Bistrot Coco

My favorite restaurant in Cheltenham! We arrived here by the suggestion of a cab driver and he described it as «very French cooking, without the fussiness». Which translates into delicious accessible French food. I ended up eating here twice in my 10 day trip.
For starters, the staff was really hospitable, offering to take my coat and they were always attentive to the little things, like having enough water. They also were very patient in decoding the menu because there was a lot of French. The interior is cozy since it is downstairs, sporting low ceilings, warm brick walls, and a fireplace.
I had a lot of food here, but these were my faves:
— Baguette (comes with the meal) — so fresh and perfect! Crispy, crackly crust with soft fluffy innards. I could be happy with just their bread and butter for a meal. A sign of more good food to come
— Terrine maison (liver pâté) — Only order this if you like pâté or don’t mind the taste of liver. Served with crispy toasts, a lightly dressed salad, and onion jam. Liver pâté + onion jam is a delightful food combo.
— Scallops & pancetta salad — delicious. Rocket arugula, lightly dressed with really flavorful tomatoes and the right balance of pancetta. The scallops were tender and flavorful too
— Crêpe aux champignons (mushroom crêpe) — Really rich and filling. This could be a light meal on its own. The gravy made it really filling.
— Citron tart (Lemon tart) — absolutely winning and beautiful. Tart and bright lemon custard over a shortbread tart shell, very delicately covered by a thin brulee top. Served with a scoop of the sweetest and juiciest raspberries and a mound of fresh cream. It was so good that my dining partner wasn’t going to have dessert until he saw it. And then he couldn’t resist getting a slice of his own.
— Chocolate fondant cake — well executed chocolate lava cake. Definitely a must for chocolate lovers.
Only thing I didn’t really like was the sea bass (fish of the day). A little too fussy with a whole fillet of bones to deal with.
Great for dates or celebrations… or with the waitstaff being so French it could also be fun to come to practice French

Really friendly helpful staff. Went out of their way to make things lactose free for me. Reasonably priced and a great atmosphere!