About Cheltenham, Gloucester

Cheltenham could just be the spiritual home of the festival. From the equestrian bacchanalia of the three-day racing festival in April, when half of Ireland decamps to this Gloucestershire spa town, to the jazz, folk and literature festivals running through to autumn, there's a festival for every predilection. There's even a cricket festival on the glorious playing fields of the college.

At this time of year, however, the town offers another, more base attraction: shopping. From the boutiques of The Promenade - called the Bond Street of the West by some - to the high-street names of the, er, High Street, you'll find Christmas presents for everyone and maybe even a little trinket for yourself. But whatever your mission, you're sure to need some serious fuel to keep you focused and, fortunately, Cheltenham offers some truly fine dining.

Restaurants in Cheltenham

Montpellier, the elegant heart of Georgian Cheltenham, is where you'll find most of the town's eateries, such as Le Petit Blanc, one of Raymond's four offshoot brasseries. The decor may be 'interesting', but the food is of a good standard. The roasted cherry tomato risotto with Parmesan crisps (£10), for instance, is a triumph and there are good wines to try (from £2.85 a glass). Also in Montpellier, newly converted from cinema to restaurant and bar, and banquetted in an Art-Deco style, The Daffodil is a buzzy place to enjoy a good-value lunch (two courses, £10; three, £12.50) or live jazz on a Monday.

For flawless French cooking, head for Le Champignon Sauvage. This two-Michelin-starred restaurant has an intimate atmosphere and is the perfect place to splash out on someone special. If you're watching your wallet (or your companion simply isn't that special), then you can choose from the reasonable set menus (two courses at lunch time is £16.50). Dinner (£42 for three courses) could feature dishes such as pigeon, along with a samosa of its leg, and pineapple chutney, but if you do go in the evening you won't be able to pop into the fascinating Q&C Militaria next door; the best and, I imagine, only place in town to snare yourself a bona fide 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles drum. The Suffolks, the area of town around Suffolk Square, is rammed with junk shops, so leave yourself time to mooch. Just down the road is Ruby, one of two excellent Chinese restaurants in the town, the other being Mayflower, down towards the High Street. Both offer all the favourites, unusually well executed. Try the tongue-tingling chicken with pickled ginger and pineapple (£4.70) at Mayflower.
Café Paradiso at The Hotel Kandinsky, is a stylish eatery with glamorous staff and wood-fired pizzas, such as the Sierra, with red onion jam, bacon, sour cream, smoked paprika and chives (£9.50; £18 for two people). Get there early and enjoy a large gin and tonic in the chicly faded grandeur of the conservatory or, better still, stay for the night. The menu also features great pastas (from £8.75 for a main) and dishes such as the North African-inspired wood-roasted sardines marinated in chermoula with spiced potato salad (£9.95).

Places for Coffee

For a vitamin boost, visit Squeeze, where you can grab a Pearfection, made from the juice of pear, apple, lime and ginger (£2.50). Back down in The Suffolks is Moka, a friendly little café that has lots of flyers and info on what's happening in town and is the best place for a large mug of frothy cappuccino (£1.90) and a toasted bagel with marmite (£1) - surely the way the gods start their day. If you need some mid-shopping-frenzy sustenance, head for The Soho Coffee Co. Just a totter from the High Street, here you can reload with soups and snacks and be back out hunting for bargains within minutes.

Bars and Pubs

South of the peaceful Imperial Gardens is The Courtyard, a sheltered recess off Montpellier Street. This area is home to Flynn's Wine Bar, whose friendly staff will bring you booze and above-average bar food. Around the corner, The Montpellier Wine Bar is a favoured hangout for style-conscious locals, who like to watch the world go by while tucking into some excellent dishes, such as grilled swordfish with caper and red onion sauce (£12.95). Back among the antiquities of Suffolk Parade is The Retreat. Red walls and dark furniture make this a cosy place to enjoy a beer and an imaginative sandwich, such as the goat's cheese with Italian sausage and redcurrant and port jelly on toasted bread (£5.95). If you are well wrapped up and the day is clement, then try the little beer garden out the back. The Beehive is a more traditional kind of pub, but also has a pretty courtyard, this time with heaters, so as long as it isn't raining you can get some fresh air with your pint of Goff's Jouster (£2.20). There's a small dining room upstairs, too, open from Wednesday to Saturday and for Sunday lunch.

Places to Stay

There's really only one place to stay in Cheltenham town right now. The Hotel Kandinsky revels in a stylish, faded-colonial grandeur. Chinese puppets adorn the wall above the reception desk, which is pleasingly difficult to recognise as such in a room furnished with huge, squishy sofas, imposing, battered tables and plenty of exquisite ethno-tat. This theme continues into the rooms, with the hi-tech gadgetry hidden from view in sturdy armoires. And the bar is just the place to cut a timelessly elegant figure hanging out in your safari suit with three fingers of Bombay Sapphire and a handful of salty popcorn.

Stocking up

If there's one thing more delightful than idling away the day with a cold beer or a frothy coffee, it's grazing through scores of samples in a good deli. Olives on Montpellier Street has a great choice of antipasti, condiments and oils, including 17 single-estate olive oils and Viola dop Umbria, winner of the Ercole Olivario, the olive-oil equivalent of the Oscars. For a tasting, drop in on a Saturday. The Fine Cheese Company will provide you with some delicious titbits from its wonderful range, and if you're after some fine wines to go with all that cheese, visit Rose Tree Wines for its good selection and friendly, informative service.

Cheltenham Address Book

The Beehive, 1-3 Montpellier Villas. Tel 01242 579443

Champignon Sauvage, 24 Suffolk Road. Tel 01242 573449

Daffodil, 18-20 Suffolk Parade. Tel 01242 700055

The Fine Cheese Co, 5 Regent Street. Tel 01242 255022

Flynn's Wine Bar, 16-17 The Courtyard, Montpellier Street. Tel 01242 252752

Hotel Kandinsky and Café Paradiso, Bayshill Road. Tel 01242 527788

The Mayflower, 32-34 Clarence Street. Tel 01242 522426

Moka, 14 Suffolk Parade. Tel 01242 263646

The Montpellier Wine Bar, Bayshill Lodge, Montpellier Street. Tel 01242 527774

Olives, 14 Montpellier Arcade. Tel 01242 245768

Le Petit Blanc, The Promenade. Tel 01242 266800

The Retreat, 10-11 Suffolk Parade. Tel 01242 235436

Rose Tree Wines, 15 Suffolk Parade. Tel 01242 224466

Ruby, 52 Suffolk Road. Tel 01242 250909

The Soho Coffee Co, 2 Cambray Place. Tel 01242 232929

Squeeze, 21The Courtyard, Montpellier Street. Tel 01242 573666

Waitrose Food and Home, Honeybourne Way. Tel 01242 241425.

Note: The above information was correct at the time of publishing but may have changed. Please check with the relevant establishment for an update.