A Pocket Guide To Bath

Bath’s restaurant scene continues to impress thanks to a string of top chefs who have opened outposts in the city. Newcomer The Beckford Canteen is from the group that runs The Talbot Inn in Somerset and The Bath Arms in Wiltshire. The 40-cover venue occupies a Georgian greenhouse on Bartlett Street where diners can enjoy modern British dishes made from local produce. Everything is designed to be shared over a long meal – think monkfish with curried butter, confit pork belly and quince, and black treacle and ginger sponge with brown butter ice-cream. Its sister venue Beckford Bottle Shop is worth a visit for wine and small plates at the bar, before browsing its selection of local beers. 

For chic bistro dining near the Royal Crescent, try The Circus with its candlelit tables. Bread comes from the neighbouring Bertinet Bakery and the meat is delivered from the team’s local family run butcher. Corkage on Chapel Row is just as nice, with over 70 wines to choose from alongside a selection of small plates like hake with hoisin glaze and salted courgettes, confit duck with fennel salad, and lamb rump with crushed potatoes. Then there’s Menu Gordon Jones which offers relaxed dining in its chic restaurant – set aside the whole afternoon or evening to enjoy a tasting menu of elevated British classics. 

Bath also has a selection of traditional gastropubs like The Marlborough Tavern which serves classics with a twist. The fishcakes with fennel and samphire, and fondant cakes with chocolate soil, are not to be missed. For fish and chips, The Scallop Shell is home to a huge bathtub filled with ice and the day’s best catch. If you have time, The Mint Room is just outside the city centre and is worth the trip for excellent contemporary Indian food. If you want to bring something home, go to Bath’s famous farmers market on Saturday morning to find everything from local cheeses and freshly baked bread to veg and meat pies.

Central Bath has all the usual high-street names, but some of the best boutique stores are tucked away along the cobbled streets. For interiors and fabrics, visit Always Sunday and 8 Holland Street, both of which have a great selection of decorative pieces and haberdashery accessories. Sam Wilson is another great option for interiors. You’ll find a range of country-inspired homeware there, like ceramics, modernist French furniture and candlesticks. Clothing wise, Found stocks international brands like Comme des Garçons, Laura Lombardi, Karen Walker and Seoul Import.