Curious Cafe in Cheltenham

Lovely bubble and squeak followed by lemon drizzle cake!. Nice atmosphere. Great waitressing by all of the team . Grateful and will be returning.

Lovely food and beautiful place in the garden at the back. Staff very friendly and professional.

Service was slow but food and atmosphere was very nice.

Brilliant brunch and very reasonably priced. Enjoyed the ambience, food and service very much - we will be back !

Great place for brunch but I would book as it’s always busy! Friendly staff and quick service

Food was excellent but drinks not so great. Firstly the dreaded sugar lumps which came in a little jar, a mix of white and brown, no tongs, so inevitably someone else has fumbled around looking for the right colour and size. I recall someone putting sugar lumps into Room 101, they were spot on. A substance that comes granulated so you can have exactly the right amount you need but is presented in lumps none of which are the amount you want! Secondly, cups are shallow and wide brimmed so my tea got cold quickly - bring back mugs! One star knocked off service for the sugar lumps and cups.

Great vibes, yummy food, good price! Ham hock burger is delicious and a very sizeable portion. Selection of breakfast and lunch dishes is great. Highly recommend !

Had brunch with the family in late December at the Curious Cafe and Bistro (it was booked way back in August). We've had brunch here before (in October 2022) in the outdoor marquee area so we knew what to expect we thought. Food, as previously, was excellent however what put a spoiler on the brunch was where we placed in the marquee area - in the left hand corner by the back door. There was seven of us and we were told by the waitress that the table could easily sit eight around it, I would question this as it was tight with seven of us. Also it was draughty because of our placement by the back door, placing one of outdoor heaters in the corner of this seating area might have helped to mitigate against this. If I had booked this brunch in December for example I would have totally understood if we had been placed in this draughty area but as mentioned I booked it way back in August. What a shame, this small thing, that could have easily been corrected beforehand with a bit more forethought, spoiled this brunch. Its not a good sign when I had to keep apologising to my family afterwards. Hence allocating (reluctantly I might add) three stars for service and one star for atmosphere.

Random pit stop while visiting Cheltenham. Pleasantly impressed by the hidden outdoor seating area. Menu choices were great, food delicious and service very friendly. Totally going again!

omg so delicious! And really cute little place! Those eggs were amazing 😩

Slap up breakfast the only trademark being no internet should reflect price. Non-existent customer service. Don't have time to write this but if I don't I might crash my van. Came out physio my body became in shock from the cold, I walked up and down highstreet until calmed and decided I needed to sit down and eat before driving. Didn't listen to table requests several times no service. Cappuccino totally separated because rushed. Cold steak more rare than anything fat not seared. No checkback. Had to get own steak knife, still didn't get hint. No butter or plate for toast. Egg not great. Tiny amount vegetables very small portion on the "monster" breakfast. Hash brown overdone. Finally to my surprise the manager came to check back with plates in her hands when steak is 90% finished. Totally ignorant of complaint and no attempt to resolve. Manager was at front and watched me pay and walk out. Crying shame I'm a good tipper and customer service would have saved this situation no problem. These kind of people don't deserve to be trading, carried by location and high prices. I've worked in hospitality myself and this was appauling by any standards. So disappointed even more so when the whole team is female you would expect some nurturing especially on a Monday late morning. How could it be worse really? Go to the Frogmill and see how a £20 breakfast should come. Shocked beyond belief now I got this off my chest I can hopefully get on with my busy day. Shame I didn't have time to just walk out.

Amazing food and awesome service. My first choice of breakfast locations in Cheltenham and very rarely can't get a table.

First time in the bistro for a sandwich for lunch. pastrami, Swiss cheese and Russian coleslaw (?)……. It went long before lunchtime, filling and Delicious!!!

Lovely quirky little cafe. First time we had been there and they didn't disappoint. Food was incredible drinks were lovely. My 2 year old was treated like royalty very family friendly. I would recommend booking a table on the weekends as it got very busy but they were as accommodating to walks ins as they could be. Will definitely be back again 😊

Great food and atmosphere! Only downside was there was a 45mins wait for our food. And breakfast had no tomatoes! Definitely recommend!

Good food, good atmosphere. It was chilly on the garden side and staff offered blankets

My food today was terrible. I had a jacket potato, Hummus, beetroot and avocado... As soon as it was served I could smell paint! As I got to the potato, the hummus was very runny and smelt of paint, I can only imagine the oil was rancid. I did complain to the waitress, but she seemed unconcerned, said she was sorry but no attempt to remedy my situation, so I just had to leave it. So for £7.95 I had for lunch half an avocado, 4 slices of beetroot, 3 tomatoes and a spoonful of coleslaw...... Not Happy!

Good old burger star. Can't beat it.

Had a great breakfast ,lovely staff and so friendly. The garden is amazing worth a visit 👍👍

Beautiful!! 😍 We found this place on google on the morning of our visit we were staying down the road in a hotel and didn’t fancy a standard hotel breakfast.. so glad we ventured out! The cafe is beautifully decorated and a lovely atmosphere.. yes it was super busy but that’s what happens when you open a shop that has cute decor, amazing food and a cool vibe. We had pancakes one bacon one fruit… delicious, a few coffees and a green smoothie which was so good! ❤️ 100% we will be returning customers. We even had a couple of cinnamon buns to take home for later. 🥰

Excellent little cafe. We sat inside but outside looked great too. Still took cash too which was a bonus.

Great lunch with the girls, nct mums x

Superb breakfast and simply divine coffee

Just a lovely way to have a late breakfast. I had the Blacksmith full English!

Known for the best breakfast in Cheltenham and it doesn't disappointing. They are in the process of expanding after acquiring the dry cleaners next door. I believe they will have a deli in that part. We usually have the "Apprentice" breakfast which is big enough or if you're feeling brave you can go for ghe "Blacksmiths". Staff are very accomodating, you can ask to swap items like fried bread for toast etc.

The full English breakfast is to die for!

Waited 20 minutes to be served. Couldn't catch the eye of any of the waitresses. Three people who came in after me where served before me. A woman eating on her own should not be invisible. I walked out but told the girl on the till why. I won't go there again. Went to cafe over the road and had no problem being served.

We have been a few times to curious for various pop ups and breakfast treats. The last visit seemed more hectic than usual and some standards slipped with the food, it was forgivable but definitely not their usual 10/10 ~ I look forward to their deli opening next door.

Came in today for some tomato soup, which was really nice and fresh. Place was very busy. Very interesting and welcoming atmosphere. Staff do seem quite overrun though….and the place needs a good cleaning and perhaps some redecoration work here and there.

We went for a rapid brunch yesterday and even though it was busy and we were in a rush the lovely team at the curious cafe seated and welcomed us- we ordered the big breakfast, the slightly smaller full English and our son went for eggs royal with a side of avocado. The English breakfast was delicious and very generous, I couldn’t even finish the smaller one, the sausage in particular was a real treat, locally sourced and very tasty - the bacon too. The granary bread was delicious and thickly cut. Our son’s hollandaise was lovely and the poached eggs perfect - if there was an improvement it would be that the avocado was a little hard but you can hardly criticise the cafe for nature …. Overall the food was delicious, the staff were really helpful and welcoming and the place itself was like a beautiful oasis of botanical wonder on a busy high street- we were visiting Cheltenham and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back again- it’s rare to find such a gem - the curious cafe was Alltogether lovely. Doggy friendly too! Perfect xxx

Love this cafe, it’s extra special and since moving to Cheltenham a few months ago we have been to loads already! We have a great experience every time!

Great memories. I remember it as being very good in my early 20s. I think I have grown up and my taste buds have evolved

Food was really tasty and good value and would certainly visit again. The very long wait for food after ordering was disappointing.

Absolutely amazing food lovely friendly and very helpful staff ❤️

Came down for brunch on Sunday morning after getting some good reviews about the food. My partner and I waiting 40min for our coffees to arrive and another 5min for our food. The food itself was okay but not as good as it was made out to be, bacon was really fatty and the poached eggs were a bit undercooked and the whites were raw/runny. The coffees were okay as well my latte was rather flavourless but the iced coffee was nice enough. I think you can find better in the area for £15 a head.

Great out door space …. Food was good I had the chicken salad 🥗 was good

Lovely breakfast the only thing that let it down was the tea 🍵 very weak

We’ve visited the curious a few times now and it is always a delight! Personally we book usually the day before to ensure availability. We recently lunched in their large garden with the gorgeous weather. The food was well presented and tasty as always and the garden mocktails were a winner too! Friendly service from all, we will return.

Rudest staff known to man, the food could be amazing but would never give my custom to somewhere that treats you like an inconvenience!

Lovely little find! Great food and service.

Absolutely fantastic little cafe, dog friendly which is a huge plus. The patio is amazing and while it can be a bit slow for service sometimes the friendliness and food more than make up for it. One of my favourite places to eat in Cheltenham especially for brunch.

Beautiful little cafe but simply for a take away, the coffee was wasn't very good and tasted like the cup it was served in.

Wonderful little place on Bath Road. I wanted to get away from the busy High Street (Cheltenham) to finish a script, so spent a quiet hour there and ordered a carmel cappuccino. Lovely staff and atmosphere .

Really nice cafe with nice atmosphere, staff are great! Just need more vegan options!

Owing to its popularity and a small kitchen, the food takes a little longer to get to you but the garden is so beautiful that you don't mind

Lovely food and service as always.

Great breakfast, had the smaller full English and it was plenty. Coffee was very good

Gorgeous interior, fantastic staff and the food is as good as it was the last time I was here 7!!!!! Years ago! Had Eggs Royale and it was delicious 😋

Superb cafe run by friendly helpful staff, with superb and interesting food choices. Been many times and keep returning

What an incredible place! always seems busy (which is always a good sign) but the staff are all so friendly and can't do enough to help. I have visited at least 4 times over the past 3 years and the food and service has always been amazing!! Keep up the good work :)

Great quality food, generous portions and a really quirky vibe :)

It lives up to its name. Coffee and food are both excellent. Generous portions and helpful staff.

Decent portions, locally produced fresh food, great atmosphere- great spot for a fry up breakfast!

Good coffee and great service 🤗

Tried brunch here yesterday - managed to find us a seat even though it was packed. Amazing food - probably one of the best brunch destinations in Cheltenham.

Highly recommended. 6/5. Recommended to reserve. Warm welcome. First class service at a wonderful bistrot. Beautifully decorated and very comfortable. Went on Tapas night. Delicious food and beautifully presented. Ate chicken tagine, stuffed peppers and katsu Arancini. All amazing. As run up to valentine's day received complimentary strawberry kiss cocktail (prosecco and strawberry). Delicious too. Also wine was top quality. Amazing evening. I am not surprised that they were fully booked. I hope to return some time. Thankyou SO much to you all

This place is fabulous. The food is superb and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended 👌

Total gem on bath road cheltenham. Cosy interior and a fab secret garden. Very tiday and floral. Coffee and food is superb. Pre booking recommended but not essential, very busy on Friday morning today. £18 for diet coke, 2 coffee's and 2 huge sausage sandwiches...absolutely 100% value for money and top quality produce. All of the breakfast items are high quality and well priced with friendly and attentive staff. Always first choice for breakfast but haven't tried the other delicious menu items...maybe a ham hock burger next time :)

I’ve given this 5* despite the fact I wouldn’t go back nor would I recommend. I’m one of those people who like a quiet corner or a comfy seat. This didn’t have either. It was very busy so I know other people would rate it. Service was ok and prompt. Food was good prices were ok. It’s fairly small but tables are packed in (in my opinion). There wasn’t anything really wrong with this cafe hence the 5* but it just wasn’t for me.

Very enjoyable lunch. Attentive, efficient and friendly staff. Highly recommend booking as very popular.

Coffee luke warm ! But when mentioned to staff dealt with quickly. Apart from that very good.

Beautiful decor, friendly and welcoming staff and top quality food and coffee - will be coming back!!

Really superb brunch. Worth a visit 👍🏽

Nice vibe, great food...book in advance...

Great food, friendly staff, cosy place with drinks, coffees and a bacon sandwich to die for. A bit funky, nice garden seats for better days....

Very good food and service. The coffee is actually delicious. It just take a lot to receive your order.

First time visit after being recommended, gets busy so maybe best to book a table, great food big portions. Look forward to my next visit. Parked at near by parking what is free on Sunday.

I LOVE Curious Cafe! A fun and friendly quirky place which, even after moving to Gloucester is my choice of meeting place with friends. Very accommodating and, on the VERY rare occasion there is a minor issue it is always dealt with with a smile, courtesy and professionalism. The sheltered courtyard with heaters and immaculate toilets is THE place to be! In our opinion, the best breakfast in Cheltenham .

Fabulous decor, gorgeous garden and lovely food! Helpful and friendly staff too what more could I want!

Great food & service from our waitress Nikki, would recommend trying it out for sure!

Brilliant place for breakfast, not always the cheapest but the ingredients are quality and the portion size is generous. The blacksmith's breakfast is hard to beat. Service generally very good, it's sometimes hard to get a table here, we sat in the garden as inside was full which was quite pleasant. Food was served quite quickly despite it being so busy.

My favourite spot in Cheltenham- night or day!

Been here multiple times. Amazing atmosphere and décor with an incredibly vibey garden/ outdoor seating area. Staff are incredibly friendly and took our order fast, food arrived quickly and was hot and delicious. Highly recommended for eating alone or with a group. Amazing value for money too Featured in the photo is the fruit and cream pancakes and the chicken, bacon and avocado panini.

Great veggie breakfast. Superb coffee. Helpful and friendly staff.

We heard great things and decided to try it out, the venue was gorgeous and staff were smiley and attentive. The food, however, was incredibly average. Salmon eggs benedict tasted good, but was thrown on the plate carelessly, a very expensive dish presented like it came from a cheap diner. What was worse is my partner's steak, he asked for medium rare but it was blue, was probably on the heat for about 0.3 seconds before being served, again, careless. The coffee I got was also done terribly and came to the table looking like its been sitting on the counter for a while. We did come on a sunday as the last batch of customers before closing, but we were really looking forward to this place and were incredibly disappointed. Seems like its quantity over quality, and absolutely no effort put in to the food. For such a beautiful interior, the food was not beautiful at all. Highly unlikely to come back..

Very busy so some mistakes are inevitable. Ordered 2 sausage sandwiches to go - one specifically without butter and just with mustard. When I got home and opened - had butter and no mustard. The second one I asked for ketchup but that wasn’t put on. Very nice sandwich but poor attention to order detail

I've been here a few times and love the food, location and decor. However, there is always a really long wait to be served, another long wait for the food and the staff are surly and unhelpful. What a shame!

Everything about the experience there is amazing, venue, staff and food all top notch! Really looking forward to going back... especially as they have a loyalty card system. Absolute no brainer!

I'm sure this place would get a better review from an omnivore but there weren't many vegan options, and the one I chose wasn't actually available to order. What I ordered instead was dry, bland and didn't contain any good source of proper protein which the non vegan options of course did. The prices weren't terrible though.

Just enjoyed a great evening here, staff are so friendly and polite plus eating outside in such lovely surroundings can’t do better. Oh and the food was a Mexican themed evening and equally as enjoyable. Thank you 😊

Delicious food of jacket potato with hummus, spinach, beetroot and avocado and a tasty and cooling iced chai latte ...all in the wonderful cooling shade! Fabulous service too!

Walked in without a booking for a table of two, the lady said sure thing and we sat down, next moment she said there is a table outside so we said yes definitely going to sit outside, wait for 15 mins then took our drinks & food order.... It went south rather quickly as we are waiting 50mims for our food to arrive and at this point, we got up went to the bar and paid what drinks we had and the cashier wasn't that apologetic and said that they was busy because the cricket on.... I see why its called curious café because I was curious to know when my food would be coming out P.s my boyfriend was going to have a pulled pork burger and I was going to have the tuna mayo melt...it felt like the kitchen staff was out trying to catch my tuna (probably couldn't find the can opener ) What a shame!!

the opening hours are a bit confusing on google. I think it needs to be updated but for those wondering, they are deffo open for dinner. I believe the menu changes hence the curious cafe theme. In the end, i very much loved my food (filipino food for the night), the restaurant vibe is also very charming and very friendly staff. I give it a 10/10! Must visit ❤

Such a lovely place. Out back is a gorgeous courtyard. Food is tasty. Pop up food on weekend nights are popular and brill.

Adorable back garden area, and fabulous breakfast with plenty of vegetarian options!

Such a fabulous cafe, great food, service & atmosphere ❤️ thank you x

Very busy, I've had better coffee, but it does have a nice outdoor garden

Super cute cafe and brunch spot! Very fast service and food was tasty. They even have a loyalty card scheme for returning customers!

Fabulous service, great food & lovely staff. Def worth a visit , thanks ladies. Warm scones were great & the Thai wrap x

Excellent. Very nice cafe. Good menu.

Lovely food and great service - would recommend booking in advance on a Saturday. The buttermilk pancakes were a highlight

What's not to like??! Great food and service. A definite favourite

High quality as always and great service.

Love this place. Cosy meeting place with great food and drinks. Great garden if the weather is good.

Best breakfast in Cheltenham! Plump, tasty sausages. Fruity tomatoes on the vine. Crisp black pudding. Thick slabs of granary toast. Golden hash brown. A heap of fried mushrooms. And, of course, a piece of steak cooked to your liking.

Food was great, lovely atmosphere and good choice of drinks. Slightly slow service otherwise would have got 5.

Been going here since we , my son and I moved to Cheltenham . Highest quality of food, happy polite staff, very clean, excellent prices. We would like to thank Gemma, all the staff and excellent chef. We just adore The Curious Cafe.

Quirky little Eaterie with a menu of tasty delights!

Lovely atmosphere and staff very welcoming, food good and a great price, recommend.

Loved the place! Food was excellent, service was lamentable. Went in at 2.20 for table of two and was told that “as long as you’re out by 3 because that’s when we close” which was followed by fits of giggles from her and the other floor member. Weird but okay, That’s fine, 40 mins was fine to have a quick lunch. For the sake of saving time we ordered coffees as soon as we were shown our table, which were promptly forgotten somewhere between our table on the bar. They took until 14.50 (so about half an hour) to come out, after asking 3 times from 3 different floor staff, then they came out wrong. We actually got our food before we got our coffees. Which is amazing in itself as it took 20 mins for anyone to come take our order even though as we had decided quickly as we only 40 mins. The two stars was for the food, lovely, amazing decor and will definitely be back to give it another shot. Hopefully with less of the giggling, discombobulated floors staff.