Cheltenham makes culinary history

Lumière Restaurant and Le Champignon Sauvage have put Cheltenham firmly on the UK’s culinary map. Both restaurants have been recognised in Harden’s Top 100 UK Restaurants list, with Lumiere coming in at an incredible number 9!

Restaurateurs John & Helen Howe, David & Helen Everitt-Matthias

Harden’s wrote of Lumiere : “John & Helen Howe’s “small dining room” just “gets better and better” and is nowadays the most highly rated restaurant in the area in our annual diners’ poll. “Inspired cooking with accuracy and precision, and with an ability to produce some unlikely but amazing combinations” with “intense individual flavours” characterises the glowing feedback we receive on the “sublime, seasonal tasting menus showcasing many of their home-grown vegetables and herbs plus wine flights and a well chosen wine list”. “The atmosphere is calm, friendly and welcoming” and “the small team provides a warm welcome.”

For Champignon, Hardens said, “Champignon never fails to deliver outstanding cooking and amazingly good value” and “it is remarkable how such high standards have been maintained over such a long time” – that’s the unanimous verdict this year in the good number of reports on this famous foodie Mecca: a traditional temple of gastronomy run by David & Helen Everitt-Matthias since 1987. Each year, reporters say that “this remains the standard to which I compare other places” – the cooking is “always original, seasonal, well judged, and carefully presented (whilst avoiding the irritating Instagrammability sometimes found elsewhere)”.

It’s no small feat to be included in this prestigious list. Harden’s is based entirely on customer reviews, making it a true reflection of dining experiences. To be ranked so highly is a testament to the exceptional quality, service, and atmosphere these restaurants offer.

Please join us in saying a massive congratulations to both teams for this incredible, and much deserved, recognition!