The group launched in 2017 at Bristol’s Wapping Wharf shipping container development before opening a larger restaurant at Bath’s Milsom Place in 2019. The Bristol site is understood to have closed around the time of the Bath launch.
Bandook is owned by Moe Rahman, who is also part of the team behind the more high-end The Mint Room in Bath.
Rahman said he had been looking for a Cheltenham site for some time. “When this site came up, I couldn’t resist the opportunity. Cheltenham is such a distinctive town and our new Bandook is ideally placed in the elevated surroundings of the Montpelier area,” he said.
Restaurant consultant Humayun Hussain, who has worked with the brand since its inception, has been retained for the project.
The Cheltenham restaurant will follow the same format as the Bath site, with an à la carte menu divided into sections including chaats, curry bowls, large plates and biryanis.
Dishes will include Chettinad pulled duck taco dosa, Punjabi lamb chops, tofu chilli bites and squid koliwada. Other small plates include Kerala chicken.
Curry bowls will feature Grandma’s chicken curry, railway lamb curry, Mangalorean prawn gassi and bhaingan achari.
Large plates include Somerset tandoori murgh, while the biryani selection will feature duck leg biryani. Sides and house-made desserts will also be available.