The Fire Station Cheltenham

Things are hotting up in Cheltenham thanks to the latest new opening. Finally standing proud on St James' Square, the old fire station has had an extensive makeover, and is now the most talked about place in town. It's only had its doors open for one week, but I'm already certain that The Fire Station feels right at home.

The City Fund Pub Company are behind the refurb - I'm so glad someone has done something with the beautiful building - and they've created a space which seems appropriate for any time of the day. The glass roof ensures it's bright and airy for breakfast, brunch and lunch, and you'll be sure to catch the early evening sun over the summer. Then as it hits dinner, the well stocked bar will be churning out cocktails, and the dining spaces adopt a much more intimate feel. Essentially, come for whatever occasion.

Stripped back to brickwork, wooden flooring, and a few white walls, there are flashes of colour running throughout the restaurant thanks to the fiery orange leather seating and well placed greenery. Though it's definitely the stunning lighting, the large bar (with added ladder!) and the Robata Grill that are the main features.

The Fire Station was built in 1906, with firefighters vacating the premises 57 years ago. So having a large open flame grill taking central stage seems like a nice cheeky nod to its original use. Shame there's no pole left in there though... Probably for the best.

In the space of a week, I managed to visit the place twice; once to try out the menu, then again for the launch party. Other than the knowledge of the grill, I had no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw a Middle Eastern streak running throughout the menu. Those Ottolenghi inspired ingredients are most predominant - harissa, tahini, dukkah, za'atar, chermoula - though there's a Mexican/Argentinian twist in there too - chimichurri, pico de gallo, ancho chilli and chipotle. It's all the kind of things I like to eat; fresh, flavoursome, packing a punch. They had me at hello.

Saturday night dinner started as any night should - cocktails! The Chap had a Barrel Aged Manhattan (£8.50), K had a Margarita (£7.50) and I had an Ume Sour (£9), which included Japanese Nikka whisky, plum sake, lemon juice, plum and lemon grass cordial, egg white. All delicious and not overly expensive for cocktails with decent ingredients.

For starters, we ordered a number of dishes to sample between us; the advantage of going with more than just one other person - more food. Other than the soup option, which is really just a solo job, I think this is the best way to go about it. Sharing's caring. 

Grilled mussels, smoked butter and chives (£7) were just as you'd expect, plump and juicy, though a tad on the small side, with a smoky, salty liquor. Hummus, dukkah and flatbreads (£5) is a go-to combination. The hummus had great texture and plenty of flavour thanks to the cumin-heavy dukkah, with the charred bread adding an extra depth. The Pomegranate molasses chicken wings with green harissa (£6.50) were an instant win - sticky, sweet and sour with a fragrant herbal hit - and the spicy N'duja croquettes with aioli (£6) barely lasted two seconds on the table before being devoured with sorrowful eyes, wishing we'd ordered more. 

All main courses at The Fire Station come with a house salad (baby gem lettuce, shallots, mint) and fries (skin on, hand cut), which come in big sharing bowls; a unique selling point I think. The Chap had Beef short rib, chipotle glaze (£15), where the meat was tender and the sauce was rich and smoky. Nice, a crowd pleaser, but perhaps a little safe? I had Cod, pine nuts, parsley (£14); really clean flavours for those who don't like dishes with too much fuss, the chargrilled lemon really made it what it was, as well as the crispy skin. K had the best of the three with the Bavette steak, chimichurri (£14). Basically black on the outside, it was perfectly pink in the middle, and the chimichurri added a herby garlic tang - a dream with the chips! We had a side of Chermoula aubergine, bulgar wheat and yoghurt (£4) too, and although nice, it definitely wasn't necessary.

Squeezing in dessert, between the three of us we ordered the Rum baba, charred pineapple, Brugal Añejo (£11 for 2 people); not enough rum or syrup for me, though as this was the first service, mistakes can easily be forgiven. And also the Little chocolate pot, ginger biscuit (£6); rich, gooey and utterly indulgent (I didn't share), the sprinkling of salt on top made it feel even more luxurious. I washed this down with a liqueur coffee (their coffee's from The Scandinavian Coffee Pod) and the other two scouted the rum and whisky selection.

When we returned a few days later for the jam packed opening party, we had Margaritas aplenty, and one of my favourite aperitifs, Brit Spritz - Kamm & Sons, prosecco, elderflower, soda (£8). Samples of food were floating round, but The Chap and I went and did a mini wine and food pairing class in the private dining room upstairs. I'd not really looked at the wine list the first time - shock horror - so I'm really glad we got the opportunity to do this.

Split into French, Rest of Europe and Rest of the World, the wines are pretty easy to navigate, with 6 whites, 6 reds, 2 rosés and a sparkler available by the glass; not too shabby for restaurant standards. Our host - the wine supplier for The Fire Station - took us through four wines matched to four different dishes from the menu, so you can use this as a handy heads up if you're planning on going soon! 

Pick d'Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne from Australia's McClaren Vale to go with your N'duja croquettes // Ken Forrester's Chenin Blanc Reserve from South Africa to partner the grilled mussels // The Argentinian Humberto Canale Cabernet Franc goes wonderfully with the bavette steak // Go for the Recioto Valpolicella DOC dessert wine to finish things off with the chocolate pot.  

If I haven't tempted you to try it out, I'm not sure what will... I'm already planning on going again at the weekend! The 'On Toast' breakfast menu is a great idea, as is the 'Bottomless Brunch' (though slightly dangerous) - a 2 hour sitting where you can get two courses for £30 or three for £35 with unlimited Bellinis or Prosecco! The Roast Half Shoulder of Hardwick Lamb (£55 for 3/4 people) sounds great for a Sunday afternoon too.

Can't get hold of me? You'll probably find me at The Fire Station...