Giggling Squid Cheltenham in Cheltenham

I was excited to try this place, but left very disappointed, unconvinced. The dishes came out lukewarm (like they had been microwaved for not long enough, no sign of the food having been prepared fresh either). Minced chicken dish was UNBELIEVABLY salty. I don’t like to waste food, but on this occasion I had to. The rice was very mushy. An order for an iced tea came as a hot tea. It was also very difficult to get a waiter’s attention for another drink after… (Despite there only being two other tables with guests seated.)

We had an excellent evening meal (again). The food is excellent - really delicious, with plenty of choice and the restaurant was prepared to fast track our food as we were in a bit of a rush to go and see something. The restaurant was very full and we recommend booking early!

Made us sit outside on a cold October evening, even though we'd booked weeks before. Showed booking confirmation which did not say outside, but waitress laughed about it. Avoid in Winter!

I had booked a table for 7pm on 5th Oct. When we arrived the lady said I'd chosen to sit outside. I hadn't at all. There is nowhere on the booking form to choose to sit outside and nowhere on my confirmation email stated we would sit outside. She refused to change our table and answered all my queries with laughs and smirks which I did not appreciate. I said why would I choose to sit outside in October and she laughed and said, 'I know, I thought that'! We couldn't go elsewhere as it was a busy Saturday night with the literature festival on, which I think had contributed to us being sat outside - the lady had likely overbooked the restaurant. My friends enjoyed their food however my beef was chewy and fatty. Really disappointed. The waiting staff were great, but overall a really disappointing experience and I won't be returning.

What an excellent restuarant to visit, from start to finish the staff were very happy and freindly. The food was fantastic and the whole experience was superb.

Love this restaurant, food is amazing quality

Always an amazing experience. Delicious food, drinks and service second to none!

Non was our waiter and he was brilliant will definitely go back to try everything else on the menu

Ate at the restaurant last night, good service, lots of effort put into the food prep with some authentic ingredients, so much potential....but the salt levels were absolutely off the scale bad. I'm talking almost inedible curries; we had to fish out the ingredients and leave all the sauce behind, the opposite of an authentic Thai food experience for me. FTR I lived in Thailand for nearly 2 years, speak the language and cook Thai food myself. This level of saltiness in the dishes in totally unnecessary. Chichester was the same when we ate there last year but we thought we'd give it another go. Not sure I can go back to the giggling squid anymore after this. Something needs to change please

The food at giggling squid is always good but never knockout great and I can get better at different independents in Cheltenham for a similar or lower price. Painfully slow service when I went last week although we were a large table and it was a week night.

The food at giggling squid is always good but never knockout great and I can get better at different independents in Cheltenham for a similar or lower price. Painfully slow service when I went last week although we were a large table and it was a week night.

Be very careful if you have a preference that isn't an allergy, as this restaurant is paternalistic to the extreme. I took my friend out for her birthday and she prefers gluten free and is vegetarian. The restaurant messed up her order, bringing her something with tiny shrimp on it, then told her she wasn't allowed to order something with gluten in it as she'd said she's allergic. She repeatedly said she wasn't allergic, that she was fine with some gluten and was happy to have the spring rolls. THEY WOULD NOT LET A GROWN WOMAN ON HER BIRTHDAY MAKE HER OWN CHOICE! Because it took them so long to figure out there was nothing she could eat, she had to sit there while we all ate our food. Horrible experience, happy birthday huh? Then then brought her out two tiny scoops of ice cream and suggested she share it with us, put the price on the receipt (£5.25!!!) and then took it off. And that was all the acknowledgement we got for a totally ruined and awkward evening.

Be very careful if you have a preference that isn't an allergy, as this restaurant is paternalistic to the extreme. I took my friend out for her birthday and she prefers gluten free and is vegetarian. The restaurant messed up her order, bringing her something with tiny shrimp on it, then told her she wasn't allowed to order something with gluten in it as she'd said she's allergic. She repeatedly said she wasn't allergic, that she was fine with some gluten and was happy to have the spring rolls. THEY WOULD NOT LET A GROWN WOMAN ON HER BIRTHDAY MAKE HER OWN CHOICE! Because it took them so long to figure out there was nothing she could eat, she had to sit there while we all ate our food. Horrible experience, happy birthday huh? Then then brought her out two tiny scoops of ice cream and suggested she share it with us, put the price on the receipt (£5.25!!!) and then took it off. And that was all the acknowledgement we got for a totally ruined and awkward evening.

Enjoyed a lovely lunch. The food was exquisite and the wine was tasty. I also enjoyed the ambience and wait staff as well.

Perfect place for everyone to enjoy great food and a great atmosphere. Staff are so knowledgeable regards to food on menu and give excellent service.

I celebrated my birthday with family at Giggling squid and I must say, it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The service, food, and atmosphere were all perfect. The staff, particularly Sheldon, were attentive and regularly checked in to ensure everything was satisfactory, which was a nice touch. We started with their classic papaya salad, a signature dish that was incredibly fresh, perfectly balanced in flavor, and just the right portion size. It was the best papaya salad I’ve had in a long time. We also ordered the Bangkok Bites -2 starter platter, which, along with the papaya salad, easily fed three of us. For our mains, we had the Pad Thai Prawn, Chicken Pad Thai, and Beef Green Curry with coconut rice. Each dish was delicious, with the Beef Green Curry being a standout, especially when paired with the Tom Yum rice. Our little one enjoyed the Egg Fried Rice, which was also excellent. To round off the meal, we indulged in mini desserts that were perfectly portioned and delightful. I was pleasantly surprised with a complimentary birthday dessert, which was beautifully presented and a lovely gesture. Overall, it was a memorable dining experience, and I highly recommend them

Simply a great place for excellent Thai food. Service 100% great staff, Uncle and Supranee, were so lovely. Will be going again very soon for even more great food and great dining!

We phoned up and ordered a takeaway. By the time we arrived (only about 10 minutes later), the meal was ready for us. The staff were friendly and courteous. The food was delicious.

Great meal, good service and reasonable prices!

Amazing experience, amazing place, amazing people! Amazing everything!

I came here today with my friend and we had the tapas menu, the portions were perfect and food delicious, between us we had a lamb massaman curry and rice each then shared squid skewers, pork dumplings and prawns. This was all totally delicious, we had to take some wine, I will come here again and again, the staff were really friendly abf the service excellent

Excellent all round, Zoltar was a great waiter who couldn’t have been more passionate about the food, his recommendations were on point 👍

Great evening as a group of 5 to mark my retirement. Food was absolutely amazing. Delivered with just the best service. And a lovely surprise dessert when the staff realised we were celebrating. Best night. Highly recommend

Had a lovely family meal here. Amazing food, service and atmosphere, I would deff recommend a visit. My only complaint was I couldn’t decide which dishes to choose, they all looked good.

Well my partner celebrated his birthday here today and we absolutely loved it .Nont was amazing and very funny and the manager was so nice singing happy birthday too x Thank you for making our visit special x nicola and craig

Came here for a business meal and was fantastic, the caramelised pork belly was amazing!! So good. I also had the sticky chicken and rice for mains which was also really tasty. Great atmosphere and the staff were really friendly and helpful.

Excellent food and lovely staff. Would 100% recommend the one bite salmon…it’s was a taste sensation. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly. For any gin lover the “black gin” was really good.

I came away a little disappointed after my thai green curry, it was very average. My wife and our friends enjoyed their meals more but two of us that had sticky rice found it to be just a solid clump. I queried this with a waiter and was advised it was because I had taken it all out in one go, I was offered a replacement but declined as I thought this was down to my mistake. However my friend did take his rice out a little at a time but his was exactly the same. Overall the staff were polite and helpful but I wouldn’t rush back. I generally don’t leave reviews but given the cost of eating out I think it’s becoming more and more important to provide feedback good or bad.

Excellent service yesterday at Giggling Squid Cheltenham. The staff were polite and attentive but not intrusive. The atmosphere was nice and surroundings were bright. The food was delicious. The virgin mojito was moreish. The fresh mint tea and salted caramel ice cream soufflé and chocolate desserts were amazing. We had a lovely evening 😋.

Didn't have to wait long for the food to come out and it was delicious. Really great, friendly and efficient service.

Wonderful and friendly service, charming small location with quick service and friendly service staff. Food was delicious though not as spicy as we would have liked.

Amazing food and service, especially for the price

Greeted by a very glum, dismissive and disinterested female manager. Luckily we didn’t engage again but was an awful first impression of a once brilliant restaurant, having had excellent experiences in both Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells. This restaurant does not live upto the name and sad to say the food here is very average - perhaps a bad night, although it was very quiet so not sure why. All other staff very professional, prompt and polite - a top down issue.

Excellent food, well packaged for transport.

Fantastic service and great hospitality from all staff.

Nice food , service good ....if not a little over intrusive .....judgemental older waiter..... but most of all ....disgusting toilets ,filthy , and the many stairs up to the toilet were filthy 😣 the handrails especially....black and sticky ....yuck ....needs a good deep clean .....hope the kitchen is more well looked after and kept sterile .....mixed evening ....wouldnt return to this branch

Had day out in Cheltenham and had lunch, great service, wonderful food.

We always come here on our journey to and from Oxfordshire and Swansea. We always get jelly beans when we pay the bills. These past two weeks, we didn’t get any 😭😭😭 my boyfriend was very upset. Wouldn’t you consider bringing it back?

My waiter Nont was a legend. Really nice chap, great menu knowledge and lifted the mood of the whole restaurant. Thanks for a fab evening!

Just had an amazing lunch which was very quickly delivered and the staff here are all friendly. The choice and food is amazing, I highly recommend a visit.

Wonderful food (vegetable penang 👌🏼) , and superb service. Our server, Nont, is an absolute joy 🤩 Highly recommended

We always book here when in Cheltenham. Only 4 stars this time though as quite a few items were off the menu, inc moneybags and king prawns, and it was only early evening!

If your looking for a good place to meet up with friends, good ambiance and great food, this restaurant is a must spot! Do visit!

In the heart of Montpellier the location is excellent. Great food and service

Fabulous selection of Thai cuisine within a lovely atmosphere and attentive friendly staff. We celebrated a birthday, and the restaurant went to the trouble of providing a candle lit chocolate tort. The meal was excellent, highly recommended, and worth a return visit.

Great food, loverly attentive staff and great surroundings,would recommend a visit but book in advance gets busy.

Friendly and funny staff, delicious food, great menu.

Lovely Mother’s Day lunch three of us dined we had amazing service and excellent food we had the lunch tapas and each dish was delicious Loved the tulip gift for mums as well

This was a peculiar experience. The food was ok, nothing different to a very average Thai 🇹🇭 restaurant. The service was polite but odd & the menu was only partially available. The atmosphere is more cafe than restaurant like. We felt hurried & not really very welcome. There a waiter constantly ‘playing’ the cutlery as he walked around. It was irritating & made me concerned about hygiene.

Perfectly cooked Thai food...salt and pepper squid bites were tasty, salmon bites lightly fried and perfectly marinated...my wife had the tofu massaman curry, again what can I say silky sweet. I had sea food platter as main and it was perfectly portioned and super tasty

Had a take away via Deliveroo last night. In time quite hot on arrival but disappointed with meal. Hardly any Chicken in two of the mains, Duck Rolls were just plain soggy. Expensive for what we received.

Took our toddler for dinner here. Staff brilliant with her and very attentive. By the time she came to the end of her lollipop, we decided to box up the next course of dinner and take it home. No bother at all, ready in a jiffy. Thank you all

Fantastic lunch - first time I'd visited and definitely coming back. Loved the lunchtime Tapas platters - had the Salt & Pepper Spicy - delicious - if this was only my local Thai ....🥰

Great, friendly service. Felt like a privately owned restaurant,very intimate and welcoming. Food was excellent and very well presented. Highly recommended, we will be back

Sticky Chicken is my go to dish, I absolutely love it! But I must say the past few times I have ordered this dish there is hardly any chicken just fried coating? This is unacceptable as I don’t want to just be eating coating, also sometimes there are chilli’s in this dish and other times you don’t get any so this ends up an inconsistent dish. If anything I would suggest that you give people the option to add extra chicken on deliveroo so people can actually feel like they have eaten chicken instead of fried coating.

Was at the restaurant for 2 hours, in which time I had two courses and only 1 drink. Wait times ridiculous, and very average food. Also very expensive; I was charged £95 for two people to have two courses and 3 drinks between us (1 of which never arrived).

Without a doubt, Giggling Squid is a restaurant to experience excellent food, professional service, and a warm, enjoyable atmosphere.

Amazing food and service. Highly recommend if you want Thai food.

Had a celebration lunch here yesterday.Giggling platter was my choice and I wasn't disappointed. The presentation was lovely and the food hot and delicious. The staff are super friendly and efficient. The atmosphere was great too. I would highly recommend and hopefully will be returning very soon

Fantastic food and the service was amazing. Thank you

Absolutely incredible experience here. My second visit to a Giggling Squid my first here in Cheltenham and I will definitely return. The 2 guys working were totally attentive couldn't do enough for us, were friendly and helpful. The food was amazing the restaurant clean and warm. Was extra special as my partner has a free desert for his birthday with Happy Birthday written on the plate. If only all dining experiences could be like this and have these guys replicated and work everywhere I go!

My first visit to the Cheltenham restaurant but have been to others before. Particularly liked the welcome and atmosphere in Cheltenham. We visited on a busy New Year's Day early evening but were well looked after. The food was excellent; the zingy prawns were exceptionally spicy and so nice. I particularly like that they keep your water glasses topped up without having to be asked. So many restaurants don't do that. Overall a great experience and will definitely return.

Wow ..have the chilli mushrooms as a starter...huge size and very much like eating squid without eating squid.

Rafael and his team couldn't have been more cheerful and hospitable to our party of 8 having lunch on Boxing Day, offering to change dishes if they were too spicy etc. Lunch time tapas were very good and not expensive. Children's menu also good. Main menu was very tasty. Well worth the visit.

What a beautiful place to eat with the most delicious, authentic Thai food. We ended up ordering a few starters and mains and shared the lot like tapas and highly recommend that. The attention and care we received was like no other restaurant we know. Such a great experience.

Upon entry we were seated quickly with a smile and an immediate allergy check to ensure nobody would have any issues which was appreciated even though none of us did. The staff were very friendly and accomodating to out party and took down orders quickly. The food did not take long at all to come out and the flavour was incredible. The duck was very soft. The rice was cooked perfectly, the lamb fell apart in the mouth. The roti were soft yet with a crispy crunch and delicious with the curry sauce. I had the soft shell crab and prawn curry and I would gladly eat it everyday. The spice was not overwhelming but just right and was present in each bite. The crispy coating on the crab and prawns was full of flavour and complimented the curry excellently, i even ate the peppercorns leaving nothing left in my bowl. There was even draught beer which was perfect to accompany the meal.

Food great and well priced but price for a glass of wine is extortionate. £9.75 for a small glass! Next time I visit I will drink water!

Great food , super staff , that little bit extra to make a super evening

Good food. Very close to authentic Thai food. May have changed it here and there to get the fusion flavor. Great cocktails tho. And service was top notch. Was served by an old Thai gentleman and lady who had a different uniform. I think she was a trainee but nailed it by serving us. Also don’t underestimate the size of the position. They are quite big. Costed £80 for a starter two cocktails two mains and some sides. Bit on the pricey side but I understand with the quality of the food and the location.

Myself and 3 friends visited tonight. The food was amazing however the service from Non (I hope I spelt his name right!) was phenomenal. This is atleast my 20th time to a Giggling Squid, having been to a few across the country and he is by far the best waiter I have ever come across!

Lovely authentic Thai food. Super quick service and friendly efficient staff.

Nothing to complain about with the food or service. Super tasty, everyone super friendly. But the place could use a little spruce. Seating is tired and the lights kept flickering. Did I mention how tasty the food was though? Yum!

Gorgeous food at a reasonable price!

Superb food and attentive staff.

Have been to the Cheltenham branch of Giggling Squid several times and it didn't disappoint last week. Tasty food and most of the staff friendly. This branch is in a nice spot in Montpellier.

Highly recommended. Loved everything about the place. The staff where the nicest I have encountered for a very long time. The food was so full of taste it was a sad when the plate was empty. We were the last customers in the restaurant on a Saturday night yet never felt hurried or pressured to leave.

Staff are very nice, friendly and professional. Services, food quality and value are so great.

Saturday 4th November.. I got to say I went in my wheelchair and the staff was so helpful from the minute we walked through the door and was so welcoming. Food was fantastic and there was one particular elderly gentleman he was fantastic he made all 4 of us smile all evening with his charm. We were told he had been there from the start and you could see how much respect all the staff had for him . All the staff made my son's birthday. But the thing that made us all laugh was at the end the gentleman came over and gave me some sweets and said these are for you then turnt to my son and said the bill is for you honestly you at to be there to understand why it was so lovely. Were home now and still talking about what A fantastic evening we all had thanks to all the staff.. Honestly it a place you must go we will be returning but I will be phoning to make sure my lovely elderly friend is working because he made our evening. Thank you all so much for such a lovely evening and making my son's birthday treat special..

I recently visited the Giggling Squid in Cheltenham with my partner and friends for lunch, I have to say the food, service, atmosphere and price were excellent. Everyone said how enjoyable their food was and we all will be returning, 10 out 10, thank you 😋

Beautiful food in pleasant surroundings Staff are friendly and helpful Would highly recommend

Visited for my first time with two friends,great menu,food and drink ordered was all tasty,great service would highly recommend and will come back.

I’m a Thai and always making a point of visiting Giggling squid . Staff are Friendly but not intrusive. Quick, efficient but don’t feel like you being rushed. They have the Jungles curry back which is great as is it my boyfriend favourite dish. Love coming here.

Beautiful food in pleasant surroundings. Staff are really friendly and helpful. Highly recommended Have eaten here every time we come to Cheltenham

Fantastic experience at the giggling squid really excellent service, very attentive. Interesting and delicious food with very good portions. Recommend the sharing platter of street food & red duck curry!

Not usually a Thai food fan but this place converted me. Amazing food provided by attentive service. A little out of town and we ate late. Can't fault the quality of what we had and service made us forget they were looking after 8 of us.

A lovely Thai tapas lunch was served by friendly and efficient waiting staff. Our first visit to a Giggling Squid 🦑 Will visit again!

Fabulous evening with friends at giggling squid. The staff were just perfect, not in your face but polite and attentive. Food was delicious. They overhead us wishing one of our friends a happy birthday and they bought over a birthday dessert with a candle in after the meal. It really is those special touches that make an evening. Thank you

Had a delicious birthday meal for two friends tonight at the giggling squid! Nont was our server and was so attentive, kind and funny, he really made our evening! An already beautiful meal was perfected by the restaurant giving us two complimentary birthdays desserts to say happy birthday. Would recommend to anyone and would come again. Thank you.

Nice food. A bit crowded inside.

We love coming here to eat. Rafal and his team, Paula, Mr Nont and all the other guys always welcome us. The food is tasty, the menu is good and the quality is always consistent. Its the go to place in Cheltenham! Other restaurants take note!

A rare restaurant in Cheltenham that actually cares for there customers. A Gentleman called Nont who waits on the table is brilliant, ask for his recommendations, he’s never failed us yet and is really informative. Paula and Ratal who operate front of house has the restaurant buzzing and so well organised. Without doubt my favourite restaurant in Cheltenham by far. I highly recommend this establishment.The owners/shareholders should take note of their fantastic staff in their Cheltenham establishment. David.

I can highly recommend this place if you’re looking for somewhere to eat in Cheltenham the food in the service is excellent

The food was wonderful, the service was great, and the staff were so kind and compassionate. They quickly found us a table after a long day of travel, even though the restaurant was very busy. I would love to eat here again. Also: what a cool interior!

Amazing food, amazing service and really fast food! Highly recommend the squid and prawn pad thai. Would defiantly visit if your visiting or live in cheltenham

Tried out this lovely Thai restaurant and was not disappointed. The place was buzzing and once you taste the food you can see why. It's very popular for good reason so book in advance if you can. We rang on a Friday and they had a table for 8.15 which isn't too bad. The tastes and flavours were exquisite. I'm new to Thai food but will definitely try it more often. Top notch.

The food was amazing, staff were lovely and helpful (without being overbearing) highly recommend the lifes a beach cocktail 🍸

First giggling squid I’ve been to and I’ll be happy to visit again or another branch. The decor was beautiful, staff were lovely with good sense of humour. Very much enjoyed our refreshing cocktails and food. We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly it filled up around us, somewhat lucky we got a table walking in.

This was a celebration of my husband's BIG birthday and was a lovely experience. The food was delicious, the staff friendly and very helpful. They produced a special dessert with happy birthday written on the plate. We will certainly visit again.

Enjoyed a great lunch there. Nice and quiet Saturday lunchtime

Superb food and service - won’t think of anywhere else to go when looking for Thai food. Always attentive and knowledgeable staff makes the whole experience worth every penny.