Burgers, Beats & Secret Eats at The Tavern Cheltenham

When The Tavern had to shut shop after a fire midway through last year, Cheltenham was at a loss. There are pubs and restaurants aplenty - you don't need me to tell you that - but The Tavern was the easy go-to, all-round crowd-pleaser, which never disappointed. Sure, we all begrudgingly found new locals to spend our pennies in, but it just wasn't the same.

Fast forward a few months and we were teased with #TavernReload; an opening date of the end of November was announced along with the promise to continue to deliver delicious food at reasonable prices. Hooray! The new menu was said to contain firm favourites alongside some incredible new plates, and extended opening hours of midday to midnight each day, staying open until 2am with tunes aplenty at the weekend. More Tavern fun for all.

Having eaten at the chef's table just before the fire, The Chap and I felt The Tavern was at the top of its game. Chef James de Jong was knocking out some sublime dishes alongside all the usual Tavern staples - burgers and various deep fried goods (though still no Spam fritters). It therefore came as a shock to see how stripped back the new menu was. No more traditional starters, mains, desserts. Gone are the seasonal meat, fish and poultry offerings (hogget chops, sea trout, sweetbreads and poussin for example). Even the Sunday roasts have been sacked off.

So what are we left with?... Burgers. Eight of them to be precise - nine if you include 'Burger of The Month' - with numerous toppings and sauces that you can pile them high with. There are chicken wings too - hot, sticky or BBQ - and four different salad bowls to attempt to get some of your five a day in.

There's a choice of three different fries in the sides and snacks section, along with a few oldies that you can cling onto; chorizo scotch egg, salt 'n' pepper squid, mac 'n' cheese... And I think that's it, apart from dessert. I'm yet to tackle the sinful shakes and the brand new Sundae Service, where you can be like a kid in a candy shop and build your own bespoke sundae from all the ice cream flavours and sweet additions you could fathom.

The Tavern's burgers were always my favourite in Cheltenham, so I suppose having a smaller, succinct menu means that they can focus more on quality. Do one thing, and do it really bloody well (4oz patties served pink using dry aged beef from local Stokes Marsh Farm if you're wondering). However, being devoted to what The Tavern was before, I'm just not sure it's burgers I want all the time.*

* The Lucky Onion elves clearly heard my concern, as little did I know that a 'secret menu' would be rearing its head in January... More on that in a bit.

Whether you're team 'before the fire' or 'embracing the new', choosing wisely from the menu is key. I'm a traditionalist in this area; I like my burgers left alone. A decent smothering of sauce, crisp lettuce, a slice of tomato and some gherkins. Cheese is a preferable addition too. So if this sounds like you, then the Tavern is what you want. I had mine with added roquefort, making it a bargain £7 and exactly what I wanted. Other toppings include an extra patty, bacon and avocado.

The Bacon/Cheese burger is what it is, and I've heard good reports about The Hog (with pulled pork and BBQ sauce) and the veggie friendly falafel burger (with roasted red peppers, harissa mayo, spinach and houmous). If you're after a chicken burger, but like the spice, I'd definitely suggest going for the Crispy Chicken and adding sriracha mayo or really hot sauce. I made the rookie error on my second visit and picked the Spicy Chicken which was just sriracha coated chicken breasts in a bun, not the crunchy coated chicken patty that I anticipated. My own fault for ordering with such haste. Impossible to eat elegantly too; the chicken was so juicy that the bun was soggy in seconds - yay for no dry chicken, boo for then having to eat my burger like a douche with a knife and fork. 

The Chap had the Chilli Cheese with green chilli slaw, Tavern cheese, lettuce, pickles and sriracha. He barely said two words to me once he'd tucked in, which is definitely a thumbs up, however I think it's probably quite important to note that it looked nothing like the photos I've seen on social media. All the burgers come wrapped up in branded paper with a sticker on top, regardless of whether you're eating in, taking away, sat a few steps away from the kitchen or downstairs near the bar. While it's perfect for Instagram, everything just ends up a bit squished, and as The Chap confessed to me after, he wants to squish down and tackle his own burger. 

The sweet potato fries are my personal preference, though I'd happily share the epic chilli cheese fries (pictured earlier) over a few drinks for £6. The buffalo hot wings are delicious too, but it's the honey, soy glazed sticky ones which never fail to win me over. And if we must talk about health, then the Asian Noodles salad was my fave; with slippery worm like udon noodles, cashew nuts, carrots, mange tout, roasted broccoli and miso. The Beets & Mozzarella with fregola, chicory and mint, whilst refreshing, was lacking in some sort of dressing. I expect it was just forgotten.

Mac 'n' Cheese was strongly recommended by a number of people who were lucky enough to go to a sneak preview tasting, so obviously we ordered it. It was love at first sight when we saw the bubbly cheesy crust on the top, which we basically had to crack to get into. The macaroni was swimming in a thick, cheesy sauce, and with every forkful there were streams of stringy cheese leading back to the dish. It was a little like Lady & The Tramp; a love affair with one woman and a bowl of Mac 'n' Cheese.

With some hits and a few misses in this new direction for The Tavern, I was beginning to think that maybe it'd just become a place I go to more for drinks than for food (and FYI the potent cocktails are an excellent match to the fried foods). However, a rather exciting undercounter menu reared its head last month, with small plates and snacks that hark back to before. Thanks to the lovely Lucky Onion folks, The Chap and I were invited to sample the secret eats, and we were SO excited. 

The Tavern Lemonade was a good start; non-alcoholic (shocking), with a big citrus punch to get our taste buds going. Then went straight in on the salty-sweet devils on horseback - dates wrapped in bacon with an almond in the centre. Salt cod croquettes are always a dream, and here they're crispy on the outside, silky in the middle, with just a squeeze of lemon juice to set off all the flavours. Simply does it.

More salty snacks came in the form of smoked anchovy fillets, peppers & crumbs. I could eat anchovies all the time; on pizzas, in sauces, straight from the jar... ALL THE TIME. So this little plate just sang to me. The slippery strips of red pepper added some sweetness, with teeny capers providing acidity and crumbs some crunch. The burrata, clementine & gremolata was a welcome taste and texture change at this point. Cold and creamy, cut into the voluptuous ball and watch it ooze. Pretty decent value at £8 too; I paid near enough a fiver for some not too long ago, and it was nowhere near this size. 

The quince glazed pork ribs with pickled red cabbage probably would've looked better piled on a plate rather than a large tray, but were awesome nonetheless. The meat fell away from the bone with nothing but a gentle push, and that sweet glaze… Mmm. I could take or leave the brioche buns that accompanied them though, especially when there's something as delicious as the sprout slaw available.  Shredded sprouts and other likely slaw culprits had been tossed in a mustardy vinaigrette dressing and studded with dried cranberries and pecans. I couldn't leave it alone.

Steaks were always pretty reasonable and perfectly cooked at The Tavern before, so I was glad to see 6oz flat iron with chimicurri on the Undercounter menu. I gawped at those glistening pink strips when they came out. You could just order this and some fries off the main menu and it's like nothing has changed.

Saving the best 'til last… Hereford beef & pork meatballs in nduja sauce. Three huge balls cloaked in this devilishly thick spicy sauce, adorned with wisps of parmesan. There's something I find so seductive about parmesan; watching the ribbons curl up and gradually become translucent as they get hot. That's not just me, right?… Anyway, just make sure you get these. They were definitely the stars of the show. 

So that's it. The Tavern in all it's glory. They say secrets don't make friends, but the new undercounter menu has certainly sealed the deal for me. Pals for life. 

Oh, and for all those old schoolers, you'll be pleased to hear that The French Dip is back for February!!! Braised short rib of beef, smothered in Stinking Bishop and sprinkled with jalapeños, all in a bun destined to be dipped in a slick short rib braising stock, which has been reduced down with red wine, caramelised onions and bone marrow. Who needs flowing arteries anyway?

Click here to go to The Tavern website

Drink, Eat & Be Social: The Bottle of Sauce Cheltenham

No doubt we're all seeing in January with various saintly resolutions… New year, new me… But let's face it, it never quite works out. If you're dry the whole of Jan, only to get hammered every weekend for the rest of the year, or eat nothing but lettuce for a month, then stuff your face full of the remaining Christmas chocs on the first of February, then really, what's the point?

Cheltenham, I say ditch the diet, especially as there are some excellent new (and old) places to eat in town, all of which need your custom at this sluggish time of year.

Looking back to November, with a flurry of foodie openings, the stakes were well and truly upped in the burger game. Not only did The Tavern reopen after its fire (more on that in another post), but we welcomed in Dodo Pub Co.'s The Bottle of Sauce - hurrah! Ok, I know we already had quite a few places for your beef fix, but variety is the spice of life, right?

Housed in what was formerly The Quaich - quiche, kwaysh, quack, however you said it - found on the corner of Ambrose and Clarence Street, The Bottle of Sauce brands itself as a 'hip new watering hole and eatery'; a place to 'drink, eat and be social'... Yup, I like all of those things. I'm in.

The place has undergone a pretty hefty refurbishment, which no doubt cost quite a few pennies, and contains all those cool-kid culprits; exposed brickwork, industrial fixtures and fittings, snazzy lighting, etc. Centre stage at the bar is the beer board, of which lists many a great beer, shining so bright in its coppery hues, there's a private dining room with a looovely long wooden table (perfect for parties), and even a games room with table tennis and table football. But wait, there's more. There's a large outside space lit with zig-zagged festoon lighting, no doubt this'll be heaving come summer, and a 'canteen' dining area in what used to be the pubs old skittle alley. You'll find the kitchen in here, which is semi-open so you can peek through to see what's going on, and when everyone's full of food, there's a DJ booth to see you into the early hours, dancing shoes or not.

The general gist; Bottle of Sauce offers various booths, tables, high stools, benches and surprisingly armchairs by the fireplace to sit at, so even Goldilocks would be able to find somewhere that was 'just right' in here.

Foodwise they serve dirty burgers, filthy fries, Neapolitan pizzas, sticky wings and souped up salads (though no one really wants the salad do they?). And having been invited along to the bloggers event with a whole host of fellow food lovers, we all took it upon ourselves to try out as much of the menu as possible.

Big hits in the burger section; Mother Clucker (kimchi buttermilk chicken, pickled red onions, napalm sauce, chipotle mayo, lettuce), The Big D (beef patty, aged cheddar, caramelised onions, Kelmscott dry cured bacon, Dodo burger mayo, lettuce), and The Al Capone (beef patty, spicy 'nduja relish, American cheese, pickled red onions, chipotle mayo, lettuce)... Basically all of them then. You can choose if you want your burger pink or well done too, something that was a bit hit and miss on the bloggers night, but having been back since has been spot on. Pink every time obvs.

I ordered the Speckenwolf pizza (no longer on the menu), with paper thin slices of smoky cured speck, mozzarella, parmesan, rocket and lemon. Delicious, but I was instantly jealous when I saw someone else's Truffle Funghi come out. I fit in another visit recently and ordered myself one - white pizza, mozzarella, portobello mushrooms, Cotswold Gold truffle oil, sorrel and shaved parmesan - and it was even better than the one I'd longingly spied. I thought the bases were a little overdone on our first visit - not a terrible offence, just new chefs getting used to their new kitchen - but now they have the perfect amount of scorched spots from the pizza oven, and the toppings were much more generous.

The consensus was that the Napalm Wings were the best of the bunch being both sweet and hot, though if you've ordered lots of other spicy things then you won't be disappointed with the Sticky BBQ Wings. And I'm almost certain there's no elegant way to eat a wing; suck it up, you're going to get messy.

Bottle of Sauce gives you a choice of three types of fries; Rosemary Salted (yet to try), Buffalo (the winner - with hot sauce and blue cheese drizzle), and Cheese n' Truffle (with melted fontina and Cotswold Gold truffle oil - not as truffley as I'd hoped; I think the pizza got the best dousing of oil). The other sides take a bit of a back seat; the Dodo Slaw, with apple, white cabbage, mint and mayo, was nice but nothing spesh, and the Mac n' Cheese seemed to be missing all the melty cheese - sigh. Hey ho, no love lost. It's not like you're stuck for choice!

If you're not in the mood for food and just fancy some drinks, then that's highly recommended too. I mentioned the beers earlier on, but there's a solid wine list, interesting spirits, and cocktails which slip down all too easily. Try them all.

So then, my advice for a Happy New Year and to beat those January blues... Hit up The Bottle of Sauce and start as you mean to go on.

50% off selected burgers every Monday / 50% off selected pizzas Tuesday - Friday lunchtimes / 15% off takeaway pizza at all times / £4.50 cocktails during afterwork drinking hours / bottomless coffees and bloody marys available with weekend brunch / gluten free buns and bases available