Mr & Mrs Smith

We ate at Le Champignon Sauvage (www.lechampignonsauvage.co.uk) and the Storyteller (www.storyteller.co.uk). The former is a classy two-star restaurant, although it is a place where the focus needs to be entirely on the modern and interesting food as the decor is not quite up to the same standard (a little old fashioned). The latter is slightly more unusual. Its aim is to bring Californian-style cooking to Cheltenham, uniting the cuisines of Southwest America, the Mediterranean and Pacific Rim in the process. We went on a Friday evening and the atmosphere was buzzing. The food is not high-end in terms of its quality but it was highly enjoyable. There is also a good US-biased wine list, featuring a lot of bottles that you would not see in a more mainstream wine list. A nice feature is the walk-in wine room where you can browse the library of bottles to make your selection.

For an excellent meal, try new restaurant Bistrot Coco, just a short stroll from Thirty Two at 30 Cambray Place (+44 (0) 1242 534000). The restaurant blends classical and contemporary French cooking with local produce served in a great atmosphere. We arrived late at 9.45 pm after a show, and with the obligingly warm weather, were able to eat in the beautiful and secluded courtyard at the back of the restaurant. Despite our late arrival, the place was still packed and buzzing with happy chatter, always a good sign of good things to come. Great food, a very competitively priced wine list, a lively atmosphere and excellent service, all combined for a superb evening - well worth trying.

Arriving at Cheltenham on a hot and busy Saturday afternoon we were overwhelmed by the calm and sumptious luxury of the rooms at Thirty Two. The welcome was very warm from our hosts and the whole experience very relaxing. More than a place to stay but a real break - this fulfilled all expectations from the website.

We had spent the day in Cheltenham when staying at Cotswold House the previous year and so decided on Thirty Two. Lovely setting over the gardens, try and choose a room with a view (ours didn't have one unfortunately). It's a great place if you want to spend a bit of time shopping, with plenty of stops for food and drink. Cafe Rouge on the Promenade was really nice as was Brasserie Blanc (+44 (0)1242 266800; www.brasserieblanc.com) further up the road. Have a look at your in-room magazines for vouchers. We were treated to free champagne in the restaurant.

We ate at The Daffodil, at 18-20 Suffolk Parade (+44 (0)1242 700055) in Cheltenham, a short walk from Thirty Two across the park. Daffodil is in an old art deco-style building that was once a picturehouse/cinema, the bar is buzzy upstairs serving a good collection of cocktails. The European food was excellent. I had wonderful scallops followed by duck breast which was delightful, and my partner had chicken and spring veg terrine followed by a mouthwatering pork belly with seasonal veg which he really enjoyed! Good wine list, reasonably priced. Clientle were a mixture of all ages, the bar is quite loud and ranges from large groups calling in for a cocktail to diners having pre- and post-dinner drinks, but we ate at 9pm on a Friday night and it was fun without being too noisy. Not the place for a quiet romantic supper, but would recommend if you are in the area for more than one night and want a night of cocktails and good food. Service was excellent in the restaurant, bar services dips when busy but overall worth a visit.