No.131 — Restaurant in Cheltenham

Slid off for a chunder, wife’s face like thunder

No. 131 is the place to be. Having stayed here after our wedding as a twosome, we were now heading back with some friends in tow for a four-ball.

Starting our visit at the legendary Dunkertons and wetting our whistles with some Guinness in the sun, things were looking good. We tag-teamed the various food vendors, each opting to pick a dish. Returning to our seats and anxiously waiting for our buzzers to summon us up to the front to collect the varying delights. Myself beef tacos, the wife went for the Asian persuasion, the Lees Duck fries & Indian nan wraps. Shared between the group in equal measures. Now this is where things began to head south. Recently taking up medicinal marijuana for a crippling back pain the laid back atmosphere lured me into a false sense of tolerance. Hitting the vape like an adolescent skateboarder I soon was feeling the effects. This was how the day continued beer vape, beer vape by the time we arrived back I was in some kind parallel universe.

Returning to our room to glam up for the evening we were taken back by the sheer size of the place. Decorated in exceptional taste you really do feel as though you are somewhere special. After carrying out the the 3 S’s it was time for a pre dinner game of Chameleon with the Lees now joining us in our room for some drinks. After an hour we were ready to head downstairs to the famous cellar at 131. We dived into the atmosphere and sat enjoying the company & music alike. Several pints in we were now eying the top shelve liquors. Next thing I remember is cutting through the crowd heading back in the direction of the room, it became apparent I had indulged myself to heavily. Luckily making it back to the room in time. The embarrassment following the swift exit left me unable to rejoin the wife and Lees at the cellar I opted to watch golf videos and ignore any incoming calls. This lasted for an half an hour or so before the wife came knocking with a face like thunder.

Awaking the next day I realised I’d let my chance of the new lace outfit slip through the net. So jumped up to run the big brass tub hoping there was some life in the old girl yet. However being a stubborn man I slid in like a suet dumpling to a slow cooker and watched masters highlights, deciding not to extending the invitation to my frustrated wife. After some awkward conversation juices did begin to flow with the mention of a fry up at a near by eatery. No 131 even on a particularly tricky evening ticked all boxes we’ve now been 4 times and look forward to returning again next year on what will be our first wedding...

Me and my husband went to the gin and juice bar for our 5th wedding anniversary on the 14th of August , we were seated at a table at 7 pm where we sat and spent nearly £180.00 on drinks, the place was very quiet as many people were drinking outside, as soon as 10.30pm came a guy came up to me and asked me to move ? I thought he was bar staff, I said we were not prepared to move as we had sat their for over 3 hours , he then said he would get his manager, he then returned with a bouncer who was a lovely guy and told me that I had to move, he was in fact the manager Jordan (manager)then said due to covid rules that he had to make money as we were sat on a table that seated 4 persons, I then said that we were happy for another couple to sit their , he then told us again we had to move ? He then sat us in a dark corner and walked off. When I asked him if that was acceptable he then walked off again and said he wasn’t dealing with it. After me and my husband had finished our drinks I was very upset and approached him and I said that we had been their for 4 hours and the other 2 tables that had 2 people on, but could sit 4 people, were they asked to move and he said no , he then went up to the customers and caused a scene and said this couple are saying you have not been here long , how long have you been here ? They looked very embarrassed, he then went to the group that he had sat in our seats and asked them in front of us have I ever been rude to you , the lady was very also very embarrassed and said I don’t want to get involved. I am a land lady in Coventry and I travelled here for my anniversary, the place was beautiful and we had a great night but JORDAN the very rude and obnoxious so called manager who was actually the manager in the first instance and not bar staff and lied and said I’m going to get my manager , who also called me inebriated, although I wrote this review an hour later when we arrived back at the queens hotel was the most rudest, obnoxious person I have ever come across , to the point the bouncer was so lovely and agreed with me how awful I had been treated and he was very sorry , the barmaid who served us all night was one of the nicest girls I’ve met and when I told her what had happened she couldn’t believe it , so JORDAN, Thank you for ruining my trip to the gin and juice bar , Thank you for totally ruining what was a lovely night ! Never have I been treated so disgustingly! And never have I been so embarrassed that me and my husband in our late forties were escorted out of the building ! in a upper class lovely place would I ever if expected this kind...

Mixed experiences:

Coincidentally had dinner last night at 131 and then lunch today at Crazy Eights. Dinner was excellent. The staff were friendly, helpful, attentive and utterly professional.

Lunch today was a totally different proposition. The staff in Crazy Eights were surly and unfriendly. We were left standing around for nearly 10 mins when we arrived even though only one other table was booked. I had reserved the table days ago and it was confirmed by the venue by phone yesterday so we were not a surprise!

The waitress couldn't have looked less interested if she tried. We asked if the music could be turned down a little as we were under a speaker and could barely hear each other. Or we asked if we could move to a table further from a speaker ....as there was no-no else there apart from a group in the private area, this wasn't a big ask! She wandered off and returned nearly 10 mins later having neither adjusted the music nor offering to move us ...

My food was great (lobster) but my mother's roast pork was very average for £18.95. She expressed that she preferred not to have her food doused in gravy (our fault perhaps for not asking for it to be served on the side). So I asked the waitress if she could kindly ask the chef if the dish could be replated and she was so awkward and unhelpful you'd have thought I'd asked her to do something utterly impossible.

My mother, embarrassed, decided not to make a fuss and said it didn't matter ... But clearly it did! The waitress returned 10 mins later with the obligatory "Is everything Ok?" to which I should have replied "Clearly not as we have already told you the music is so loud we can barely converse (and it is Sunday lunchtime not Saturday night) and my mother isn't enjoying her roast soup, which you refused to re-plate." But being polite and not wishing to ruin the lovely birthday lunch experience ... I held back.

So you can enjoy the online version instead! I completed a comment card but as the recipient was the main person I was criticising there wasn't much point leaving it.

131 - when you get it right, you are fantastic. There is no excuse to get the things wrong that happened today. Please train your staff to check the reservations list and know who is arriving ... Or at least seat them efficiently if they confirm (twice) their name and booking ... And please don't bother asking if everything is Ok if your staff don't have the least intention of making some tiny adjustments to the experience so it goes from abysmal...