It’s not all regal streets and Roman remains in Bath – there’s lots of great stuff to eat, drink and buy too
Eat
Hankering after pastry and meat? The Raven – a tiny, centrally located pub with a pie-only menu – serves chunky meat and veggie-filled pastry packages with chips or mash, and lashings of gravy. The beer selection isn’t bad either – locally brewed YOLO ale (yep, that’s its name) has a nice citrus zing, while there are plenty of bitters available too (theravenofbath.co.uk).
If cider’s more your thing, nab a table at The Stables, a heaving sourdough pizza and cider joint in the centre of town (stablepizza.com). For something swankier, book into the Bath Priory – a hotel with a restaurant that has the city’s only Michelin star, and seven courses for £95 (thebathpriory.co.uk). If your wallet won’t stretch, at least swing by for a cocktail.
Food at The Raven Pub, Bath
Gordon Jones (menugordonjones.co.uk) is another hot ticket in town, a 25-seater venue with an open kitchen. Expect conversations with Gordon if you’re lucky enough to book a table – it has appeared in numerous best restaurant lists so reservations are in demand. To keep it simple with a steak, try Hudsons or The Chequers for gastropub grub (thechequersbath.com), or for cheap and cheerful, a firm local’s favourite is Noya’s Kitchen on Bear Flat; Noya takes over a local cafe and serves a five-course Vietnamese menu for £35 with BYO – again, book ahead (noyaskitchen.co.uk).
Drink
Start the day at Colonna & Smalls (colonnaandsmalls.co.uk), a Scandi-style cafe with award-winning baristas serving dark stuff in neon-blue china. For booze with countryside views, the Hare & Hounds is a gastropub around one mile outside of the centre of town that looks out over green hills and Bath city centre below – make an afternoon of it and tuck in to their impressive food (hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk).
The Canary Gin Bar is a dark and cosy space packed with bottles of locally distilled gin in a selection of flavours
The Canary Gin Bar is a dark and cosy space packed with bottles of locally distilled gin in a selection of flavours. Be sure to also check out the upstairs martini bar (thebathgincompany.co.uk). For cocktails, Sub 13 (sub13.net) on George Street is notorious in the west country for the best mixology for miles – look out for it down a flight of stairs and settle in to a cosy alcove between 5pm and 8pm, when it’s 2-for-1 (although at £7 the rest of the time, they’re not too spendy anyway). If all that has you searching for the dance floor, you’ll find the best one at Circo Bar (circobar.co.uk) on the south parade, or for live music check out the programme at Chapel Arts for gigs, theatre performances and lively burlesque shows (chapelarts.org).
Shop
The top of town around Milsom Street is where you’ll find all the boutiquey and independent shops – from furniture to clothes. There’s a load of vintage shops around here, too. They require some effort, but the prices are a fraction of London’s so it’s worth the sifting. If retro gear’s your thing the Yellow Shop (bathvintageclothing.co.uk) on Walcot Street is a good starting point.
Towards the centre of town, Vintage ‘n’ Rare Guitars is a three-floor shrine to some of the rarest, oldest acoustic and electric guitars in the UK. The friendly staff are there for a chat not just to sell – they’ll talk you through each guitar’s history and let you have a play, even on the really pricey Gibsons, Fenders and makes we’ve never even heard of. If you’re really keen, check out their blog for regular updates on incoming guitars (vintageandrareguitars.com).
For your mainstream shops, the centre of town around the station has been revitalised over the last few years to house every shop you’ll need – from high street fashion to department stores. If you’re visiting on a Saturday, the Farmers’ Market near Green Park station is a great place to pick up locally made goods, from pies to coffee – it’s the ideal place to soak up the laid-back vibe of the city.
Stay
The talk of the town in Bath is the newly opened Gainsborough Bath Spa – an elegant, high-ceilinged option that’s seconds from the bars, shops and ancient sights of the city. The in-house spa here is the big deal – it’s the first in the UK to have access to healing thermal waters, and you could spend hours moving between sauna and steam room and hot and cold pools with your little pack of essential oils – it’s all part of your bath house experience, a modern take on the Roman spa journey (thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk).
For a less expensive but equally pretty option in town, try the Berdoulat & Breakfast, a Georgian townhouse that’s been converted into a design-led, two-bedroom ‘hotel’ with a Turkish twist (i-escape.com). To get some fresh manure-infused country air in your lungs, The Pig near Bath (thepighotel.com) is one hell of a pretty mansion that’s been converted into a relaxed hotel with friendly staff kicking about in jeans and Converse.
The Pig near Bath
Interiors are rustic and comfy, but if you’re anything like us you’ll be spending the majority of your time in the restaurant – ingredients are sourced locally, or grown on-site, and the menu leans heavily on pork, as the name suggests (try the sausage rolls).
Do
We all know the best period in history was when the Romans rocked up, and the ancient Roman Baths is quite a spectacular sight – the structure has even been voted the most romantic building in Britain by the Royal Institute of British Architects. It’s not just Roman history, either. With the tunnel tours you can also explore the Victorian and Georgian history of the city – book ahead, it sells out early because it’s that good (romanbaths.co.uk).
The spa at the Gainsborough Bath Spa
The Thermae Bath Spa may get busy, but where else can you float around in a warm, steamy open-air pool on a chilly winter evening? It’s worth trying for the novelty factor, not to mention the rumoured health benefits. For something a little more strenuous, the Bath Skyline Walk is a six-mile hike through history – from an Iron Age hill fort to 18th-century sights. It burns as much energy as playing 90 minutes of football – and it feels like it afterwards – but combined with those views, we’re certainly not complaining.
Need to know
Return fares with First Great Western from £29. The Gainsborough Bath Spa offers nightly rates from £183, (thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk); The Pig near Bath offers nightly rates from £149 (thepighotel.com); Berdoulat & Breakfast offers nightly rates from £165, i-escape.com
