The Grape Escape Wine Bar & Merchant in Cheltenham

My friend and I opted for a 'quiet' Sunday afternoon, a glass or 2 of wine and some cheese. Ant suggested an amazing refreshing white wine and, 4 or 5 glasses each later, plus wonderful smoked salmon, very tasty smoked duck and a playe of 5 really good cheeses, all accompanied by amazing bread and biscuits. Ant and Zoe are excellent hosts in this outstanding yet relaxed wine bar. Well worth a visit.

A fantastic experience testing our wine tasting skills with a flight! We were celebrating two big birthdays and had the warmest welcome from the lovely pair who own the place. We were even treated with some Colin The Caterpillar cakes - the perfect palate cleanser! We aren’t wine experts so the flight was the perfect, non-intimidating option for us. We had fun finding adjectives to describe our delicious wine and learned a lot. Thanks for giving us a wonderful experience that we’ll always remember.

An exceptional experience all round. A great variety of not the usual suspects wine wise. All very accessible though. We were eating later so didn't try food but a great looking menu. Bar itself is a lovely space. Can't wait to return.

Brilliant little independent wine bar! The owners are very knowledgeable and so obviously have a passion for what they do. They're always so welcoming! Whilst I am far from a wine expert, I enjoy trying the wine flights which offer 5 tasters of white or red for £16. They offer some lovely cheese and charcuterie currently, but I wish they could somehow collaborate with the restaurant next door to expand the food options, I would never leave!

Stubled upon by accident ! Wow it didn't disappoint, friendly helpful staff Endless choice or wines, snack board was plentiful aswell, we had the 3 cheese selection which was great value for money. Would definitely recommend.

The most welcoming and enjoyable place to visit in Cheltenham. The wine list (which frequently changes) and food menu are perfect! The owners are so accommodating and friendly, it always feels like you’ve been to visit a couple of friends for a well chosen glass (or bottle!) of wine!

Fantastic place to try new wines or old favourites! Menu changes often so you really get chance to have a new selection each visit. We go here before heading out for dinner. Great service and experience!

Fun trying flight of five reds or five whites for tasting competitively with a group of friends Owner friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Not busy early Saturday afternoon

I came here with friends and family so we could simulate a casual wine tasting experience. We all had a great time. If you want to try lots of different wines then I recommend the wine flights where you can try 5 white or 5 red (which change every week, I believe). The owners are lovely and smiley and it's fun to chat to them about wine to add to the blind tasting and pairing up the wines to the descriptions. I always enjoy coming here and it's fun to introduce friends to this place.

Such a great place, we did an unexpected wine tasting with the wine flights which was a lot of fun and the cheese was delicious!

We love it here. The owners are super friendly and knowledgeable, the wine list is very impressive, the charcuterie is delicious, AND they're dog friendly. The 'by the glass' menu also changes frequently so you can always try something new even if you don't want to get a whole bottle.

Don't think I have ever met a bar owner with more enthusiasm for his wines than here. Such a lovely man with a great venue. Such a pleasure to visit whenever we go to Cheltenham - the cheeseboard are fab too!

A lovely little wine bar. Relaxed and comfortable one is always guaranteed a warm welcome by Any and Zoe who can also give knowledgeable wine recommendations. They have a great selection of wines that can be served by the bottle, glass or as a flight of wines..the choice is yours. And there are cheese and meat plates should u want something more solid!! I love this little bar and it's proprietors and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Wonderful little wine-focused bar. We both did a wine flight for £15 each, which was delicious and immense fun, with a generous basket of bread. Also have plenty of other bar nibbles, although wished they did a smaller cheese selection for one person. Highly recommended if you like cheese and wine.

Our favourite date night spot! Can’t stress enough, this is a wonderful place, run by wonderful people, providing wonderful product! An absolute gem that you cannot miss. Fantastic place

Fantastic wine served by very knowledgeable and friendly hosts. A must visit when in Cheltenham.

Excellent wines and friendly owners who have an expansive knowledge of wines. Also, the bar snacks are great! As a bar I would also prefer a small selection of spirits to be available.

Super enthusiastic and welcoming, had a great time despite my lack of wine knowledge

I don't drink that much wine and I still love this place. Owners are super friendly and just a great atmosphere!

What a lovely wine bar The grape escape is, owners are very friendly and he certainly knows his wines..went for the wine tasting and all where excellent also the cheese board was to die for.. lovely atmosphere,would highly recommend..

Super tasty, super chill, very friendly. Can only recommend =]

Great wine and charcuterie. Fab

Friendly and informative staff, very good wines and atmosphere

We think this place is an absolute gem. Never had a bad wine and been recommended some absolute gems i would not have come across any other way. Go Go Go.

Great vibe, delicious drinks, and amazing owners, for whom nothing is EVER too much trouble. Every visit is a pleasure.

Amazing cozy place to spend a relaxed evening. They have an amazing selection of wines and amazing food as well! Would recommend the humus and the board of salumi and cheeses which were absolutely amazing! The atmosphere is really nice as well and the staff was super friendly with us.

Degustazioni di vino di tutto il mondo. titolare competente e molto gentile. Da provare per una serata particolare.

Excellent place for a glass of wine, the owner is very knowledgeable. There are 100`s of wines and a very friendly wine bar.

V good wine and complimentary cheese board.

Great wine list, and would recommend the list of 5 wines to try and guess the countries they are from

It was our first time at the Grape Escape yesterday. We had been for lunch and a wine tour at the 3 choirs wines before and wanted to keep the wine theme going. One of our party had been to the Grape Escape before and recommended it. We were made to feel very welcome when we entered the bar and invited to a table. Both the staff( the owners I believe) were very knowledgeable about all their wines and beers. The ladies had a flight of 6 tasting wines that came with a great fact sheet . The beer I had was really crisp and delicious. We also had a cheese board that we couldn't finish. It was full of some beautiful European cheeses and great testing local cheese. I would highly recommend an easy afternoon at the Grape Escape . We will be back soon. Thanks

Fabulous selection of wines from around the world. Definitely deserve a visit if you are a guest of cheltenham or leave in the area

Great service and brilliant advice. Much recommended.

Great little wine bar with charming hosts. Many choices of wines and cheeses. Loved the recommendations provided. It is worth the visit.

Wonderful! Great wines, nibbles, exceptional service and staff, interesting, friendly, engaging, great value... must go. K

Great drinks. Awesome recommendations. Lovely owners

My favourite place for a chilled drink in Cheltenham!

It was OK. First time I've been to a cocktail bar. Wasn't very impressed of £4.50 for a Guinness. But to be honest I dudnt have much money so it's probably me being a cheapskate. But friendly staff and they do a beat the barman offer which my colleagues won a couple of times!

Love this place. Been back almost every week. Super fan. Amazing cheese. Lovely wine. Brilliant staff.

Such lovely people who know everything about wine but don’t think any less of you if you are completely ignorant. Little Cheltenham gem.

What a splendid little place. Great selection of wines, cheese, nibbles - all provided in a comfortable (and pleasantly funky) space and pulled together by knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic team. Just to return to the wine - there are some gems. Try the wine flights, you’ll be surprised and delighted.

Great selection of wines and friendly, enthusiastic staff.

Hidden Gem. Great service and lovely atmosphere. Really good wine cocktails

Had a great evening with some great wine which is very reasonably priced. We went on a Thursday so had a complimentary cheese board with our bottle of wine. A must visit and we 100% be going back!

For a mid afternoon weekend or after work wind down, this place cannot be beaten. Fabulous wines and the owners are super friendly and really know their onions when it comes to wines. Just tell them what sort of stuff you like and they'll pick a great wine for you to suit your budget.

Good selection of wines, friendly staff

One of the best spots in Cheltenham. Tremendous selection of ever changing wines, and the flights are terrific. Zoe and Ant are super friendly and warm, and the service is exceptional.

Ant and Zoë make this place amazing! They are beyond welcoming and kind! You definitely don't have to be a wine connoisseur to come here. Both of them are so down to earth when explaining the wine to you. Besides having fantastic wine and service, their cheese plate is beyond amazing!! This is my favorite place in Cheltenham and it's because Ant and Zoë are so lovely and so are their products!

A welcoming wine bar with an extensive range of wines. The wine flight where you can try 5 different wines is excellent value for money especially on a Sunday ! I cannot recommend it enough !

Really nice wine tasting evening, excellently hosted. Great for a team night out!

Unpretentious wine bar with relaxed and friendly owners who have a love for life and a taste for quality. Highly recommended.

Nice wine bar. Wine tasting sessions are brill

We stumbled upon this little gem while on a weekend away. Great selection of wines and tremendous value (especially compared to London prices). My only complaint is that it’s too far away to visit regularly!

Fantastic experience .very personalised excellent wine

Excellent wine bar with friendly and knowledgeable staff.

The perfect wine bar with the best list in the Cotswolds. A must visit for the wine nerds

Great atmosphere here. When we arrived the bouncer and all the staff were incredibly friendly and lovely. There was a group of us and we did the wine tasting flight...good fun, really enjoyed it! Simple way to learn more about wines! It was busy here which was great!

Fantastic wines and a great atmosphere. Service is very warm and friendly.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars!! By far my favourite bar!!

fantastic knowledge of wine and a huge selection to choose from.

Great wines and great fun. Try the Orange (colour not the fruit), it's surprisingly good!

Our favourite wine bar. Excellent and wide ranging wine list.

Excellent range of wines backed up by expert knowledge and friendly advice

Lovely friendly staff and an incredible wine selection, at really good prices (at least compared to London…)

Great atmosphere and fantastic choice of wine

Hugely enjoyable, down to earth wine bar with an interesting selection of wines. Run with passion but without the "worthiness" you often find in London. A place to relax and enjoy wine with friends.

They always have great recommendations to make if you are unsure. Great service. We love it! 😀

Such a friendly place. Welcoming and homely. Wine lovers retreat!

I have now visited the Grape Escape twice. Ant is a hugely knowledgeable and passionate sommelier who has recently opened (six weeks ago) this small but fantastic wine bar. Beautiful glassware, incredible wines and convivial surroundings which will entice any wine lover to this quietly understated experience that most Cheltonians will want to keep secret for fear that it will become too popular!! On the menu are local Real Burger evenings, wine tastings (restricted to 16 persons), special offers on Tuesdays and Fridays and platters sourced locally from the Cheeseworks. These are just some of the enticements that you will not regret sampling. I highly recommend that if you are into wine (and even if you are not, you maybe tempted to be converted) to make this place a destination a must visit experience in Cheltenham.