The Daffodil

...to find out what all the fuss was about, but I must confess, I was a little worried as he does like his large mixed grill kind of portions and here they are on the smaller side (quality not quantity!) and fairly expensive!

===Location===

Suffolk Parade, near Montpellier, Cheltenham. It's quite a residential area, so parking may be difficult. Cheltenham is a beautiful regency town, with many shops, bars, restaurants ...
...explore the Cotswolds.

===The Building===

The facade hasn't changed much since 1922 when it opened its doors as a cinema. It is understood the owners also had a bakery which was on the nearby Daffodil Road, so hence the name. Later, the name 'The Daffodil' remained although the cinema did not, between closing in 1963 and opening as a restaurant in 1997 it has been a bingo hall and an antiques store, the manager only ... more

We dined here in August for our seventh wedding anniversary. I have previously visited with my colleagues for our Christmas party. My husband couldn't wait to find out what all the fuss was about, but I must confess, I was a little worried as he does like his large mixed grill kind of portions and here they are on the smaller side (quality not quantity!) and fairly expensive!

Location

Suffolk Parade, near Montpellier, Cheltenham. It's quite a residential area, so parking may be difficult. Cheltenham is a beautiful regency town, with many shops, bars, restaurants and hotels and is ideal for people who want to explore the Cotswolds.

The Building

The facade hasn't changed much since 1922 when it opened its doors as a cinema. It is understood the owners also had a bakery which was on the nearby Daffodil Road, so hence the name. Later, the name 'The Daffodil' remained although the cinema did not, between closing in 1963 and opening as a restaurant in 1997 it has been a bingo hall and an antiques store, the manager only finally agreeing to sell on being reassured that the original features would be restored. Which Mark Stephens certainly did and it must have been a labour of love, he actually sold the restaurant and has since re-bought!

Inside the building is a large open plan style seating area with amazing high ceilings. It's not until you are inside you can fully appreciate the sweeping staircases on either side of the room, which lead up to a 'half' floor where the champagne bar is. The original projectors which were found in the basement have been put on display at the top of the stairs. Up here the seats have a fantastic view over the ground floor and into the open kitchen which is where the screen used to be. (I'm definitely asking for one of these tables next time we book!) The kitchen isn't as noticeable from the ground floor unless you are seated well back from it as it is higher up.

More recently, The Daffodil has been given a facelift by none other than Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen - don't panic! No tiger print or fuscia pink- It's all very tastefully done. Every thing is still very art deco style, just with a more contemporary uplift. Very nice! All the daffodil wall friezes are still there as well as the etched glass and mirrors and, my personal favorite, the huge art deco diffused lights I don't think one of them would even fit in my front room!

The service

We were taken to a small table for two, close to the kitchen (so we couldn't see any of the action). Our waitress (maitre d'?) was very friendly and seemed very in control! I noticed a few 'stations' dotted around, where all the orders were processed and kept a check of. From reading the website, the customers experience is just as important as the food and they certainly aim to provide this. We were asked if we had dined here before and provided with menus. She was very helpful when it came to choosing the wine and very quick to take our order, without hovering and making us feel uncomfortable. Our food was served by another waitress and our 'main' waitress would ensure we had the correct cutlery, finger bowls and any requested accompaniments quickly and then we were left to eat in peace. Not once did we feel either rushed or ignored, or that we had asked a silly question when we didn't understand something on the menu.

The food

The menu was quite impressive with a good selection of a la carte (so may seem fussy to some!) Our choices were from the main evening menu.

Starters:

Hubby: Crisp Aromatic Duck Salad with hoi sin sauce £6.95
Me: Dublin Bay Prawn & Crayfish Cocktail £6.95

The duck was superb, very tasty and not a bad portion, it is served in a shallow dish with chinese leaves which are quite crunchy. Also available as a main course for £13.50
My prawns and crayfish were fantastic, very succulent and so much flavour! The sauce was like marie rose and drizzled over.

Main:

We both chose the same: Gloucestershire Sirloin Steak au Poivre with hand cut chips and roast vine tomatoes £18.95

We also ordered market vegetables £2.95

Again, the flavours were stunning. The pepper sauce was served separate so you could add as much as you liked. The hand cut chips were like briquettes and tasted firm and buttery, but there weren't many of them! I'd usually leave cooked tomatoes, but these were juicy & delicious and were lovely with the steak. The steak was tender and cooked to perfection. I always order mine medium as I don't like it running with blood. This was still slightly pink but not bloody and it was almost like cutting butter. Lovely!

The extra vegetables were also lovely, quite crunchy, just how I liked them, but if you like your veggies a little better done then you might consider them undercooked! I'm struggling to remember what the vegetables were; I think it was carrots, sugar snap peas and asparagus.

Sweet:

Hubby: 3 Cheese selection £6.50
Me: Raspberry Crème Brule £5.95

My Crème Brule came in a shallow dish, the size of a tea plate with a chocolate brownie. I was very impressed! The topping was thin and crunchy and the flavour of raspberries and vanilla was gorgeous. I refrained from licking the bowl, but only just! Hubby chose the Cornish Yarg, Montgomery's cheddar and Cerney Pyramid, his favourite being the cheddar. It came with oatmeal biscuits, grapes and quince jelly, which we weren't sure about, but actually tasted like delicate strawberry jam. He actually couldn't eat it all, so my worries about him being hungry were unfounded!

Wine:

I do like a glass of wine, but I'm ignorant and usually just buy what's on offer at the local shop, so with a little help we chose the Chamuyo 2007 as it's light and fruity, and apparently one of the more popular bottles. I suppose it also helps that it's nearly the cheapest at £15.95 a bottle. Very tasty, it certainly helped the food down with no problems.

Final bill:

£91.46 including a 10% service charge.

Other

Every Monday evening are jazz night details of upcoming performers can be found on their website where they also list forthcoming Cheltenham events. The Daffodil can also be hired for private functions.

Conclusion

I must confess I was a bit disappointed with the service charge. The food and the service were excellent and we cannot find fault, but I think a tip is a personal choice. We probably would have left one anyway, but it does feel a little rude just adding it to the bill. We could have refused it I suppose, but that would have been embarrassing!

I will most certainly visit the Daffodil again but because of the cost, only for a very special occasion. The food is worth paying for and there is so much more on the menu I want to try, it's making my mouth water just writing about it! I also really want to sit upstairs!

Have a look at the website for the full menus and extensive wine list, booking enquiry and for more info about the Daffodil, past & present.
www.thedaffodil.com 

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