Best Restaurants in Cheltenham: 11 Top Tables for 2026
The best restaurants in Cheltenham, from Le Champignon Sauvage and Lumiere to Petit Coco Bistro, Sam's Montpellier and Habibah, with menu prices, opening days and how to book, checked on each restaurant's own website.
In short: the best restaurant in Cheltenham for a big occasion is Le Champignon Sauvage on Suffolk Road, with a Michelin star and the same chef since 1987. For a night out that is pure theatre, book Restaurant Journey. For a relaxed dinner, Petit Coco Bistro does classic French cooking. The top tables open only a few days a week, so book ahead.
These are the best restaurants in Cheltenham as of October 2026: eleven places from our restaurant directory, from Michelin-starred tasting menus to a falafel café on the High Street. We picked them on our scores and on what each does better than anyone else in town, then checked menus, prices and opening days on each restaurant's own website on 26 October 2026. Pubs, cafés and takeaways have their own guides, linked at the end.
| Restaurant | Best for | Price | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Champignon Sauvage | Special occasion | Set lunch from £45 | The Suffolks |
| Lumiere | Tasting menu | From £85 | Town Centre |
| Restaurant Journey | Dinner as an event | £125 | Town Centre |
| Purslane | Seafood | Lunch from £26 | Town Centre |
| Prithvi | Indian tasting menu | See its menus | Town Centre |
| Petit Coco Bistro | French bistro | Lunch, 2 courses £22.95 | Town Centre |
| MUSE Brasserie | Sunday lunch | See its menus | Town Centre |
| Sam's Montpellier | Small plates | Plates from £5 | Montpellier |
| The Ivy Montpellier | Any day of the week | Mains from £18.95 | Montpellier |
| Nagomi | Groups | Plates from £4.50 | Town Centre |
| Habibah | Cheap lunch | £7.20 to £13.50 | Town Centre |
What are the best restaurants in Cheltenham for a special occasion?
For a birthday or an anniversary, Le Champignon Sauvage, Lumiere and Restaurant Journey are the three to book, and all three open only late in the week.
Le Champignon Sauvage
David and Helen Everitt-Matthias have run it since 1987, and the site says he has never missed a service. The cooking is modern French with a strong sense of place, and it holds a Michelin star and three AA rosettes.
- 📅 Wed to Sat, lunch and dinner
- 💷 Set lunch £45 for 2 courses, à la carte £74 for 2
- 📞 Book by phone or online form
- 📍 Suffolk Road, The Suffolks
Good to know: the set dinner (also £45 and £52) runs Wednesday to Friday. If your date is less than a week away, phone rather than email.
Lumiere
Jon Howe's Michelin-starred restaurant on Clarence Parade serves seasonal British tasting menus, with produce from its own kitchen garden. There is a full vegetarian tasting menu too.
- 📅 Dinner Thu to Sat, lunch Fri and Sat
- 💷 4 courses £85, 6 £130, 8 £170
- 📞 Booking essential, diary opens 3 months ahead
- 📍 Town Centre
Good to know: the four-course menu is lunch only. No children's menu, and it cannot do a fully dairy-free or egg-free menu.
Restaurant Journey
Eighteen seats behind two unmarked doors on St George's Place, and a seven-course menu where every course is named after a different part of the world. Guests get clues to find the door. It has been in the Michelin Guide for three years running.
- 📅 Thu to Sat, arrive 6.20pm to 6.45pm
- 💷 7 courses £125, wine flights from £85
- 📞 Online, groups over 6 call or email
- 📍 Town Centre
Good to know: allow three hours. The dining room is upstairs with no lift, and vegetarian or pescatarian menus need notice.
Purslane
A small family-run restaurant on Rodney Road cooking British seafood and Cotswold produce, with two AA rosettes. The light lunch is the best-value way in.
- 📅 Late week, lunch and dinner
- 💷 Lunch £26 for 2 courses, tasting menus too
- 📞 Online for up to 4
- 📍 Town Centre
Good to know: its pages give Thursday to Saturday in one place and Wednesday to Saturday in another, so check when you book. It cannot cater for vegan, dairy-free, nut or severe allergies.
Prithvi
Indian cooking with a modern twist, served in the main dining room as five or seven-course tasting menus. The site lists three AA rosettes and a place in the Michelin Guide.
- 📅 Dinner Tue to Sat, lunch Thu to Sat
- 👤 Ages 12 and over
- 📞 Online or by phone
- 📍 Bath Road, Town Centre
Good to know: vegetarian and pescatarian tasting menus are available on request, but not vegan. Our Indian restaurants guide covers the rest.
Where should I eat in Cheltenham for a relaxed dinner?
Petit Coco Bistro, MUSE Brasserie, Sam's Montpellier and The Ivy are the places for a good dinner without a tasting menu, and most of them open more days of the week.
Petit Coco Bistro
A classic French bistro on Bath Street. Its sample menu has escargots, coq au vin, cassoulet and fillet of beef with peppercorn sauce. Book it for a date or a quiet catch-up.
- 📅 Mon to Sat, closed Sun
- 💷 Sample menu mains £22.95 to £32.95
- 🍽️ Lunch, 2 courses £22.95
- 📍 Bath Street, Town Centre
Good to know: booking is by phone or email only, with no online system.
MUSE Brasserie
Modern French cooking with Asian touches, from a group with branches in Bristol and Gloucester. It also opens for Sunday lunch.
- 📅 Mon to Sat lunch and dinner, Sun lunch
- 👶 Children welcome, with a children's menu
- 📞 Online or 01242 239447
- 📍 St George's Place, Town Centre
Good to know: the site says it is unable to offer disabled access, the toilets in particular, and asks you to contact it for details.
Sam's Montpellier
A restaurant and wine bar in Montpellier Courtyard serving small plates split into earth, sea and land, and Gloucestershire's Foodie Awards Best Restaurant 2024.
- 📅 Wed to Sun, closed Mon and Tue
- 💷 Plates £5 to £17.50
- 🍽️ Sunday roasts £19.95 to £25.95
- 📍 Montpellier
Good to know: Wednesday to Friday lunch is three plates for the price of two. Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes are marked.
The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie
An all-day brasserie inside the Grade I listed Montpellier Rotunda. It opens every day from 9am, so it is the safe bet on a Monday or a Sunday evening.
- 📅 Every day from 9am
- 💷 Mains and grills £18.95 to £39.95
- 🍽️ Sunday roast £32
- 📍 Montpellier Walk, Montpellier
Good to know: from 4 to 27 November the set lunch is £25 for two courses, Sunday to Friday, and you must book to get it.
Where can I eat well in Cheltenham for less?
Nagomi and Habibah are the two highly rated places where a good meal costs well under £30 a head, if you skip the wagyu at Nagomi.
Nagomi Japanese - Korean Hotpot & Grill
Japanese and Korean barbecue cooked at your table, plus shared hotpots, sushi rolls and bibimbap. Good fun for a group.
- 📅 Every day, lunch and dinner
- 💷 Skillets, noodles and bibimbap £12.50 to £15.95, grill platters from £36
- 📞 Online, groups of 7 or more by email or phone
- 📍 Crescent Place, Town Centre
Good to know: the grill is for two or more. A 10% optional service charge is added.
Habibah
A family-run Palestinian café on the High Street making falafel, halloumi and hummus in spelt flatbreads, pittas and salad boxes. It is the best cheap lunch in town.
- 📅 Mon to Sat, 12pm to 4pm
- 💷 £7.20 to £13.50
- 🌱 No meat, vegan desserts
- 📍 High Street, Town Centre
Good to know: lunchtime only, and the drinks list is all soft drinks. Students get 15% off.
FAQ
What is the best restaurant in Cheltenham?
Le Champignon Sauvage on Suffolk Road is our top pick: it holds a Michelin star and has been run by the same chef since 1987. For a relaxed dinner, Petit Coco Bistro on Bath Street is our favourite.
Which Cheltenham restaurants have a Michelin star?
Le Champignon Sauvage and Lumiere both say on their own websites that they hold a Michelin star. Restaurant Journey and Prithvi are listed in the Michelin Guide.
Do I need to book restaurants in Cheltenham?
For the top tables, yes: Lumiere says reservations are essential and Restaurant Journey takes bookings online. Nagomi recommends booking, especially at weekends.
Which of the best restaurants in Cheltenham are open on Sunday?
The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie and Nagomi open all day on Sundays, MUSE Brasserie serves Sunday lunch, and Sam's Montpellier serves Sunday roasts. Le Champignon Sauvage, Lumiere and Petit Coco Bistro are closed.
Where is the best area for restaurants in Cheltenham?
The town centre, within a few minutes' walk of the Promenade, has most of this list. Montpellier has The Ivy and Sam's, and Le Champignon Sauvage is in The Suffolks.