Sam's Montpellier in Cheltenham

This place is a hidden gem! Wow I was here for a retreat in town and stumbled over this amazing spot! So far I went 2 nights in a row- the best food in the UK so far even after London. A must!

Fantastic, as always. Sam’s never fails to disappoint. Thanks to all the kitchen and front of house staff who made our visit so wonderful

Wonderful dining experience. Every dish was delicious and beautifully presented. The service friendly and welcoming and the restaurant interior gorgeous. Definitely will return.

Great service, lovely atmosphere

Took family for a Sunday lunch. Really nice restaurant. Friendly staff. Excellent food. Really good with kids and their needs. Could definitely recommend. And the toilets were the cleanest and nicest I have seen for a while.

Foods - Fantastic, except the peas (in my opinion) 😘😘😘 Service - PERFECT💯💯💯 Atmosphere - INCREDIBLE 🤩🤩🤩

Always brilliant food and service. Sunday lunch yesterday was amazing. Can't recommend enough

Fine wine, amazing small plates and knowledgeable intelligent service, in a word classic! Will hopefully visit again soon!

Had a great meal here today, service excellent and food delicious. My husband had beef from the Sunday lunch menu whilst I ate from the small plates section. Great that they still provided small plates on a Sunday, rather than just a Sunday lunch menu. My husband had the beef, it was served with a selection of vegetables, roast potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding, all very good. I had 3 plates from the small plates menu and despite this being a Sunday, they still had the 2 for 3 small plates offer on. The 3 plates I had (2 from the Earth menu and 1 from the Sea menu) were lovely - great flavours and textures, presentation very good and portion sizes generous. We shared a blueberry crème brûlée which was a very good end to a lovely meal. We were surprised to find the restaurant almost empty this lunchtime. Sam’s Montpellier deserves far more patrons, hopefully this was just down to the first weekend of the school holidays.

Excellent, delicious. Hidden 💎.

Enjoyed a sunny afternoon on the outdoor terrace eating the most delicious tapas style food and sipping divine cocktails. 5 star 🌟

Just wow!! what a lovely evening we had at Sam’s! The food was honestly out of this world! The staff were so attentive and friendly. We will definitely be returning!

We visited for my Mums 60th birthday and we had the best evening! The staff were so welcoming, friendly and attentive, from the moment we walked in, throughout the meal and right up to when we left! The cocktails and food were delicious and the atmosphere was great! Would highly recommend anyone to visit next time they're in Cheltenham, not one to be missed!! The whole team really made my Mums birthday special, thank you 😊

All the staff were very friendly and efficient. The food was very good. I recommend the pistachio parfait, pork cheeks, and the monkfish bites. Lovely setting with interesting wall art. The cocktails were good too.

Evening meal with wife and friend. First visit. Excellent service and a lovely selection of food. Different and interesting menu.

Some great small plates. Lots of creativity in the combinations of ingredients. Service was fast, didn't have to wait much in between each dish Reasonably priced wines as well

Pretty faultless cookery here. Depth of flavour , imaginative but honest cuisine.

Our only complaint . . why have we been walking past this restaurant for 2 years without knowing about it? A Jay Rayner review alerted us to Sam’s Montpellier. The Courtyard is visible, Sam’s is not, it’s in the corner, you need to walk down the steps! What a find, we had lunch today, 6 small and highly original dishes of sublime food.

Amazing new flavours and wonderful service!

Excellent food, cocktails and service. And also not expensive. Anyone who doesn't love the pistachio parfait may as well give up on eating for enjoyment.

Top marks for service! Super friendly and efficient service from Eleanor and the food did not disappoint. Sam’s hits the mark from the moment you walk through the door. We were greeted warmly at the bar and there is a relaxed inviting atmosphere in the restaurant. The small plates menu is a joy to discover. We shared a selection of dishes that were beautifully presented and expertly cooked and we fought over the pistachio parfait and monkfish bites. The cocktails should not be missed and the wine was superb. This is definitely one to recommend and we will back for sure.

Utterly delicious!!! What a stunning place. The food was honestly sensational, I can’t fault it! The staff were so kind, friendly and helpful. Sam’s was recommended to me by a few people, and I can see why. I will be retuning again very soon to try lots more of the menu!

Really good place. Great food and customer service, highly recommend.

Had a lovely birthday meal with my mum - we really enjoyed the pistachio parfait and pigs cheek! Will definitely be coming again 😊

Lovely restaurant tucked away in Monpellier. Lots of choice and very good quality food and wine. The restaurant menu is small plates style, we all chose different dishes, tried each others and loved them all! We will definitely return.

Excellent lunch of unusual and delicious small plates 3 for 2 at lunchtime so really good value. Excellent chef and great service. One of the best retaurants in Cheltenham

Food was amazing! Food definitely felt like it had that 'fine dining' feel and taste, but not at all fine dining prices. So many options for meat, fish and veggie. Drinks a good price and great service too. We will be back to try some more of the menu. (and definitely definitely have the pistachio parfait again)

Cannot recommend this place enough! Food was absolutely delicious, especially the pistachio parfait, I could've eaten a bucket it of it. Nice friendly staff & nice setting, I'd travel back to Cheltenham just for this place!

What a great little gem of Cheltenham. Great drinks, great service.

Overall this is a decent place to eat .The food was tasty and the service very friendly. It's a bit pricey for what you get but so are a lot of other places nowadays. Draught beer excellent.

The Sunday Roast is excellent and it’s becoming busier as a result. No surprise really. Choice of two meats Beef or Pork, gravy is wonderful, three vegetables, carrots, parsnips and stem broccoli. The roast potatoes are similar to the one’s your Mother prepares, just perfect. Plates are hot, cutlery appropriate for cutting the meat and the staff are attentive but relaxed. No problems there. Rob knows all about the wine list and Jordan and Louisa do not keep you waiting but equally don’t pounce on you. And all of that comes in at a sensible price. Importantly you walk away with a slight wow feeling.

Great lunch, loved the tapas style portions, lovely staff

A lovely, stylishly fitted out venue for cocktails (the espresso martinis are to die for), but it's the restaurant section where this wonderful venue really comes alive - friendly, knowledgeable and prompt service delivers beautifully crafted dishes which are a joy to devour. Will be coming back again!

We found Sam's and whilst looking at the menu in the window, were beckoned in by a couple dining at the counter in the window who raved about their meal. It was 2.30pm, and even though they were due to close at 3, we were still willingly accommodated. The food comes as small plates of absolute deliciousness - we had the paprika cauliflower, scallops with smoked cashew puree, the sweet and sour pulled pork, and sea bream, with sides of chunky chips and roasted sprouts with chestnuts. Every dish was a flavour sensation. Even though the kitchen had closed by the time we had finished main course, one of the chefs stayed behind so we could have dessert - chocolate torte with cherries. Again, sublime. Service was exemplary and nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommended. Will definitely return on our next trip to Cheltenham.

Sam's hosted 40 of us for our Christmas party last week. We couldn't fault anything - the service was amazing, all the members of staff were so attentive. The food was incredible and overall was the perfect venue for us. Couldn't recommend Sam's more!

Met up with friends for a long overdue catch-up meal at Sam's in the courtyard. Yes, the food looks 'fancy', but it does not disappoint! The pistachio parfait was Incredible, imho. Highly recommended, the dishes don't look big, but they pack flavour, and fill you up more than you'd expect. The staff are also very friendly and helpful. We'll definitely be coming back to Sam's!

We popped in late on a Friday evening when looking for somewhere to get a light meal and a glass of wine. We've not been before probably because it's a bit hidden away and so not really on our radar. The previous incarnation (Flynn's) was underwhelming so we also had some subconscious bias against it which is obviously no fault of the current owners. Anyway, the welcome was very warm and friendly, the ambience is lovely - casual, cool and comfortable and the menu is perfect if you don't want a traditional 3 course menu - it has the feel of an Italian bar with interesting small sharing plates (earth, land and sea) served with a decent drinks list (nice wines by the glass, cocktails and mocktails). The service was perfect - friendly and efficient and the food was very tasty and snackable. All in all, it was a really lovely surprise and a great spot for meeting friends or a casual evening out. We'll definitely return.

Greatest food! The waiter was absolutely brilliant (Jordan).

What a pleasant surprise to eat in this restaurant, we invited 2 of our friends for a vegan meal and every food we had was excellent so I will be coming back and we recommend it to vegan people

Tapas style food, but dishes are more like a mini version of a proper meal. We had 5 dishes plus focaccia and one dessert between 2 of us. All were full of amazing flavours and beautifully presented. The meat melted in the mouth. The wine was also good quality and flavour. The bill came to about the same as if we’d had a 2 course meal each. We prefer this style of eating as it gives you chance to try several dishes, I often get bored of a meal halfway through. Nice atmosphere and some soft furnishings keep the noise down (unlike many restaurants these days).

Went to this lovely restaurant which is tucked away in the corner of the courtyard. It does great tapas style British/European dishes. Between two people we had: the chickpea bites, arancini, scallops, mackerel, popcorn chicken bites, pulled pork and the pork cheeks. All dishes were delicious with great wine from a helpful sommelier and all the staff were lovely and attentive. Highly recommend for a refined quality food in Cheltenham As with tapas I would recommend 2-3 plates a person

Went to this lovely restaurant tucked away in the corner of the courtyard It does great tapas style European food. Between 2 we had: the chickpea bites, arancini, scallops, mackerel, popcorn chicken bites, pulled pork and the pork cheeks. All dishes were delicious with great wine from a helpful sommelier. The staff were lovely. As with tapas I would recommend 2-3 plates a person

THE most amazing, welcoming staff I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant! The food is incredible every time we visit. As a GF/Vegan (allergy based) I have NEVER tasted such an array of flavours on one plate and so much choice in a menu!! We visited yesterday for a very special occasion and we were treated like royalty from the moment we walked through the door! Freshly cooked, hand prepared food with a drinks list to die for!! All the Stars for SAM’S!

Third visit, continues to be very good. Generally the dishes are really high quality although an occasional miss - e.g., two tiny slices of courgette for £9. Every time we’ve been the lamb shoulder has been excellent - a mini roast dinner! We didn’t have the “Sunday lunch” option, which is in a traditional style and looked good value - was a shame they don’t retheme the Sunday lunch to be like a tapas menu. Chocolate desert amazing. Staff very friendly and professional. Thoroughly recommended.

Super unique and tasty dishes - we will be back soon!

This is the second time we have been here for dinner and we have been very impressed both times. The food is freshly prepared and delicious, and there is such a great variety of tempting sharing dishes to choose from. Staff are friendly and efficient and there is a nice atmosphere too - can't fault it!

LOVE this little gem in the heart of Montpellier. The staff are so attentive and friendly, the food is amazing and the atmosphere really relaxed. Easily one of mu favourites in Cheltenham!

We went to Sam's to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, we were made very welcome with a member of staff explaining the menus and nothing was too much trouble throughout the meal. This is definitely a place for sharing with a tapas style menu. The food was incredible and you cannot fault the menu with so much choice. Although we found it a little on the expensive side, it was just what we wanted to celebrate a special occasion. The cocktails were equally as tasty and we can't wait to return.

Went as a family group for Sunday lunch, sat outside as the weather was fair. Great food and service, not your typical Sunday lunch, but you don't always want a full roast! We will definitely be back. Thanks to all the staff.

Nestled in a small and quiet courtyard area with other small independent boutiques and shops. The staff recommended 1 to 2 plates per person however the portions were small so people with bigger appetite will need to spend quite a lot. Definitely quality over quantity experience. Menu had a great variety of food separated in land, sea and earth. All the dishes seem like they had a new and contemporary twist. The dishes were beautifully presented and so well done. The steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare), the scallops were so tender and juicy. Pulled pork also had perfect level of sweetness and tanginess. Amazing dining experience!

Had an excellent meal here as always, brilliant staff who cater to any dietary needs.

Really good food and excellent service. Relaxing and informal. Interesting and varied menu and well presented

Highly recommend. The food was fantastic, each dish really well balanced and full of flavour. Pistachio parfait and chocolate torte were stand outs. Cocktails were also delicious. Attentive staff. Highly recommend a visit.

Wow wow wow what can I say we have been lucky enough to have eaten in the most beautiful places all over the world and the Uk and tonight my friends we hit the jackpot in Cheltenham and the experience was amazing. Small plates bursting with flavours and we highly recommend Sam’s Montpellier. We we will be back.

Exquisite food. Lots of dishes to choose from , wonderful flavors, brilliant cocktails and friendly team.

Great venue with owner operator chef - we had a large table and the experience was fantastic - food had lots of variety and all perfectly cooked - great selection of starters - smaller plates and the mains fish and meats were great ! Wines - beers very good and superb cocktails !

Outstanding dining experience. There are a lot of unique flavours and dishes. The chickpea bites were unreal - very different, and as a meat eater, one of the best non meat dishes I've had in a while. The crispy monkfish bites were perfect in every way. The squid melted in my mouth and had very fresh flavours. If you haven't checked out Sam's, you should. No chance you'll be disappointed. To top the food off, the staff were very helpful and friendly.

My daughter was keen to try this restaurant to celebrate her birthday so we booked a table for 8. We were warmly greeted by all staff and the menu was explained to us - there were some tasty dishes to choose from, but the portions were extremely small. We chose 13 dishes for the table, 3 cocktails and 5 beers - the total bill came to £245 - including the service charge - (which is quite steep too) The food is flavoursome without a doubt, my daughter and partner shared the pistachio parfait and were asked if they would like some extra bread, but this is an added extra charge on the bill. I was a little disappointed that they hadn't recognised my daughters birthday - and we came away disheartened.

Just happened to be near when our stomachs rumbled for some food. The place looked lovely, with comfy chairs outside in sun and shade, so we popped in for a spot of lunch. The waitress, whose name I didn't get, couldn't have been more welcoming. She asked if we'd visited before and gave us an informal breakdown of the menu and how much to order etc. She was particularly wonderful. I don't normally do this, but as the weather was gorgeous for a change, I asked for advice on picking a rosé to drink as I'm usually a red wine drinker. She popped back with the sommelier who was so excited to hear I wanted advice. He was Italian and listened intently to my wine likes and dislikes. He then provided some whites and rose's that I might like and offered me a little sample of two. It was perfect for me! The food was chosen, we went for 6 plates for a decent lunch. They were individually priced but on 3 for 2. It's just like tapas. The food was impressive, very flavorful and clearly work had gone into making the menu something different. The duck ragu was my absolute favourite. I'd say portion size wise they're small plates (except the muscles.) The waitress was attentive throughout offering to change our plates and cutlery after the muscles which was beyond thoughtful in my opinion. The place itself seemed accessible for those with disabilities, but I didn't go inside or use the loo. It's also down a flight of around 10 steps, and we didn't find a ramp down to the restaurant. I don't live in Cheltenham but the price we paid for lunch even with the offer, seemed a little steep, £74 including an £8 service charge, but the food was very tasty. I will return!

Amazing food, cocktails and service. Will definitely be going back!

We had the fortune of going to Sam's last night. The food was amazing, the staff were just as good. Absolutley would recommend to anyone local or visiting 💪❤

We went to Sam' s restaurant for the first time last Thursday evening. All the staff were exceptionally helpful and pleasant explaining the concept of the menu. I had the parfait, scallops and panacotta for dessert. My husband had pulled pork, duck rolls and orange oreo cheesecake which he said was all amazing The food was absolutely delicious cooked to perfection. We will definitely go again when we visit Cheltenham again. Thank you again

Superb food and service, very reasonably priced lunchtime offer

The service and the food were excellent. The choice on the menu is both varied, even for a vegan, and unusual. However, when dishes are described as small to medium based on price I was disappointed that what I expected to be medium sized second dish was still very small. The courgette filled with hazelnut tasted exquisite, but there were only two tiny pieces. It looked like maybe once this was three (in design odd numbers always look better than even) which might have helped a bit. Although I could’ve ordered more it felt like I would just get something else that could still leave me hungry. In summary, I enjoyed everything I ate immensely, but won’t be going back as there are too many other places to eat in Cheltenham which serve great food and are better value.

Welcoming staff, fantastic food and venue. We had a number of dishes, pistachio parfait was unreal, as was the slow cooker lamb. Can't wait to go back for more and try a few cocktails next time 😋

Went to Sams for lunch today and it was fabulous. From start to finish it was an excellent experience. We arrived early so sat outside and had a drink - the cocktails are great. The staff were friendly & welcoming and the service excellent. The food is the best we’d had in a long time - I cannot recommend this place highly enough. We will definitely go back 😄

Relaxed dining,attentive welcoming staff. Food Beautifully presented and delicious. Would highly recommend.

Great food, wonderful service. Would highly recommend the pistachio parfait

Found Sam's by lucky accident. Really interesting and tasty food especially the cashew nut croquettes. Nice selection of cocktails would definitely go again next time we visit Cheltenham.

The best restaurant in Cheltenham for sure. The pistachio parfait is to die for!

Dropped in for a late lunch today and was so impressed by the quality and taste of the food - yes they are small plates, like tapas, but reasonably priced and everything we ordered was totally delicious. Great service too!

Ordered a glass of whisky at the bar and was charged £2.25 for service. That's really weal.

One of the best meals and dining experiences we have had for a long time. Every dish was absolutely delicious, great GF options, service was delightful. Just sad we aren't local and can't visit more often.

First time here but will definitely be back!

Having been a couple of times before and loved the food, we were really looking forward to this evening out. However it was very disappointing. The flavours (which seemed exquisite the previous times) were just not. The portions seemed much smaller than before and the...

We visited this restaurant when the Jazz Festival was on. We planned to visit for months but never got the opportunity. So we booked for around 2pm on a Saturday which enabled us to have a decent space as we had 3 adults and a baby. So the food was amazing! It's kind of like small plates / tapas. So they advise you to order a couple of plates each. And the menu is split into sea, meat and veggie. The pistachio parfait was amazing! I wish we had ordered more of it. I would definitely recommend trying that. We ordered about 7 or 8 plates between us and they were all amazing!! We will definitely be coming back soon.

Warm welcome & friendly service. Followed recommendation from waitress of two each from earth, land, & sea. All of the food was tasty, although would have preferred several dishes together to mix flavours & share, rather than one selection. Lovely food, friendly service, & great...

Wow what a restaurant 10/10 a great place to eat and relax.

We ate here on a Saturday evening during the Jazz festival week. The restaurant was busy with a great feel and atmosphere. It has a good choice on the menu including vegan. It’s worth looking at the web site as it explains the style and...

Booked for treat as excellent surprise find on previous occasion. Busy as jazz festival but found a table for drinks before dinner. Fairly pricy cocktail for measure given, but tasty. Was disappointed they knew special occasion and didn’t note it. Food high quality and clever...

We had a superb lunch. The cocktails before and after our meal were excellent - and good value. Every item of every course was beautifully prepared and presented, with great flavours. The menu has a wide choice in every course. The seats are comfortable and...

Had my first Sunday lunch experience at Sams today, incredible is an understatement if you haven't gone there already book a table now!..i couldn't go there without having the pistachio parfait as it's truly jaw dropping but today I also sampled the monk fish bites...

Everything we ate was excellent - beautifully cooked and presented and full of flavour. A very well designed menu full of originality and vivid colours and flavours. Friendly and efficient service, comfortable chairs and the cocktails were terrific and good value too.

We live in Cheltenham, hadn’t heard about the restaurant beforehand, but so glad we tried it. Service was superb from the moment we stepped through the door, cocktails were gorgeous and food was scrumptious. We will definitely be returning! Thank you for a wonderful evening

Wonderful food a new experience really good restaurant.

Absolute hidden gem. Beautiful surroundings, fantastic staff and absolutely stunning food. Give it a try - you won’t be disappointed. Really reasonably priced and excellent quality all round

Great friendly service and gorgeous food. We are so impressed we’re going to give it all 5 stars. What a find! 🤩

Beautiful food and the staff were so friendly and lovely. They were very accommodating as I was late for my table they put us at a different area and nothing was to much trouble. I will definitely be back

I live in bristol now but have lived in Cheltenham for 22 years previously. This is the best food that I’ve had in Cheltenham by a mile. The service, the knowledge, the flavours. The cherry sour and the lamb were incredible. Thank you!

We had a family double birthday celebration meal....we had lots of selections from the menu and it was some of the best food I've eaten in years! Great service and wonderful food. 🙏

Great food, great service and incredibly helpful about allergies!! The food was really great, and very different! A friend had said that the chips were to die for and she was right, but the rest of the food was delicious and the presentation excellent. The service was friendly and efficient, well worth a try.

English tapas dishes served with a twist. Staff are very attentive and helpful and friendly. Food is excellent with a varied menu which will suit all tastes. Will certainly be visiting on a regular basis

We were tremendously excited at the thought of eating out at Sam's. The menu is cleverly laid out and the food sounds amazing. The restaurant seems quite new and the interior is very inviting, modern and stylish. Starters are small plates, mains offer a good...

Exceptional selection of small plates, friendly staff and lovely decor. Cannot recommend Sams enough!!

Incredible food and service for a business lunch. Can’t recommend highly enough!

Went to Sam's for the second time last night. An absolute delight, yet again. The food is so imaginative and innovative. You choose small plates, and they come out at their own pace. Great for sharing and combining. Here, you eat food you've never had elsewhere: cashew croquettes with beetroot ketchup, pistachio parfait, tiny tarragon-infused mushrooms with fig jam. The winter vegetable fricassee was an absolute triumph. Sam does incredible things with vegetables! We talked about nothing but the food for the full hour and a half. Had a lovely and unusual Portuguese white which complemented the food beautifully, too (and which we were able to sample first vs another option). Service was delightful - relaxed, friendly, generous. Lovely atmosphere throughout and a gorgeous dining room. Great value - six shared plates and a bottle of wine = £95. Go! Eat food you've never eaten!

Four of us ate here on Friday lunchtime and the food was superb, really delicious. We shared all our dishes - lamb shoulder, chicken and fish ‘bites’ and fish cakes - all very delicately cooked and very tasty. Personally, I always think 12.5% service charge is steep for serving up tapas, but having said that the service was good and that is a very small criticism. Highly recommended.

We visited last night, and the food was incredible. Hands down the best food I have tried in a while and the price was very reasonable. The staff were incredible. Thank you!

We ate here last night and it was some of the best food I have ever had. Polite staff, and really really high quality ingredients/food. If you go, definitely try the mussels, seabass and the paprika cauliflower. You can see the chef makes everything fresh and it comes out when it’s ready, piping hot. Just incredible food, we will be back!

Fantastic food, service and atmosphere for our Christmas party. Definitely worth a visit