Prithvi — Restaurant in Cheltenham

One of the most enjoyable meals I have ever had. This was my first visit to Prithvi but my partner had been before - several years ago. It was a birthday treat, and wow...what a treat it was! Owner, Jay Rahman and his excellent chef Thomas Law should take credit for creating such a gastronomic gem in Cheltenham, which is now becoming a town full of Michelin quality places to eat. The 7-course tasting menu was stunning; covering the whole breadth of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes with subtle and unusual spice combinations. Take for example the biryani spiced goats' butter with the onion seed milk loaf; taking the ordinary to extraordinary. The Chettinad Cauliflower (black garlic, tamarind, puffed potatoes) was sublime with the crispy potato on top, hiding a stunning cauliflower puree/veloute below. And, the Chalk Stream Trout (curry beurre blanc, avruga caviar, pickled cucumber) with the just-cooked trout flesh married perfectly with curry spice and pickled veg. The food at Prithvi is imaginative, innovative, and cooked with precision and a deep knowledge of multiple styles. Truly amazing and...

Prithvi holds its own in a foodie city like Cheltenham. There are plenty of restaurants here that offer amazing food. The thing about this place is that it is Indian place serving what I call is Indio western fusion cuisine. It’s not your usual curry house where you order a few naans and have lots of curries and kebabs. As you can see in the pictures the food is trendy / very designer like looking / delicious to say the least with beautiful indian flavours. We went for the Ala carte option which is £69 a head for a 3 course meal/ have a few chef specials befriends and everything was delicious. Service was great and attentive too. The interiors were very nice too. Overall a great experience and a place to go for indo western type of food. I wouldn’t call it a traditional Indian restaurant. Just we aware of that the prices are not cheap. Meal for 2 on Ala carte is almost £140 without tips and or any wines etc Verdict 5/5 Defo for special occasions...

As no strangers to fine dining and regular diners at No.5 Winchcombe, Lower Slaughter Manor Hotel, The Mahal Cheltenham and others, we are accustomed to paying reasonable amounts of money for great food and experiences.

The Prithvi does deliver on this almost.. We had the tasting menu which completely delivered on taste.

The only thing I noted is the unbelievable price of your Sancerre wines - £92 and £60. That is one hell of a crazy markup. We purchase cases in Sancerre from the Vineyard at 8-12 Euro per bottle. In restaurants we know we can expect to pay £38-£48 per bottle which we do without complaint. But £60 or even £92!? That kind of left me thinking someone is as they say "putting the tip in"! The wines are all a little overpriced.

We did not buy Sancerre at Prithvi that night on principle and instead enjoyed a Malborough at around the £48 mark. Sometimes, such price gouging can lessen ones...