Petit Coco in Cheltenham

Was on my own and was made very welcome. Have eaten with friends in PCC before and the food is always cooked to perfection. Had duck as the main course and it was delicious.

We went at the weekend and had the most delicious meal. Starting with prawns, then the mushroom wellington followed by Creme Brule. The food, service and atmosphere are the best you can get.

Petit Coco was recommended by a friend who is a chef, is very fussy and a perfectionist. I’ve now been twice and on both occasions was very impressed. This little family-run restaurant is to be found down a little set of stairs. It’s welcoming and atmospheric as soon as you walk through the door. The service is fantastic - friendly and efficient. The food is wonderful - all made in-house with portion sizes that are just perfect and presented beautifully. I’ve had snails, cheese soufflé, lamb and cassoulet, all of which I can recommend highly. The price for this high quality food is very reasonable, representing extremely good value for money. I recently organised a birthday meal here for a party of about a dozen guests. Afterwards, everyone was impressed, with nothing but compliments for the choice of venue and quality of food. I highly recommend this cosy little restaurant and now know why my chef friend says it’s his favourite place to eat in Cheltenham. Update 18/11/24: since my original review I have returned to the family-owned Petit Coco 4 or 5 times, most recently last weekend after returning from a trip to London. I was lucky to have eaten at two very prestigious restaurants around Mayfair which were impressive. So, having set the bar very high, I returned to this hidden gem of bistro in the centre of Cheltenham on Saturday. It was bonkers busy because of the race-goers, however, the atmosphere was wonderful, with a lovely buzz. The waiters & waitress were very friendly and welcoming, despite being rushed off their feet. The food? Well, it was just amazing. We took friends who had never been to PC before and they were very impressed. From my experience this lovely bistro never fails to deliver on quality and it puts a smile on my face every time. None of the dishes I’ve tried have ever disappointed. It’s fabulous and is extremely good value for money.

Great atmosphere. Lovely food. Superb house wine. Very reasonable prices.

What a find! This hidden gem of a restaurant / bistro is wonderful. Great atmosphere, delicious food (French onion soup to die for) and attentive staff. Special thanks to Magdalena who made our night extra special. We will return. Highly recommended.

Delicious food, lovely atmosphere. We absolutely loved this restaurant. French onion soup was gorgeous to start and the most divine cheese soufflé. Mains of duck and steak. Not shy on the portion sizes and cooked perfectly. Lovely reasonably priced wine. Finished with creme brulee. We had a wonderful evening. Service was friendly and lovely. I thought it was amazing value for money. We will definitely be back soon. Thank you for a lovely evening. Amazing value for the experience. Written 29 March 2024

Lunch for 3, great food and really good value.

Loved this place. Amazing food. Really understated and traditional. Would recommend and return.

Unbelievable French Style Bistro It’s so French, it almost out Frenches itself Have a light breakfast before you eat in the evening, no matter how sensible you think you are going to be, you will over indulge. If you want to be really sensible share a starter (but you won’t) your eyes will get the better of your digestive system It’s nothing short of a miracle that so many meals come out of such a small kitchen best nights are music nights, for a really bumper time, have an additional bottle of wine and stay overnight in Cheltenham. Lunch time set meals very good value It’s a very special place, unfortunately there are not enough special occasions to warrant more visits Sod it, I’m going again…

Such a wonderful place to visit! Fantastic food and wonderful ambience. The staff are great and it is a repeat favourite for us!

Had trouble finding it, but it was brilliant once we had got down very steep concrete stairs into the basement of this building. Went on Tuesday night and it was heaving!!!

Secluded basement spot. Ideal for a romantic dinner for two or four people. Great French cuisine

Very unassuming hidden little French bistro in Cheltenham. Honestly some of the best duck I’ve ever had! The cheese soufflé appetizer was also really good.

Still the very best restaurant in Cheltenham...

Nice basement space with lots of atmosphere. Warm welcome and very prompt and attentive service from a professional team. Food didn’t strike us as classic French bistro food. A bit disappointing

5 women, 5 Comté soufflés, 5 stars! Incredible cheese soufflé, perfect texture, delicious sauce I will go back for more! Beautiful little bistro, great staff and service. Thank you all 😊👌

Amazing food, service and vibes. My partner is vegetarian and there were enough options. Between 6 of us we tried a fair few dishes and can’t wait to go back

Busy, claustrophobic and stuck in time place, all of my clothes now smell from the burnt cooking oil and unpleasant smells of food, my eyes were sore as the smoke were everywhere. I really struggled to breathe, no air ventilation at all. The food is far from being “delicious”, it was maybe just ok and very overpriced, definitely not a place to come back. .Awful expedience Avoid.

Second time visiting the restaurant. Fantastic 3 course meal. Every course was high quality. My only element of feedback, is that the lighting was very poor, l do like to see what l'm eating.

Lovely cosy local place. The tables were very close together so unfortunately we had a drunken party next to us but it was not the restaurant's fault.

Just get it booked! I’ll say no more! 👏🏼🇫🇷

Worth a visit, especially if you fancy a blowout meal - everything tasted great, but it was all quite rich for the 6 of us. No light options on the menu! Authentically French cuisine. Lovely cider, both alcoholic and zero.

Had an amazing meal on Valentines evening with my partner, lovely atmosphere you would of thought you were in France, the food was excellent well worth the money, now my favourite in Cheltenham. Thanku.

Simply the best restaurant in Cheltenham! I have been a couple of times with my partner and we have been in awe of this restaurant, giving us a very special date night each time. This hidden gem feels like you’ve transported straight into France, with traditional decor and an atmosphere that feels truly special. That staff are some of the friendliest and hardworking I’ve ever experienced, and will make your dining experience a truly wonderful one, no matter how busy. The food is absolutely exceptional, with a menu and flavours that you’d simply have to travel to France itself to taste anything close! We had the cheese soufflé and the escargot to start, followed with slow cooked lamb and coq au vin, for main which were all cooked to perfection. You would not want to miss out on this fabulous restaurant, we will absolutely be back!

Very high quality french cooking. Definitely worth a visit. One of my new Cheltenham favourites!

Remarkable little gem. All four of us really enjoyed the food and wine. The mushroom Wellington was excellent. Lovely service. Highly recommended.

Perfect cute little intimate French bistro, classic cooking, great wine list, really good service

Great flavours the food delicious-not Hugh portions but quality over quantity! Well presented Fab drinks the French sparkling wine was divine Not the most comfortable seats and rather scruffy tables chairs floors ect but I think that’s the effect they are after. Service was perfect. Small restaurant. No good for the physically compromised person as very steep stairs. No parking

The restaurant is extremely small with a limited menu. All of the French inspired dished that we had were excellent. We enjoyed prawns, mussels, steak, fish and chicken and all were superb. The shellfish was particularly delicious. The service was professional and friendly.

What a great place to eat definitely one of the best restaurants in Cheltenham a lovely hidden gem

Never one to write restaurant reviews but very disappointed. It is very interesting to see from past reviews others were also treated in the same way and shoved by the door if the restaurant preferred the look of other customers (generally if you are over 60 and wearing tweed you get priority.) Laughable. Booked a table a good few weeks before a planned anniversary dinner, requested a particular side of the restaurant so we would not be sitting near the door, which was agreed by the restaurant . On arrival the waiter gave our table to a couple who arrived at the same time. NONE of the staff would do anything about it, they didn’t care, and we were put near the door, where I had requested not to be seated! . We decided to leave as we were quite upset with the treatment and lack of care we received. We will not return and will not recommend to anyone. Staff are unable to handle simple routines, this really shows the difference of a slick and professional restaurant with great customer service and places like this utterly useless!

Went for my 40th Birthday 🥳 lunch omg Amazing food service from Jonny was Brilliant everything was truly perfect could of not asked for a better time, thank you for making my birthday so special

A small intimate French bistro. Family owned, giving it a more personal experience

This is a wonderful little restaurant. The service was impeccable and the food equally good. We shared a bottle of French Melbac which was sensibly priced and complimented the food perfectly. We will be going back.

Genuine French cuisine, delicious food and quaint basement atmosphere, just a little pricey but would recommend for a special occasion.

We were guided in by the restaurant, not easiest restaurant to find although we didn't have a map. Restaurant at cellar level , and steps down are pretty small, don't wear wellies or have big feet. But we were made very welcome 2 course about £18 about 3 or 4 choices for each course but also many specials including mussels, halibut etc. I had standard lunch smoked salmon and steak fries, they weren't mean , just right portion size. My wife loved the mussels, one of best ever. Went with the rose in the 2 carafe sizes, very nice. Topped off with a large red, very good The service by part owner (?) Was friendly and professional, excellent, it served the 4 other tables as well. Warm bread was also provided, with butter , offered more. Couldn't get to desert as too full Bill with tip £90 which wasn't over the top, good food and restaurant had a lovely French bistro ambiance. Well worth it, a pleasure

Amazing food throughout highly recommend.

Really great French food. Very tasty and authentic. Baked Camembert excellent as was the beef fillet

Excellent food we all had different dishes but all were superb. The service was attentive and we all enjoyed our meals. No complaints at all ,would recomend the French onion soup and liver.Will be back

Delicious food, attentive service and lovely atmosphere. As a table of 6 we had a variety of starters and main courses and were all delighted with our choices - I really enjoyed my Roquefort mousse starter and the Chicken main course. I hope to return soon!

Delicious food, attentive service and great atmosphere. Highly recommended. Hope to return very soon!

Lovely place - delicious food, good service and a lovely atmosphere

Very unfriendly waitress who seemed to decide to dislike us from the start. When we booked we asked for a table away from the entrance and was offered one right by it. Unlike other waiters/waitresses, she didn't read through the menu until asked and didn't mention any specials. French onion soup was barely seasoned and potatoes with fish main were completely unseasoned. Everything seemed like it was just reheated. Very average experience despite high expectations and positive reviews. Would avoid

Helen and I enjoyed a special occasion meal at this delightful French bistro. Wow! The atmosphere was great and the food was authentic. Lovely service too. Would love to visit them again. Thanks 🙏

Fantastic find and amazing food. We will definitely be back. The cheese soufflé as everyone mentions was amazing but the mussels were also plump and the sauce fantastic. Mains were not a disappointment either. All in all great service and love the ambiance of the place too as it is not at all pretentious like some places can get. The portions were a little large for myself but they happily wrapped my main to take away as I couldn’t leave any of my soufflé as it was just too good!

A real old-school bistro experience with great food and service. My cheese souffle starter was honestly one of the best things I've ever eaten. I'd forgotten what it was like to have light-touch service as well. There were no irritating checks on us, no-one poured wine for us but when we asked for anything it came immediately despite the restaurant being full. Loved it.

Love this little restaurant. Small, exclusive and classy without being pretentious. Fabulous food. Amazing cheese souffle! We will be back.

Intimate small basement bistro serving french themed food. The dark red painted walls, black and white photographs of French movie stars, spartan furniture and brown paper table covers add greatly to the feeling of being transported to a Parisian back street eaterie. The menu gives just enough choice to please most. The food is very good from start to finish. The wine menu offers sufficient choice. Prices are reasonable, value for money excellent. Service is friendly without fuss. We had eaten the previous night at a 2 star Michelin restaurant and both agreed The Petit Coco was as enjoyable and a must revisit should we ever return to Cheltenham.

We spent an evening here last Friday. We had a lovely meal in this charming restaurant. The bill came to less than we thought it would & to be honest the meal was better than any that we had during 2 weeks that we recently spent in Western & central France where we ate out many times!

The food at this restaurant is amazing and reasonably priced for the quality. But what really makes this one of my favourite Cheltenham restaurants is the venue which is in a typically French style, cosy red walls, French music and pictures of French film stars. The staff are also amazing friendly, informative and they work hard to make your evening special, which as a solo diner I really appreciate. It is a small venue so best to book and not just turn up as you may be disappointed. I am not a vegetarian but my current favourite meal is their lentil stuffed aubergine with a cheesy sauce - delicious.

Place was small and lovely, with pleasure staff and explained all the menu for you . The food was superb and delicious to taste I would gladly go there again

This is a little hidden restaurant in a basement! Quite random, very intimate but the food is something else. Really enjoyed eating here. My steak was cooked to perfection. Only niggle was it was sooo hot down there but we did visit on a day when outside temps were 25 degrees. A bit of air con would have been welcome but the excellent food and service made up for the hotness!

Wowowowowowow we loooved this tiny french bistro, brought us back to a french small village alley restaurant with an all star chef and staff! Everything, from start to finish was absolute perfection… true authentic feel that you won’t find elsewhere in Cheltenham… To the chef and staff crew, keep it up! Your food and service is full of soul and love, thank you!

Very nice little basement spot. Great food, decent portions, nice wine. Service was very good as well. £55 for 2 courses and a half litre carafe.

This is my favourite restaurant in Cheltenham. So relaxed and the food is exquisite. The cheese soufflé is a must. A wonderful treasure of a restaurant. Book well in advance.

Our absolute favourite restaurant in Cheltenham. Super cute little place with great food, atmosphere and reasonable prices. It's not expensive but it's not cheap. We enjoy the Comte Soufflé and I like the lamb shank. My partner enjoys the duck. Throw in a great bottle of red and you have a perfect place to eat in Cheltenham. We recommend booking ahead as they are often full.

Amazing food! Who knew Cheltenham would have a first class French restaurant? Can't fault the food, the service or the atmosphere. A little bit of France in the Cotswolds!

Pleasently surprised. Amazing place to eat, food is exquisite, staff was friendly and helpful, stablishment is lovely in appearance, cozy and unique. 10/10 would recommend and visit again!

I have been to Petit Coco five times since we decided to move to Cheltenham in October last year. It is my favourite restaurant in Cheltenham because it best combines food quality, service, atmosphere and cost. In terms of value for food alone it is...

Wanted to go for a while, went specifically for dinner when jazz band were there. Restaurant is quite small, cosy and romantic. Music was perhaps a bit loud given small venue. Not sure we needed to book for a Tuesday. Waiter was pleasant. Food was...

Simply outstanding. I had always wanted to try a cheese soufflé and I was very impressed. The duck and dauphinoise potatoes with braised red cabbage was delicious. To complete the meal I had crème brulée! Couldn't recommend the food more. Will definitely eat here again!

What a wonderful find . The food was amazing so flavoursome and perfectly cooked. Fabulous atmosphere and the staff friendly and knowledgeable.

Lovely cosy little basement restaurant, authentic french cuisine, good for romantic or small groups

Wow! Just loved this cute french style bistro. The whole ambience was extremely romantic and the food traditional, tasty and brought back memories of a recent holiday in france. Perfect intimate, romantic date night venue with fabulous service, food and drinks. Recommend!!!

A cosy and warm dining experience. Great food and customer service!

Amazing food and atmosphere - Need to book as small venue Staff super friendly Authentic French - highly recommend

Food is absolutely stunning! My partner said this was the best rib eye steak he has ever had! My escargots and duck were phenomenal! The only thing was that it get very loud in such small space so we had to get out as soon...

Came here yesterday for my 10 year anniversary and the food was outstanding, French onion soup was absolutely delicious and the pork belly was cooked to perfection, the cabbage and dill was probably one of the nicest vegetable sides I've ever tasted. Will definitely be back.

Very cosy and charming restaurant. I had moules, which were delicious, followed by calves liver, equally good. Great service, discreet and not too chummy , how it should be. Quality food, which makes it a place I'm happy to recommend.

Beautiful French restaurant. Just like being in France. Service was great and friendly. Food was amazing. Good quality and well cooked.

Fabulous food and ambience! The best in Cheltenham! Comte souffle is amazing and the duck melts in your mouth - SUPERB!!!

Wonderful cheese soufflé followed by a perfect fish of the day, served with a smile. Always a pleasure to eat here!

Excellent little restaurant. Superb meal and wine, in fact, the best dining experience we have had in a while. Cosy ambiance: Small but delightful menu: Friendly hosts: Good service: We would highly recommend a visit here.

The best food I’ve ever tasted. What a little hidden gem this restaurant is. All four of us loved our meals.

Had a lovely lunch set menu really delicious and well worth the money. Fantastic find in the heart of Cheltenham, but can be difficult to find as it is a basement restaurant. Felt like being transported to France for a few hours. Would highly recommend...

Never rated a restaurant before, but was so impressed by it tonight that I felt I should. Excellent in every way!

Excellent French cuisine. What the chef produces given the size of the kitchen is amazing. It’s a tiny restaurant with less than 30 covers but the service is attentive and the food excellent. Four of us all had the slow roasted lamb with garlic and...

A first visit last night for my wife's 60th birthday, everything was absolutely excellent. The starters of prawn and tartiflette raised the bar but the beef medallions we're to due for. A lovely bottle of wine, great ambiance and cheese to finish. Many thanks, first...

We have never been to this restaurant before but took my wife to celebrate her retirement. We were very impressed by the friendly welcome we received from all the lovely staff. This restaurant is rustic and very typically French,the menu is small made up of...

Great French bistro. Just what you need on a bleak winter day

Fantastic food, excellent service and great atmosphere. Been here several times now and has not failed to disappoint.

We dined at Petit Coco for Saturday lunch and it was absolutely wonderful. We started with Moules Marinere and Garlic Prawns which were both absolutely heavenly. To follow we had the duck cooked beautifully pink with lovely Dauphinoise Potato, my only bit of feedback would...

Had a lovely lunch at this Bistro. It was like stepping into a bistro in Paris. Lovely food, great service & authentic atmosphere. There could be better signage outside, as you could easily miss the bistro.

If you are looking for a classic French restaurant with bags of atmosphere and a delicious French menu look no further. Ahead of a trip to the theatre we booked for an evening meal here and weren’t disappointed. Their Compte soufflé and slow braised lamb...

What a delightful, wonderful find in the heart of Cheltenham. I walked past the restaurant twice before realising it was below ground down some very narrow stairs. When you walk through the door you are instantly transported into a Francophile ambience that could be Montmartre, Paris. The highlight was the cheese souffle starter. Light and cheesy in a gorgeous cheese sauce baked in the oven. Utterly delightful. My guest and I both had the pork belly, sausage, beautifully smooth seasoned mash and cabbage with a delicious jus. The wine list is well presented and sourced but we had the house pinot and merlot which was good. This wee bistro definitely receives my recommendation.

Delicious food ,perfect atmosphere.

Fantastic meal, wonderful service - cannot recommend more highly.

Had a beautiful,evening ,wonderful French food served by lovely staff.If you ask twenty Cheltenham locals which is there favourite restaurant in town I reckon 18 would say Petit Coco ,it dies exactly what it says on the tin and it dies it so well ,thank...

This was my first visit to this little out of the way French restaurant in Cheltenham. The atmosphere was cosy/romantic and the food hot (very hot) and good, but, not outstanding. I had the pithivier (very hot but nice) and my partner had the souffle...

The Petit Coco is relatively new in Cheltenham, having existed in a previous guise as the Coco Bistro circa 2012 (ish). This venue closed, but I was absolutely delighted to see it re-emerge a little while ago (not sure precisely when it actually came back...

The Petit Coco is superb! Food is AMAZING Staff & Service are PERFECT The atmosphere is Authentic France…..FANTASTIC Absolutely wonderful and will be going back many many times!

We had a wonderful evening at the Petit Coco and so different from some of the bigger so called premier restaurants. The food and service was excellent and a must visit for any couple or party of guests.

Lovely warm and cosy atmosphere. Food was brilliant and splashed out on three courses which left us feeling very full.

Every bit the iconic, cosy French bistrot. Beautiful food, attentive service and an all-round wonderful evening. Can't wait to go back!

As is our tradition, we visit Petit Coco just before Christmas for lunch. A small intimate cellar bistro with a very French feel, it is the perfect place to forget the rest of the world for an hour or two and be spoilt with their...

Improved this to a 5 star, when we returned with another couple. Tried other items from the menu and food was very good. Our guests were very impressed we took them here. Again service was friendly and very good.

L’endroit est très sympa. Un peu bruyant mais la nourriture est absolument délicieuse. Félicitations au chef! Le personnel est très souriant et aimable. Je recommande.

Lovely Restaurant - food, service and overall ambiance just great They deserve to be successful Julia Warren

Brilliant little place, great service, wonderful authentic food. Very relaxed atmosphere none of the pretentiousness that goes with fine dining type establishments. Wish there were more restaurants like this about.

My new favourite restaurant in Cheltenham. A friend took my wife and I here for dinner recently and it was wonderful. Entering Petit Coco feels like stumbling into a hidden gem; intimate, candle lit, warm, rustic and authentically French. Its high(ish) price point denotes an understated, effortless elegance, and quality without any of the stuffiness that prevails in many restaurants on a similar footing in Cheltenham. The food (by the way) is great and the staff are particularly friendly, unhurrying and helpful. Petit Coco was a real treat and I'd recommend it to anyone.