The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie Cheltenham — Restaurant in Cheltenham

Both open table and the greeter at the Ivy asked if our booking was for a special occasion - it was our wedding anniversary - and replied 'perfect' ... but that was it!! Why ask ?

We were shown to possibly the worst table in the restaurant right by the waiter station. Very busy, draughty, and as the tables are too close together very noisy, although there were many better placed free tables available at 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon.

We asked to be moved and were reluctantly and tardily shown to another area of the restaurant - although unfortunately right next to an overloud gentleman - every establishment has these people but we didn't want to listen to his extravagant tales of life in the fast lane! We had asked to be moved to a quieter table! We would comment that the menu is limited for a restaurant of the Ivy's stature and too heavily leans towards seafood - but that is a personal choice

As I thought £20 was a bit rich for cottage pie we ordered 2 fillet steaks at £37.25 each with chips at £7.25 and peppercorn sauce £4.95 which in my book is £50 for steak and chips ... Hmmm ... it had better be good. We were advised that there would be a longer than normal wait because one steak was medium to well done ..why?

My husbands steak was ordered as medium but was raw in the middle and a definite challenge to eat.. we can't be sure if the chips were actually triple cooked but they were acceptable, unfortunately the peppercorn sauce was tepid. A few peas at a reasonable charge would have been nice.

Eventually we were approached by waiting staff hoping to clear the table and asked if everything was alright - well it wasn't. To be fair the waitress offered to remove the cost of one steak dinner from the bill which she did.

Foolishly we didn't check the bill closely enough to notice a 12.5% service charge of £21.53 because we hadn't considered for one moment that we would be faced with this surcharge when we had complained. Personally I think that a gratuity should be left at the discretion of the diner for good food and good service, and not just added willy nilly.

Overall a disappointing experience and to be honest, not the first at this establishment and we will probably not...

We visited The Ivy on Sunday as a family of five — myself, my parents, my sister, and her boyfriend — after usually dining at 131 The Onion nearby. My sister suggested we try The Ivy for a change, but unfortunately, the experience left us all underwhelmed.

The food was uninspiring. While not terrible, it certainly didn’t live up to the expectations of a fine dining restaurant. My dad mentioned his vegetables were undercooked, and I found the burger lacking in flavour and flair — it felt very ordinary for a place of this calibre.

We were also surprised by the presence of a live singer. When we were asked if this was a special occasion (which it was), we expected a more relaxed and conversational setting. Instead, the music was so loud we found ourselves talking over it for most of the meal. It would’ve been appreciated if we were informed in advance or given the option to sit farther away.

The seating was another issue. The booth we were given was far too small for five adults. I couldn’t even sit with my legs under the table and ended up awkwardly perching sideways for the entire meal. When we got up to leave, we noticed multiple larger tables available that would have accommodated us much more comfortably.

Lastly — and perhaps most surprisingly — the number of flies in the room was unacceptable. It became a distraction throughout the meal, and we weren’t the only ones swatting at them. This really took away from the ambiance and raised concerns about hygiene, especially for a restaurant positioned as a premier venue. It made us wonder why the front door was left open, allowing this to happen.

Overall, our visit to The Ivy didn’t live up to the standard we were expecting, and sadly, we won’t be in a...

Please take my review as largely positive, but I'll explain the average rating.

The scenery is grand and would be excellent for a special occasion, the service is attentive and the atmosphere is nice,

However, we were seated in what I considered an awkward position near the kitchen door, so we continuously had orders and big trays speeding past my head. Being so close to where the staff created their transactions meant we were uncomfortably close and almost felt watched whilst eating (that is just a personal feeling). Normally being asked how everything is would be useful but the 7-8 times whilst eating was not necessary and I didn't want to be rude letting staff know they didn't have to worry about us so much. The food was very tasty ( I had the ivy burger, the chips were amazing), however the general value for money remains in question. I don't believe staff should ask customers for still or sparkling before we've even sat down, at £5 for 700ml I would have asked for tap water and I was driving so a 200ml bottle of coke for £4 (the unit measure was not stated) is again a big value concern. Also the optional tip felt more mandatory, whilst the staff were checking in a lot, it maybe felt that justified the discretionary tip...

I'm not sure I would go back to the ivy in terms of value for money but it is a pleasant experience. If you are price conscious, try not to be like me and too afraid to ask before ordering. The staff might think less of you but then again it will show if the tip is really worth paying at the end.

I...