far.
Make a note of this in future, all of the above are a little more 'friendly' than the Wine Bar!
AngryApples said:
Cheers MS!
Yes,
a severe case of "Pretentious, moi?" at MWB
Yup, they're a funny lot, but nice to sit outside in the summer. (ignore the eedjits!).Yes,
a severe case of "Pretentious, moi?" at MWB
I should add, that the food in Armagnac isn't just 'good', it really is superb. So good that you'll come home and tell people about it.
It's a tiny place, only has about 6 tables inside, but very, very good food.
Very good.
mmmmm....
I have no affiliation other than being an extremely well fed customer.
We've lived here for a few years, it's the best food in town, and there's some pretty stiff competition.
If you like curry, Indian Voojan is the best in town (also on Montpelier, a couple of doors down from the wine bar). They have another couple of restaurants where the curry is equally spectacular, one on Suffolk Parade.
If you're going for a special night out, The Daffodil (also on Suffolk Parade) on is very good too. Beautiful restaurant, excellent cocktails and very good food. They do a 'samples' pudding, where you get a little bit of every dessert on one plate, that is excellent....
To be honest, sampling the best of Cheltenham's restaurants would take a good few days!
Hope you liked it here!
Have always found Morans a bit lacklustre, but everyone else raves about it.
Daffodil was refurbed this year, any idea if this coincided with a takeover or new management? Experience of it in 2007 was dreadful, everyone i've spoken to about it has come up with similar experiences. Average food, but shocking service.
Have heard very good things about the Royal Well Tavern. Now a proper restaurant, not cheap (you'll push £40 a head for 3 courses) but apparently very very good.
Bar and Wok on lower high street is also excellent if you like proper chinese.
Daffodil was refurbed this year, any idea if this coincided with a takeover or new management? Experience of it in 2007 was dreadful, everyone i've spoken to about it has come up with similar experiences. Average food, but shocking service.
Have heard very good things about the Royal Well Tavern. Now a proper restaurant, not cheap (you'll push £40 a head for 3 courses) but apparently very very good.
Bar and Wok on lower high street is also excellent if you like proper chinese.
agent006 said:
Have always found Morans a bit lacklustre, but everyone else raves about it.
Daffodil was refurbed this year, any idea if this coincided with a takeover or new management? Experience of it in 2007 was dreadful, everyone i've spoken to about it has come up with similar experiences. Average food, but shocking service.
Have heard very good things about the Royal Well Tavern. Now a proper restaurant, not cheap (you'll push £40 a head for 3 courses) but apparently very very good.
Bar and Wok on lower high street is also excellent if you like proper chinese.
You must have been there on bad nights?Daffodil was refurbed this year, any idea if this coincided with a takeover or new management? Experience of it in 2007 was dreadful, everyone i've spoken to about it has come up with similar experiences. Average food, but shocking service.
Have heard very good things about the Royal Well Tavern. Now a proper restaurant, not cheap (you'll push £40 a head for 3 courses) but apparently very very good.
Bar and Wok on lower high street is also excellent if you like proper chinese.
Daffodil refurb was a couple of years ago, certainly not this year?
Staff are generally excellent, especially the bar staff, who are without doubt the most professional in town.
Morans doesn't have a particularly lively atmosphere in the restaurant part (the bar is different), but the food is good, and it's certainly well priced.
If you haven't been to the daffodil in three years, I would recommend giving it another try, it really is quite good.
I'm not sure exactly when Daffodil refurb took place but I think it was a couple of years ago. I used to work as the restaurant host there in 2004 and went back there last year for dinner and was pretty disappointed with the atmosphere, purely because it was basically empty! Bit odd for a Friday night. Still, ended up spending several hours in the bar afterwards (might as well make the most of that little bar as you can't use it unless you eat there) as it does some decent cocktails and is nicely furbished. Food is consistently very good.
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
Edited by SunnyD on Thursday 7th January 11:44
SunnyD said:
I'm not sure exactly when Daffodil refurb took place but I think it was a couple of years ago. I used to work as the restaurant host there in 2004 and went back there last year for dinner and was pretty disappointed with the atmosphere, purely because it was basically empty! Bit odd for a Friday night. Still, ended up spending several hours in the bar afterwards (might as well make the most of that little bar as you can't use it unless you eat there) as it does some decent cocktails and is nicely furbished. Food is consistently very good.
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
Edited by SunnyD on Thursday 7th January 11:44
You must live within a couple of hundred metres of me then!
The little wine bar opposite Ask (used to be 'Frere Jacques') is really nice. Run by proper enthusiasts who really know their stuff, and there are always regulars in there. The only gripe is it's pretty small for the winter and hard to get a table inside, and sitting outside right now is hardly an option! Well worth a try though, it's a much better wine bar than the wine bar (if you know what I mean).
Nero601 said:
i have always found cafe rouge to be a nice informal lunch stop
i will have to try 'armagnac' did not know about that one
cant believe no one has mentioned champignion sauvage , it's a little top end but it is very good by all accounts
i will have to try 'armagnac' did not know about that one
cant believe no one has mentioned champignion sauvage , it's a little top end but it is very good by all accounts 
Armagnac. Food is absolutely superb. Go for the specials.
If you're a fussy eater (and only like burgers and pub food etc.), you won't like it.
If you're in to oysters, fois gras, duck, etc. then you'll love it.
French restaurant, french staff, really nice place.
Used to be (and possibly still is) part owned by Olivier Azam, who plays rugby for Gloucester. He popped in one night when we were there, had a brief chat about the recent game.
I must admit, we've never been to Le Champignon Sauvage. We often look in the window walking by, and it looks so empty and over-lit, we've always avoided it. A friend went and said the food was superb, but a little 'foody' in that he didn't have a clue what half of it was! I'm vegetarian, so probably not really my thing!
maser_spyder said:
SunnyD said:
I'm not sure exactly when Daffodil refurb took place but I think it was a couple of years ago. I used to work as the restaurant host there in 2004 and went back there last year for dinner and was pretty disappointed with the atmosphere, purely because it was basically empty! Bit odd for a Friday night. Still, ended up spending several hours in the bar afterwards (might as well make the most of that little bar as you can't use it unless you eat there) as it does some decent cocktails and is nicely furbished. Food is consistently very good.
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
Edited by SunnyD on Thursday 7th January 11:44
You must live within a couple of hundred metres of me then!
SunnyD said:
maser_spyder said:
SunnyD said:
I'm not sure exactly when Daffodil refurb took place but I think it was a couple of years ago. I used to work as the restaurant host there in 2004 and went back there last year for dinner and was pretty disappointed with the atmosphere, purely because it was basically empty! Bit odd for a Friday night. Still, ended up spending several hours in the bar afterwards (might as well make the most of that little bar as you can't use it unless you eat there) as it does some decent cocktails and is nicely furbished. Food is consistently very good.
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
I live across the road from the Montpellier Wine Bar but try to avoid it to be honest. As mentioned, it's far too pretentious and when busy, isn't pleasant at all.
Anyone been to the little wine bar/jazz place opposite ASK? John Coopers or something...? Any good?
PS Gusto is one of my favourite little places in Cheltenham! I could spend so much money in their deli!
Edited by SunnyD on Thursday 7th January 11:44
You must live within a couple of hundred metres of me then!
Ah, seriously, give me a wave when you next go past, I work from home so am there most days. Middle floor windows on the left side of the house, promise I'll wave back!
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