A Foodie's American Dream...

My restaurant review of The Tavern Cheltenham

I love eating, who doesn’t? Apart from satiating my appetite with delicious food, I relish the social enjoyment of dining, whether it’s a dinner party at home or in a restaurant with friends. For a foodie, there is nothing more exciting than discovering a new culinary haven. One of my favourite haunts is The Wheatsheaf in Northleach - its seasonal, locally sourced menu is affordable to all, and when washed down with locally brewed ales in warm atmospheric surroundings, it’s everything you need from “the local”.

Naturally then, upon discovering that its newly refurbished sister pub, The Tavern, was re-opening in Cheltenham; I was simply bursting with excitement to get through that door. Having eaten at many of Cheltenham’s restaurants, I was beginning to crave something different - with The Tavern; this is exactly what I got.
My merry party were escorted to our table, situated opposite the open-plan kitchen; I couldn’t have asked for a better position. As somewhat of a “nosey parker”, I love observing chefs at work preparing various dishes – it’s a brilliant way of creating inspiration. It’s also a brave task to undertake, as on a busy night with all eyes upon you, anything could go wrong. However, I have never seen chefs in a restaurant kitchen having so much fun whilst cooking –each was at ease yet passionate, made more evident in their finished dishes - for me and Head Chef, Julian Habbot, that is how cooking should be.

Once seated, we were offered an appetiser of spiced popcorn to arouse our taste-buds as we studied the menu whilst sipping a fragrant Le Fume Blanc from the Loire Valley. The bottle was chilled in an old milk can, introducing another quirky element that emphasised their unique attention to detail. Inspired by London’s Spuntino and New York’s The Spotted Pig, The Tavern menu boasts something distinctive and exciting. A Modern American theme with worldwide influences, one half presents the daily specials and the other, bites, salads, sliders (mini burgers), big plates, slides and puddings - consisting of mouth-watering, seasonal combinations. What I particularly loved was the opportunity to share dishes and sample a variety of meals, thus avoiding the threat of food envy!

I ordered pan-fried scallops with asparagus and pancetta, something I’ve craved since asparagus recently came into season. This was followed by chicken sumac (popcorn chicken coated in a Middle Eastern spiced batter) served with a fragrant aioli. It all looked as good as it tasted – one dish modelling rustic chic and the other a simple, classic masterpiece of colour – both of which quelled my appetite whilst simultaneously leaving my taste-buds asking for more. As a lover of calamari, my eyes lit up when I discovered it on the menu, but in true Tavern style, they’ve added an Asian-infused twist. Served with garlic and rosemary fries, this is my idea of heaven and every mouthful was just that. Followed by two of life’s guilty pleasures - croissant bread and butter pudding and freshly made doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce - it would be fair to say I was content until the end!
The service was faultless, and it’s rare that I say this! The waitresses demonstrated good knowledge and enthusiasm for the menu, confidently answering any questions with a friendly, bubbly approach reflected in the atmosphere amongst the diners.

Verdict: Excellent food with a twist: first-class service, vibrant atmosphere, and a quirky degree of patriotism coming from the toilets with Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches blasting out - I could have happily eaten pudding in there! An absolute must visit.

To make a reservation, call 01242 221212

Website: www. /thetaverncheltenham.com
Twitter: @tavernchelt
Facebook: The Tavern Cheltenham