Behind an almost hidden door in Cheltenham, Restaurant Journey is a quiet and intimate fine dining experience, built to challenge what a tasting menu should be. There's room for just 16 guests, and the restaurant is open just three nights a week. When it comes to fine dining, Restaurant Journey unveils a totally unique way of dining for the people of Cheltenham, with a story to ten unexpected courses, each designed to push diners out of their comfort zone and edge them into curiosity.
Chef patron of Restaurant Journey is Jeff, who has many years of experience in the culinary world, having worked at Michelin starred restaurants, like Ynyshir and The Fat Duck. Jeff has a particular interest in Asian flavours, which you’ll find throughout his unique recipes. Kenni is the restaurant's general manager, and is currently studying for her level three sommelier exams, while putting her project manager skills to good use in the restaurant.
When it comes to the ten courses, diners can expect a truly immersive experience. Whilst menus are constantly changing, you can expect the likes of 'First Impressions', a playful dish that introduces the duality of hot and cold, balancing fiery wasabi with -293 degree collide head. This could be followed by the 'Great British Fake Off', a unique dish that takes the familiar format of afternoon tea, but this time with a world of new flavours.
Throughout the evening, guests will continue to enjoy 'Waves of Umami', (black cod glazed in miso), and 'The Meat of the Matter', a steak course that pairs the meat with flame-charred veggies, ragu and bone marrow. Dishes here will likely take you on a journey across the world, as the name might suggest, with flavours from Thailand all the way to Central Africa.