Foodie Focus: The Coconut Tree

The Coconut Tree; a place to go for sheer happiness – it’s fun, it’s fiery, it’s out there, and the food is stacked with flavour. Lunch began on a hot sunny day in Cheltenham, as soon as we sat down our minds were immediately whisked away to the warmth of the golden, sandy beaches of Sri Lanka, imagining sights of a cooling aqua blue ocean front on the horizon. 

The décor is spot on with some vibrant wall graphics spotted all around the restaurant, bringing in an energetic, traditional Sri Lankan theme. The staff and service were delightfully perfect; It’s easy to see why this has won a growing list of awards!

The Coconut Tree has certainly earned its reputation amongst the locals, becoming a firm new favourite in Cheltenham and attracting so many people across all age groups. There's the added bonus that children aged under 10 can also eat free - yes, free!

The whole ethos feels very real and truthful, familiar and comfortable as though we also belong in the family. They own the fact that they make a certain number of dishes each day and once they are gone they are gone; this just makes you want to get in there earlier! If you’ve never been before, the staff will recommend the best dishes and how to choose from the menu.

The best way by far to eat at the Coconut Tree is to share a variety of dishes between you and your guests. We began with the ‘Egg Hopper’ and as proclaimed on their menu, this one is a must have for first timers! It arrives in a tin plate and is a coconut milk pancake with an egg in the centre, served with dollops of Sambal and Luna Miris, which is a Sri Lankan salsa. The idea is to mix all the different textures and flavours, roll up the pancake and eat to your heart's content.

We then chose four small plates from the 16 dishes on offer and had a Parippu Dhal (red lentils cooked in coconut cream) Fat Sister (pumpkin curry cooked in coconut and turmeric) Beetroot Baduma (stir fried beetroot with curry leaves, crushed chilli’s, chickpeas, stir fried in coconut oil with onions, garlic, and mustard seeds). We added to this a portion of devilled Chicken Wings and a Potato Spring – it was all a truly amazing experience made with the freshest ingredients. 

The 12 handcrafted ‘cocotails’ on the menu are a definite for an evening out or simply when you haven’t got any chores to do after lunch. We love the Vegan Sour which is a Sri Lankan twist on a whiskey sour and the Drunken Sri Lankan which is a particular favourite with the Sri Lankan Whiskey and is served in an endearing elephant shaped glass!

Make sure when you visit the Coconut tree next, don’t forget their Mantra:

Don’t expect a napkin…….it’s a roll of paper towels
Do expect an explosion of flavours in our dishes and sweet & fiery Cocotails
Do expect candles in half coconuts
Don’t expect a massive food bill…but do expect to spoil yourself with drinks
Do expect meats, fish & veggies (lots)
Do expect warm Sri Lankan hospitality
Don’t expect the volume to stay down too long

To find out more about The Coconut Tree, visit their website...