Get out of the office and enjoy something tasty on your lunch break at SoGlos's pick of Cheltenham's best restaurants for a working lunch — with everything from small plates and sharers to steaming bowls of fragrant noodles and curries on the menu.
Brewhouse & Kitchen
Offering dedicated quiet 'work space' table bookings with WiFi and power sockets, Brewhouse & Kitchen at The Brewery Quarter has a tasty working lunch deal, too.
Tuck into a home-baked focaccia sandwich or wrap, with unlimited freshly ground coffee for three hours, all for just £10 – available Monday to Friday until 5pm.
Flight Club
Social darts venue Flight Club at The Brewery Quarter serves up a lunch deal that's ideal for local workers, with a signature burger and a drink for £12 from 12pm to 3pm Monday to Friday.
Choose from buttermilk chicken; smashed beef patty; peri peri chicken; mushroom and halloumi; or vegan gourmet garden burger, with a glass of wine, beer or a soft drink. Bullseye!
Nagomi
Independent Japanese and Korean restaurant, Nagomi, is one of Cheltenham's hidden gems — as is its fantastic 'quick serve' lunch menu available Tuesday to Sunday.
The menu changes every month, with diners given a choice of 'flavour-packed' bowls like beef or tofu bibimbap and chicken or vegetable yakisoba, accompanied by a mini version of its famous Korean corn dog; or bento boxes packed with either pumpkin korroke and grilled aubergine, miso salmon and prawn tempura, or braised pork belly, with salad, pickles, rice and a dumpling, plus a soft drink, all for under £15.
Cosy Club
With brunch served until 4pm and a lunch menu featuring a variety of sharing plates which double up as great-sized starters, as well as steaks, burgers and main dishes, Cosy Club — conveniently located at The Brewery Quarter — is a lovely location for a working lunch.
Its selection of non-alcoholic coolers, spritzes and punches are ideal for when you're on the clock, too.
Mowgli
Mowgli's bargainous lite tiffin menu — which costs £15 per person when two dine together — includes a chaat bomb each and a choice of curry to spice up your lunch break, plus a soft drink.
Choose from mother butter chicken, Aunty Geeta's prawn curry, Goan fish curry, temple dahl, tea-steeped chickpeas or SoGlos's pick, picnic potato curry.
The Coconut Tree
Just a short walk from the town centre in the colourful St Paul's neighbourhood, popular hotspot The Coconut Tree's express lunch menu promises to put some Sri Lankan sunshine into your life!
With a starter, curry, sambol and either a roti or rice, plus a soft drink, for £15 each, express lunch is available every weekday from 12pm to 3pm.
Sam's Montpellier
Casual fine dining restaurant, Sam's Montpellier, offers a unique menu of small plates in a stylish but relaxed setting, with three plates for the price of two on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday lunchtimes.
Tucked away in Montpellier Courtyard, the menu is separated into Earth for vegetable dishes, Land for meat and Sea for fish and seafood dishes, which are ideal for sharing between two people. The pistachio parfait with red onion marmalade is a firm favourite with the SoGlos team!
Pho
Slurp down something delicious on your lunch break at Pho in The Brewery Quarter, with fragrant bowls of Vietnam's national dish, creamy curries, wok-fried rice and noodles on its £12.95 Weekday Lunch Special menu, which includes a soft drink, too.
Pho is great for vegetarians and vegans, with loads of options to choose from — plus its gluten-free menu is Coeliac UK approved, so it's ideal for diners with dietary requirements. The Vietnamese iced coffee is a must try.
The Botanist
The Botanist at The Brewery Quarter is a stylish spot to enjoy a working lunch – and its £8.50 lunch menu offers light versions of its classic kebabs served with garlic flatbread, rocket salad, houmous and crispy chickpeas every Monday to Friday until 4pm.
The spacious restaurant has plenty of quieter corners for meetings and a great selection of botanical-inspired non-alcoholic cocktails to try, too.
288 Bar & Wok
A Cheltenham institution, 288 Bar & Wok offers a great value lunch deal, as well as a warm welcome from owner Pak Wai and his friendly team.
For just £13.50, diners can tuck into a main dish of sweet and sour, wok-fried noodles or curry, plus vegetable spring rolls or Thai fish cakes on the side.
Sef Steakhouse
The upmarket Sef Steakhouse offers a set menu from 12pm to 4.30pm with one course for £15, two for £19 or three for £23.
Choose from starters like calamari and Buffalo chicken wings; mains like rump steak, beef or chicken burger and stone bass with hasselback potatoes; and finish off with sticky toffee pudding, gelato or sorbet.
The Alchemist
While it's most well-known for its theatrical cocktails, The Alchemist is a great spot for a working lunch with a £15 lunch menu that offers a choice of five dishes and a soft drink or non-alcoholic beer – with the option to upgrade to a mocktail for an extra £4.
Dishes include duck wrap, bang bang salad, cheeseburger, and a fried chicken or crispy cauliflower rice bowl.
La Petite Brasserie
Charming French bisro, La Petite Brasserie on Cheltenham High Street, offers an earlybird menu from 12pm to 3pm, with two courses for £20 and three for £24.50.
From king scallops with crispy chicken, double baked spinach souffle and classic Caesar salad for starters; seared sea trout, crispy pork belly and confit duck for the main course; and pavlova or chocolate fondant for dessert, this is a lunch worth savouring like the French do.
The Nook
Fancy lunch with a view? Cheltenham's only rooftop restaurant, The Nook, offers diners the chance to grab a spot on its sunny terrace and soak up the spectacular views while tucking into their lunch – with the kitchen headed up by celebrity chef, John Burton-Race.
Its lunch set menu, available Monday to Friday, features dishes like leek croquette, tempura hake, and cured meats to start; with fish and chips, burgers, moules marinière, and Caesar salad for the main course; plus ice cream or sorbet to finish – with two courses costing £24 and three costing £29.
Hotel du Vin
Hotel du Vin's Prix Fixe menu is available Monday to Sunday lunchtimes and offers two courses for £24.95 or three for £29.95 — with a glass of house wine or bottle of beer for an extra £3.50.
Choose from starters including soup or pâté; mains including chicken breast, sea bass en papillote or tempura broccoli; and 'pot au chocolate', creme brulee or a cheese board to finish off.
Circo Brasserie
Italian-inspired Circo Brasserie on Bath Road offers a lunch menu with two courses for £19 or three for £22.
Dishes include soup of the day, beetroot-cured salmon and buffalo burrata to start; pasta of the day, roast market fish or minute steak with rosemary fries for the main course; and affogato, soft serve ice cream or lemon posset for dessert.
