As the final restrictions lifted, many people will look forward to a date night or dinner with friends that haven’t been seen for a while.

So, with freedom in mind- I took the opportunity to take my mother for a meal at Victoria’s- a newly refurbished restaurant in the very heart of Cheltenham town centre.

Overlooking the Imperial Gardens, the quaint restaurant in nestled inside the Queens hotel.

Victoria’s website states the restaurant ‘celebrates and showcases the very best of British cuisine’ and so we both made our selection from the menu that sources only the highest quality ingredients from local artisan producers and farms.

To start- I settled on a Not a scotch egg- scotch egg whilst my mum chose the Panko baby calamari.

Breads and oils were delivered to our table before the starter- we didn’t eat them until our choices arrived, which was handy because my meal, I felt, definitely needed the bread..

My not a scotch egg- scotch egg was actually a quail’s egg enclosed in a smoked mackerel pate type shell- which was delicious, but was enhanced greatly by the sourdough bread I ate it with- on it own, I don’t think it would have worked quite as well.

For our main course I ordered my favourite- Shepherds pie and mum chose the recommended home-made chicken kiev.

My dish was served with mixed greens, and it was simply comfort food in a bowl. The lamb was succulent and tender, and the gravy was rich. The mixed greens were a perfect side.

Mum’s chicken kiev was huge, certainly one for the hungry diner, she couldn’t manage it all! Served with creamy mash and spinach, it was the perfect Monday night tea meal.

Despite not finishing the kiev- mum found room for bread-and-butter pudding for dessert- which she said was one of the nicest she had eaten- whereas I chose my childhood favourite- a knickerbocker glory, for me- the best course of the dinner and a true summer staple!

Overall, the food was very good, the restaurant was quiet but, I am sure as people get more confidence to venture out, Victoria’s will be one of the places to go in Cheltenham.