Worldwide travels inspiring head chef of new Cheltenham restaurant

It has been just five months since Restaurant Journey opened its doors and what a journey it has been so far! 

With consistently good reviews and even a positive visit from Michelin under their belt, we wanted to catch up with Head Chef and owner, Jeff Lewis, to understand how his travels around the world have influenced the restaurant, and what exciting plans he has in store for his Cheltenham diners.  

“It feels such a long time ago when our adventures began, with an incredible road trip through Italy. This led on to travel extremes, such as the freezing temperatures of the Arctic Circle, to trekking with Bedouin tribesmen in the Sahara desert and making the painstakingly long journey to Machu Picchu, Peru. 

All in all, we covered over 60 countries between 2015 and 2022 maximising long weekends and countless road trips and they all had one thing in common - the search for flavour! We’ve always enjoyed experiencing the food and traditions of different cultures, it’s become a way of life now.

Images: Top left - Jeff spending time with a family in Indonesia, learning traditional methods of cooking. Top right - Stockfish being dried by cold air and wind in Lofoten, Norway. Bottom left - Jeff exploring the worlds largest salt flat, Uyuni, Bolivia with wife, Kennedy. Bottom right - Quick stop to marvel at the Iguazu Falls, Brazilduring a foodie tour.

When menu planning for the restaurant, we are lucky to have a wealth of inspiration to draw from - both from the places I’ve worked as well as the countries we have spent time in. Our opening menu had a lot of South East Asian influences for example and this has proved to be really popular. 

Now, as we move towards the next chapter, we are working on dishes that draw influences from our time in South America, India and many other places. The hardest part of this process is actually narrowing down the incredible amount of ideas that our travels have generated. It’s a good problem to have!”

Images: Top left - Exploring local food markets in Vietnam. Top right - Getting spiritual in Varanasi, India. Bottom left - Temple hopping in between cooking in Cambodia. Bottom right - Road Tripping the Balkans - Montenegro. 5 minutes from this spot was a wonderful local winery. 

And it doesn’t stop there…research is constantly ongoing ready for “Chapter 3” and the restaurant will be closing for a period of time in April to allow for a trip to Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong for further food research and development. 

Restaurant Journey is a fun fine dining experience in the centre of Cheltenham which offers a 6 course tasting menu on Wednesdays and Thursdays for £69 and 12 courses on Fridays on Saturdays from £89. With courses such as chilli infused crab, koji scallop and A5 Japanese wagyu, head chef Jeff Lewis takes you on his Journey in an innovative and fun experience. With just 10 tables and 2 chefs, reservations are limited and we recommend booking in advance.

Images: Top left - Embracing local customs and traditions in Cusco, Peru. Top right - Enjoying glaciers, steak and Malbec in Argentina. Bottom left - On the search of flavour in Italy…Ragu in Bologna. Bottom right - Inspirational train journey in St Moritz, Switzerland. 

Is it time you experienced Restaurant Journey?

Reserve your table here - www.restaurantjourney.co.uk 

Address - Restaurant Journey, 12 Bath Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7HA

---

For more Cheltenham food inspiration check out our helpful guides -

Award-winning restaurants Cheltenham | Guide book recommended restaurants Cheltenham