It is truly amazing how Bath’s restaurant scene has grown from being mostly made up of chains and tea rooms to becoming one of the South’s culinary powerhouses.
Ten years ago, the only people who could have been truly happy were those who were desperate for a Cornish pasty, sausage roll or muffin. However, the city has seen the opening of many new, independent places in the past few years, and we are here to support them.
Yes, we are here, walking through the fragrant streets in search of a tasty meal. You have arrived at the right place if you are in the middle of the city and want to do the same thing. We have 22 ideas for you. Some are fancy and some are cheap, but they’re all good. These 22 restaurants in Bath are our picks for the best places to eat.
Landrace on Walcot Street, first floor
Perfect for British food that is light but filling and based on fruit…
In fact, as we already said, many of Bath’s best places are fairly new to the area. One such place is Upstairs at Landrace. It opened during the shutdown, became popular quickly, and thankfully looks like it will be around for a while.
Rob Sachdev, who used to work as a cook at Brawn and Quality Chop House, watches over the kitchen above the amazing Landrace Bakery, which makes sourdough bread from stone-ground British grains. The kitchen is reached by a steep staircase. Sachdev’s way of cooking is also not hard to understand.
Along with a few main dishes, the menu has a few appetisers and snacks. The cheddar fritters from the appetisers area have already become a cult favourite. Because they are soft, pillowy, and covered in a thick layer of newly grated cheese from the area, it’s easy to see why they are so irresistible. One plate doesn’t have enough food on it.
From the main menu, fish dishes that look simple but are actually well cooked are served with veggies that are in season. On our most recent visit, we had the brill tranche with violet artichokes and braised white beans, which was delicious. The menu changes all the time, but pork chops and rump steak are often on it if you want something with a little more flavour.
The desserts are great, showing off the skills of the bakery downstairs. If there’s a pie on the menu, get it. Lately, we’ve been crazy about Pump Street chocolate and Amalfi lemon.
Landrace’s Upstairs is pretty nice overall, even though it’s airy and light. We love this place in Bath and hope it stays that way.
Scallop Shell at Monmouth Place
Marco Pierre White says it’s great for fish and chips.
The Scallop Shell is more than just a fish and chip shop. It’s on Bath’s Monmouth Place. This restaurant has become chef Marco Pierre White’s favourite in the area since it started seven years ago. It’s easy to see why—the fish is cooked simply but smartly, the setting is happy, and the service is smooth. Isn’t that everything you could ask for?
The restaurant serves tasty fish and chips, but their menu is always changing to include other, maybe more interesting dishes. For example, they grill whole fish (we had megrim sole recently), making it blistered and burnished, then serve it with garlic butter. They also serve steamed mussels or clams, and smoked sardines on toast. You get the idea.
All things considered, it’s a great place for seafood lovers, and we keep going back to get our fresh fish fix.
Henry’s is in Saville Row.
It’s perfect for a classy, relaxed meal in the middle of the city…
There’s something really sweet about Henry’s on Saville Row. If you want to get together with friends to talk shop, you won’t have to worry about a loud music playing in the background. The service is discreet and friendly, and the eating room is decorated in soft blues and blondes that are very relaxing. Instead of being limited to a typical 90-minute dinner time, they encourage you to take your time and enjoy your meal.
Chef Henry Scott makes a five-course tasting menu at the stove. It costs £75 for ‘Farm and Sea’ or £70 for ‘Land’, which means meat and seafood or vegetarian food. The flavours go well together and the smells are strong but not overpowering. There is also a seven-course choice for twenty pounds more.
One of the best things about a recent visit was the salt cod brandade ravioli with aerated crab soup. The pasta had just the right amount of bite, and the filling was perfectly whipped and creamy. It is placed on top of a puck of celeriac that has been caramelised. The sweet and salty fish makes the celeriac the perfect accompaniment. A rust-coloured clay foam that has been brightened and stretched.
Henry’s has an à la carte lunch menu with two courses for £26 plus cake. The food is still very good, and the plates are just as elegant and well-made during the day as they are at night.
Henry’s is in the Michelin Guide because its food is so good and complicated. We’re closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Street Bandook in Milsom
Perfect for a fancy and energising curry meal…
The Dishoom cookbook is probably out back, with some pages stained with curry and turmeric. But we’re also pretty sure that Bandook is Bath’s best Indian restaurant; its slightly more upscale take on traditional Bombay street food has been a great addition to the city since it opened in 2019.
This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. It is owned by the same people who gave you the city’s highly rated Mint Room, which won “best restaurant” at the Bath Life Awards earlier this year. The restaurant is meant to be a place for casual, all-day drinking and eating, so the dining room is very light and airy.
Start by eating the classic pan puri, which is a puffed semolina shell filled with chickpeas, tamarind chutney, and tart, cooling jal jeera water. They look good and taste great. This recipe is great. The crust is crunchy, and the chickpeas are spicy and soothing. The chutneys give it a boost of energy. It’s the best way to start a meal.
That being said, the umami-packed keema pav is also very good. Everything is very strong, but the buttery, pillowy bed of brioche bread is the perfect balance, and the curry minced lamb smells bad enough to be sure it’s not lamb.
Of course, the curries also taste great. They have all the depth and complexity of a real work of love, but they also have a nice lightness to them. We would have loved to take a bath in their famous Delhi butter chicken, but all we could think about was how smooth and silky we would feel afterwards. Besides the strange picture, this bowl is really fancy.
A foamy Kingfisher might seem like a good choice, but we like this one better with a crisp Limca soda, which goes well with the whole bubbly Bandook package. Let’s raise a glass!
Also, Bandook’s own jazz group, The French Connection, plays live swing-jazz every Thursday at 7 p.m. to keep you busy while you eat.
People who butcher on Green Street, Green Street
The perfect place to try Bath’s best sandwich…
We know it’s not a restaurant, but these famous butchers on Green Street make some of the best sandwiches in Bath. Contact us if you want to know more.
You can tell how good this place is by the dry-aged, bark-covered, and well-marbled beef slices hanging in the window. The fact that there is freshly baked bread on the shelf and house-cured guanciale in the fridge inside makes the place even more high-class.
Now let’s talk about those sandwiches. You can pick between porchetta, roast beef, or roasted chicken at Green Street Butchers. As you can see, the butchers here are Italian, and it shows in this dish: a thick, single slice of juicy hog-stuffed pork served with the bubbliest crackers and brought to life with tarragon salsa verde and celeriac remoulade. Amazing, and it’s almost impossible not to place a second order.
Milsom Place and Bosco
Just right for a romantic evening…
The inside of Bosco, which calls itself a Café Napoletana, feels more like a New York hotel bar. There are lots of marble counter seats, dark leather stools (you should probably see a doctor about that) and low filament lighting that casts shadows over the dining room’s more private areas. Without a question, this is one of the loveliest places in the city to go on a date at night.
The platter has some pretty good pizzas for the day, bruschetta, pasta, Italian meats and cheeses, and a few bigger items just for fun. The pasta dishes are especially well done. The veal lasagna is especially good, with its structure still intact as it should be and a bechamel sauce that is positively spicy and flowing. A couple of times before, the pizza wasn’t always of good quality.
The cicchetti section of the menu is where you should be if you want to nibble while enjoying the lovely atmosphere of the dining room and a juicy house negroni. We’ve made a whole meal out of their taleggio arancini, fried zucchini and soft but juicy polpette in the past. If you bring coppa and gorgonzola dolce from Lombardy to the table, you can make the best Italian meal in the city.
Yak Yeti Yak, Pierrepont Street
The perfect place for a private Nepalese meal…
Yak There is a Nepalese restaurant in Bath called Yeti Yak that has been around for a long time and has a lot more experience than many of the other places on our list. This restaurant has been around for a long time for a good reason.
When you go down the stairs to this cute, stone-cobbled parlour, you’ll be welcomed like a family member and be surrounded by the beautiful smell of black cardamom and incense. After that, big portions of exquisitely tasty and utterly charming Nepalese food will be served.
The atmosphere is cosy and personal, but the food is anything but “homely.” The momos are clever and well-seasoned, and the signature Yak Yeti Yak chicken, which was inspired by Katmandhu’s hole-in-the-wall bars, has a flavour that is both delicate and sophisticated.
Kesariko dhai is a royal yoghurt food that comes from the kitchens of Himalayan kings and queens. It is spiced with saffron. After your meal, you’ll be very happy when you get back up the stairs to street level.
There is also the YYY Foundation in the restaurant. This group raises money for women’s health products and helps rebuild several elementary schools in Nepal. Long-term neighbourhood projects run by this foundation are great. Please look at it.
The Chilli Family Noodles on Dorchester Street
Just the right amount of spicy, full noodles…
You might not expect to find a bowl of very filling noodles mixed with Sichuan pepper taped to the back of a public toilet in a very crowded eating area.
Get rid of that last sentence. If you were in one of the world’s street food hotspots, like Bangkok or Guangzhou, that’s exactly where you’d find a bowl of very healthy noodles. But, let’s be honest, Bath isn’t exactly known for its rough-and-tumble eating scene.
Because of this, Chilli Family Noodles is even better, and we think it’s one of the best places to eat in Bath. You can choose from rice, fat, or thin noodles, as well as stewed beef, chopped chicken, spare ribs, or tofu. The menu looks long, but the choices are simple: pay £7 for any filling you choose, and get ready for a bowl of pure heaven that will make your lips tingle and your mouth go numb.
Regulars at Chilli Family Noodles know that the best things on the menu are in the “something extra” section. The tasty chicken served cold is a real winner, whether you’re looking for something warm in the winter or cool in the summer. Even though the name of the restaurant and the menu point you in that way. It really meets all of your needs.
You also know you’ll get that important “hei” from the stir-fries because there is a row of wok burners in the back. If you add more garlic, mine is pak choi.
The restaurant only takes cash, but the food is very good and costs less than £20 for two people. There are a lot of cash machines across the street, which is good news.
The Older, Parade at South
It’s perfect for a fancy dinner with the UK’s best wild game and fish…
Mike Robinson, co-owner of the only Michelin-starred gastropub in London, the Harwood Arms, which is in the old Somerset city, has opened a new restaurant in Bath that might already be the best in the city.
When The Elder reopened in late summer 2020, it did so right after the first national lockdown. They focused on seasonal, locally sourced foods and served some of the best wild game and game in the area. The menu seems to write itself in Bath, which is only an hour from the coast and close to the biggest seafood market in the UK in Brixham, Devon, and the Quantock Hills, where wild deer roam freely.
That, however, would be unfair to the complex and thoughtful food that the Elder provides; these treats are the result of deliberate preparation. The brown butter crumpet with Muntjac deer tartare is a fantastic dish that is even better than the Dorset crab tart. If you can, save room for the sweets. The seasonal fruit souffle (strawberry on our last visit) is great.
In case that wasn’t enough, the restaurant now has an oyster bar where people can enjoy locally grown oysters that have just been shucked on the south-facing patio. After all, it would be rude not to.
Update for July 2024: The Elder just recently told us about a new look for the table. The new seven-course tasting meal takes the place of the old à la carte menu. It seems to both simplify and improve the process. For the first starter and main course, you can choose between meat and fish, and there is also a veggie option. The menu costs an outrageous £85 per person and changes often to include wild, seasonal, and sustainably found British foods. I hope you’ll serve crab tart again soon.
Noya’s Kitchen is on St. James’s Parade.
Perfect for the best Vietnamese food in the South West of England…
Noya’s Kitchen is trying to change the fact that there isn’t enough Vietnamese food in the city by serving fresh, flavourful Vietnamese food at a variety of events, dinners, and supper clubs. Wednesday is our favourite day to get Pho because it’s when the famous noodle and broth dish is served.
How do you know when you’ve had too many meals that are mostly protein and beige? If you need a break from the sometimes bland and often protein-defined city, Noya is the place to go.
Try to get a seat in the popular garden during the summer. It’s a lovely, sunny place to be on a day like today, complete with bright parasols. The staff is friendly and knows their bun cha from their bun bo hue. You’ll leave this place with a happy heart, a smile on your face, and a lively step.
The Beckford Bottle Shop is on Saville Row.
Great for fine wines and the best food to go with them…
There have been a lot of changes in the places to eat in the last four years, but the Beckford Bottle Shop on Saville Row has made a big splash. In just four years, it has won the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand award and received good reviews from the National Press. There’s no doubt that we agree with that confirmation; the idea is very popular in London right now and involves a wine bar that also serves very tempting small meals.
The best parts of a recent visit were the devilled livers on toast and the Bath chaps, which are slow-braised pig cheeks that have been squished, breaded, and deep-fried. They came with a rough, rustic apple juice and a rich, dark chocolate mousse topped with pumpkin seeds. Just a few years on the Row and things are already this great! We’re excited for what the future holds.
Beckford Canteen on Bartlett Street
It’s perfect for a laid-back atmosphere and delicate takes on classic British food…
The Beckford Canteen is just a few yards up the road and part of the same well-known restaurant group as the Beckford Bottle Shop from a few paragraphs ago. It has only been open for a little over a year, but it has already become a regular in (admittedly becoming more predictable) national restaurant reviews and awards.
To be fair, Beckford Canteen is already known as one of the best places in Bath, so it’s easy to see why it’s getting so much praise so quickly. The eating area, which used to be a Georgian greenhouse, is light and airy, and there are lots of window seats where you can watch what’s going on on Bartlett Street. The service here is perfect, friendly, and easygoing, just like at the bottle shop further up Saville Row. It’s a great spot to spend the afternoon.
The menu reflects this light-hearted mood with delicate takes on British classics like a sweet and green pea and mint soup and the restaurant’s already famous rarebit crumpet. The terrine of hog jowls is even better. It’s covered in a clear jelly that tastes like the best stock from gammon hocks.
You can order the restaurant’s own Picpoul de Pinet by the glass for £7.50. It’s crisp and refreshing, and every bottle on the well-chosen but low-cost wine list is also low-cost. The name “canteen” seems like a good fit for this kind of food because it includes everyone.
On Argyle Street in Budō
Great for a rough izakaya meal that will please both meat eaters and vegetarians…
There are shops on both sides of the Pulteney Bridge in Bath, which is one of only four bridges in the world that go all the way across. This about the bridge is very interesting. A somewhat boring side note: Budō, Bath’s first izakaya, is on Argyle Street, which is right after Pulteney Bridge.
This one started out as a pop-up idea above Eleanor Lieper’s famous bar The Grapes. Life drawing glasses happen once a week in this area above the bar on the first floor, and we can’t get enough of seeing the models dodging flying flames.
No matter how stupid or silly that is, the idea of an izakaya was so popular that it quickly filled up the room that was available. As a result, Lieper found a more stable place for it in May of last year. It is now 5 minutes to the east on Argyle Street.
Budō is the heartfelt core of a Japanese izakaya restaurant. The atmosphere is rough and rowdy, the philosophy is calm but lively, and the food is simply delicious. What is the “spin” at Bud? The kimchi pancakes are one of the best things on the menu. A lot of the food is influenced by Japanese and South Korean food.
As you would expect from a good izakaya, anything that the binchotan kisses is delicious here. The offal-y parts are especially good. The “hearts of the day,” which are pretty self-explanatory, will catch your eye if that’s more your way. They go great with Budō’s great selection of sake, Japanese whisky, shochu, and even rice beer made in the area. They smell good and are rich. To be honest, it’s really hard to leave Bud sober.
Take a seat in the bar area upstairs if you want to get close to your partner or have something to tell them. But if you want a full view of everything going on, go down the stairs into the bottom of the building. There is a horseshoe-shaped counter that looks out over the burners and portable grills. Start with some pickles, end with a shochu bomb (a mix of beer and Korean spirit that you are supposed to squish on the table before drinking the foamy explosion), and then you’ll look very different when you hit the road.
Robun Building and Princess Building
Perfect for Japanese food that tastes like yakiniku from Tokyo’s back alleys…
Robun, another great new restaurant in Bath, opened on George Street in 2021 and got great reviews right away. Truth be told, the city had been looking for a place like this for a while now. Instead of the usual high street sushi chains, it was a cool, modern Japanese restaurant.
Robun was named after the 19th-century author Kanagaki Robun, whose book Seiyō ryōritsū is thought to have the first written “curry rice” recipe and to have brought Western barbecue to Japan. The name comes from the backstreet yakiniku joints in Tokyo, where glazed, grilled sticks are always being turned over glowing white bincho-tan charcoal and light, crisp beers are always flowing over increasingly loud conversation. It’s a match made in heaven, and it works amazingly well in Bath’s clean streets.
There are bento boxes and sushi and tempura platters that are a step up from the usual meal packages from the nearby stores in the city. Lunch deals are a little lighter but still very nice.
The Chequers is on Rivers Street.
Perfect for the best gastropub experience in Bath…
The Chequers has been one of Bath’s best pubs for a long time. It has been there for almost 250 years and is in a nice residential area close to the Royal Crescent and the Circus. People have been going there for a long time to get a beer, but recently its food has started to get the attention it deserves.
When you open the door, you can smell the smell of a warm bar welcome. It’s not the smell of old beer and farts; it’s the noise of people talking, glasses chiming, and cutlery clinking. If you’re really feeling upbeat, go to the friendly central bar, which is the beating heart of the dining room, and order a stout. Even though Chequers is still a pub, if you’re lucky enough to have a reservation for dinner (which you should, especially for their delicious Sunday roast), you’ll be able to enjoy a variety of bar classics with a twist.
As an example, a version on the local treat Bath Chaps uses pulled pork cheeks that have been cooked until soft and stuffed into a terrine mould with a lot of very thick stock. Horseradish yoghurt and a dark, molasses-like prune ketchup both make the dish stand out and keep it in place. This dish tastes great and costs only £8.
As a main course, a beautiful flat iron steak with a pink centre and appealing bark is served in the always-tempting au poivre style, which means it is covered in black peppercorns and served with a cognac and cream sauce. With the right move, the triple-cooked chips that come with it will get squished and mashed into the sauce.
Yes, it’s that kind of place—classic food with a touch of creativity and tradition. That’s what you want from a gastropub, don’t you agree? It seems likely that The Chequers would not like being called a “gastropub.” A bar will do the trick.
There is, of course, a fire to gather around in the middle of winter. We think we might stay here for a while.
The Lansdown Road Hounds & Hare
Great for a meal with the most beautiful views…
Not only does the Hare and Hounds have great food and a beautiful view of Bath and the Charlcombe Valley below, but it’s also more than just a pub.
To get ready for it, you can work up your stomach by walking up Lansdown Road, which is 700 feet above sea level. At the end of your amazing hike, you’ll be able to enjoy a delicious meal and beautiful views.
Get your first beer and put your name down for the famous Hare and Hounds lamb scotch egg. They sell out quickly. You’ll understand why once you try it. Start your meal with the warm and crispy lamb sweetbreads, which are served with peas and a braise of lamb’s salad (which has nothing to do with the sheep you’ve been eating). This will help you order as little as possible.
You could order the strange Sri Lankan lamb shank for your main course, or you could get the tasty fish and chips with perfectly steamed Cornish hake and a lacy bronze beer batter. Chunky chips, a thick tartare sauce, and a chunky (huh?) lemon in its best muslin cloth jacket finish off the dish.
Summer is coming up quickly, which means things will only get better here. Yes, the patio at the Hare & Hound is a great place to eat outside when the weather is nice. Enjoy a cloudy cider while taking in the views of the Somerset countryside. You did earn this one, after all.
Living at home with Dominique on Argyle Street
It’s perfect for old-fashioned dining at an old-fashioned price.
From Chez Dominique’s dining room on the street, you can see Pulteney Weir and its rushing waters, which are almost as beautiful. Of course, this leads to a conversation about whether or not you could survive being dropped into it.
When you go back to the room, you look at the menu, which doesn’t seem as French-themed as the restaurant’s name would suggest. There is gochujang mayonnaise, chimichurri, stewed lentils, and a lot of other things that don’t seem to belong in the dish. The mayo gives the ox tongue pieces a great crunch and tenderness, making it a very delicious appetiser.
There is something comfortingly familiar about Chez Dominique. This is the kind of place where you can order your own appetiser, main course, and dessert without worrying about being told to “let me explain how our menu works.” The wood furniture, blue glasses, and fun font on the menu all add to the atmosphere. The main dish is a roast chicken breast with crispy skin and soft meat, served with creamed leeks and a sauce poivrade, which is made with roux instead of cream and is heavy on black pepper. The seasoning on that chicken is just right.
Chez Dominique is another great deal restaurant in Bath. Their three-course lunch menu costs only £28 and they have many easy-drinking wines that cost around £20 a bottle or £13.50 for a glass. A truly wonderful place to spend the night.
North Parade, Oak
Just right for the best veggie restaurant in Bath…
Over at Oak, a stylish veggie restaurant near Bath Abbey, they are proud of being a collaborative business, with a team of “grocers, growers, and cooks” making the delicious food.
One of the first plant-based (sorry, pedants) restaurants in the country to be named by the Michelin guide is Oak, which used to be called Acorn and is, to be honest, even better as its new name. It makes sense why they would. Seasonal foods that are both hearty and light, like smoked ricotta agnolotti with asparagus and wild garlic, are not only tasty and fresh, but they are also not too expensive. Most meals cost between £10 and £12.95. It’s a great deal for food of this quality.
For just £49, Oak’s five-course tasting meal is a real treat, and the wine pairing is so cheap that it’s almost like giving. This idea of worth is shown by Oak. In 2024, it’s hard to find a bottle that cheap, let alone one that comes with a specially chosen food. Hello!
Old Tapas, John Street
In the middle of Bath, this is the best place to go for a real tapas bar experience.
If you want to find the best tapas in Bath, we suggest you go to Pintxo, which is conveniently situated near the Theatre Royal. Of course, Ole Tapas is a newer find that we think is even better. It’s a tiny tapas bar on the first floor that’s tough to find and almost impossible to get a seat at. As an added bonus, if you do have to wait, it’s right next door to the Gin Bar and just around the corner from Pintxo.
It’s not often that we find a tapas bar in a Roman city in England to be “authentic,” but Ole is about as authentic as it gets, with its crowded seats and loud flamenco music. The small plates are meant to be nibbled on while the cañas keep coming.
Ole’s berenjenas con miel, which are salty and sweet deep-fried eggplant batons dressed in a cane honey sauce, are a delicious version. When we’re there, the croquette of the day is the classic ham that is just the right amount of gooey, runny, and sticky. They go well with a few cold ones. There are always new choices, like boquerones that are juicy and flirty, patatas bravas that are drenched in a rich salsa brava instead of a ketchup/mayo mix, and albondigas that have just the right amount of spring.
As you decide that this is the best tapas in Bath, another cañas moves over to take your place at the bar. People who live in the city seem to agree, but luckily Ole Tapas can be booked ahead of time. Do this at least a week or two ahead of time.
It has seven dials and an oven.
Great for a quick dinner…
The Oven is the last restaurant on our list of Bath’s best because there aren’t many really great pizza options in this small part of South West England.
A pizzaiolo named Fabrizio Mancinetti works in the oven that has the restaurant’s name on it and is at eye level in the eating area. The style of his pies is based on the Neapolitan canotto.
The Oven’s dough, whose name means ‘dinghy’ and is known for its big, puffed-up crusts, is heavy enough to hold some hearty toppings, like goat’s cheese, caramelised red onion, rocket and pine nuts, or Sicilian sausage, mushrooms and toasted walnuts. Yes, putting nuts on a pizza does work—we promise. This is a good place with quick, friendly service, but the pizza won’t be the best you’ve ever had.
The chaiwalla on Monmouth Street
Perfect for one of the best falafel wraps in the UK…
An humble and simple place might not really deserve to be called a Bath institution or even a “restaurant” (since there are no seats), but this cheap and fun spot is definitely worthy of the name.
The smell coming from this small, takeout-only restaurant in Kingsmead Square should tell you everything you need to know: the cooks there are making delicious food in a very simple space.
We won’t say anything else; instead, you can read more about what we thought of Chaiwalla on our list of the best veggie restaurants in Bath. Watch out for those birds!
