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Detail Pages
The Strand, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
GL50 1EE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Strand
Dark, cold and fairly charmless place. Stupid beer system with two boards either side of a mirror arch, which are split - the lhs is the beer and rhs is the brewer which isn't obvious, even to the staff (as I discovered). Boiled down to four cask, a cider, and a plethora of keg - very heavy on Attic Brewery (who they?). My half of cask Attic Rumble was served in a silly goblet glass and was a poor brew if in technically decent shape (NBSS 3) and my missus’ keg stout from them was also a substandard brew. Grating music made me hurry my drink. Not my kind of place but it was busy enough with the posh youth of Cheltenham, they are welcome to it. GBG’23 listed.
On 15th April 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Strand
As stated below no info on the taps can be disconcerting at first but then you see the boards.
On 19th October 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Strand
Opposite The Swan it’s a modern style bar in an L shaped room, the counter is on the extreme left with tall seating beside it and lower tables and chairs at the right hand end. There’s an horseshoe at each end of the counter with six pulls in the middle. Don’t worry about the lack of pump clips or indeed keg roundels; all the beers and ciders are listed above on two boards which you need to read across. One board lists the name, strength and type while the other has the brewery and pricing info. On my visit there were four cask beers and two ciders, with 14 kegs, small West Country brewers being well represented. Wooden floors, dark blue walls and big clear windows make it quite striking visually. It occasionally has live music. Obviously not really a haunt for older beer swillers but reasonable all the same.
On 11th September 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Strand
A modern style pub which comprised of an L shaped lounge with a green tiled fronted bar situated along the far left hand wall as you entered. Other internal features was the undressed brick wall, deep French blue walls and woodwork, a large mural painted wall and copper coloured painted cornice and black painted boarded floor.
Six handpumps with four in use, one of which was designated to Happy Daze cider, two from Stroud and a Butcombe. We went for the Stroud Budding and Stroud OPA, both were in good shape.
On 3rd March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Strand
From the outside it looks like it was originally shops. L shaped interior that's quite plain and dark. 5 real ales and food served.
Live music
On 14th March 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Strand
An L-shaped pub towards the end of Cheltenham’s High Street, it has large windows at the front and high ceilings giving it a light and airy feel, although it does nonetheless have something of the ambience of one of those popular all day lounge bars rather than your traditional pub, only accentuated by the fact that there was a toddler being bottle fed on the table next to us during our recent Saturday morning visit.
Decor wise it’s fairly unremarkable, with a mixture of dark blue and cream paintwork, and black wooden boards on the floor. Seating was mostly tables and chairs, with a bench seat at the rear decked out with aqua blue padding. A courtyard garden was at the rear, and most of the tables included old bottles that had been pressed in to service as vases and contained the odd flower or two. We were there for breakfast and the menu was fairly limited with just a full English, vegetarian version and a couple of sandwiches. The full English was actually very good, with herby sausages, crispy bacon and some very soft bread. Slightly less successful was a sausage sandwich, with only one sausage split lengthways between two large door step sandwiches.
There was a good choice of beers on tap with Cotswold Spring Vixen, Brew Buddies BB01, Otter Ale, Bespoke Money for Old Rope and Bespoke Saved by the Bell. Ciders meanwhile were Thatcher’s Gold and Bee Sting Perry. Overall I quite liked this with it’s friendly staff and relaxed, chilled out vibe, but if you’re looking for something with more of a traditional pub ambience then it may not be for you.
On 27th October 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Strand
A GBG Entry in the 2017 edition.
It looks like a shop. Fortunately, its a shop that sells excellent Otter Beer - having 3 of their range on. As much as I liked the beer, I wouldn't drink here. For one thing, there is so much quality choice in Cheltenham.
Photos at my blog - http://bit.ly/2d1vJ0u
On 25th September 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Strand
With high internal ceilings and large plate glass windows,I assumed that this is a shop conversion and there is little signage externally to indicate it's presence.The decor is trendy,with a mixture of settles ,high tables and dining tables but it all works quite well in a 'bistro style'.Along the left hand wall is the bar sporting 6 handpumps,one for real perry with Cotswold Spring Codger,Liberation Ale,Milk Street Funky Monkey,Stroud Budding and Dorothy Goodbody's Flower Power on during my trip.Ale quality up to it's GBG listed standard and served by an attractive all women team.Food is a big draw here with mains £8.5-11,and there is live music on Fridays and Saturdays which may change the relaxed vibe somewhat.There is a flatscreen to one side,a good rock track not too loud,an outside courtyard and two rooms for hire upstairs.
Worth including on any real ale tour,it's all a bit new wave but sound on the ale front.
On 20th July 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Strand
Called in for a drink today and there were a few tables with folk like us just in for a drink even though they were serving late lunchtime patrons. We chose Ramsbury Deerstalker and White Park Blonde from the 5 beers available and were impressed with the quality.
On 25th November 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Strand
Struck me as being more of a Bistro with bar than a traditional pub and it appeared to me to be another place where most people seem to come here to eat rather than just drink.
Which in a way is a bit of a shame, because on the beer front they were really trying. There are five Ale pumps and a Cider pull and there is a constantly rotating list of ales and every month they do a spotlight on one brewer. There was a couple of Cheltenham SPA offerings, Skinners Best Bitter and Plain Ales inspiration if I remember correctly.
Very light internally, as the front is nearly all glass , and a modern bistro décor. There is a very pleasant decked area to the rear of the pub where I was able to take my pint. But I just didn’t feel comfortable just having a drink here.
On 20th May 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2109 recommendations about 1991 pubs]