Giggling Squid - Cheltenham — Restaurant in Cheltenham

Walked into Giggling Squid in Cheltenham with a group of friends hoping it was as good as I had heard, to cut to the chase it is, we all left laughing and thoroughly satisfied.

We decided we would share everything and the menu works well for this. We ordered the Prawn Crackers which seem like an inevitability. As starters, we got the Prawns, Duck Spring Rolls, and the Caramelised Pork Belly. These were all delicious and our dinner, celebrating the publication of my 500th haiku poem was off to a flying start.

“At the Giggling Squid, the entrees were fantastic! Excited for mains.” (a haiku)

While we could take credit for ordering well, all of the mains were good - so I think it’s hard to go wrong here. The Massaman Beef was great and was probably my favourite pick of the night. The Crab Curry had crispy soft shell crab, well balanced spices and I loved it.

The Chicken and Prawn Pad Thai was a good version of the dish. The Garlic Hake was a surprisingly good dish that I’d get again for sure, the Sticky Chicken had a lovely caramelized glaze, and the side of rotis and rice rounded out the meal super well.

Their drinks list was a hit - I tried the Bitburger alcohol-free beer - it was a good low alcohol alternative for the designated driver. The others enjoyed their Raspberry Daiquiri and a particularly good Spiced Piña Colada, and a mocktail or two rounded out the mix.

The service was friendly and efficient. I liked the decor and the space felt warm. I would like to thank the kitchen for their focus and expertise, all the dishes were well balanced.

The waiters joked with us during their service and made us feel right at home, all guessing we were Australian pretty early on. I’ll definitely go back and it was well priced and was easy to book and relaxing to go in a group and have a lovely night out.

“We all left happy, grateful for the time we spent, great food and great...

I celebrated my birthday with family at Giggling squid and I must say, it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The service, food, and atmosphere were all perfect. The staff, particularly Sheldon, were attentive and regularly checked in to ensure everything was satisfactory, which was a nice touch.

We started with their classic papaya salad, a signature dish that was incredibly fresh, perfectly balanced in flavor, and just the right portion size. It was the best papaya salad I’ve had in a long time. We also ordered the Bangkok Bites -2 starter platter, which, along with the papaya salad, easily fed three of us.

For our mains, we had the Pad Thai Prawn, Chicken Pad Thai, and Beef Green Curry with coconut rice. Each dish was delicious, with the Beef Green Curry being a standout, especially when paired with the Tom Yum rice. Our little one enjoyed the Egg Fried Rice, which was also excellent.

To round off the meal, we indulged in mini desserts that were perfectly portioned and delightful. I was pleasantly surprised with a complimentary birthday dessert, which was beautifully presented and a lovely gesture.

Overall, it was a memorable dining experience, and I highly...

The venue is not dog friendly, we did sit outside with our well behaved dog. The gin and tonic came warm, the tap water was very tap.. even though we do drink tap water at home. We got the chicken and rice, whilst the rice was delicious and hot, the sticky chicken was just a coating, deep fried and greasy with not much chicken, it was warm. Managers and waiters were promising but not delivering. we sat outside and therefore neglected. the manager in glasses was in a rush to get the order in which we found very rude, we asked assistant manager in training for bill and dessert, she never appeared.

the only person who made our experience delightful was Grant. he was very attentive, helpful, not rushing, felt welcomed and heard. He was very polite and listened. although he was a waiter he should be the Manager, as the manager itself didn’t show any interest in running the venue in an excellent manner. thank you to Grant for making our dinner and evening less sour, he was a great host. please keep it up Grant we will come back to see you in Managerial position as you know how to treat customers. You just know when...