The Mahal in Cheltenham

As a frequent visitor to this vibrant city over the last five years, I’ve had the pleasure of dining at many establishments. Yet, it wasn’t until my recent visit to “The Mahal” that I truly felt I had discovered a culinary gem. From the moment I stepped into the restaurant, I was enveloped in an ambiance that married elegance with comfort. The staff greeted me with the warmth and hospitality that one would expect from a venue of such high calibre. The menu, a testament to the chef’s expertise, offered a tasting journey that was both innovative and deeply rooted in authentic flavors. Each dish was a revelation, with the tasting menu standing out as a highlight of my dining experience. It was not just a meal; it was a celebration of the senses. The Mahal’s commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of their service. Whether it’s a casual dinner or a special occasion, this restaurant has set a new standard for what I consider a decent meal. It’s a place I would recommend without hesitation, and I look forward to returning to what I can only describe as a culinary haven.

The staff were very friendly and polite. The food was incredible! Very well balanced and the portions were perfect! Couldn't recommend these guys enough.

We were lucky enough to celebrate a memorable birthday meal here with the 7 course tasting menu. The menu combined delicate spice and wonderful flavours which paired with the wine selections from Venkatesh made the meal one of the best in Cheltenham. Would highly recommend arriving a little early to enjoy one of the Mahal’s house cocktails!

The Mahal is a restaurant with a difference, excellent service from the moment you arrive. The building and decor is lavish yet relaxing and you really can feel the warmth and passion from the team. The food was absolutely fantastic and surpassed our expectations. We don’t live in Cheltenham but if we did we would most definitely book again.

The beautiful building puts this Indian restaurant in a different league, and the owners and staff are not wasting their opportunity to provide a fantastic experience for their clients. The bar area is very chic and immediately puts the visitor into a relaxed mood before sitting at table. The staff are very polite, helpful and good humoured. The dining room is spacious but also cosy and intimate. The food is really excellent! A great experience.

I really really wanted to like this place as had been looking forward to going for some time. Sadly it gets a 1 star from me. I don’t leave 1 star reviews lightly but the menu is not clear on what the food is (which is fine as we then proceeded to asked several questions to what appeared the manager for clarity) we got told that all the menu is curry’s and then I said so they are all in a sauce and saucy and then we got the response yes. When it arrived it was a duck filet which is not a curry and not in a sauce and saucy but it took so long to arrive that we didn’t have the energy to pull them up on their misleading menu and communication. Not only this the dishes especially the rice and naans are super small which is a shame as it’s more at the top end for pricing. We did come away hungry tired from the wait and mislead on what we were ordering. Building however is absolutely gorgeous and it is a really grand entrance which was nice.

Absolutely delicious food, beautifully presented (nearly all gluten free), superb silver service: attentive with top notch attention to detail, yet friendly and welcoming. We had such a pleasurable lunch, so glad we found this place. Perfectly placed for a stroll around Montpellier gardens afterwards.

This restaurant is a delight. Staff were very friendly, informative and service was excellent. Food was delicious. We really enjoyed our evening here.

Now probably one of my favourite restaurants. Had the 7 course tasting menu and it was delicious! 100% recommend!

Delicious food that you don't see on 'High St' restaurants. Well worth a visit. We would return next time we're in town.

It was nice restaurant with taste of Indian food. We ordered Peshawari naan, butter naan, butter panner, chicken chettinaad, bhindi and kheer as dessert. Overall, food taste was good. Size of the naan was really small.

Great food just very small portions and expensive.

Amazing fine dining experience- excellent service, by Bharat, Delicious food, ambience, and small talk, will surely visit again and happy to recommend - made our special day👍👌🥰👍✨

Very good lunchtime menu. Tasty, 😋 interesting and good value set price option.

Best curry i think iv ever had ,fairly pricey however its more than worth the cost , service and staff were excellent quality of food was top notch and the interior is very well downe out

Excellent food and excellent service in a lovely building with a welcoming environment.

Some very nicely cooked food. Not the usual styles of indian cooking. Very tasty. Good service. 2 mains, starter and drinks £70.

What a fabulous night we had - delicious food and warm, friendly service. As it was our wedding anniversary, we decided to celebrate with the tasting menu - each course was beautifully balanced and for the wonderful evening we had was really good value. Sadly, we don’t live locally - otherwise we’d most definitely be regulars!

Superb meal and atmosphere. Thank you

This is the second time I have returned within 2 months. The first time was with our curry club and each person thoroughly enjoyed the food and service on that occasion . On that basis I returned with friends today telling them just how amazing and different the food was to a standard curry meal. I promised myself the £65 taster menu which did not disappoint. Each course was superb, encompassing fish, lamb beef and chicken with subtle flavours to enhance the respective meat. Although it may appear to be more expensive than your average Indian restaurant, the food and superb service is truly value for money. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant and would go as far to say "is this now the best Indian food in Cheltenham at the present time" Great effort from all your team, you made it a truly wonderful experience. Thanks

There are several spaces for cars in the car park immediately in front of the restaurant. We were welcomed into the bar area to relax with a drink before being seated in the dining room where the art work is beautiful. Knowledgeable staff can advise about flavours and ingredients for each dish and wine pairing is an optional extra. There is an imaginative menu of dishes, many of which have Indian spices. There are also European alternatives with much of the meat being locally sourced. The desserts were excellent, I would happily return to sample the other creative delicacies. We had a lovely evening, the staff were attentive and helpful. We look forward to visiting again, thank you.

We had a really lovely dinner at The Mahal. The food is fantastic in quality and taste, and I would 100% go back. The atmosphere there was also great. We went over the Cheltenham races and it was very busy. Despite having booked, we waited close to 40 minutes for our table, with much larger tables who had booked for the same time being seated before us. I imagine we were less important being only two of us. The food was worth the wait to be seated though. The parking is a challenge as it's quite tight.

Great place, a harmonised combination of great service , delectable food and tasteful ambience. Amazing hospitality by Bharat accompanied by vinod and venkat made our lunch date enjoyable and memorable.

Six of us were holding a 50 year reunion in Cheltenham. Decided to eat at Mahal on recommendation. The food and the service was absolutely fantastic. I would say one of the best. There are a lot of great Indian restaurants in Manchester and London area, where we live and we all agreed the food here was great. Highly recommended.

Wow we booked to go to The Mahal for our mini moon dinner and had the vegan tasting menu. The service was perfect and the food was absolutely delicious. Could not recommend enough and cannot wait to visit again!

We visited Cheltenham as a family for a few days, and booked here to dine one evening. The staff were very friendly and the service was excellent! The food was served in hot bowls and tasted tasty.

35 mins to take order. 65 mins had to ask where starter was, it was then bought to us. My wife's starter of scallops was excellent, her main course of chicken sahi kurma was also excellent but the portions were very small. My starter of beef boti kebab was very tough (taken off the bill), my lamb rogan josh was bland, but the lamb very tender, the sauce had a good spice, but bland. The rice portion was very small. We both felt that the service was poor, and the drinks at £11 for a glass of wine was very overpriced. We love good service and food, but would not visit this restaurant again, first impressions are lasting impressions.

The best birthday dinner at The Mahal in late September. It was a busy evening for the restaurant but they still did not disappoint! Seen and heard lots of good things about this restaurant and it was just a fab way to spent my birthday. Food amazing, atmosphere buzzing and staff wonderful and friendly. THANK YOU! ♥️

We've had the tasting menu twice here, and it has been an exceptional experience. My two suggestions for management: 1. The bathrooms need a refit - they are clean and functional, just not up to the same standard as the rest of the place. 2. Throw out the old drinks menus when they become dog-eared and tatty.

We tried the tasting menu and we were not disappointed. 7 superb courses with brilliant, knowledgeable waiters

Fabulous food! It is surely worthy of greater accolades

Unattentive and uncoordinated, food alright but severely overpriced. Would not recommend.

Stumbled across this place whilst on a weekend in Cheltenham. Fantastic food, excellent customer service and warm inviting ambiance. So many wonderful dishes, with flavours and presentation to make you go Wow! each time a dish arrives. Book to avoid disappointment, it's popular. Chutneys, tasting menu, great variety. Enjoy, we did.

Well this was truly a wonderful evening.attentive staff, looking after my father, relaxing atmosphere, the most wonderful food. Was just wonderful with my family and friends before I head back to Canada. The chief did nothing less than a wonderful original vegan tasting menu and my friends had wonderful vegetarian food and my parents so enjoyed there evening twice we have been to Mahal in Cheltenham both times legendary service and food. I cannot recommend then enough.

We visited here during a trip to Cotswolds. The atmosphere is lovely and the service great but the food itself was not actual Indian food. Everything was very bland and lacked any seasoning or flavour. It suits the audience but isn’t for us Indians who are used to spice and seasoning. It is on the pricey side as well but the manager is very nice.

Our 41st wedding anniversary which we decided to celebrate at The Mahal. Even on a Monday night it was busy ,the food was glorious and the service excellent. The recommendations of what to have by the staff were appreciated and spot on A true 10/10 meal a rare treat

Incredible high quality Indian food, super friendly and welcoming staff, highly recommend

Simply the best food and service l have ever experienced.

Absolutely exceptional curry, I'd go as far as to say the nicest I've ever had. A real top class restaurant

Absolutely stunning food! The service is amazing I can’t wait to go back again!

Delicious food, beautifully presented, great service. Will be returning !

Absolutely delicious & beautiful food. Excellent service and location too. Really cannot fault them, celebrated a birthday and them added some really lovely touches. Thank you so much, looking forward to coming again!

The best food and service. Thank you! For of your had the 6 course tasting menu with paired wines. Everything was wonderful. Ranjeet looked after us and is a fabulous sommelier. We ate superb food with great paired wine. Thoroughly recommend.

So good!! Amazing food and the service was fantastic. 5* Thank you Mahal - back soon xx

One of the best Indians I've ever had, 5 stars

Brilliant place , from the minute you walk it’s a special experience. All the food is brilliant , combine flavours excellently . The service was also brilliant especially randish who even provided a birthday card !

Very friendly and attentive staff. Food was exceptional Nice atmosphere and reasonably priced

Recently went to The Mahal for dinner, the food was great and the service was exceptional. We had chicken tikka and a kofta dish and both were fantastic. Also Ranjit served us and he was both informative and engaging. Would highly recommend.

Superb food great service and would thoroughly recommend 👌

This was a meal to remember for a while. All the food we tried was so delicious and the staff was very kind, friendly, and helpful with determining what to eat. I want to go back now to try the 7course meal now! Highly recommend.

Excellent taster menu - they were able to accommodate switched so we could try a bit more. Lovely staff and we will be back. Masala tea was SUPERB

My partner and I celebrated my birthday at The Mahal. We chose the restaurant based on the positive Google reviews and we were not disappointed. Friendly staff, great food, and a special birthday song. What more could you ask for? Brilliant.

Every single thing tasted amazing and presented beautifully! Service was super attentive and they were really passionate about what they do! Amazing

Great food great service, beautiful restaurant.

Lovely meal, very friendly service and prices not too expensive

We visited the Mahal for a family birthday celebration on a Bank Holiday Monday evening. We were a party of six ranging in age from 13 to several decades over 21 and we all enjoyed it very much indeed. This is not a run of the mill Indian restaurant. The menu is shorter but much more unusual and we liked the fusion of local produce cooked in the Indian style. We ordered a lot of dishes - starters, mains and even two puddings - and we found it impossible to say which we had enjoyed most. Rohit’s advice on particular specialities was very welcome. All the staff were charming and the service was excellent. We will definitely return.

Third time here in the last 3 years ,we stop over cheltenham on the way south from Sheffield and I would highly recommend, almost as good as my mum's cooking and that's something!!Service, impeccable food with subtle spicing,and cooked to perfection. We had king prawns and lobster from the 2day old new menu beautiful blend of spices and heat. If you want to experience hospitality and a subtle twist on Indian food try this. We will be back.

Incredible restaurant. The service is friendly but professional- every member of staff was faultless and the food was beautiful. Indian fine dining at its best.

Authentic Indian cuisine restaurant.We went with the family and thoroughly enjoyed the food and ambience..staff was very nice and welcoming.. Special mentions to Rohit who take care of everything..Must visit if you want to experience Indian cuisine

We just left The Mahal after enjoying the tasting menu (one vegetarian and one meat). Every course was absolutely delicious - with such attention to detail made to each plate, an amazing concoction of flavours and topped off by the most amazing service. Truly lovely people and a lovely place - would highly recommend, for a special occasion or if you just fancy a delicious meal. Will definitely be back!

My wife and I visit every time we return home 🏡 🇬🇧 to #cheltenham

The menu is now very limited, no longer the traditional Indian, but the service was shocking, items were added to the bill we didn’t order , they refused to remove fixed 10% service charge and we will not be going back having been regular visitors over several years . They then said 2 hours for a taxi when I was able to get one in 5 mins! A shambles !

In a word, fantastic. We had the vegan Thali from the a la carte menu. Everything was lovely. Will probably try the tasting menu next time. It's not cheap, but it's several grades above most Indian restaurants. I did find it strange though that they didn't provide an option to add a tip when paying by card.

Amazing experience. Food and service very high quality. Highly recommend.

First time attending this venue for a work related get together Really cannot fault it service was excellent Food was fantastic Highly recommended this venue

Amazing experience. Very classy restaurant, great food and outstanding staff.

Fantastic meal from start to finish. Rohit was an absolute delight. Stunning food, tasting menu well worth the money for a treat!

Last week we had dinner at The Mahal. It has been nice but not fully up to what we expected, especially since the prices are the same as some other fine dining restaurants in Cheltenham, so we were expecting something on that level. We had a booking at 8.30 but had to wait about 10 min at the door and 20 more at the bar, which was fair enough, they have a nice waiting area and we had a drink, so we didn’t mind. The cocktails were really nice, the barista has been really helpful and even made some adjustments and served me something that wasn’t on the menu. The tasting menu started with an amuse bouche which was not explained to us. Everything else has been served from a different waiter which made the experience more pleasant and guided us through the menu. Of all the courses the only one that really stood out for me was the duck, I found everything else was not up to the usual a la carte standard (and on that night there was no choice between tasting menu or a la carte). Some flavours were really overwhelming because of the quantity of some stronger ingredients, for example I found that the scallops and the salmon were kind of covered by the sauce flavour, which was kind of a pity. The sorbet in between courses was a good idea but I found it way too sweet. We also asked for the fillet to be medium rare but came out more similar to rare. On the other hand, giving out roses at the end of the night has been a really nice touch.

Fantastic 7-course tasting menu. Service was exquisite - Rohit in particular was very helpful and friendly. Food is delicious, will return for the next menu rotation!

What a fantastic restaurant. Faultless. Indian fine dining done well. Very rare to find faultless food and service. All the staff here are amazing and nothing is too much trouble. We will be back very soon. True to our word we revisited in Feb 2023 and had tasting menu. Rohit was our waiter, and he was fantastic. Service & Indian fine dining at its best. Just please please get Laal Maas on the menu. Thanks to all the staff for making my partners birthday that little bit more special.

Everything about our meal was amazing. The setting, the service and the food. Right from walking into the amazing building to being seated in their bar area to get some drinks. Then into the main restaurant for dinner. The food was unbelievable and the service was impeccable. Bharat (I think that was how you spelt his name) was so amazing and such a good laugh. Every single server was incredible and brought such personality to our table. We've lived in Cheltenham for over 5 years now but that was the best meal we've had.

Impressed by the food and the waiters were very friendly, sadly let down by the long wait for service between courses with the table next to us seeming to get served far quicker for no obvious reason. Gave up waiting for dessert in the end!

Super food, excellent service the guys couldn't have looked after us any better

We had a really wonderful meal in Mahal. We had the tasting menu which was absolutely delicious. The staff were delightful. All in all a perfect evening.

Best Indian I have ever had. Possibly one of the best meals. Great service fantastic food. Well worth the 2hr drive!

Very tasty food with exceptional service.

Beautiful tasty food coupled with great service. Well done looking forward to coming back.

Beautiful food, exceptional service.

Had a lovely work meal hear. Lamb shank was amazing, very tender. Great atmosphere.

Fantastic food and definitely a step above the usual Indian restaurant! Brilliant service also, where they took the time to explain the dishes and make sure we were well looked after.

A very warm welcome, very good food beautifully presented and attentive service.

An amazing find. The food was fantastic and the staff were so fun - 10/10. You will be seeing us again soon. Great job.

We spent Christmas lunch here and enjoyed every second. The staff were very friendly, and the food was amazing. We will definitely come back for more.

the best indian restaurant i’ve ever been to!! michelin-level service, presentation, and taste. don’t keep scrolling; just choose the mahal and enjoy the experience!!

Absolutely delicious food that is full of flavour. Staff were attentive, friendly and helpful from the moment we walked in and went above and beyond to personalise your meal to your requirements. Couldn’t have been a better experience and will definitely be back. Great cocktails too!

Amazing service and the best vegan menu ever. Thank you for making my birthday so special. I look forward to visiting again soon.

We had a lot of different things..my best was the lamb sukkha. Generally their lamb dishes are the tastiest I think Giving 4 instead of 5 as I think for me as an Indian, all the main courses lacked a bit ok the flavour. Dal makhani had a lot less salt..otherwise the place is quite nice..will recommend

Was the most amazing Indian food experience every. I did the 7 course meal with my parents. This brought Indian food to a new level for me! Our server was super amazing told us everything about our meal made me understand the concept the wine and the meal and why they fit together! I would go here again each person working here beyond amazing! Made us laugh and enjoy our meal !

Absolutely unbelievable Food, attentive informed friendly staff a fabulous experience.This was on another level and cannot wait to return .

Was disappointed with many aspects resulting in a very disappointing experience. Dinning area could have been warmer. The monkfish was well cooked but lack the indian spices i was hoping for. The Welsh lamb was tough and had to be returned. Cheese board had Jacob's Crackers no artisan biscuits as described. However, the carrot soup and the lamb and lentils were lovely thank goodness. That was not limited to just my meal as my wife and friends also felt disappointed with their meals. My wife and i were expecting to taste the aromatic spices of Indian cuisine but got a bland and confused taste offering. This was disappointing for somewhere that has such a good reviews. The staff were attentive. The decor was also lovely but the dinning area was cold. Unfortunately not somewhere I will rush back to dine when there are so many other great Indian restaurants nearby.

Amazing house with nice staff and a sort of Indian ‘nouvelle cuisine’. Definitely worth a try when in Cheltenham

If I could I would rate this place a 10. The food was amazing and the staff were fantastic. Everything exceeded our expectations.Wish we lived closer so we could visit again xx

Posh and delicious Indian food. Courteous staff.

Lugar con personal maravilloso, comida deliciosa y ambiente top

A lovely modern Indian restaurant, that has a great atmosphere and very welcoming staff. The service was quick, staff were very polite and attentive and the food was delicious. We attended for a birthday, which we made the restaurant aware of beforehand. They gave a small cake and a candle, which was a nice extra touch. Would highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the area.

My husband and I went to The Mahal last night for my 33rd birthday. We live about 12 miles away and love to support local restaurants. The staff were so attentive from the second we walked in, the 7 Course Tasting Menu was just beautiful (delicate flavours and the perfect amount of food) and the cocktails were delicious! We will be back very soon. Thank you so much for a brilliant evening and experience.

We loved our meal at the Mahal. The restaurant has a great ambiance and we felt very welcomed and well looked after. We had the vegetarian 7 course tasting menu and each course was full of flavour. We particularly loved Ranjeet! He made the whole experience for us with his friendly and attentive hosting. He also asked if we were celebrating a special occasion and went above and beyond by singing me happy birthday and bringing me a special dessert. We weren't sure if there was parking there so parked a 10 minute walk away but they do have free parking which is great.

We collaborated with The Mahal to create a delicious Indian Street Food style banquet for our Cotswolds Salesforce Community Group. The service we received was outstanding and the food was extremely delicious!

Absolutely brilliant restaurant. The food was great, the atmosphere was great and most importantly, the service was impeccable. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. We had three courses, two bottles of wine and some cocktails to end the night. We would definitely visit here again and we're told they do lunch too! Highly recommended

Awesome place to eat. Great service and great food