I was invited for a complimentary dinner with a plus one by the Ivy Cheltenham to test out their special Christmas cocktails and try their food. I decided to treat my lovely Mum as we don’t get to do much together now that I have the children, usually we do family things with them as well.
In exchange for some social media coverage*, we were offered a three course meal, a bottle of wine and a cocktail each from their new Christmas creations which are designed to tie in with the panto performance going on at the Everyman Theatre in town, Cinderella. On arrival we were wowed by the beautiful decorations surrounding the whole of the entrance, all lit up and very elegant. If you’ve not been to the Ivy before, it is a brasserie version of the infamous celeb hangout in London. This means that it is slightly more relaxed and informal but still with the atmosphere and service that you’d expect from such a high class restaurant.
Greeted at the door, we gave our coats in to the cloakroom and were shown to our table by a very smartly dressed greeter. The Ivy Cheltenham is in the Montpellier area of town situated in a building that used to be Barclay’s bank with a circular bar and enormous domed roof in the main seating area, there are also an abundance to plants in there, giving it a very natural airy feel. The decor is inspired by the races with a mural of horses adorning the walls.
Our waiter was very attentive and gave us special vegetarian menus (a really nice touch, with more options than the main menu) and helped us to select a wine, a really delicious rosé. First up were the cocktails, mine, At The Stroke of Midnight (£9.75 Crème de Cacao Blanc, Amaretto di Saronno, Frangelico, Chase Sloe & Mulberry gin, lemon juice, egg white, crushed raspberries, topped with white chocolate foam) was like a dessert in itself, it even came with a spoon! It was very strong but absolutely lovely. My Mum tried the apple-y one and it was also delicious. They are huge though, and very potent so be warned!
We were so impressed with our food. It was all really tasty and flavoursome with some delicious combinations. I struggled to narrow down what I wanted and that’s really unusual for me because often there isn’t an abundance of things that I like. My Mum and I tried different things and hers was equally as good. It was also nice the way that it was served, for her soup and my pudding were both deconstructed, with some of the dish in the bowl and a sauce poured over by the waiter which was a visual treat as well.
All in all, we had a lovely time and were both very impressed with the evening, the service was faultless. Whenever we go for a review meal I always look to see what sort of experience the other diners are receiving to make sure that we aren’t getting special treatment and all I heard were compliments and happy diners. There were a few birthdays that evening and there were small cakes with candles going out to a few tables which was a lovely touch. The friends next to us who were out to celebrate were commenting on how reasonable it was for a special meal. I would highly recommend the Ivy Cheltenham, for the food, service and the ambience. Would definitely return.
*I chose to do this review as I was so impressed.
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