Wine Bars in Cheltenham: Independent Picks and Prices
Seven Cheltenham wine bars, wine shops and hotel bars with glass prices from £5, wine flights, autumn tastings, bottles to take home and where to drink English wine.
In short: the wine bars in Cheltenham to know are The Grape Escape on Regent Street for an award-winning list and 21 wines by the glass from £7, The Montpellier Wine Bar for the widest choice (49 by the glass, from £5), and Tivoli Wines on Andover Road for tastings. The Grape Escape opens Thursday to Sunday, plus ticketed tastings on Wednesdays.
Seven wine bars, wine shops and hotel bars in Cheltenham, with glass prices, tastings and take-home prices checked on each venue's own website on 19 October 2026.
Where are the best wine bars in Cheltenham?
Mostly in the town centre and Montpellier: all but Chapter Six Bar are within about ten minutes' walk of The Montpellier Wine Bar. Only Hotel du Vin belongs to a national group.
| Where | What it is | Wines by the glass | Food |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grape Escape, Regent Street | Wine bar and merchant | 21, £7 to £10 (125ml) | Snacks and boards, £2 to £32 |
| The Montpellier Wine Bar, Montpellier Street | Wine bar with a cellar restaurant | 49, £5 to £13 (125ml) | Bar menu, £10 to £18 |
| Upstairs at The Cheeseworks, Regent Street | Wine bar above a cheese shop | List not online | Cheese boards, fondue, small plates |
| The Retreat, Suffolk Parade | Wine bar and lunch restaurant | List not online | Lunch £9 to £22, evening platters |
| Chapter Six Bar, Charlton Kings | Bar, bottle shop and cafe | Flights, list not online | Boards £17.95, small plates |
| Tivoli Wines, Andover Road | Wine shop with a tasting room | At tastings only | None |
| Hotel du Vin, Parabola Road | Hotel bar and bistro | Over 20, £7.50 to £13.25 (175ml) | Bistro menu |
Independent wine bars and wine shops in Cheltenham
The Grape Escape
A small wine bar and merchant whose list was named Best Value Wine List in the World at The World of Fine Wine's 2025 awards. The glass list changes often, with carafes, cheese and charcuterie.
- 🍷 21 by the glass, £7 to £10
- 💷 Five-wine flights £19.50
- ⏰ Thursday to Sunday, tastings Wednesday
- 📍 Regent Street, Town Centre
The Montpellier Wine Bar
Cheltenham's original wine bar, by its own account: walk-in only upstairs, with a terrace, and a new Cellar Restaurant below for booked dinners. Every sixth glass is free on its Sip Society card. Card only, with a 12.5% service charge.
- 🍷 49 by the glass, £5 to £13 (125ml)
- 🍽️ Plates £12, platters £18
- ⏰ Daily, until midnight Friday and Saturday
- 📍 Montpellier Street, Montpellier
Upstairs at The Cheeseworks
A wine bar and kitchen above the family-run cheese shop. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, five cheeses and a glass of house wine each cost £32 for two. Fondue Friday starts at £22 a head with a glass of wine or beer.
- 🧀 Cheese and wine £32 for two
- ⏰ Evenings Wednesday to Saturday
- 📍 Regent Street, Town Centre
The Retreat
Mike and Lella's wine bar since 1982, best known for lunch from a daily-changing menu and lively at night, often with live music. No evening kitchen, but there are charcuterie and cheese platters.
- 🍽️ Lunch mains £9 to £22
- ⏰ Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm to midnight
- 📍 Suffolk Parade, The Suffolks
Chapter Six Bar
A new independent bar, bottle shop and cafe at Six Ways, opened in 2026, pouring curated wine flights with cheese, charcuterie and small plates.
- 🧀 Boards £17.95
- ⏰ Closed Mondays
- 📍 London Road, Charlton Kings
Tivoli Wines
A wine shop, not a bar, run by David and Helen Dodd since 2016. Upstairs, The Wine Library hosts relaxed five-wine weekend afternoons and Friday festivals of up to 15 wines.
- 🎟️ Tastings £17.50 to £40
- 🍾 Free click and collect
- ⏰ Open daily
- 📍 Andover Road, Montpellier
Hotel du Vin
Not independent, but a hotel whose bistro puts the wine list before the food. Over 20 wines by the glass, including English sparkling from Henners in East Sussex.
- 🍷 £7.50 to £13.25 (175ml)
- ⏰ Bar 12pm to 11pm daily
- 📍 Parabola Road, Montpellier
How much is a glass of wine in Cheltenham?
From £5 for 125ml of house wine at The Montpellier Wine Bar. Most independent bars charge £7 to £10 for 125ml.
- 🍷 House wine, 175ml: £7 at The Montpellier Wine Bar, £7.50 at Hotel du Vin
- 🥂 Champagne by the glass: £10 to £13 at The Montpellier Wine Bar
- 💷 Bottles: from £26 at The Montpellier Wine Bar, from £32 at The Grape Escape
Where can I go to a wine tasting in Cheltenham?
The Grape Escape and Tivoli Wines run the most. Wednesday is tasting day at The Grape Escape: tickets cost £40 with cheese and charcuterie, booked and paid for by email (info@thecheltenhamgrape.com). Its 21 October evening is full. Less formally, its five-wine flights (5 x 50ml, £19.50) can be poured blind.
| Date | Tasting | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 6 November 2026, 7pm | The Art of Pairing: six courses, six wines | The Montpellier Wine Bar | £96 |
| Sunday 8 November 2026, 2pm | Sabbath Sunday Tasting | Tivoli Wines | £17.50 |
| Wednesday 11 November 2026, 7.30pm | Beyond Bulgaria, with The Jolly Merchants | The Grape Escape | £40 |
| Thursday 19 November 2026, 7pm | Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 | Tivoli Wines | £30 |
| Friday 20 November 2026, 6.30pm | Italian Wine Tasting Evening | Chapter Six Bar | £40 |
| Thursday 26 November 2026, 7pm | An Evening with Contino (Rioja) | Tivoli Wines | £35 |
Book Tivoli's tastings on its events page. Groups of ten or more can book a private tasting of six wines from £35 a head.
Can I buy a bottle to take home?
Yes, at The Grape Escape: every wine on its list of around 300 bottles is £14 cheaper to take away, so a £45 bottle costs £31. Tivoli Wines is a full shop with free click and collect, and Chapter Six Bar has a bottle shop.
- ⏰ Tivoli Wines: open daily, 11am to 7pm most weekdays
- 🎉 Tivoli's Wine Library: hire for £300, bottles at shop prices, no corkage
Where serves English wine in Cheltenham?
Among the bars, The Grape Escape lists the most, including Woodchester Valley's Cotswold Classic 2022 from Gloucestershire (£45). Hotel du Vin pours Henners Brut from East Sussex by the glass, and Purslane on Rodney Road pours Poulton Hill's Bulari sparkling, made near Cirencester, at £15 for 125ml. Tivoli Wines sells three Gloucestershire wines; The Montpellier Wine Bar's current list has no English wine.
Wine bars in Cheltenham: questions
How much is a glass of wine in Cheltenham?
From £5 for 125ml of house wine at The Montpellier Wine Bar. Most independent bars charge £7 to £10 for 125ml, and Hotel du Vin charges £7.50 to £13.25 for 175ml.
Where can I do a wine tasting in Cheltenham?
The Grape Escape runs Wednesday tastings from £40 and pours five-wine flights for £19.50. Tivoli Wines runs tastings in The Wine Library from £17.50.
Which Cheltenham wine bar sells bottles to take home?
The Grape Escape sells every wine on its list to take away at £14 off the listed price, and Tivoli Wines on Andover Road is a full wine shop.
Where can I drink English wine in Cheltenham?
The Grape Escape lists Woodchester Valley's Cotswold Classic from Gloucestershire, Hotel du Vin pours Henners from East Sussex by the glass, and Purslane pours Poulton Hill sparkling from near Cirencester.
Do I need to book a wine bar in Cheltenham?
Not at The Montpellier Wine Bar, which is walk-in only upstairs. Book ahead for its Cellar Restaurant, for Upstairs at The Cheeseworks and for The Grape Escape's tastings, which sell out.