Bathampton Restaurant Guide

Launched in 2016 by Chris Tabbitt (ex-of Bibendum and the Old Bridge hotel in Huntingdon) and Sarah Olivier, this “small and beautifully formed” modern European is a “very comfortable, dependable” sort of place indeed. From the “perfectly executed”, “very well-priced” food (e.g., steak-frites, washed down with “even better value” red wine), to the “very personable service”, it offers an “intimate dining experience” that’s “hard to beat”.

Set within the Georgian surrounds of the Indigo Hotel, this indie restaurant from Harwood Arms co-owner Mike Robinson has rejigged its formula, with diners treated to cocktails in a vault-set speakeasy, before heading upstairs to the clubby dining room for a seven-course dinner showcasing the best of British wild food. Reports on the new format were limited but what there were proclaimed the food “truly epic, with plenty of slightly off-the-beaten track choices, e.g. hare” (that seem less surprising given Robinson’s reputation as a game guru). The celebrated chef is joined here by exec chef Liam Goldstone, who also runs the hotel’s more casual Brasserie Beau.

“Everything is good and as it should be” at this “delicious small plates” outfit tucked in a wine shop and where, as a result, there’s a “large choice of wine by the glass and you can buy any wine from the shelves and pay an additional £15 corkage, rather than the usual mark-up”. Bonus points for the “really nice atmosphere too” (“in summer it’s an absolute sun trap to sit outside under the awnings” and “in winter it’s cosy and candlelit”). This venue is part of the growing Beckford group, which runs a series of well-regarded venues in South-West England – including, of more recent vintage, Bath’s Beckford Canteen.

“It’s not London, but it is setting the standard for great food served well in Bath” according to fans of this outpost of the glam national brasserie chain. According to the locals “it has consistent good standards, which is not the case with all the others”.

“A great location in the centre of Bath” is backed up by “very competent cooking and good service” at this well-established corner-restaurant, whose level of cuisine and elegant interior are a cut-above. It’s run by chef Rob Clayton – who was formerly head chef at the posh Bath Priory Hotel for seven years – and his family.

“Been going so long it’s become an institution in Bath – and all the better for that” – this bistro set in a Georgian house was taken over three years ago from the founding Golden family by head chef Matthew Lisanti. Ratings would be higher were it not for reports of cooking that was “competent but not mind-blowing” – possibly “a problem of too-high expectations”.

“The word’s got around that the Vietnamese home-style cooking here is seriously delicious”, so this “terrific Dining Club restaurant presided over by the wonderful Noya” (who “also runs supper clubs menus once a week and classes”) is “usually packed” (it is the most commented-on restaurant in Bath in our annual diners’ poll and one of the top-50 most commented-on destinations outside London in the UK). It’s only a “small” and “unpretentious” venue, but “service is always efficient, friendly and welcoming” and “whilst she is only small in stature, her meals are gigantic in terms of flavour and sophistication”; and also very “affordable”. On the downside, one or two visiting Londoners are “disappointed after the local hype” (“good but nothing super-special, but I grew up in south London where we have dozens of not dissimilar places to choose from…”). But when you visit may also be key (“the simplicity of its Pho and Noodle menus – great for pre-theatre – are juxtaposed with Noya’s five-course fixed supper club menus once a week”). Top Menu Tips – “lovely pork belly noodles are very tender and well spiced”; “herby prawn summer rolls and coconut-rich An‘s chicken curry!”.

Their original venue on Walcot Street is no more, but this “friendly and casual” sibling on Chapel Row – indie fine wine shop meets bar and small plates venue – is doing a swift trade, not harmed by its gorgeous heated terrace and garden. Alongside “wines outside the usual suspects” (they run a Wednesday wine club and tasting nights), the food is “a cut above” what one might expect from a booze merchant, even for those who are “usually not a fan of small plates and explanations”.

With its “nice cosy atmosphere” and “interesting gastropub food”, this Georgian hostelry with a courtyard garden near the Royal Crescent makes “a good mid-price choice in a wonderful city with so many charming places to eat”. It was acquired by St Austell Brewery in 2023, but no major changes are afoot.

Celebrating three decades as part of the Brownsword Hotels stable in 2024, this lavish getaway in two adjoining Georgian houses has much to love about it, from the four-acre gardens to the UK’s only L’Occitane spa. Dining options are split between the dining room, open for afternoon tea or a £98 per person three-course dinner showcasing “skilful cooking of delightful food”; and the more casual ‘Pantry & Terrace’ which also offers breakfast, brunch and lunch.

“We come back again and again for the amazing cooking” at this “very high-quality” spot from a “young and enthusiastic team”, upstairs from a hip modern bakery and flour mill. There’s “always a spot-on seasonaI menu” (“I Iove the fresh pasta which changes each week”) and an “interesting list of mainly natural wines”, while “the space is a little spartan, with minimalist decor”. Top Menu Tip – “the cheese fritters are wonderful”.

Highly rated when it opened in 2023, this spinoff from the nearby Beckford Bottle Shop (see also), attractively set in an old greenhouse, attracted a little more criticism this year. Fair to say that all diners continue to rate the food here decently well, but there are more caveats: “want to like it, but was disappointed this time around” is one comment; “poor service let down some reasonably cooking” another. It’s still a “very good favourite” for other diners, though – perhaps these are blips following the departure of launch chef George Barson in February 2024 after a year at the stoves.

A “veggie restaurant serving distinctive and innovative tapas dishes” in the heart of Bath and with “an excellent laid-back atmosphere” and “good and friendly” service, too. Many of the ingredients come from their own (chemical-free) garden. Top Menu Tip – “middleground beetroot and walnut pate, with pickled beetroot”.

“Excellent food and good service” is the verdict of a London-based reporter on this inviting gastropub (operating here since 1776), nowadays run by the Bath Pub Co (since 2020) and occupying a corner-site, a couple of streets away from The Royal Crescent. It won strong feedback all-round this year, including for its modern bistro cuisine (it’s too ambitious really to be termed ‘pub grub’).