The Wilson Cafe in Cheltenham

Came with my three year old to visit the play cafe and have some lunch after seeing Cheltenham rocks Instagram post. Arrived to a near empty sandwich fridge and no children's food whatsoever. When I enquired if they had a menu I just got a no just what's out. The space is fantastic and definitely what Cheltenham needs to visit with little ones during the week but no hot food and no children's options was really disappointing.

Serving staff are a bit clueless at times and food often slow to arrive. Despite this it's a great space and food quality and menu are first class.

On a Sunday stroll around Cheltenham we decided to stop at the Wilson Cafe for a late lunch. The food was delicious, beautifully presented and excellent value for money. The Cafe offers sofas, tables, bar stools - something for everyone. We will definitely return.

Super Quality delicious - really nice ambience too A live pianist played really well and they also had a Xmas film showing - supporting charity as well -now our new fave spot

This café is located within the Wilson Museum. It occupies a pleasant space on the ground floor and has a separate entrance from the street. Two flat whites cost £6.50, and I felt obliged to leave a donation of 50p. The coffee was very poor quality and they do not take cash.

This is now "The Wilson Kitchen" opened in the last few weeks (July 2022) My wife and I stopped by for coffee and light snack which was lovely. Open sourdough sandwich was lovely and great value. Service was with a smile and professional. Special mention to Abby who served us and kept checking everything was okay.

Lovely setting beautiful place slow service very good food magical court yard if the weather is good I would recommend you book before you go.

Quick friendly service with a smile. The menu is quite limited - drinks, sandwiches and snacks, but the quality is excellent. Unlike most cafes attached to an art gallery, the prices are very reasonable. Try the mini quiche, which is a delight.

I am a great believer in supporting local businesses and I was really looking forward to lunch at the Wilson Cafe last weekend but came away sadly disappointed. The cafe looks very attractive from the street. It is a great place for families and is attached to Cheltenham's wonderful museum. The Wilson Cafe's menu looks terrific - listing 'real' food and it has a catering business advertised too. The staff are friendly but service was very slow and when it came, the food was poor. Unfortunately the slowness of service gave me a chance to notice the stickiness of my table and of the others around mine, the food on the chairs and unswept floor. My roast tomato and pepper soup was an unappetising shade of khaki and while mouth-scalding hot, it was lacking in any flavour or seasoning. It came with slim bread rolls that were under-baked. I ordered a coffee and, feeling a bit seasonal, a mince pie too. Worst of all the mince pie was of the cheapest mass-produced variety with a strong lingering scent of plastic - leaving a bad taste in the mouth, literally and figuratively. Mum always said: if you can't say anything nice, don't say it at all - and I was taught to do similarly as a food and travel writer. On this occasion, I'm breaking all my own (and Mum's) rules in the hope that The Wilson can make the small tweaks needed to make their cafe as good as the museum it is attached to, showcasing their catering business favourably, and demonstrating why local businesses are always worthy of support.

This cafe is in a great location with good prices and an excellent range of food. We came for coffee and to start with the service was very slow. However, management chipped in to help and got things back on track. The homemade muffin was just brilliant and the menu itsellf looks great.

If you're looking for good food, the best chips, yummy cakes and space for your children here is the place! Upstairs in the Wilson café there is a small space for baby's and toddlers to play, loads of room for pushchairs and baby changing facilities on the same floor. Cheltenham has many cafes but most don't cater for pushchairs and children, but here you can relax with your friends, eat yummy food and your children can just play. But I only say the area for children is only big enough for a few children (under 3 years) at a time. The toys are not suitable for children older than 3 years.. but they might enjoy the artwork at the Wilson. We're lucky to have this wonderful gallery on our door step!!

Never been before so thought we would give it a try for a light lunch. My friend had a falafel sandwich we she enjoyed and for me Quiche and salad. Quiche was a bit on the small side and everything needed seasoning. Coffee was nice and staff friendly. If they took a chair away from the tables. ( ours had 5) it would make it more comfy. But we will go back

We visited the museum and came in for tea and cake. We went for Redbush and shared a fruit flapjack type concoction which was very nice and the prices were reasonable. It is a comfortable place to sit but very annoying that the toilets downstairs cannot be used by visitors but are restricted to those attending conferences.

Visited the Wilson cafe for afternoon tea as a birthday treat. When we arrived we were shown to our table which was nicely set with lining table cloth and napkins. The two waitresses were very attentive and when they bought our afternoon tea to our table the waitress informed us of the sandwich fillings and what cakes there were which was most helpful and also made sure we had enough tea. When we had finished the waitress asked us if we enjoyed it and made sure that everything was to our satisfactory.

Ate here with friends - needing a light lunch we found a good selection. Two homemade soups - both vegetarian and a little different! Good sandwich selection & nice bread with the soup. Friendly service and well made food.

This is just not another cafe. The cafe is small and very busy. The reason is that the food is served with a smile and it's mostly homemade dishes. The prices are worth paying for the quality of the food. You may have to wait a little while for your order to be cooked and served. The portion sizes are not massive. The taste is excellent from the first fork full. If you want a snack, brunch or lunch you will not be disappointed.

If you love the South like we do, you’ll adore Wilson Cafe. Small town atmosphere with gourmet chef dining experience. My husband enjoyed a delicious steak dinner, while I was treated to the best catfish and hush puppies I’d had in many years. We’ll go back just for the catfish (my husband will order it next time too.). The drive to Wilson is very scenic, and we relaxed just watching the scenery on our spring adventure to Wilson.

Had a lovely tuna sandwich witch was lovely then went onto the salad and the salad was greasy found out they use cooking oil on my salad. Gross. Could not get the salad. Very bad. You don’t ever use cooking oil on salads

Wondered why they were almost empty on a Saturday afternoon when all the other cafes were so busy. Have had ok cake and coffee there before so we went in for late lunch.

Had a wonderful visit to the Art Galleries and Cafe in Cheltenham with my children.

Left with disappointed kids. There was no way I was paying nearly £6 for a couple of pieces of rocky road. Three drinks and three cakes wouldn't have left much change from £20. There's just no need to hike the prices that much.

No había mucha gente en el restaurante cuando nos fuimos.

Nice atmosphere, not a wide selection of food but appetising, nicely presented, a good place for a coffee and chat.

We visited the Wilson cafe on 14/05/17 at 11.15 am to find the place completly empty, in comparison to Boston Tea Party down the road, I wonder why....... Well let me tell you the customer service today was shoking, welcomed by a miserable woman, who...

Me temo que, si pudiera, sin premio el Café cero. Wilson Fuimos en una taza de té a las 4 p.m.. Me paraba en la barra por un tiempo, pero nadie parecía. Traté de mirar hacia la cocina, pero no podía ver a nadie allí....

Cuatro de nosotros 'oldies' visitando el Museo paramos aquí primero Wilson para una taza de café y un bocado ligero de comer. Rápidamente nos dieron una mesa aunque estaba ocupado con un montón de niños pequeños y sus padres, ya que era un día para...

Bien, no es caro, pero no es limpio, buen café y buen tortas y pasteles. Conveniente ya que estaba cerca de nuestro hotel. Diferentes. Bastante bien.

Teníamos un atún encantador, eneldo y caper sandwich y fue un lujo. El café era muy bueno también. Muchas gracias.

A small cafe off the main shopping area. We went in shortly after noon. Not very busy. Several members of staff on. Service a bit slow. Food sourced from local areas. Not impressed

Spent the day in Cheltenham and popped in for a light lunch. Never been before and not sure we'll return. Not that is was dreadfully bad but that we found it to be mediocre and there is so much better choice in the town. We had to ask where my partner's sandwich was as they'd forgotten it.

This is the cafe in the Wilson Art Gallery and Museum. You place your order on the ground floor. There is seating on the ground floor and first floor. They will deliver to your table. The coffee and cakes are good.

Need a break from culture, this little cafe offers great stuff a lot sourced locally (where possible).

I had pre-booked afternoon tea for myself and my two sisters (one of whom was celebrating her 60th birthday!). As soon as we arrived we were given a lovely welcome by Lottie and shown to our pre-laid table - white tablecloth, water jugs with lemon, linen napkins, etc.... and then the afternoon tea arrived... what a feast! It was beautifully presented and the finger sandwiches, cakes and scones were delicious, fresh and melt in the mouth! We thought we wouldn't be able to eat everything but we just couldn't stop as it was all so delicious - we all agreed it was the best afternoon tea we'd ever had! Congratulations to the wonderful chef and to our lovely, attentive waitress, Lottie, who looked after us so brilliantly - we had a fabulous time!

Just had a lovely afternoon upstairs at the Wilson cafe for a very lovely afternoon tea with prosseco. We were a large group of nine and we had a lovely low square table with sofas and seats around and set with a lovely white tablecloth, water jugs with lemon slices and ice, lovely fresh flowers and linen napkins. We were brought a glass of fizz, and then finger sandwiches (several cheese varieties, ham, tuna and a chicken one) They also catered for a nut allergy. We were then brought freshly baked scones with cream, and jam, all decorated with fresh strawberries and raspberries, as well as 3 types of little cakes (choc brownie, sponge and flapjack) and chocolate dipped strawberries. We also got a choice of hot drinks all for under £15 and we all came away with a goodie bag of left overs !Really lovely afternoon.

We had a family lunch for 11 here meeting up before a family visit to the cinema. Great for kids and great service. Food was good quality and freshly made. Prices were reasonable too.

My wife and I met up with a friend from the Netherlands here and it was a great place to have a chat and catch up on news. Nice food but a limited number of some of the items on the menu.Good service from nice people. The place has a lot of attractions.

After making a booking (2weeks before) for afternoon tea for Father's Day at the Wilson I was very much disappointed.When we arrived I was told that there was no booking for afternoon tea and that the young lady would go and enquire,then the young lady said she did remember taking the booking.This was not a good start for my father and I as he had been looking forward to this. However they did manage to accommodate us but what should have been an enjoyable afternoon didn't start off too well.

Dropped into the Wilson cafe looking for something tasty to go with a cup of tea. Last time I eat there I had a really yummy cake, but decided to be a little more health conscious this time and chose a sandwich. The service as ever was very friendly and efficient. But oh dear the sandwich was such a disappointment. The bread was nice and fresh and I suspect that the filling was as well but it was difficult to tell because there was so little of it.

We stopped here for a business chat during a sandwich lunch. Service from the friedly staff was quick after we had ordered from the counter and our sandwiches were fresh and tasty. The interior is a plain 'white box' but the space is airy and quite pleasant.Good points:+ Spacious with plenty of space between the tables, so ideal for people with buggies or walking frames+ Large toilets, again very accessible and clean+ Friendly and efficient staff+ Nice sandwich selection with interesting fillings+ Ideal for coffee and lunch breaksNot so good points:- Not an old world charm tearoom, so perhaps not ideal for a leisurely afternoon or cream tea with your best friend/wife/mum

I dropped in between morning business meetings - good decaff, and fresh selection of cakes etc. Peaceful compared to others in same vicinity, but far from empty. Service was efficient, and it is pleasant being collocated with the main Cheltenham Wilson Museum - which has no admission charge.

an interesting scone, good clotted cream truly terrible tea. cheerful friendly staff. Part of the modernised art gallery, museum. well worth a visit

I have been in this cafe twice now. Both times, the coffee was good and the cakes were really delicious. Also, the cafe has got a nice atmosphere, and is perfect for a good catch up with friends. However, last time the service was absolutely atrocious. We walked up to the counter and there were three members of staff by the till, plus another man talking to them. Not a single person acknowledged us. After a couple of minutes and not as an apology, our order was begrudgingly taken, but that was followed by a number of overlooks: our drinks came but no milk or spoons; our cakes came without cutlery and we didn't get as much as a halfhearted 'bye' as we left.A shame as this place is a very nice change from the chains that have taken over the centre of town. Staff could do with understanding the crucial role that customer service plays in the overall experience, and enticing customers to return.

Cosy atmosphere, friendly service, very accommodating of our small grand-daughter by facilitating her request to do some colouring.

I visited the museum and then had a few hours to kill before my coach was due, and being too hungover to go wandering anywhere else I settled myself in a corner with a book. Best decision, I had two pots of tea, a panini and a piece of carrot cake, the cake was gorgeous, it had pumpkin seeds on top and something nutty, pecans maybe, baked into it. The panini was great too, I had bacon and brie, the only downside was that the bit of salad it came with was smothered in diced peppers which I can't stand so had to leave all of that, but that's not their fault, if you like peppers it's grand...The staff were friendly and attentive and didn't seem to mind me camping out for so long, and the café itself is bright and airy with a high ceiling and big windows for people watching.Will definitely go back if I find myself in Cheltenham again.

A nice clean coffee shop with a good selection of sandwiches and cakes, however the coffee is not great and if you like good coffee it is worth going a little further into the town.Friendly staff and good service

I had previously given this cafe a high recommendation, unfortunately I have to retract it. I went to the cafe at the weekend and sadly there have been such big changes to the cafe that it is no longer the lovely little place it was. The staff are still brilliant, but the prepacked sandwiches and limited menu are a big disappointment.

We arrived after 3.30pm so the Wilson Cafe gets serious brownie points for still having jacket potatoes on offer as well as 2 salads and a sandwich to choose from - so often this is a cake-only time of day. There were healthy choices and an attractive-looking range of cakes. The service was pleasant and helpful. It's also great to support the Wilson as a whole, a Cheltenham gem - all good.At this time of day on a rainy weekday, it wasn't busy, just a few tables occupied. However, the racket coming from those few (relatively sedate!) parties together with the banging and clanging of the prep behind the counter was far from restful. The vast height of the cafe area leading to the function venue on the floor above was merciless in exacerbating this - a bit of soundproofing would be a welcome addition. In some respects this might be better when it's busy and there's a constant hubbub whereas we kept on jumping out our skins every time the plates were clashed!A jacket with tuna, sausage roll, coffee and can of coke set us back around £13.

I visited an exhibition and had a quick lunch beforehand. There was a great selection of food but I opted for the excellent soup and sandwich - lovely bread and full, tasty filling. Helpful and friendly staff.

Love the Wilson Gallery and now we love the Wilson Cafe! We visited over a very busy Saturday for a late lunch and although it was super busy we were struck by the efficiency of the staff and their welcoming service. A recently vacated table was immediately cleared and properly cleaned for us before we headed to the counter to place our order. Our food and drinks arrived speedily despite it being busy. The sandwiches were fantastic - really fresh with generous filling and a small but lovely dressed salad on the side. The coffee was also good and you can help yourself to fresh water. All in all the food and drinks offer is exceptionally good value - and it's a definite bonus that it's all locally sourced.

I'm not one to post reviews but I felt that I had to share this for anyone else who may be visiting Cheltenham soon. I was met by a lovely waitress who was very happy to give me a tour of the cakes on offer. I was spoilt for choice with all the usual favourites plus some quirky extras like a raspberry ripple flapjack which I just had to try! The only drawback I felt was the lack of free parking nearby, I'm so glad i decided to visit the museum as I may never if found this hidden gem!

Get a take away coffee from here most mornings. It's always hot and good quality coffee. Service is quick and efficient. Yesterday I also grabbed some pastries for the office which they warmed up for me - delicious!

Came here for a business meeting as it is well suited for meetings with quieter areas upstairs, plus I have always enjoyed the coffee and food. Once again I can't fault it, good coffee (love that you get a double shot) and we both had a nice light lunch. Service was good and we didn't feel rushed. Would recommend

We always stop by the wilson art gallery for a visit when we are in cheltenham, after we managed to drag our daughters away from the dolls houses and toys we did our ususal stop off at the cafe and had some delicious cake and tea, the chocolate flap jack is our new favourite! As usual the service was great and i m sure we will be back soon!

We visited the Wilson Café early last week. The café was fairly busy at the time and there was a bit of a delay in receiving our order, but the drinks eventually arrived hot and the coffee was of good quality. A dark haired male waiter was extremely polite and efficient and seemed to be doing all the running around, whilst a dark haired female waitress appeared to be more preoccupied with her phone than with serving us. As I queued up to pay, I could see the same waitress also appeared to preoccupied again, but this time with one of the chefs, rather than her phone (and they weren't cooking!!!). Perhaps if staff focused on customers as much as their personal relationships, the coffee could be served a bit quicker? I'm also not entirely convinced that a café kitchen is the most hygienic of places for public displays of affection!We didn't eat here, but the food did seem to be reasonably priced and from glancing over at other tables, it looked and smelled very good. The hot drinks were good value for money but I'm undecided as to whether I would return again on my next visit to Cheltenham.

We decided to have tea here after our visit to the Audrey Hepburn portraits exhibition as it was convenient.Well that said, the service was poor and they had no gluten free cakes, so it was a waste of time. We won't be back

Had been to the Wilson cafe previously last summer for lunch and it was fine. However visited for lunch today, got seated and had a long wait for anyone to take our order, around 15 mins even though it wasn't very full. The leaflet style paper menu on the table was creased and battered. Some of the food wasn't available. Ordered a ploughmans and it arrived as if it had just been plonked on the plate, no butter and pickles galore....cheap ingredients I guess. I had a salmon with black pepper mayo sandwich with salad. Not much sign of any mayo inside, salad was again cheap leafs not even a lettuce leaf in sight, garnish? Didn't taste any. Not sure if its a lack of staff or what but wasn't good in many aspects. Automatic door remains open way too long with gushing freezing winter air filling the place. Didn't enjoy the experience, won't be going back. Shame as the venue looks good but that's about all to be said for it.

We stopped off in this cafe while visiting the Wilson museum. It is a clean light airy space with good table service and good coffee.

Went for a cup of tea and a cake after seeing the wonderful Audrey Hepburn exhibition. We were asked to take a seat at a table and we would be served. Not so...another table of 4, who had been seated beside us but had just moved to avoid the draughty doors, were served before us. We waited for about 10 more mins and left. Very poor service from such a smart looking cafe. It wasn't even busy!

Called here for a quick lunch on visit to Wilson Gallery. Had to sit downstairs as staircase to upstairs too steep for partners arthritis. At no time were we informed that there was a lift and there were no signs for the lift either. The automatic double street doors took an age to close so everyone downstairs was subject to a cold draught. The food was good, the portions were adequate but the service left a lot to be desired. A cappuccino ordered without chocolate arrived with chocolate. The bread with a ploughman's arrived without butter. There were no knives in the cutlery box on the table. We were told that there were no ciabatta so ordered a sandwich instead - guess what, a ciabatta arrived. Generally the right hand does not know what the left hand was doing. The staff really ought to be able to multi-task.

went to see the new Audrey Hepburn today was really brilliant,Although it was on just the one floor it was well worth the visit and the rest of the gallery was wonderful too,The cafe has always been a favorite of ours when we visit, i had my usual chocolate brownie but i also had there winter stew which was lovely, great service however they where very busy and could do with more staff but the young lad was very helpful and was trying, x

Had 40 minutes left on my car park ticket so decided to have coffee & cake here as I've often passed and thought it looked nice. To save busy readers time the story ends when I leave 35 minutes later having had no coffee and no cake The story is similar to many already here. On entry rather than serve me at the counter I was asked to take a seat. 10 minutes later the waitress took my order. 25 minutes after that I left to get back to the car before I got a ticket. My observations would be that ladies who lunch (and have infinite time) seemed to be enjoying their experience but people like me and mums with small kids found it frustrating and stressful. The waitress needs to be able to do more than one thing on each trip out of the kitchen (deliver order, clear table or take another order on the way back), simple orders like mine need to be prioritised to keep things moving (else I'm blocking a table!).So I can't answer my question "Hie long does it take...?" Because I never found out.

The layout is great really nice surroundings but service is distinctly lacking. Yes they came to take out order initially but if you want something after that its hard to get a waitress attention as they do not look around when going to other tables. Its really typical council service!! The food is OK but they seem to not have all the menu available or it some is not all the components. ie bread pudding but no custard only cream!We sat upstairs but had to go downstairs to get water and pay so not real waitress service. Come on you have a great location and could so easy improve it seems that you are stuck in a rut as you are getting the same critisim from other reviews

I went there with a friend. We went to the counter to order our food and were told to sit down at a table and someone would take our order. 15 minutes later, we had to go to the counter to get our order taken. 30 minutes later, our order arrived: wrong meal for me, and my friend's order of ciabatta and chips was dreadful: ciabata carbonised on the top and so hard she could not stick her fork in. Chips cold. We left without paying.

Please try the Wilson Cafe if you are passing. It feels much more homely than the BTP just down the road. The soups are tasty and the sandwiches are well made.I will be going again

Visited this morning for coffee/tea and scones our first visit here and wont be last. Very small cafe but clean and a friendly young man served us, scones were delicious and enjoyable - nice place to visit, highly recommend.

Seriously! And they never came... I was there last Sunday after church with my 6 years old son and we wanted to have some soup, they ask me to take a sit and we wait for 30 minutes and they never came to take my order, my son was very hungry and we left tired of waiting. Never come back again.

Came in with my sister for lunch, really good service and food! Highly recommended! I would recommend the yule log and hot chocolate!

Good coffee and nice sandwiches and cakes. Great place to drop into if you are passing. Service is swift and if it's nice weather you can eat outside on the cordoned off pavement, and watch the world go by. Part of the Art Gallery and Museum complex, which is also a winner.

Just been to the Wilson Cafe and just had to write a review!!. Ok the decoration needs some tlc but was told it was a gallery for local artists and were in the middle of swapping over, but the quality of the food was fantastic. The food is cook fresh and made onsite, guess you cant say that about a lot of places, but it was served by a really great guy, sorry forgot his name, that took the time to make us feel really welcome. After returning to the office I found out that our office food also comes from the Wilson each week which is just amazing. Well done to everyone involved.

What a shame it took so long to serve us with a scone and a salmon sandwich. They were both very tasty but after such a long wait we would not risk returning.

My boyfriend and I visited this cafe after a wander around the museum. We were pleasantly surprised by the choice and quality of food options. The cakes were equally delicious. We will certainly visit again!

Its just a café in a museum, but the food, drinks, and service are worthy of a visit. This is the favourite and special place for my two very little grand-daughters and me. A couple of hours wandering around the museum - finishing off in the café for lunch is the treat! The girls usually have ham sandwiches, which come with salad and crisps. The slices of (real) ham are very generous. The addition of buckets (literally) of chips hot and fresh and very welcome on cold days are delicious. The staff are conscientiousness and thoughtful - both welcome traits for all ages.

Great lunch here on Sunday afternoon. Nice range of snacks and more substantial meals, we enjoyed warm ciabattas which were to our surprise served with chips - excellent value for money! Cakes were also delicious, we had the coffee cake and the brownie, yum! We will definitely be back to try out the breakfast !

My partner and I chose to have lunch here after finding it difficult to find somewhere free on a busy Saturday. We were both hungry and a bit desperate so were in less than fussy mood. The atmosphere was not up to much I'm afraid. That is a very personal thing and I would expect others to differ in there views but it just seemed so 'functional' and boring. But the disappointment primarily lay with the food. I had the ham hock and mustard sandwich and a mug of soup. Somewhat like the venue functional and boring. Just okay. But my partner was unhappy with the salad and I could see why. Vast amounts of mayonnaise over the potato rendering them almost inedible. Would be very reluctant to ever return. Service?: functional.

lovely homemade soup and cakes - never fails to delight. Very reasonable prices - good staff and lovely decor

Durante un viaje de negocios tuve la ocasión de comer en el café The Wilson ubicado en el Cheltenham Art Gallery museum. Es un pequeño café con una oferta variada, asequible y con excelente calidad. Degusté un guiso de verduras un poco picante excelente. También a destacar sus scones. Lo recomiendo para un almuerzo rápido después de visitar la Galería de Arte.

The cafe is in the same sort of style as the Art Gallery to which it is attached, and is handy for popping in to have a drink or some refreshments after your visit to the gallery. There is a reasonable range of food and drinks to be had, and we were looked after promptly by the member of staff in charge. There are however plenty of other choices locally for refreshments, and the cafe was not very busy when we were there.

I'm surprised at the mixture of reviews for The Wilson but I can only comment on my own experience. Popped in one busy Saturday lunchtime. Plenty of sandwiches, deli options and cakes available. I went for the chicken and bacon mayonnaise ciabatta which was excellent; great bread, fresh chicken breast served with a side salad (not the usual few drab lettuce leaves) and a generous portion of crisps. This was washed down by a fantastic hot chocolate - it was more like a chocolate mousse! Great to see the small touch of tap water being on the table and service with a smile. Food is priced well with most lunch dishes between £4.95 and £7. On my experience I would definitely recommend and will most certainly be returning.

sneaked out of work for a coffee chat with a colleague and serendipitously stumbled across the Wilson, ha world class coddled eggs and chorizo with perfect juice and a coffee, service might have been faster but in fairness that may have prejudiced quality. Impressed and enjoyed and recommended.

I visited for lunch with some friends today. We were advised of a 15 minute wait for food but it took an awful lot longer even though it was quiet. When the food came, my friend had to send her bacon roll back as it was swimming in fat. My ham sandwich was made with stale bread and used the very cheap processed ham you get in the supermarket. The chips were very over cooked and overall the food was just very disappointing, especially as it's not that cheap. On the plus side, the waitress was very polite and helpful and gave us some free coffees because we had to send some food back. This cafe could do so much better with a few small changes to the food but plus points for the staff.

Free WiFi, freshly made sandwiches and pastries -- this little place was a delight. It fills up quickly, which is no surprise, but it has take-away food as well. I recommend the egg mayo sandwich and the chocolate and beet root gateau with a pot of tea. :)

Went here for an early lunch last week. My husband had a bacon roll which he said was very tasty and I had the baked eggs with chorizo. The server warned me that it might take 10 minutes. In fact I think it was less than that. When it came the dish was still bubbling hot and they brought my husband's roll at the same time. The eggs were delicious - really, really delicious! And very good value. The service was friendly and efficient. At busy times they can be a bit slow but the food is lovely. Recommended.

I took my youngest daughter to visit the dinosaurs at the gallery which was brillant for her, we then popped into the cafe attached and had some lunch, I just had a roll but my daughter had a kids dino box which she was delighted with, and the free toy, I think the jam sandwich she had was the icing on the cake though which she loved! A very nice visit again

Dear dear! Visited on the 9th of August. The tables that were empty were covered in dirty dishes so had to clear them away ourselves before we could sit down, went to order which took an age. Had our grand daughter with us who is 6. She wanted a child's lunch box which was eventually ordered. We had Panini's which were very poorly presented, no garnish, filling oozing out. Childs lunch which was advertised as : Sandwich, chocolate bar, fruit, jelly and drink, consisted of dried up sandwich, barely buttered with a few scraps of ham on it, no jelly, a pack of chocolate shortbreads that had melted and then re-cooled so had bloomed, a huge orange that was nearly frozen and no serviette. No serviettes on the counter, only one wrapped around cutlery. With a price tag of just over £17, no receipt given or offered we consider a very poor experience NOT to be repeated. Must do better! Complained to a young lady gave her the un edible food back with an explanation which was greeted by a shrug.

Good food, local and well priced. Lovely venue to hook up with girl friends , family or to have some precious time in your own thoughts

Good place. Delicious cakes and very good service. Good value. Clean and very pleasant environment. It's not brash and noisy which is great. Nice with friends or on your own. I'd like to go for lunch sometime.

I hired the mezzanine floor of The Wilson Cafe for my husband's 60th birthday party and I cannot speak highly enough of the venue, food and co-operation received from the staff, especially Sophie, in helping to organise the event. They were more than willing to accommodate all my requests from special dietary requirements, balloons for the tables, drinks on arrival to somewhere to hang coats etc, etc. The tables were beautifully laid out and we had the bonus of the walls being decorated with some stunning artwork.There is the option to have extra space in the form of the meeting room which is divided from the main area by sliding doors and we liaised with the Museum staff (thank you Vicki) over this. They also lent us a projector for a presentation. There is the option of having the adjacent gallery open for your guests and this was a nice distraction for those who wanted a break from music and conversation.We all thoroughly enjoyed our evening and we couldn't have made a better choice. My one very tiny niggle was that I needed to liaise separately with the cafe and museum over the things mentioned above. It would be very helpful if this could be co-ordinated in some way. All in all a great venue with delicious food which I would have no hesitation in recommending.

Had tea and sandwich thought it expensive for what it was, Brown bread was granary which I did not like and ended up leaving, and although asked for ham with no mustard had to send it back has it had mustard.

Fantastic food and great coffee, all reasonably priced. Quick friendly service. I particularly liked the Caesar salad and couldn't resist having a piece of homemade cake! Will definitely be back again

I visited on friday 6th june, Although I enjoyed the new re vamp of the wilson gallery, my actual surprise was the cafe attached to it, a interesting mix bag of well thought out and delisious foods, I had a simple jacket spud with cheese and beans followed by chcolate brownie which was beautiful! A lovely place to sit on the sofas but just needz a bit of love on the walls, I spoke to a girl who was one of the chefs and she pointed out the brownie so thank u for that! All in all a nice little surprise

The cafe has had some mixed reviews, but we thoroughly recommend it. J had the sausage nap and I had the sweetcorn fritters, which a previous reviewer quite rightly enjoyed - they were light layers of fritter with wilted spinach, served with roasted tomatoes and a tomato salsa. Delicious.What we were really pleased with is was the quality of the wine. James had the Merlot and I had whatever White was open .... Large glasses and very good. Total bill a smidge over £15. Quality and good value.

Really nice food, freshly cooked. Excellent service. I can recommend the sweet corn fritters and the lemon drizzle cake. Seating is a bit utility but overall a nice cafe. Lovely cup of tea too. It does get really busy but that only proves it's popularity and good food on a constant basis. This is my second visit, and I will be returning.

Great little cafe attached to a most interesting art gallery and museum. The cafe is split over 2 levels and I think that they have more tables than the staff can cope with at busy times. The coffee is excellent and they do a special deal of coffee and "premises-made" cakes for £3.25.

We popped in to check out the refurbished Gallery over the Christmas break, we decided to grab some lunch first in the cafe!It was about 2.30pm and about half of the tables had people seated at them, firstly we had to clear the cutlery off a table in order to sit down, the empty tables all had dirty plates and leftovers on them so we had to actually go up to the kitchen to clear the table!We sat down, couldn't find a menu but after some looking on other tables we found a dirty, stained piece of paper with the menu printed on it. After a quick read we decided and one of my party went up to queue to order. There were about four people in the queue, the first had her order taken but then the girl behind the till went into the kitchen, we saw her then taking food to a table, then she disappeared back in the kitchen only to then come out and go upstairs with a cloth to clear tables?! During this time no one was taking orders so my friend was just in a completely stationary queue. There was a girl cleaning cutlery just behind the till but firmly kept her back to the rest of the room. Everyone (only about five people) in the queue was getting irate, the woman at the front said she had been stood there 10 minutes (when we arrived she was in the queue!). We decided to leave the shambles of a 'cafe', god knows how long we would have wasted, by the looks of it the food was taking just as long as the queue to order!AVOID this place at all costs, please please go to any other cafe near by, this place needs to get sorted out as it's a shambles.

Lovely coffee, reasonably priced and interesting snacks and cakes. Downside is seating is not too comfortable and the cafe area does not have a welcoming feel - bad design I think of the space.

We often used the old cafe in the Museum and Art Gallery most times enjoying the home made soup but this was our first visit to The Wilson Cafe. My wife had had the Winter Vegetable hotpot (?) whilst I had the burger and chips, with a pot of tea for two. We sat downstairs although seating was also available upstairs. Quite a wait for the food but, being half term and a fairly full cafe, was well worth it with both of us enjoying our meal. Most of the food looked nice and people seemed to enjoy lingering over their choose. A very nice place to meet for a coffee or light lunch but could be worth trying their Sunday pancakes. Would go again for coffee or lunch if in the area.

I went for lunch with my baby son and my mother as there is a lot of space. Most of the tables where dirty which could be forgiven as they had just had a fire alarm and had had to evacuate the building. My mother and I ordered sandwiches, chips and drinks. We were warned that they might take 20 minutes due to the fire alarm which was fine, however the drinks arrived very quickly. My coffee was very bitter. We were then told there were no chips left (about 2pm) and were given the opportunity to choose something else - nothing else on the menu resembles a side so we declined. Our sandwiches arrived 20 minutes later as we warned and were very disappointing - two slices of dry bread, minimal filling and a few withered leaves for £4.95! This is incredibly over priced for what was essentially a cheap loaf and a few bits of dried up cheese. The service is also very poor and disorganised. The Wilson has the potential to be very nice but I would suggest you wait a few months so their staff can become more experienced and they work out their pricing structure. I also noticed in addition to the dirty tables, the staircase and floor were quite dirty and in need of a good mop! It is also quite lacking in atmosphere and when considering it is located in an art gallery - very bare.

The Wilson Café-Bistro at The Cheltenham Art Gallery is a great addition to the Cheltenham scene for breakfast, mid-morning coffee, lunch or tea. It's smart and modern and efficient, and has a London buzz about it.... the sort of ambience that you would expect a café-bistro attached to an art gallery to have. Try The Wilson Bap or the Wilson Burgher, bangers & mash, soup of the day, home made cakes to die for, or any hot drink and a cake for £3.75...and the coffee is really good. What's more it's friendly too. All the staff seem well trained and motivated to make one's visit a happy experience. Add to all this the fact that you are surrounded by the art gallery and the museum and the town information centre, and it makes an essential stop in any visit to Cheltenham.

This cafe has friendly staff, great coffee and tasty freshly cooked food. The bacon and sausage baps are amazing and cooked to order so don't moan about waiting a few minutes as it's worth the wait. Go, try and become a regular......

On a visit to the Art Gallery and Museum we stopped for coffees and cake. The coffees were excellent - compliments to the barista. They were happy for us to share two cakes between two adults and two children. The beetroot and chocolate cake was lovely. Sometimes good coffee is hard to find so this was a pleasant surprise. We'll be back for more coffee and try more of the menu.