Harden's survey result
Summary
“The yardstick against which we compare everything and few, if any, can compete with the quality and value” – an oft-repeated compliment for David & Helen Everitt-Matthias’s long-established temple of foodie pilgrimage (“it is lucky we live 2.5 hours away as if it was closer I doubt we would go anywhere else”). David’s cuisine is “always original, seasonal and well judged and – though carefully presented – avoids the irritating Instagrammability sometimes found elsewhere”. “Helen presides over the room and also the wine with grace” in a manner that’s both “friendly and professional” and the “very good list” is an attraction in itself with “the ample selection of half bottles being a bonus”; and “the cheese basket is a tour de force”. Even devotees concede that “some might find the atmosphere sedate” – a more critical view is that “excellent food and wine is let down by an overly formal approach and lack of ambience” (“the reverential tone is not where we are in 2023!”). Overall, though, the verdict is of a stalwart that’s “serene, calm, well-spaced and good humoured… if there’s a better place to enjoy terrific cooking whilst having a good conversation, I’d like to know about it!”
Summary
“A place to eat for people who prefer food to Instagram…” – “No visit to Cheltenham is complete without a meal at the delightful Champignon Sauvage” according to the many fans of David & Helen Everitt-Matthias’s long-established foodie temple, which remains one of the more commented-on rural restaurants in the UK. For its many long-term devotees, “this is the yardstick used to judge everywhere else as its combination of skill, service and value is so hard to beat”. Famously the kitchen is never open when David isn’t in it to cook, and the result is “innovative, often-foraged seasonal dishes” – “precise, original and beautiful cooking that never strains for effect” and “whose flavours sing on the plate”. “Friendly and professional service to match is provided by Helen”, who also presides over the “super wine list with a great selection of half bottles”. No-one has ever pretended the rather sedate room is a riot, but fans say “its serenity encourages conversation” and “still don’t understand why this outstanding restaurant lost its second Michelin star a couple of years ago”. Ratings here dipped a little this year, however, on one or two mixed (if far-from-damning) reports. Typical would be “our favourite last year was somewhat off its game this time and lacked a little sparkle”; or “the food was great as ever but the room felt dead… the wrong sort of hushed”. Perhaps the strains of these pandemic times? Or “maybe it’s just that everywhere else has upped its game?” Still, for the majority, “it’s wonderful and creates some of the best things ever eaten”.
Summary
“I continue to applaud and thank David and Helen for creating and nurturing Le Champignon Sauvage!” – “one of the most glorious examples of professional hospitality”. The Everitt-Matthiases’ passion project of thirty years’ standing shows no sign of running out of steam – in fact its ratings only improved during these turbulent times. With David famously ALWAYS “firmly rooted in his kitchen”, and Helen front-of-house, “they all contribute to offering uncompromising levels of skill and excellence in cooking but crown the experience with genuine human warmth”. “New diners should be ready to pace themselves. Not on account of the sensibly judged portions but in face of the assault from the flavours, textures and ideas presented – a delightful assault – with prices that are comparatively low for this high standard”. “Don’t expect a fancy, glitzy restaurant” (the interior is “a bit sparse”). But disappointments were unknown here this year: “we last visited perhaps thirty years ago, a memorable lunch, so it was good to revisit, aware that it could have become a let-down. It was not!”.
Summary
“Shame on the inspector who was responsible for removing one of this outstanding restaurant’s stars” – fans are still scratching their heads about Michelin’s October 2018 decision to demote David & Helen Everitt-Matthias’s famous venue to a single gong. To be fair, the “somewhat suburban” décor has always grated with some diners here, as have odd incidents of “stuffy service”. And our own survey has seen a rise in minority reports of “well-cooked but unexceptional” cuisine (with a slight hit to its ratings as a result). And yet, for the most part, feedback on this “calm” and “low key” dining room just outside the city centre – where David is, famously, always at the stoves, with Helen front of house – remains a rhapsody of praise: “a one-off passion project from husband and wife team demonstrated in every superb and gimmick-free dish” – “a masterclass in ‘fine’ dining with very precise preparation, presentation and exciting flavours” that’s “expertly and efficiently run both front of house and in the kitchens”. (“It is the yardstick against which we measure everything else: we visit four or five times a year despite it being a six-hour round trip – it's worth the price, and why they lost a star is a total mystery!”)
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Le Champignon Sauvage?
24-28 Suffolk Rd, Cheltenham, GL50 2AQ
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £67.00 | £85.00 |  |
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| Lunch | £40.00 | £47.00 | |
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| Pretheatre | £40.00 | £47.00 | |
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| Drinks |
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|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
| Extras |
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|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
24-28 Suffolk Rd, Cheltenham, GL50 2AQ
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12:30 pm‑1:15 pm, 7:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12:30 pm‑1:15 pm, 7:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12:30 pm‑1:15 pm, 7:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12:30 pm‑1:15 pm, 7:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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