Despite cool temperatures, wind and rain this weekend (brought to us by the Great British Summer), we were lucky to stumble upon The Coconut Tree in Cheltenham where we found some heat in the form of delicious Sri Lankan street food.
Set in the Saint Paul's area of Cheltenham, The Coconut Tree occupies a former pub and the Sri Lankan family who run it have totally transformed the place. Boasting contemporary décor and edgy artwork, it's now a cool spot to get your grub on.
The staff are super passionate about the spicy tapas-style street food they serve and are more than happy to explain the varied, reasonably priced menu and make recommendations. The drinks menu also offers up some good wines, beers and 'cocotails'.
We started off with the Egg Hopper (above), which is a light coconut pancake filled with a fried egg, grated coconut mixed with spices, carmalised onions with cinnamon and Sri Lankan salsa. The dish comes served in a bowl and you simply roll it all up and eat with your hands.
Our flavourful food journey continued with the Cheesy Colombo (paneer fried & served in a spicy sauce), Potato Spring (a whole potato cut into a coil and fried), Mutton Rolls (spicy minced mutton fried in a flour dough) and the Deviled Beef (a sort of Sri Lankan beef stir fry).
The last dish, the Hot Battered Spicy Cuttlefish (served with a spring onion and a spicy garnish, below) was tender on the inside and crispy on the outside - our favourite by far.
Drinks included, the two of us left with full bellies and some leftovers for £45. We highly recommend this place for a relaxed, fun, lip-smacking dining experience that's just a little bit different.
The Coconut Tree
59 St Paul's Road | Cheltenham | GL50 4JA | 01242 465 758