Russell St, Bath, BA1 2QF
Harden's survey result
Summary
“The only Michelin star restaurant in Bath and it certainly stands out from the rest” – Chris Cleghorn has been at the stoves of this celebrated cellar for over 10 years now and it continues to inspire high praise, with “inventive and delicious” cuisine and tasting menus “much better than the ubiquitous versions that are around today” (although they are a significantly greater investment than the à la carte price shown, at £160 and £190 per person). Opinions differ on the cellar location in a period property: to some tastes it is “only let down by the lack of atmosphere in the basement”, but to others “the setting is relaxing and the service just the right level of attentive”, making it “a romantic venue in the heart of a very romantic city”.
Summary
“An incredible, unpretentious dining experience” with “varied and sumptuous tastes and service that’s attentive but not fussy” is hailed in all reports on Chris Cleghorn’s long-established venue. “The nine-course tasting menu is imaginative, beautifully presented and very tasty with some unusual flavours” (it’s £160 per person, with a six-course option available for £130, and other cheaper menus available at lunchtime and earlier in the week). It’s located in the cellar of a ‘proudly independent’ boutique hotel and is currently the city’s only establishment to hold a Michelin star.
Summary
“Chris Cleghorn produces high-quality fare with a range of tasting menus” at this long-established and well-renowned venture (currently Bath’s only Michelin-starred establishment), in the cellar of a comfortable independently run hotel. This year’s average food scores were particularly high. There are still quibbles raised by some about the “slightly sterile basement dining room” and that a visit is “not cheap”. Such concerns were mostly drowned out this year, though, by the majority who pronounce it “virtually perfect in every respect: a Treat with a capital ‘T’!”
Summary
“Excellent in all respects” – nothing but upbeat reports this year on Chris Cleghorn’s well-known and much accoladed basement dining room: the only Bath restaurant with a Michelin star and with a long history as a foodie Mecca. The dining focus here is on the six-course and nine-course tasting menus, but if you just want to pay a visit they do serve breakfast and a simpler lunch. Nothing but praise too this year for its basement quarters, which fans say are “perfect for a special celebration”.
For 34 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 The Olive Tree, Queensberry Hotel?
Owner's description
Proud to be one of Bath’s longest established independent restaurants, The Michelin Star and 4 AA Rosette Olive Tree, nestled in the basement of The Queensberry Hotel continues to receive rapturous praise from guests and locals alike. This contemporary British restaurant offers deformalised fine dining under the direction of award winning Head Chef, Chris Cleghorn, who honed his superior skills as the protégé of a trio of world-renowned Michelin Star chefs, (Heston Blumenthal, Michael Caines, Adam Simmonds). Using a combination of classical flavours with modern cooking techniques, Chris creates his own unique style, crafting menus that showcase the very best of British.
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
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| Lunch | £60.00 |  |
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| Cost | Availability | Courses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu1 | 160.00 | Always available | 9 |
| Drinks |
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| Wine per bottle | £40.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.95 |
| Extras |
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| Bread | £0.00 |
Restaurant details
The Olive Tree, Queensberry Hotel Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Thanks for a great meal last night. Had the 3 course menu which was perfect amount of food with paired wines. The starter of chalk stream trout with carrot and orange was superb with different textures although thought the orange wine didn’t stand up to the flavours despite matching the colour palette. Venison great and standout here was the black pudding. Bear Cub wine complimented superbly. Chocolate dessert very sweet until the port was drunk which bought it all together. Overall a fantastic evening with very attentive service with dishes so well conceived and explained. "
Russell St, Bath, BA1 2QF
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12:30 pm‑1:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑11 pm |
