The Tavern in Cheltenham

Pork Belly Bites were amazing and I think one of (if not the best) starter I’ve had at a restaurant. All the food was delicious. Atmosphere was good, quite quiet when we visited. Service was great too. Only minor minor negative was the limited drinks menu with several soft drinks unavailable, obviously a stocking issue! Overall a hidden gem in Cheltenham.

Not a bad meal, but I’m afraid it’s not what it once was. The burgers are extremely average now (doesn’t taste like it’s been barbecued and merely just put in a pan) and the menu is less inspired overall with limited vegetarian options. the slaw is more like coleslaw. The atmosphere and the staff are still helpful (although there were two or three omissions / errors from our order). The thing is, we all come back for the food so my advice is to get back to the basics. For me this would be to ensure the burgers can compete with beefy boys and possibly go back to the shoestring fries. Although you can’t keep the same items forever I was disappointed not to see the Milanese as an option. Not bad, but no longer a go to place.

Amazing food in a cosy pub setting. Portions are very generous so best to come hungry :)

I came for Sunday lunch with my 2 adult sons and our dog! Service was fab, food (beef Sunday roast) was really really good , they kindly bought water over for our dog and were really friendly despite our dog knocking the bowl all over the floor :) we were visiting my son who lives in Cheltenham and we will definitely be back :)

Lived the Czechoslovakian beer and the ox tail brisket Mac and cheese. The pork belly bites was by far the best thing on the menu.

Amazing food!! My boyfriend and I had the pulled pork mac n cheese as a side and it was sooo good. Highly recommend all their food

Some of the best restaurant food I’ve had in a while! So delicious! Great drinks too and lovely service :) shame waiter wouldn’t get the tip we’re giving as they were fab!

Feeling lazy on Sunday so we decided on lunch and booked a table. Service is prompt, friendly and efficient. We chose the meal for 2 (chicken, beef & pork). It was a feast! I'm ashamed to say, neither of us could finish our meals. Delicious but big! Well worth a visit, especially for this and other meals on the Sunday menu….and the beer!

Friendly staff, great atmosphere and one of THE BEST roasts I’ve ever had!! Would highly recommend!!! Can’t wait to go back :)

What an absolutely fantastic home-cooked Sunday lunch! We had three roasts for two everything was beautiful cooked and delicious , the meat tasty & succulent, it included a good selection of vegetables- roast carrots, root veg, kale and roast red onion. We ordered a side dish of cauliflower cheese too which was properly made and nicely browned. The service was brilliant too! We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this restaurant

After a long train journey and loverly walk from the station, the flowing beverages were most welcome. And exceptionally decent lunch peaking with awesome, moreish pork belly bites! Thank you for your hospitality x

Amazing vibe, amazing food , amazing and friendly service. Well done, guys, for all the changes !!! Fish and chips are highly recommended😋😋😋!!!

We had an amazing experience Monday lunch when we pop in for a Euro24 football match . Food and atmosphere was top class. Thank you and we will definitely come back.

Sunday roast was absolutely delicious and great value for money. Staff were very friendly also! Highly recommended

Friendly staff, good atmosphere, but the food is the show stopper. Fantastic!

Amazing Sunday lunch - half chicken option really succulent and great flavours, pork was two overly generous slices nearly 2cms thick each- yorkshires that needed scaffolding to reach the top and veggies cooked to perfection. Oh and the gravy - you need to ask for more. The service was sublime, so friendly, helpful and extremely welcoming. Oh and the Morande Sauvignon blanc reserve was sooo smooth Only downfall…. Portion was so big I didn’t have room for dessert 😱

Great food and drinks with friendly staff

Fantastic ambience in this lovely place. Great beer, amazing food, and the delightfully friendly staff made our experience perfect!

Had a great meal celebrating my friends hen recently. Great, comfy venue, staff were fab and food delish! I'm not local but I'll definitely be back!

Staff went above and beyond to accommodate and when the food did arrive it was incredible. Best Caesar salad in Cheltenham :)

Staff are very helpful and friendly..great service and good selection of food.. young lady singing was very good made a good night even better..dog friendly

We came here as our hotel was over the road. Thank god we did! The staff were super friendly, the food was delicious and to top it off they had an amazing duo singing and they were brilliant. Great atmosphere this place is well worth a visit

We found this little gem by chance on a weekend stay in Cheltenham. What a lovely pub. The atmosphere is lovely and the vibe is great. The food was some of the better pub food I have had. Great menu with lots of yummy sounding choices. The sausage and mash is to die for - compliments to the chef!!! Lovely wine, friendly helpful staff and great live music. Couldn’t fault this place!

Amazing find and worth a visit. Fantastic live music when we visited on a Fri eve. Definitely will come back. Oh, and love dogs ❤️

Great food and service, the dogs are welcome too! Had a lovely time, and would recommend if you are looking for a cozy meal in Cheltenham.

Amazing Saturday evening!!! We can see clearly that there is a chance regarding service and food. We had an amazing evening enjoying the food and the live music.Amazing atmosphere and a great selection of cocktails. Well done ....we will definitely come back with more friends.

We went to the Tavern for Easter Sunday Lunch with my parents. My dad has mobility issues and the staff were great at moving tables around and getting an accessibility ramp out for him. We felt very welcome and the staff were really attentive. We all went for a beef or pork roast dinner which really fitted the bill followed by classic sticky toffee pudding. I would suggest they perhaps could turn off the tv by the bar as background music is fine by itself. Overall we had a great visit, delicious food and drinks and we will definitely be returning!

We used to eat quite often but our last experience was not that good. We decide to give another chance and we did not regret. We can see that The Tavern is back on the map regardless food and service!!!!! I had the best pork ribs ever and the service was outstanding. Huge improvement!!!! Well done!!!!! We will strongly recommend this place and I can say that definitely we will be back.... Well done!!!!!

Incredible Sunday Roast - we had the pork belly and roast beef. Pork belly had super crispy crackling, and the pork itself was soft and fell apart. Roast beef was equally top quality, and all the usual trimmings were superb too. Highly recommended!

A very nice atmosphere this time!! It is visible that was made some management changes!!!Very tasty food choices available!Definitely we will comeback often from now on!!

Very nice evening, great food & very friendly & efficient service. Well done & we look forward to coming back for dinner again

Excellent food, both the chicken burger and pie were delicious, and great service to boot.

Good fun, better than bowling, cinema and mini golf by far 👍

Just popped in for a drink, very nice place and the food that other people were having looked good.

Birthday celebration for 20 people. All staff were really helpful and the room upstairs was perfect for our needs. Thank you!

Perfect Cheltenham Festival prep

We had a great Sunday lunch here at the Tavern. There was a great varied menu. Something for everyone. Staff were so accommodating and made us feel totally relaxed and welcome.

A lovely Sunday lunch yesterday with our two dogs. The staff were super friendly and food fabulous! Highly recommended for a hearty Sunday lunch with treats given to the dogs too!

Super amazing experience going with a large group (+1 dog)!! Booked in for an end of weekend trip roast dinner and it was brilliant! The staff were amazing! And the food was out of this world, cannot recommend the roast dinner enough!!

Atrocious food this evening. Nothing cooked fresh, all out of a bag and deep fried, with some garnish on them. Back when the Tavern was owned by the lucky onion the food and atmosphere was great! Went there because all the good places in Cheltenham were rammed, and the Tavern was less than half empty. They were famous for their sticky wings. Now gone. Such a strange menu as well, just so incoherent? For example the mixed platter was Croquettes / Hot wings and Pitta with humous for £20.00, how random is that selection! The staff were nice enough, bless them, but even our server was perplexed by the randomness of the menu? Avoid this now Youngs brewery owned place, and book ahead to the other amazing restaurants we have in Cheltenham like the Bottle of Sauce, Holee Cow, Beefy Boys, etc etc for this type of food!

Great Gastropub, visited on a Saturday night, there was live music and the service and food were amazing, well above average

A limited menu offered, which is in itself not a problem and we did check a sample menu online before booking which looked ok. There was infact less choice than expected particularly for vegetarians. There were 2 sharing platters to choose from, the all vegetable one was not available which then left no choice at all. The waiter was questioned about the content of the remaining sharer and he said that there was humous and bread and vegetable sticks so we ordered. There were 6 vegetable sticks per platter so we asked for more. After being brought another 5 vegetable sticks and asking for more, we were told that there would be a £7 charge if we wanted more. Out of our party of 7, 3 wouldn’t choose meat/fish for varying reasons. Main courses, this left only plant burger and a Caesar salad to choose from. What was ordered was very good, the squid was excellent and everyone enjoyed their burger. Fries also good. Waiter was perhaps new to his job, or perhaps not trained adequately, but didn’t seem well informed about food options, only what we could already read on the menu. Despite a good atmosphere, overall very disappointed, waiter and other staff, not proactive at all, and service quite slow. Food over priced and not enough choice particularly for vegetarians. It was my first trip to The Tavern and will definitely be the last I am afraid.

Relaxed and enjoyable midweek lunch for X2 with friendly waiter

Food was good. Slightly greasy but apart from that everything was good. Aspall on tap! Staff were friendly. Dog friendly! Clean bathrooms and clean bar area. Recommend for a group of mates after work vibe. Atmosphere was a bit dead because it was a Tuesday. No faults with anything and would definitely go back again.

Bit quieter than usual, but still a great atmosphere in this great little pub in an unassuming area near the Bus Depot. Fantastic Burgers and Ales, friendly service, lovely decor. Recommended.

Great Sunday roast with friends. Beef was superb and pink. Great wine, great desert and a really good vibe in restaurant. Serviced by holly who was fantastic!

Great place! Thanks Holly for your service!

Warm and welcoming atmosphere Amazing service from George & Holly Would recommend during the the whole of the week ……..

Great location in the middle of Cheltenham. Food is formulaic and very average - but really have to COMPLAIN about the menu. The font is soooooo small that even with glasses and a phone light it was unreadable. Why would a restaurant alienate anybody over the age of 30? So bad the very young and superb waitress had to read it to us and said although they had regularly told the owner NOTHING had changed - my suggestion CHANGE it. Service was outstanding - food average to poor and how it arrives 30 seconds post order does not even pretend to be freshly cooked Have decided this is the last time to visit the Tavern

Very friendly efficient staff, excellent service, great food. We will definitely return when we are in Cheltenham. Dog friendly too.

Really enjoyed some delicious food and drink here on New Year’s Day evening. Kind staff serve you efficiently. The food quality was high and taste were delicious. The noise level was great as it was enough to create an atmosphere but easy to hear one another when talking too. I liked the industrial feel to the place and the space we had around our table. It was a delightful evening.

Had a really nice lunch here. Great food and lovely, attentive staff. The cocktails were also delicious!

Nice locals pub, attentive staff, nice atmosphere.

Had a lovely Christmas dinner here yesterday, great atmosphere, very chill and comfortable! Staff were very attentive and nothing was too much trouble! Not to mention the food, was amazing! And generous portions

Our first Christmas day meal out. Menu pre-booked and part-paid. There on the dot and ‘directed’ to table. After 5 mins with no further contact went to bar and ordered drinks. Came OK. After about 30 mins from start asked server when first course was coming and got first apology. Apparently our presence wasn’t logged in the kitchen. Ordered second drink to have with starter. Starter arrived, got eaten. Food was very good and well cooked. 5 minutes later our drinks came. Had them while waiting for our mains. Went to bar to order wine with meal. Mains turned up. But wrong order. More apology. 10 mins later correct order arrived. Wine arrived. No utensils provided to serve vegetables or sauces but never mind. Food was excellent and plentiful. Deserts arrived appropriately. They were also very good. Total cost: £289, of which £32 was service. Bill says gratuities all go to staff, which was great. It was Christmas Day, the pub was busy, and the server did give us the right amount of attention – eventually. The food was great. But if this place is looking to do this quite expensive Christmas Day meal again, they need to look at giving their customers a lot more attention and taking more care over orders and service. Happy New Year!

Great pub serving well cooked and tasty food but just a bit disappointed there was no real ale on.

The Tavern is close to our office and we popped in recently for a team lunch. We had booked but needn’t have worried. We were the only people in the place! The food, drink and service were all great. Only thing making this 4 star was the ambiance!

Great service food was outstanding we had a Roast beef Sunday lunch & Chicken Millanese which is my favourite dish & no one does is better!

We had our work meal here on 2nd Dec, and it was outstanding. The food was delicious and piping hot, the staff were super helpful and we even had the added bonus of live music. Will definitely return, thank you all!

Really friendly staff and a good selection of food on the menu. The sharing Camembert was absolutely fantastic on a cold evening. Sadly they had run out of the, glazed spiced aubergine however just another reason to come back for another visit.

Just been here tonight for an amazing evening with Live music. Immy and the Boatman were amazing. The food was great, staff a bit stretched but they did a good job. Will definitely be back! Well done. I think they doing live music every Saturday 7-9.

Food menu changed. Bad produce in food and slow service. Nice atmosphere and crowd! Great location.

Good atmosphere, Fantastic meal, excellent service, friendly staff, would come back again, Good drinks, nice décor, lovely clean toilets with good hand-wash and moisturiser. we were made felt welcome, nothing was too much for any of the staff.

Excellent food and service. Only issue was music too loud for conversation over lunch.

Food was delicious service quick and friendly

A fantastic meal. Here on a Wednesday so it was relatively quiet. We were recommended The Tavern by the hotel we stayed at and I can see why. The servers were excellent and the food was really nice. The price is also really reasonable for the quality of service and food you get. I would definitely come again next time I'm in the area.

Came into the tavern after being recommended by some friends, I must say what a lovely, cosy little establishment. The staff were all friendly and knowledgeable of the menu and the cocktails were amazing!!! Think I’ve found my new local to visit.

A wonderful place from start to finish...great atmosphere, fun and efficient staff and well pitched interesting food. VG

Thankfully the old menu is returning. Tavern burger (without cheese) was absolutely first class and the perfectly cooked pink meat was juicy. Good selection of lager

Went to the tavern in the town of Cheltenham and had a spicy chicken goujons burger and it was simply the best ever, 4 home made chicken breast goujons with a lovely spicy sauce , skin on fries ….. service was quick , music in the background was nice and not loud, just a good experience! Keep up the good work!

Enquired online in the morning, the message after booking pretty much said it was confirmed. Email said ‘it was not confirmed’ however. Me, my husband and daughter headed to the restaurant to be told we should have got an email to say our booking was unsuccessful due to them having only one chef on. I had no email, phone call or text (no message in junk) Only one table was occupied when we went in. The youngish man on the front explained but was then pushed off by a rude gentleman who made no eye contact No apology for not letting us know we had no table, no wiggle room, no saying ‘you are welcome to stay for a drink’ overall poor experience before we even eaten.

Had a lovely dinner on Friday. The place is very cozy and has a nice atmosphere. Also staff is very friendly and polite. Would be back soon.

Lovely food and atmosphere. Will definitely be back.

Great food and really nice staff 👍🙂

Updating due to more recent visit but no change to a dead-cert 5 star review. Got to be one of the best burgers I’ve had in recent memory. Tasty, juicy, succulent and served with lovely salty fries and a pint of Dunkerton’s cider. Nice environment and vibe, friendly service.

This place has gone downhill MASSIVELY! I emailed a complaint about our visit to Head Office - was then advised by them that the Operations Manager would be in contact (back in August, it's now October) and I've not heard a thing, which I think shows how little concern there is. Over the past 10 years I had always enjoyed visits to The Tavern as the atmosphere has always been fantastic, the service incredible and the food outstanding. From the second we walked in on our most recent visit I felt there was no atmosphere, it had changed. We ordered a drink each, I had a Gin. It was very lacklustre. In times gone by it would be in a pretty glass with a garnish, it would feel 'fancy' it would feel worth the money. Nothing at all like that yesterday. A couple of ice cubes in a boring glass. The Tavern boasts of an incredible bar team. I didn't sense any of that yesterday. The food, we each ordered a roast. It took 50 minutes to arrive. Much too long. The waitress during this time wasn't at all attentive. very disappointing. We weren't asked if we wanted extra drinks, we weren't kept up to date on the progress of our meal. I have to add the food was delicious, absolutely no complaints with the food. However, we usually enjoy a dessert, there wasn't much of an option.The board where the desserts were listed looked very unprofessional, very unfinished. Again, lacklustre a lack of attention to detail. We also were put off by the fact we could be waiting ages for the dessert. Whilst there we also heard staff having a very loud and unprofessional row about a dishwasher.

only went for a drink but it was a lovely pub with a great atmosphere.

Where has Our Tavern Gone! This used to be our favourite place. A neighbourhood, vibrant, local, fun, stylish, tasty bistro! We would go 2 times a month, if not once a week. This was our “Go to place” Ever since the sale to Youngs Pubs & Co, this place has slowly been on the decline. We have been 4 or 5 times since it transferred ownership with the hope it wouldn’t become another commercialised chain affair. We have watched the deterioration before our eyes. The professional, cool, knowledgeable staff have disappeared. I don’t blame them. The menu has been changed more than the weather does in an English summer. I’m sat here having lunch waiting for my starters , 50 minutes in. There are unpacked boxes surrounding us. No chenin Blanc No Wild berries Cider No chicken wings There are spelling mistakes on the menu - Apall instead of Aspalls The list goes on. This used to be a vibrant, cool place to be. It is now a desolate restaurant with no soul, no purpose, and simply awful. The food finally arrived Yes that is Honeycomb with the chicken strips!!! That is a first! No care, odd and poor! The mains redeemed the situation a little . Chicken Milanese and Chicken Caesar Salad. Tasty and good . But oh how I miss the Vibrant, Cool, bustling, consistent, reliable local eatery the Tavern was! We won’t return.

Great Sunday lunch Roast dinner! Huge portions too. Staff very friendly and helpful. Would recommend for watching sport also

Went for a Sunday roast, choose pork it wasn’t fresh, prob microwaved frozen left overs from last week. A big pile of kale, seriously, who likes kale? But the gravy spoilt the whole dinner, salty, rich and gloopy. Def won’t go back!

This pub has a great feel when you’re there, but the food for vegans is awful. The aubergine was practically raw and paired with lemon?! The burger is very average and not worth £18 either, the £5 olives also tasted as if they were in brine and were from a jar. We may have just got a bad night, but my fiancé left hungry and overall we were very disappointed with the experience.

Unfortunately both my wife and our friend had the chicken Milanese and both had terrible upset stomach’s when we returned home. I had the burger which was tasty and the service was excellent by Jay but this doesn’t make up for with poor food handling or bad chicken.

Booked a table for Four with friends for a Birthday lunch . Although the service was good the food was below par , meat looked and tasted processed, potatoes Rick hard . And a very limited menus . And it wasn’t cheap . For £2 more per head we are in a Michelle stared restaurant. Defy won’t be returning.

Booked on the off chance An was very surprised had been taken over ‘ for the better I might add Fantastic attentive staff Matched by fabulous food Definitely be going back

Lunch visit in week. Quiet but was filling up. Staff lovely, waiter was super friendly. Lunch menu was quite limited - mostly burgers. Sides were good. Steak special not the best, meat quality not great. Burger was fine, have had better in Cheltenham before though. Probably a great venue for beers and sports TV at night.

Good drinks, great live music, nice decor, lovely clean toilets with good hand-wash and moisturiser. A bit pricey but you're paying for the vibe. Will deffo be back to try the food!

Best burger ever! Host & manager, Sam, is attentive and friendly. Dogs welcome and looked after, too.

I have come to the Tavern for many years, specifically for their delicious, unique and varied menu. However it’s so sad to see that they have become another burger churning enterprise. And not even good burgers at that (Burnt and chewy). What a real shame, no doubt this will result in losing their much loved customers. The staff are absolutely incredible, personable and friendly. With all of the Cheltenham Charm. It’s such a shame, but I shall not return for this menu, but will definitely keep my eye on The Tavern, in the hope that the old menu (and chefs?) return.

Great atmosphere with a live singer.

Jay and his team looked after us wonderfully. We hired the room upstairs for a meeting and had lunch before and drinks after. Exactly what we were after. Lovely relaxed atmosphere with great food. Thanks for all your help!

Sunday roast beef was disappointing, more fat than meat, parsnips weren't cooked & chewy, deffiantly over priced at £21....our waitress was lovely and did all she could to make us happy! Our bottle of wine, although was very nice, we were charged £33 not sure we would go back!

Love this place! Service was amazing and our waitress really looked after us. The food was really good, we tried the roasts, the burgers and the fries - all brilliant.

Since the change in ownership there is a much more limited menu and prices are far too expensive for the quality. It's mostly just burgers now with a few specials for lunch. The burgers are average. Small patties with buns double the size. £11 to £15 for a burger...without sides! The Caesar Salad (£18!!!) looked impressive but had no dressing and had very rubbery chicken. It also took a good 45 minutes for food to arrive. Much better burgers in Cheltenham elsewhere.

Lovely staff tasty food roasties very hard tiny small portion of chicken prices ridiculous 2 diners 2 drinks 1 cauliflower cheese £54 🥵

Best Caesar salad I have ever had, staff excellent

The atmosphere on arrival was great, the service also excellent although I think there were only 2 chefs on and so the food was slow to arrive, not a problem as we were having a great time and not in a rush. The food was good, except the caeser salad which had too much dressing and the chicken was tough. A two man band arrived and were way too loud as the sound was distorted and muffled. This was a shame as I think the lead guitarist was probably excellent and the singer had a great voice. This spoilt an otherwise great evening. I would go back, but not when there is a band on.

Tbh we went here because we had a meal credit from the George Hotel . But wow . Great food, big portion sizes, friendly staff. I could eat here every day, but I would be the size of a house. A very happy house

Cute little pub, some nice live singers

After all the great reviews was expecting amazing food but it was just okay. Excellent friendly service helped. But this is a pub with no port!

Great place, been using for a few years, good drinks, great atmosphere