Cheltenham, United Kingdom + Add a trip

The farmers' market runs on alternative Fridays, 9am - 3pm. Check the website for dates.

The quality of produce is high and prices tend to be high too. Produce includes vegetables, wine, honey, jam, cheese, ice cream, meat.

Pittville Pump Room was originally built to tap the spa waters that made Cheltenham famous. It is one of Cheltenham's iconic regency buildings. The spa water is still available and is pumped from a 80ft deep well into a fountain in the main hall.

The spa water is rather an acquired taste and these days the Pump Room is better known for the public and private events it hosts. There are regular classical music events, fairs, exhibitions etc. See the website for the latest "What's On".

It is located in Pittville Park.

Rowing boats can be hired here for use on Pittville lake. Apparently, golf, fishing and tennis can also be paid for here too. Refreshments are also served.

The Boathouse is closed in the winter and open from 1 April to the end of September.

Open between 1 April and end of November.

This gallery features art on behalf of local artists. It is run by a consortium of local art groups and volunteers.

There are regular concerts at the bandstand during summer. Check out the website for details.

The food is a bit hit and miss at Hotel du Vin. Given it's quite expensive and a chain, I find it hard to forgive it for this.

However, the bar is well worth a visit for the cocktails. Like the restaurant, it is open to non-residents. There are all the old favourites on the cocktail menu, plus the bar staffs' original concotions. My personal favourite is the Turkish Delight, which manages to combine rose and lemon in a floaty, light, yet sophisticated, whirl of deliciousness. If it's not on the menu, ask for it. Cocktails are around £8 to £9, so not cheap. Yes, you may need to re-mortgage, but they're so good, you probably won't mind.

Look out for the chandelier made of wine glasses.

There are mains on the menu here for £19 and you'll be thinking, "Er, what, £19 for a curry?" (Mains start at about £9). However, for curry aficionados, it's £19 well spent.

Curry Corner has set itself up as a gourmet curry purveyor. You won't find any flock wallpaper and pink damask table cloths here. It's all designer restaurant, with subtle Asian influence.

Although it's not a cheap and cheerful option, I think this is the best curry spot in Cheltenham. You'll find all the traditional curry dishes on the menu, plus more imaginative dishes. Take-away is available, of course.

Fantastic deli. Local foods and also good stock of Italian specialities. You'll find meats, cheeses, bread, pastries, pies, organic milk, coffee, chocolates, biscuits etc here.

They make fresh sandwiches. They also have a few tables so you can eat in or takeaway. The coffee's good.

1471 Deli is in Tewkesbury, 10 miles from Cheltenham, about 20 minute drive or 30 mins on the bus.

The Old Baptist Chapel is down a little side alley off Church Street.

Note: The Old Baptist Chapel is in Tewkesbury, 10 miles from Cheltenham, about 20 minute drive or 30 mins on the bus.

Free WiFi access available, but you need library membership to get an account. PCs are available with internet access too.

Chill Jam is a cafe serving sandwiches made to order. Also, paninis, salads and fresh juices. Coffee is good. Good lunchtime stop. Friendly service.

Small courtyard garden to rear.

Closed and Sundays. Closes around 4:30pm on other days.

Sweet and savoury pancakes.

Caribbean inspired food, also Caribbean drinks and cocktails. The food is good and it's quite different to anything else you'll find in Cheltenham. The owners obviously really care about putting out good food.

I find that the ambiance in the restaurant itself is not quite spot on. For instance, the lighting is a little harsh. I probably wouldn't take a first date here, for instance. However, don't let this put you off - it's a good place for interesting food.

I've never eaten at Bentleys, so can't report on the food.

The decor is lavish. Cocktails are served (they're OK, but probably not the best in Cheltenham). Gets busy at weekends. Club style music and ambiance. Pool tables at the back of the bar.

Not an ideal venue for an intimate tête-à-tête. Quite good when you're rampaging through Cheltenham in a rowdy group and someone decides that cocktails are a great idea. Bentleys markets itself as "having a distinct air of sophistication". Possibly, but I can never remember after a few too many Tequilas.

Smart, casual dress code - not heavily enforced. I managed to get in wearing a fleece and grotty trainers on a Saturday night recently.

Varsity is a pub aiming itself at the student and budget market. I haven't eaten here, but it's a "Two Meals for £5.75" kind of place. Cheap beer. Plasma screens showing sporting fixtures. Runs regular events, for instance, pub quiz, poker.

The Vine is a pub with a shabby chic vibe going on. Clientele are mature student types and young to middling age professionals. Good place to go for a bit of a natter with friends.

Slightly incongruously the food is Thai from Phat Phuc’s kitchen. But as the menu promises, it’s “tasty Thai”. It’s a good choice when you don’t want a full on restaurant experience (or the full on bill), but aren’t prepared to lower yourself to Wetherspoon’s value offerings.

Mains start at £6.45 to £8.95 (plus rice).

This pub has a relaxed, shabby chic vibe. Cliental tend to be students and young professionals. It's quite a big pub and has a beer garden.

The pub's sausage kitchen is one of its main selling points. You'll find an extensive range of sausages on offer here from your bog standard pork and leek through to duck and cognac through to ostrich. Mains are around £7.

Good budget food option. Similar format to the Wagamana chain - although perhaps not quite as slick, but friendlier. They make an effort to use local produce and it's all home cooked.

Closed all day Monday. Lunch is 1200-1400 (except Sat when it finishes later at 1500). Dinner is 1800-2200.

Burger Burger is located in "The Brewery" - a leisure and retail complex. There are several restaurants in the Brewery, but most are middle of the road chains. Burger Burger is an independent. They make home cooked burgers and source local food.

They have a good choice of burgers. My favourite is the "sliders", which gives you several different mini-burgers to try.

The wine isn't bad. They offer some cocktails. Also beer.

The building is pleasant and airy. However, it is all wooden floors, so can get a bit noisy.

This is an empty shop within The Brewery complex. It's been unoccupied for some time and has had a regularly changing local art display. It's usually pretty good and worth a look if you're in the vicinity.

Second hand bookshop and internet cafe. I've never used the internet cafe, but have used the bookshop. The bookshop is crammed with huge numbers of volumes. They are stored in topical order. There are a lot of books stacked in teetering, haphazard piles. It's best to go when you've got a lot of browsing time!

Organic cafe run to support adults with learning disabilities. Good coffee. Garden seating. Also sells crafts made by local people. Takeaway available (including packed lunches).

Open Weds to Friday, 1000-1500. Also open Saturday, 1100-1600. Closed Sun, Mon, Tues.

Okay, okay, it's just a fish 'n chip shop, but I reckon it's the best one in Cheltenham!

Take away only.

Closed Sunday. Open Mon-Sat. Lunchtimes 1200-1400. Dinner 1630-2200.

Slightly bizarre statue of a giant minotaur and hare snuggling up together. It's regarded as some what controversial in Cheltenham!

I've been here a couple of times and it's a bit hit and miss. Sometimes it's been great, other times a bit so-so. They often have good offers on set menus or early bird menus.

There's a bar in the basement.

The Garden Bar is at the rear of Cheltenham Town Hall, in the Imperial Gardens park. It's an open air bar, so only suitable for good weather. There is live music on Saturdays 2pm to 4pm. Search on the web to find details of music.

Doesn't serve food, just drinks.

John Gordons is an independent wine merchant. The shop incorporates a restaurant/cafe/bar.

It's the kind of place where as you dither over the wine list, the waiter will give you an appraising look and bustle off to get you a glass of something. As he returns, you’ll just be drawing breath to remonstrate that you didn’t order whatever he’s bought, then you’ll get a sniff of it, take a sip and find yourself saying, “Oooh yes, that is rather good. Please may I have a bottle to take home?”

The food's not bad, but unsurprisingly, it's the wine you'll remember. I had a luscious desert wine last time I was there.

Often has live music. Also has tastings - check the website for details.

The owner’s well behaved Labrador is usually mooching around.

Brasserie Blanc is located in The Queens hotel, probably Cheltenham's poshest hotel. It's one of Raymond Blanc's spinoff enterprises, so as you'd expect the food's good. Interestingly, it's not out of this world (it's no where near the standard of Le Manoir). Rumour has it that Raymond is not very involved with the Brasserie.

They have offers on fairly regularly and often participate in The Telegraph "Two meals for £10" promotion.

There is a separate bar (open to non-residents). It has beautiful cocktails for beautiful people.

Subtone is in a Regency building and is arranged over 3 floors. There's a different vibe on each floor. Top floor is The Piano Bar, usually with live piano music - a good place to take a break from the more frenetic music elsewhere! Probably Cheltenham's best known club.

I have to admit I haven't actually eaten at this pub, so can't comment on the food. Lunch is served 1200-1500, Dinner 1800-2100.

It's a pleasant place for a drink. It was recently refurbished and it's now an attractive, modern venue. (The inside is considerably nicer than the exterior would suggest.)

It also runs regular events, including a film night every other Wednesday (only £1, including popcorn). Check out their website for what's on.

Has large beer garden.

I haven't eaten here in ages, although last time I did it was good, imaginative food. You can get food in the bar or there is a restaurant upstairs in a large airy, barn like room.

The pub itself has a good selection of ales, lagers and wines. It's a cosy, attractive pub with lots of alcoves you can snuggle into. In an area where there are lots of trendy pubs and restaurants, it's got a local pub feel. Tends to get crowded on weekend evenings.

The crowd tend to be students and professionals,

Open Monday to Saturday 0730-1630. Open Sunday 0900-1500.

Local burger franchise. A bit more heart to it than a MacD's. Takeaway only.

Shop selling Rosablue's original fabric designs. Also homeware goods. Cath Kidston kind of homely, cosy style. Good place to get gifts for friends (or yourself!)

This has a bit of a family pub feel about it. Large beer garden. I haven't eaten there for a while, but when I last visited it was fairly standard pub fare.

Gift shop.

The Curious Cafe does amazing breakfasts, including the Steak Breakfast!

Has a pleasant courtyard garden.

Well organised second hand bookshop. Good for a leisurely browse.

Shop selling cute retro style kitchen-ware.

Upmarket Indian food.

Upmarket gardening and homewares shop. Really interesting mix of new stuff and quality vintage items. Lots of gift potential here.

Closed Sundays and Monday.

Tasty, quality middle eastern food - Jewish influenced. Brosh has had many favourable reviews in national newspapers.

Only open Weds - Sat.

Tasty, quality middle eastern food - Jewish influenced. Brosh has had many favourable reviews in national newspapers.

Only open Weds - Sat.

The Daffodil is set in a former art deco cinema and is worth going for the setting alone. The food is also good. Upstairs there is a cocktail and wine bar. A good place to impress a date!

I've been meaning to try this place for ages and went there for the first time yesterday. They serve sandwiches, pasta and salads, plus cakes and pastries. They have all the traditional favourites and some more unusual combinations. There's an imaginative vegetarian selection too.

I had halloumi and pork belly with coriander seeds on focaccia (£5.75), washed down with homemade lemonade. Very tasty! Will definately eat here again. Apparently, they're highly commended by the British Sandwich Assocation!

Their salads cost around £7.75, pasta is around £6.75 and sandwiches are £4.95-£6.45. They also have a lunch menu of a sandwich/salad/pasta plus a drink for £4.45.

Has an attractive courtyard garden and interesting interior. Open Monday to Saturday 0900-1800, closed Sunday.

Award winning organic supermarket.

Upmarket curry house. If you like seafood, try the crab curry - sounds bizarre, but it's lovely.

Deli downstairs and a cafe upstairs.

I haven't eaten a full meal here for a while. They serve tapas style bar snacks which I eat fairly regularly. The bar area is pleasant and there is some outside seating in front of the bar. Bar snacks are tasty morsels. Popular weekend meeting place. Coffee and cake available during the day if you want an alternative to a cafe.

Only parties of six or more can book, so if you just turn up, you can usually get seated in the restaurant.