Lumiere

It may be hidden away in one of Cheltenham’s Regency terraces, but Jon and Helen Howe’s smart little restaurant is cherished for its personal approach and “consistently good food” – he cooks while she oversees front-of-house in friendly, engaging style. The cream and white dining room may feel a tad formal, but service is refreshingly free from airs and graces. Likewise, the kitchen tempers ambitious, whimsical ideas with good sense and a respect for the basics, transforming high-spec produce into thoroughly modern dishes ranging from Springfield Farm chicken with smoked eel, Jersey royals and wild leeks to day-boat turbot partnered by bulgur wheat, ratatouille, salsify and brown shrimps. Locally reared lamb in a good call in season, while desserts mighty include a cheeky riff on sticky toffee pudding involving a soufflé, salted lime caramel and custard. Prices are surprisingly modest (particularly at lunchtime), and there are plenty of inviting possibilities on the approachable wine list. “Our first choice when eating locally”, noted one fan.

Lead by husband and wife team Jon and Helen Howe, Lumiere is an elegant fine dining experience in the heart of Cheltenham, with a reputation for innovative food. Since opening in January 2009, the restaurant has received numerous local and national awards including AA Restaurant of the Year for England in 2016, 3 AA Rosettes, and a Michelin Green Star.

The latter of those is down to the restaurant's 15-acre smallholding, which the restaurant uses to produce a huge range of fruits and vegetables, as well as micro herbs and edible flowers. The farm itself employs a 'no dig' method and is run in a completely organic way. There are no chemicals used - instead the farm opts for physical and biological solutions to pests.

All that homegrown produce - alongside meat, fish and seafood sourced from local fishermen and farmers - goes straight onto the menu at the restaurant, so you can be assured that everything you eat in the restaurant is as fresh as possible. Lumiere offers four, six and eight-course tasting menus, as well as a vegetarian menu. At the time of writing, the eight course menu opens up with Kestral potato, with smoked eel from the River Severn, apple, caviar, and smoked pepper dulse - a type of seaweed found in the nearby Severn estuary. Line caught sea bass comes with St Austell Bay mussels, wild garlic capers and coco beans. Pastry chef Anna Wise takes over on desserts with stunning creations like Valrhona Caramelia milk chocolate with passionfruit, mango and seame, and damson soufflé with yoghurt and almond milk. 

Vegetarian dishes are equally innovative and interesting, making Lumiere one of the most exciting restaurants in the country for vegetarians.