Circus Bar in Cheltenham

Bit of an odd one. They have a no music/phone policy and, though that could be a nice idea, in theory, the reality is this pub is no more sophisticated or refined than any other on the street, while the staff don't seem particularly bothered. It's often dead on Fri/Sat nights and it comes across almost as if they want it that way. Our glasses were dirty. This is a Samuel Smith's chain pub, apparently, but they're not listing beers up on a wall or offering samples or anything like that. Not cheap, either.

Great bar, staff, vibe and beers and lager...all excellent. Thank you and see you again.

Total surprise finding a Samuel Smiths pub in town. All their usual ales on keg together with an extensive selection of their bottled ales. Top class service from a bar person who knows a thing or two about the brewery. So pleased to have called in here 👍🏻

Really cool ambience, great service

Cheap decor but the prices don't match. Felt like being in a quiet Spoons. Lady behind the bar was very friendly, but the wine was very bad. Won't be going back.

Nice atmosphere and good choice of drinks

Popped in to this establishment on our way to the gin and rum festival for a quick drink as it looked quiet. Soon found out why! It’s a no phone/music/tv pub but we were not made aware of this, until one of our parties phone rang and a member of staff bolted straight over and rudely stood over us until we asked is everything ok, it was THEN that we were told that there’s no phones which we found really strange, as the member of staff then returned to the bar, where another member of the staff was on her phone and had been the whole time. We drank up and left. One rule for one and one for another. WILL NOT BE RETURNING. As I can’t reply to your response, we came in last night (Saturday 5th august). The bloke that approached us was very rude, and the girl was brunette with short wavy hair, when we questioned why she was on her phone she said she was allowed on her phone as long as she wasn’t calling. My sister was taking an important call from her son, and if we knew your policy we wouldn’t have come in, we were the only ones in there and should have been informed of this.

We tried this bar for food and drinks after walking past it a hundred times, it’s always empty and now I know why! On average food was nothing better than mediocre pub grub. No atmosphere AT ALL. TERRIBLE SERVICE The young man behind the bar was lovely but the lady wasHORRIBLE!! One person in our party had a text message and she ran over because he had his phone out (it was a conversation encouraging bar) and demanded we get out of her bar after we had ordered and paid for 1 round of drinks starters and mains! The manager guy came over to see what the problem was and the lady was shouting at us from across the room, the manager then left the restaurant with the lady and argued with each other outside… embarrassing service! Needless to say we will not be returning and strongly recommend the waitress lady get some help for her obvious anger issues.

Staff are so rude…needs updating…toilets are filthy AVOID!!! First time to this place..can’t believe how unbelievable rude the female staff are. Such a shame as we were here for a big celebration. Won’t come again!!!!

I wasted enough time just walking through the door let alone spending more time writing this . Looking at the other bad reviews there is not much more to say

Great character bar , lovely staff Quality drinks We arrived 9.30 on a Saturday evening No problem getting served , very cold outside , nice and warm indoors 👍

4 of us (2 couples) had a drink in this bar whilst visiting the Montpellier area of Cheltenham during our weekend away. Whilst the bar looks nice and inviting, the drinks prices are a complete rip off, especially considering it is a Sam Smiths pub which are generally pretty cheap. Very rarely do I query a bill but when I paid £18.85 for 2 pints and 2 halves I went back to the bar to query if I had been overcharged. The barman told me it was correct and pointed me to a small price list on the wall (I note from previous reviews and subsequent responses that the owners/staff seem to think everyone should check the price list prior to ordering. It's a Sam Smith pub, I don't expect to pay extortionate price for their beer). Perhaps this explains why it was pretty quiet compared to the other bars. Will not frequent this bar again.

Well presented bar with nice view of church but that’s where it ends. Outrageously expensive drinks (£6.50 for a pint of lager ? Apparently too fizzy also). Who goes into a bar and asks how much a pint is before ordering ? You obviously find out when it’s too late. Very beer and lager heavy; re wine there is 1 of each ie 1 red, 1 white etc. The Chenin blanc was overpriced and not pleasant and nearly £7 for a small glass. Such a shame as it’s such a lovely bar but I wouldn’t go again. No music playing, no atmosphere (difficult on a rainy lunchtime granted but music or something is needed).

I came in here one night when I was working down in Cheltenham, bar staff so friendly, had the best night, drinks were great, food amazing, can’t wait to come back next time I’m in Cheltenham, they make you feel like it’s your local, great night👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿

Service and drinks fine but it seems to be the hangout of the Cheltenham drunks club. Sat outside on a hot Sunday evening and there was a bunch of people who seemed like professional drunks - they weren’t offensive and they were generally not youngsters but they were absolutely wasted. I guess the time was around 7.45 Off putting really.

Excellent bar great choice of drinks, ran by hard working friendly people.

Food is not good staff ok but food is poor garlic bread was like a brick and for the money was poor Wooden recommended it at all

Had a really nice meal and drinks, service was great.

Such a nice place to go after being at the race's. Relaxed friendly atmosphere 😊😊👍👍👍hasn't changed as good as ever great to be back 👍👍👍

A terribly poor experience. No atmosphere in this place whatsoever, no music, I was told off for answering a call on my mobile. Deeply uncomfortable seats, awful drinks that were outrageously expensive, and to top it all off, the barmaid (Italian woman) stood and stared at us whilst we had our drinks. The place always looks devoid of customers- and now I know why. There are far better places in Cheltenham to go than this place.

Lovely staff. Great choice of drinks. Fab atmosphere.

Very friendly staff. Meal was exellent. The zero alcohol brown ale was very good.

Staff were really friendly but the drinks were so expensive and the bar lacked any kind of atmosphere. Only stayed for one.

Excellent beer, food, and service.The last-named, especially, was exemplary.When l am next in Cheltenham, l will return.

Very nice friendly bar person, food was okay, and the beer which was there own brew was very nice.

We popped in here on a Saturday afternoon for a lite lunch and a pint. The lady behind the bar was fantastic very warm and welcoming, We had some some food which was OK. we had the fish goujons, and the pork pie with mustard (which was warm) never had that before... we had a pint of there own beer which was really nice.

Staff were lovely, food was delicious. What a fab little find

Do not understand the negativity, Great lady at the bar, very service minded, she had great skill about the beer selection. A clean and nice and friendly atmosphere. We will return!

Wonder place, great device, good good software drink.

Not to my taste personally. I have never been to somewhere that describes itself as a pub/bar which only has 3 wines and 2 gin and tonics. If you are an ale House you need to market yourself as such. Staff were not welcoming so we didn't stay - can't comment on quality of drinks as didn't have any.

This bar was right outside out hotel so decided to try as no-one in it!!!!! First mistake! Smelt disgusting on entering and bar man so rude! Do not know why we stayed!

Este debe ser el pub de Sam Smiths más caro en el que hemos estado; cuando entramos no había otros clientes, no había ninguna bienvenida por parte del personal de turno y, por lo tanto, el bar estaba desprovisto de atmósfera. 2 ginebras lge y 2 pintas casi 30!

I’ve always loved Sam Smith’s pubs because of their old world charm and reasonable beer prices. This venue fails on both fronts. Such a shame. Plenty of other nicer venues to have a drink for less money. I mean £7.20 for a bottle of beer? You pay less in London! Yes, I see from the manager’s comments that they have the price list on the bar. I went and checked it after our drinks came because I was so shocked but you don’t expect to have to check the prices in a Sam Smith’s pub!

Como todos los Sam Smith han subido los precios, esperábamos pagar un poco más de lo normal. . . . . pero 6. 20 por MITAD - de su propia sidra. . . . . . con una copa de su propio vino sobre 12 después de cuestionar este precio, la persona gruñona que nos servía se metió con la caja por unos momentos y finalmente se dio cuenta de que nos estaba cobrando por una pinta. ! ! ! ! No hay ambiente, precios exorbitantes, personal antipático, volveremos No. Qué pena. (como comparación, 1/2 una sidra artesanal en un pub en el centro de Londres costaba 6 una pinta!!!!!!!!!!)

Quiet, clean, warm welcome in a prime location near to Queens Hotel and Imperial Gardens. Prices in line with similar venues. Give it a try! We have had two very pleasant evenings here

Si no le importa pagar ocho libras (SÍ, ocho libras) por una copa de vino, este es el lugar para usted. También tenía un olor a humedad que fue reemplazado por humo de cigarrillo cuando los dos empleados del bar decidieron tomar un cigarrillo en la entrada, un toque agradable.¿OCHO LIBRAS? ? ? ?

Just by the bus stop so popped in for a quiet beer with my friend, 2 pints £10.70!!! Never going there again!

Great atmosphere, friendly bar staff.

Samuel Smiths pub spotlessly clean nice and light well worth a visit

Visted circus bar today had a very warm welcome of the landlady food was excellent beer was excellent very clean pub

We called in here one early evening last week.....a basic menu was not very inspiring and the charge for a small glass of wine rather steep!

Came in with wife and parents, great food and service, well worth a visit thankyou for everything came for the literary festival and had a great time

Se detuvo en la oportunidad de almorzar y se sentó en la ventana un sábado soleado. Personal amable y un ambiente agradable: tuvimos el pastel de pollo y puerro con patatas fritas y el pastel de queso y cebolla con puré, que eran grandes porciones y muy sabroso. Lugar muy agradable y hace un cambio de las cadenas habituales. . . . .

Great atmosphere, friendly bar staff, Samuel Smith's ales

Durante la segunda semana visitamos la nueva propiedad de The Circus: una pareja de Dudley (creo que ... en algún lugar del norte ...). Eran tan encantadores y relajantes, felices de compartir sus pensamientos sobre el rango de Sam Smith y simplemente fáciles de conversar. Realmente agregan un buen ambiente al lugar. El bar en sí es cómodo, fácil de pasar unas horas. Justo al lado de una de las plazas de jardín más agradables de Cheltenham. Si te sientas en la ventana, es divertido ver pasar a la gente mientras te abres camino entre algunas sidras frutales secas. También sirven comida que sonaba bien aunque ya habíamos comido en otro lugar. También tienen algunos juegos de mesa escondidos que mi compañero y yo usamos. Deffo lo recomiendo.

beautiful drinks and a great atmosphere

Buena cerveza cuando es genial! Tangy y nublado cuando no lo está. Puede ser muy impredecible. Los baños están en la planta baja, por lo que no se recomienda para personas que luchan con subidas empinadas. La comida está bien de precio. Nunca realmente ocupado. Un buen lugar para ver pasar el mundo.

Went a couple of weeks back now. Lovely little bar and nice beer too. Just what you'd want on a hot spring evening!

The beer is not being looked after, clean the lines! Toilets stink. Staff are not very friendly. Location is great. It used to be so much better!

At last a bar down south selling the best ale in the land, Sam Smiths organic lager! Visited Cheltenham as part of a surprise and was staggered to just drop in to my local bar, 150 miles apart. I have been totally ignorant that Humphrey Smith had extended his influence as far south. It’s a bar, it services great ale at reasonable prices, take it for what it is and enjoy.

What an terrible bar! Very limited, awful tasting range of drinks, lazy, negligent decor and zero atmosphere. I will never visit a Samual Smith’s again. My advice to others is that they do the same.

Nice little bar... not my cup of tea personally but the customers that were there when I visited seemed right at home :)

Beer good, Samuel Smiths, as we know from Sinclairs in Manchester. Double four and Taddy. Bar ok. Barman could have been a bit more cheerful. Heard him complain when more customers came in (there were only 5 people in, including us!). Toilets could do with some attention.

Great beer shame they no longer serve food

Lugar bastante agradable, personal bastante agradable, buena ubicación y precios razonables.Splendid salchicha y puré.No pidas café, cosas de la máquina, agua de colores cálidos, casi lo describe (incluso el barman dijo que era horrible, lamentablemente después de haber dejado una taza llena ...)Sin borrador Ale, pero una buena selección de cosas de barril.

Popped in for a quiet Wednesday night drink and ended up having evening meal. Good choice of beers and standard pub fare. Relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff and friendly customers too!

Stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon for a pint with my sons and sampled the Sam Smiths selections on tap. Not much happening on a Tuesday afternoon so the pub was quiet. Nice laid back atmosphere to grab a pint while your spouse is shopping!

Been here a few times in the last week. Nice beers on offer and friendly staff 😁. Central location too

Attending the nearby Cheltenham Literature Festival, sought a place for a quiet and relaxed cup of coffee. Very comfortable leather seats, pleasant surroundings and service, and change from £5 for 2 drinks. What more could one ask for?

Lovely place with great decor and excellent service. Comfortable seating and an ideal drop-in and meeting place. Good range of drinks.

Came here with some friends and the beer menu is amazing! We thought we would be there for an hour, 3 hours later! Fabulous experience.

Great gin/drinks however there was completely no ambiance whatsoever.

Really enjoyed my visit here, Jake & Molly behind the bar very knowledgeable about the range of beers available, great place if you want to try something different to the usual Peroni.

Good pub with a lovey range of their own beers! By favourite fruit beers!

Our favourite bar in Cheltenham

Visited early evening midweek and it was very quiet so staff were not stretched by any means. Proper beers (Samuel Smith's) and good quality fresh cooked pub grub that was well presented. I deliberately avoid chain pubs and restaurants so was glad to find this gem.

Decent pub, could do with a spring clean.

On the off chance saw this bar and the sign outside for Sunday lunch. Glad we went in because the lunch was lovely. No long wait for the food and attentive staff. Good value for money we really enjoyed ourselves thank you.

A lovely bar with Sam Smiths beers, great gins and a nice drop of wine. We had a lovely lunch there. Very reasonably priced and a good choice on the menu. I can recommend the lasagne and sticky toffee pudding with custard! Really nice staff run the place and nothing is too much trouble.

Dropped in for a late lunch on a warm Saturday. Good tactics as the other nearby ones are always packed out and spilling onto the footpaths whever it is sunny, but this one being a bit closer in has room. Very nice lunch, straightforward menu, good beer (Sam Smiths mainly) and friendly staff. Service was speedy. Hit the spot.

The Circus Bar in Cheltenham is a great little pub. The manager and staff are extremely friendly and helpful. They really take the time to talk to folks and make recommendations. Sam Smith's, the parent brewery, is one of the most iconic British breweries, with a range of both very traditional beers and some modern updates. Everything at the pub is a Sam Smith's product, to include the various spirits which are bottled specifically for them, to include Scotch, Irish, and American whiskies, vodka, rum, and others. And while this is a classic pub, it's recently had a full makeover, so it's sharp and up-to-date, not dusty. Classy, not noisy and flashy. Definitely recommend it for a pint or a dram, and a more relaxed atmosphere to chat with your friends.

Thought we would pop in for a cocktail to celebrate partners birthday.. wife ordered a bellini.. I asked barman to recommend a cocktail.. he explained he wasn't a cocktail barman.. he was very friendly so ordered the same.. both arrived.. tasted horrible and no fizz.. he then asked for 20 quid for the 2 drinks.. we decided to leave. Come on people.. we work hard and really don't want to get ripped off!

Very friendly service. Great food. the pies are great and there is a great choice of ales, beers and larger. Not much choice of wine. Certainly eat here again

Stopped in for a raspberry beer and a quiet game of chess, a lovely atmosphere but very quiet in fact we were the only people there! An unusual menu of organic beer but they tasted lovely and the staff were very friendly and welcoming.

Visited this bar during race week and despite being exceptionally busy the bar staff were extremely friendly welcoming and polite. The manager took time, both him and his wife, to personally have a chat. I really was made to feel special. Food was great quality and good value. I will most definitely be visiting again. Keep up the hard work.

Compact but decent...Nice break from the norm.

Great new managers in there well worth a visit

Friendly staff relaxing atmosphere quality beer and delicious food

Lovely cosy friendly pub. Samuel smith beers

Very nice beer and good food. Staff very friendly. Could do with some background music.

What a great place. Lovely atmosphere. Great food and proper beer. Staff were very friendly. Give all the chain restaurants a miss and try it here. Thoroughly recommend.

really good place to visit. good food, good beer and good staff. Relaxed atmosphere and no television.

Sam Smiths always great beer. I especially like the raspberry and cherry fruit beers. Popping in for food next time- looks great! Lovely staff and warm atmosphere

Fantastic value for food and drink. Helpful and friendly staff.

Great selection of beers, for a great price in Cheltenham. Food is also delicious, good for lunch or dinner. Particularly recommend the cherry and apricot beer. Friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere.

Pleasant bar with friendly staff. Unusual to find Sam Smiths beers in this area

Great friendly service, lovely atmosphere

Great selection of drinks that aren't find in your typical generic pub. Smart, yet informal venue with friendly staff.

Best place for a beer after work, quite perfect for a nice chat, cheapest and good beer in town

Away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre, this charming place sits on the brow heading up towards the park. We were passing by and wanted somewhere lovely to settle for lunch. The place is well furnished with a lovely 6 seater bench in the window, perfect for people watching! The beer was great and the food was delicious. Most of the family opted for the sandwich options, and I opted for a Chicken Caesar salad, which came very well presented. The staff couldn't do more for us and very attentive. The food was definitely made fresh as we had a little wait, but that's always a positive sign in my eyes - and we were informed as we placed the order it would be a 20min wait, which seemed really reasonable. The prices were super value too. A lovely setting - don't miss it as it does look like it could be a shop!

We visited this bar over lunch. The staff were friendly and attentive from the moment we entered. We had difficulty selecting from an interesting menu. All meals were very well presented and tasty too. We also sampled a selection of ciders and stouts. Well worth a visit as around £40 for the three of us.

Great atmosphere.and nice vino. Thanks guys x

Always a good atmosphere here. Good service and very friendly

I really liked this Cheltenham bar. No reason really stands out, but a great selection of beer, and interesting space with a good selection of seating and a friendly atmosphere help of course. Well lit, even late at night, it feels like a good place for a nice social evening. Would certainly plan to return when I'm next in the area.

Lovely lunch with a friendly & attentive host. Nice location and good decor/atmosphere. Would recommend.

We stumbled across the bar for lunch at the end of a weekend for 4 friends. We were greeted warmly not long after the bar opened and the service was good. We ordered sandwiches that cane with chips. One had a pulled pork sarnie, whilst the other three had a grown up fish finger sandwich each. Really delicious. Good selection of ales and wines but we didn't get to try any this time. This a hidden gem of a bar!

Good drinks but sometimes lacking in atmosphere... Great on a busy night though...

Lovely bar and the new management are a pleasure - they really want their customers to enjoy the experience and service is excellent.

This quiet bar is in a great location and looks very inviting from outside. The menu is appealing, however the service needs much improvement. We ordered 3 meals with drinks. They arrived at different times to each other. When the food did arrive, it can only be described as disappointing. Portions were small, and overpriced for food that was clearly not freshly made. When I did point out the small portion size for the price to the chef, he explained it was measured in weight. He did bring more chips out for us but it was clear these were oven chips.

Called in here for a late lunch whilst visiting Cheltenham. Food nice, reasonable choice of menu. Barman/Manager from South Africa very friendly and approachable.