Curious Cafe in Cheltenham

We wanted to find a nice local place in Cheltenham for lunch. We found this place on Google Maps and read some good reviews. We arrived at 2pm to find the place very busy, mostly couples, enjoying various stages of lunch or coffee. We were immediately invited by the welcoming manager to take a vacant table in the window. She was clearly very busy but immediately took a moment to welcome us. She asked one of her staff to get our drinks order right away, which was really nice. The follow up service for food was again prompt, polite, welcoming and efficient. This place is expertly run by a team who really value customer satisfaction and must pride themselves on thier service. All round excellence - so rare these days! We'll be back for sure. On top of everything - we love Frida Kahlo, so even the simple cutlery tin was a delight!

Been here a couple of times now for brunches - food is usually delicious and staff are very friendly. I usually get the Veggie cooked breakfast which is flavorful and filling. It can get quite busy on weekends and you may have to wait to be seated. On a warm day it's nice to sit in their covered garden out the back, but in the colder months we've typically sat indoors. Only had 1 issue so far out of visiting about 7-8 times - each of our cooked breakfasts took over 45mins to come out which made us late to our appointment in town - but the cafe was incredibly busy.

First time visiting these guys, amazing and true gem for the local area! Staff great, food was amazing and worth every penny!

Love this place. Met my wife here 6 yrs ago and we returned for breakfast last week. Superb

Always outstanding, great food & coffee!

Absolutely fantastic breakfast,one of the best I’ve had,rapid service too. Very very good. If I had one small gripe…the pot of tea wasn’t hot enough for me with no option for it being hotter.

Called in here for a quick breakfast with my wife. It was just a sausage & egg and bacon & egg sandwich....... but boy were they excellent sandwiches! Friendly staff and a relaxed setting. Top effort.

Went for breakfast about 11 am on a Sunday. It was busy but there was seating inside available. I had the Apprentice Breakfast, my friend had the Bubble abs Squeek.

very nice food amd friendly staff

I’ve been to the Curious Cafe several times previously and have had a good experience, however I can’t say the same for my most recent visit. I asked for a gluten free breakfast of sausages, hash browns and beans. I was told that the hashbrowns were fried in the same oil as gluten-containing items (which I’m fine with). When the food was brought out I asked the waiter if the sausages were definitely gluten free as they looked different to what I’d had previously. They went and checked and said that they weren’t - so the meal was returned. I decided to go without breakfast as I couldn’t risk the potential of eating something that wasn’t gluten free. The chef did say the staff had been allergy trained but clearly this experience shows more needs to be done.

Went here on a quite Monday afternoon. Service was super fast, food delicious and the hot chocolate was great too. Had the French toast which was delicious the perfect amount of maple syrup. The naughty hot chocolate with Baileys was divine. Really well decorated in a garden theme. Lots of outdoor seating with cosy blankets and lighting.

Delicious brunch and coffee but suuuuuper slow – we had to remind about our coffees after 40 minutes, let alone the brunch! I noticed that people coming in after us were warned about the 40-minute delay, but we weren’t. Lovely staff, lovely decor but has to lose a star for the speed of service.

The young ladies on Saturday do a great job of handling the busy period to remain friendly, efficient and charming inspite of it. Nice service and nice food and coffee. Worth a trip, especially if you have a dog as they are allowed in!

Had a lovely breakfast. Nice surrounds High cost might put me off in future

Great food, service and design. Will definitely visit again!

Absolutely adore this cafe. Food is excellent and I’m a regular here during the weekends. Staff are all lovely! Owner is great as well. Saying that, It’s a real shame that bookings are now no longer accepted for the weekends. This makes it quite difficult to make plans. I always bring people here to this cafe for meet ups etc, but if I can’t book a table during the weekend for a specific time, then that forces me to go elsewhere.

Lovely place with great brunch options. The food was delicious, and we really loved the chai latte.

Second time I've been here. Great atmosphere and quirks. Food took a little while, but we were warned it would as it was so busy. Totally worth the wait though. I had a steak and stilton salad which was delicious. My friend had a full breakfast, which also looked amazing. Awesome!

The place is gorgeous and the food is amazing. Totally recommend.

UPDATE: I've been twice since the below review and sad to say there did was awful. I mean REALLY awful. Only one other time I refused to pay for a meal and that was almost 20yrs ago. I ordered bubble and squeak and it was so awful I couldn't eat it. It was just mushy Brussel sprouts covered in ham hock. It was so bitter from the baby food (aka bubble and squeak) that I have no idea if there were even any other veggies in it. I love sprouts, but this mess was inedible. I won't go there again, I don't know if they've changed chef but 3 strikes and your out. Such a shame. Gorgeous interior, fantastic staff and the food is as good as it was the last time I was here 7!!!!! Years ago! Had Eggs Royale and it was delicious 😋

We recently visited with two of our dogs, and had such a perfect experience. We chose to sit in the outside area out the back, which was very pretty, and as the tables are spaced out, it felt very open and not cramped like so many places can be. The atmosphere was really cosy and friendly, and everyone seemed so happy and also having a lovely time. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, one lovely lady even brought out blankets for the dogs and offered them water, which was so kind. The food was brilliant, it arrived very quickly and was delicious. We will definitely be back in the future.

Brunch and a booked table for 5 adults one toddler. Great atmosphere and service in a very busy place for a Monday. A little quirky and a tad expensive but way better than any chain type place.

A great cafe, excellent food and drinks. Favourite place for brunch on the Bath Road.

I hadn't been a while and went with with some friends who had come to visit from Spain. We had prebooked. Upon arrival we weren't even shown to our table, a waitress just pointed and said "It's that one". Someone came to take our drinks order and then a different member of staff came to take our food order, I explained that I had to translate and we'd be a while. During this time 3 different members of staff asked to take our order making us feel rushed. I appreciate their enthusiasm but it did feel quite pressuring. When the food eventually arrived the portions were HALF what I remember them to be. The food itself was good, but not to the standard that I remembered it to be. As any buisness I understand that mistake happen, so the following week I went back with my fiancé and a friend of ours. This time we were shown to our table, drinks & food were ordered but again, different staff. One took our drinks and then not two minutes later someone else asked us for our food orders. I ordered something different but again was dissapointed with the portion sizes (needless to say I was still hungry when we left). My fiancé & friend ordered sandwhiches and though they were nice, they were not up to the standard that we expected from having been many times previously. Overall, the place is nice enough but for the prices I would expect at least better service, if not bigger portions.

We sat in the delightful garden, ate lovely food and met some very helpful staff. Got some delicious food from its Deli to take home too. P.S. the toilets were nice and clean too. We will be going back.

Didn't plan to go for breakfast but as we passed the Bistro it looked so inviting we went in for a coffee and ended up having breakfast. I had Eggs Royale which was delicious and my husband had a bacon sandwich. Not the cheapest breakfast but well worth it.

Two visits there now, slightly different experiences. My first visit. Lovely bistro on Bath Street in Cheltenham. Very colourful inside and out. Has a pretty set up in it's garden with heaters and blankets. Staff very pleasant and friendly. Food is fab, good variety but not too much variety so what they offer is of a consistent good quality. Love that they serve a breakfast menu till 2.45pm. Reasonable prices. Very popular, so booking is advised! Has unisex toilets. Has its own shop next door with some great food, wine and gins to buy....good place for gifts. Will definitely go here again! 2nd visit for lunch, beginning of July 2024 Much slower service and it wasn't that busy, took almost an hour for our food to arrive. Standard of food wasn't quite as good as before. Has the chef changed recently? Sadly Eggs Benedict was not quite up to the same standard as before, Hard poached eggs, not as much hollandaise sauce, so meal was quite dry. My daughter was little disappointed with her ham and cheese panini meal too. Will visit again, but hopefully food will be better next time.

Booked through open table. Just had a message to tell us we didn't attend although we did. When we arrived someone else was seated at our table in garden . After waiting we were given choice of inside or out so sat inside. Took about 30 mins for Drinks to arrive food about 10 mins later. Very busy day. Food was OK Son had Eggs Royale I had Eggy bread with mushrooms which are sliced and soggy with bacon and tomatoes. Wish I'd asked to have bacon crisper fat too pale. Cafe too small for amount of customers in shop especially busy by entrance and till area. Its put me off visiting again.

Love coming here ! My daughter and i visited last Thursday and it was very busy due to A level results day but we were warmly greeted and shown to a table outside. We both had panini's and they were delicious and the Raspberry Iced Tea was the best every ! Thank you we will be back !

We went here for brunch on a Saturday, it was very busy so book a table if you want to go. They have a good menu. The presentation was great, but everything was overcooked. I had eggs benedict, and the eggs were hard pouched, and there wasn't much hollandaise, so it was dry. My partners full English was also overcooked. For 2 coffees and 2 over cooked breakfasts, it cost £35.50! It was such a shame because the staff were lovely. The noise level was deafening. It was very loud. Unfortunately, we won't be back for brunch again.

Never visited before and very disappointed! Certainly won't be visiting again, what a let down. 50 minute wait for our drinks, despite asking for them and then they brought the wrong order so we had to wait even longer. Such ashame as heard so many good things about this cafe and we were here to celebrate our daughter's fantastic A Level results. Very disappointed indeed, informed staff when we paid but they just made a joke of it! Far better brunch cafes to go to than this one.

Very very disappointing cafe! Our first and last visit for sure, such ashame as recommended to us but our drinks took 50 minutes to arrive then the wrong order was brought! Steak sandwich OK but no blue cheese or onions in it as advertised. Very poor indeed - complained when we paid but member of staff just made a joke of it. Such ashame as celebrating our daughter's excellent A Level results. What a let down!

Superb. Best brunch in Cheltenham

Rang 2 days before the visit was told fully booked inside, I asked to be seated outside again, and I told me I could not book outside seating Only to arrive and ro be told outside seating had been fully booked.

Really nice food, but always takes a while to get it.

Great breakfast spot in Cheltenham

Very nice but I don`t think it is meant for the older people !! You wouldn`t come here with bags of shopping for a hot mug of something , cups only I think , more for todays generation or a business lunch . Almost to smart and perfect !!

Absolutely love this place! Popped in for lunch the day we arrived in Cheltenham and what a little find it is. Fantastic friendly staff, lovely choice of food, drinks and cakes - all served fresh and in super quick time too. We went back the next day for lunch again as enjoyed it so much. Would highly recommend giving this little gem as try. Thanks to all the lovely staff.

Didn’t have the best experience here this morning. The girl with the red hair needs to find a new job. Although the words she was saying were polite she was so rude in general. We couldn’t hear each other over the music coming from the back. Every time we struggled to understand each other she paused for a few seconds and gave me a disgusted look as if I was the stupidest person in the world, then spoke to me with the most patronising attitude. She was nice to the lady who got served after me but stared at her back as she left and started talking about the woman with the server with blond hair and a shiny face. Interesting choice of decor in the place. New wallpaper that looks like a filthy run down cafe? To top it off I was hoping the food would at least cheer me up but it was sub par and you don’t get much for the money spent. The bacon was freezing cold and I ate it as soon as I got home, I don’t live very far away. They don’t have to worry about seeing me in there again. If anyone asks where we should go for food I will be steering them away from this place. Perfect place for workers to get breakfast in the morning who don’t care about what they’re eating. And the red haired server did at least offer me a seat while I waited. The vibe was just off over all. If the staff don’t want to be there I suggest they change career. And get a better chef.

Beautifully plated, delicious food at a completely reasonable cost. The best part of our day (so far). I got the salad with steak and Stilton, and tea. My daughter got the soup (Mushroom and garlic) which was equally wonderful.

The pastry of the day was advertised as £2.50 on the jar of pastries (almond croissants were in the jar). I bought 3 and was charged £10.50, when I questioned the price I was advised that even though the label said pastry of the day, £2.50 is for plain croissants. I continued with purchase but did not feel I received fair service or value for money.

Lovely coffee and breakfast with friendly, helpful staff

Fabulous cafe serving really great food! Best breakfasts in town for sure! Love this place with its friendly atmosphere, lovely staff and fab food!

Great lunch menu! Especially recommend steak salad!

Nice relaxing cup of coffee, clean and friendly.

The food was all Amazing The Parking is limited they also have sitting tables but only until 3pm

This is the most delightful cafe bistro I've ever been to, fantastic food, lovely staff, beautiful premises.

Lovely breakfast, lovely place, lovely people!

The new (ish) Deli/Cafe next door is great. The bacon, peanut and chilli jam sandwich is absolutely phenomenal, wow!!!

Had a wonderful brunch here. Great food and service.

Had a delicious lunch here today, pulled ham hock burger with curly fries and homemade coleslaw, good quality food and friendly service, highly recommended

On a busy road but certainly worth visiting. Exceptional service, food and decent coffee. Highly recommended. Cheese croissant with blackberry was outstanding, very good coffee followed by an almond croissant (also excellent but filling). In addition a very good charity bookshop next door to visit beforehand to give you reading material while you enjoy your food.

Had the Avo and Eggs. Very good, service very friendly and quick.

Have been coming here for years at weekends and for birthdays. My favourite brunch place and by far the best in cheltenham, all the girls are so friendly. 100% recommend x

Lovely bubble and squeak followed by lemon drizzle cake!. Nice atmosphere. Great waitressing by all of the team . Grateful and will be returning.

Lovely food and beautiful place in the garden at the back. Staff very friendly and professional.

Service was slow but food and atmosphere was very nice.

Brilliant brunch and very reasonably priced. Enjoyed the ambience, food and service very much - we will be back !

Great place for brunch but I would book as it’s always busy! Friendly staff and quick service

Food was excellent but drinks not so great. Firstly the dreaded sugar lumps which came in a little jar, a mix of white and brown, no tongs, so inevitably someone else has fumbled around looking for the right colour and size. I recall someone putting sugar lumps into Room 101, they were spot on. A substance that comes granulated so you can have exactly the right amount you need but is presented in lumps none of which are the amount you want! Secondly, cups are shallow and wide brimmed so my tea got cold quickly - bring back mugs! One star knocked off service for the sugar lumps and cups.

Great vibes, yummy food, good price! Ham hock burger is delicious and a very sizeable portion. Selection of breakfast and lunch dishes is great. Highly recommend !

Had brunch with the family in late December at the Curious Cafe and Bistro (it was booked way back in August). We've had brunch here before (in October 2022) in the outdoor marquee area so we knew what to expect we thought. Food, as previously, was excellent however what put a spoiler on the brunch was where we placed in the marquee area - in the left hand corner by the back door. There was seven of us and we were told by the waitress that the table could easily sit eight around it, I would question this as it was tight with seven of us. Also it was draughty because of our placement by the back door, placing one of outdoor heaters in the corner of this seating area might have helped to mitigate against this. If I had booked this brunch in December for example I would have totally understood if we had been placed in this draughty area but as mentioned I booked it way back in August. What a shame, this small thing, that could have easily been corrected beforehand with a bit more forethought, spoiled this brunch. Its not a good sign when I had to keep apologising to my family afterwards. Hence allocating (reluctantly I might add) three stars for service and one star for atmosphere.

Random pit stop while visiting Cheltenham. Pleasantly impressed by the hidden outdoor seating area. Menu choices were great, food delicious and service very friendly. Totally going again!

omg so delicious! And really cute little place! Those eggs were amazing 😩

Slap up breakfast the only trademark being no internet should reflect price. Non-existent customer service. Don't have time to write this but if I don't I might crash my van. Came out physio my body became in shock from the cold, I walked up and down highstreet until calmed and decided I needed to sit down and eat before driving. Didn't listen to table requests several times no service. Cappuccino totally separated because rushed. Cold steak more rare than anything fat not seared. No checkback. Had to get own steak knife, still didn't get hint. No butter or plate for toast. Egg not great. Tiny amount vegetables very small portion on the "monster" breakfast. Hash brown overdone. Finally to my surprise the manager came to check back with plates in her hands when steak is 90% finished. Totally ignorant of complaint and no attempt to resolve. Manager was at front and watched me pay and walk out. Crying shame I'm a good tipper and customer service would have saved this situation no problem. These kind of people don't deserve to be trading, carried by location and high prices. I've worked in hospitality myself and this was appauling by any standards. So disappointed even more so when the whole team is female you would expect some nurturing especially on a Monday late morning. How could it be worse really? Go to the Frogmill and see how a £20 breakfast should come. Shocked beyond belief now I got this off my chest I can hopefully get on with my busy day. Shame I didn't have time to just walk out.

Amazing food and awesome service. My first choice of breakfast locations in Cheltenham and very rarely can't get a table.

First time in the bistro for a sandwich for lunch. pastrami, Swiss cheese and Russian coleslaw (?)……. It went long before lunchtime, filling and Delicious!!!

Lovely quirky little cafe. First time we had been there and they didn't disappoint. Food was incredible drinks were lovely. My 2 year old was treated like royalty very family friendly. I would recommend booking a table on the weekends as it got very busy but they were as accommodating to walks ins as they could be. Will definitely be back again 😊

Great food and atmosphere! Only downside was there was a 45mins wait for our food. And breakfast had no tomatoes! Definitely recommend!

Good food, good atmosphere. It was chilly on the garden side and staff offered blankets

My food today was terrible. I had a jacket potato, Hummus, beetroot and avocado... As soon as it was served I could smell paint! As I got to the potato, the hummus was very runny and smelt of paint, I can only imagine the oil was rancid. I did complain to the waitress, but she seemed unconcerned, said she was sorry but no attempt to remedy my situation, so I just had to leave it. So for £7.95 I had for lunch half an avocado, 4 slices of beetroot, 3 tomatoes and a spoonful of coleslaw...... Not Happy!

Had a great breakfast ,lovely staff and so friendly. The garden is amazing worth a visit 👍👍

Good old burger star. Can't beat it.

Beautiful!! 😍 We found this place on google on the morning of our visit we were staying down the road in a hotel and didn’t fancy a standard hotel breakfast.. so glad we ventured out! The cafe is beautifully decorated and a lovely atmosphere.. yes it was super busy but that’s what happens when you open a shop that has cute decor, amazing food and a cool vibe. We had pancakes one bacon one fruit… delicious, a few coffees and a green smoothie which was so good! ❤️ 100% we will be returning customers. We even had a couple of cinnamon buns to take home for later. 🥰

Excellent little cafe. We sat inside but outside looked great too. Still took cash too which was a bonus.

Great lunch with the girls, nct mums x

Superb breakfast and simply divine coffee

Just a lovely way to have a late breakfast. I had the Blacksmith full English!

Known for the best breakfast in Cheltenham and it doesn't disappointing. They are in the process of expanding after acquiring the dry cleaners next door. I believe they will have a deli in that part. We usually have the "Apprentice" breakfast which is big enough or if you're feeling brave you can go for ghe "Blacksmiths". Staff are very accomodating, you can ask to swap items like fried bread for toast etc.

The full English breakfast is to die for!

Waited 20 minutes to be served. Couldn't catch the eye of any of the waitresses. Three people who came in after me where served before me. A woman eating on her own should not be invisible. I walked out but told the girl on the till why. I won't go there again. Went to cafe over the road and had no problem being served.

We have been a few times to curious for various pop ups and breakfast treats. The last visit seemed more hectic than usual and some standards slipped with the food, it was forgivable but definitely not their usual 10/10 ~ I look forward to their deli opening next door.

Came in today for some tomato soup, which was really nice and fresh. Place was very busy. Very interesting and welcoming atmosphere. Staff do seem quite overrun though….and the place needs a good cleaning and perhaps some redecoration work here and there.

We went for a rapid brunch yesterday and even though it was busy and we were in a rush the lovely team at the curious cafe seated and welcomed us- we ordered the big breakfast, the slightly smaller full English and our son went for eggs royal with a side of avocado. The English breakfast was delicious and very generous, I couldn’t even finish the smaller one, the sausage in particular was a real treat, locally sourced and very tasty - the bacon too. The granary bread was delicious and thickly cut. Our son’s hollandaise was lovely and the poached eggs perfect - if there was an improvement it would be that the avocado was a little hard but you can hardly criticise the cafe for nature …. Overall the food was delicious, the staff were really helpful and welcoming and the place itself was like a beautiful oasis of botanical wonder on a busy high street- we were visiting Cheltenham and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back again- it’s rare to find such a gem - the curious cafe was Alltogether lovely. Doggy friendly too! Perfect xxx

Love this cafe, it’s extra special and since moving to Cheltenham a few months ago we have been to loads already! We have a great experience every time!

Great memories. I remember it as being very good in my early 20s. I think I have grown up and my taste buds have evolved

Food was really tasty and good value and would certainly visit again. The very long wait for food after ordering was disappointing.

Absolutely amazing food lovely friendly and very helpful staff ❤️

Came down for brunch on Sunday morning after getting some good reviews about the food. My partner and I waiting 40min for our coffees to arrive and another 5min for our food. The food itself was okay but not as good as it was made out to be, bacon was really fatty and the poached eggs were a bit undercooked and the whites were raw/runny. The coffees were okay as well my latte was rather flavourless but the iced coffee was nice enough. I think you can find better in the area for £15 a head.

Great out door space …. Food was good I had the chicken salad 🥗 was good

Lovely breakfast the only thing that let it down was the tea 🍵 very weak

We’ve visited the curious a few times now and it is always a delight! Personally we book usually the day before to ensure availability. We recently lunched in their large garden with the gorgeous weather. The food was well presented and tasty as always and the garden mocktails were a winner too! Friendly service from all, we will return.

Rudest staff known to man, the food could be amazing but would never give my custom to somewhere that treats you like an inconvenience!

Lovely little find! Great food and service.

Absolutely fantastic little cafe, dog friendly which is a huge plus. The patio is amazing and while it can be a bit slow for service sometimes the friendliness and food more than make up for it. One of my favourite places to eat in Cheltenham especially for brunch.

Wonderful little place on Bath Road. I wanted to get away from the busy High Street (Cheltenham) to finish a script, so spent a quiet hour there and ordered a carmel cappuccino. Lovely staff and atmosphere .

Beautiful little cafe but simply for a take away, the coffee was wasn't very good and tasted like the cup it was served in.

Really nice cafe with nice atmosphere, staff are great! Just need more vegan options!

Owing to its popularity and a small kitchen, the food takes a little longer to get to you but the garden is so beautiful that you don't mind

Lovely food and service as always.