Places to eat in Bath

Bath is brimming with excellent eateries for every occasion. So when you’re looking for somewhere to chow down, we’ve put the spotlight on the ones we believe are up there with the best restaurants in Bath. Read about a couple of sublime street food set-ups that are almost too cheap to be true, as well as exclusive fine dining options that are well worth booking, but you’ll have to do it weeks in advance. 

Cafés come in all shapes and sizes but only very rarely do they feel unique. Nevertheless, we feel safe in saying that having a cuppa at The Pump Room will be unlike anything you’ll have experienced before. The huge hall is part of the Roman Baths complex and was built in the 18th century. Visit for afternoon tea and you’ll get a taste of the lavish lifestyle of Georgian high society and find yourself surrounded on all sides by stone colonnades, water features and shimmering chandeliers.

Back to the real world; if you’re wandering through Bath and wondering where you can go for quick coffee, or something to satisfy your sweet tooth, Rosario’s Café on Northumberland Place is a popular option. It’s a traditional independent Italian café serving locally roasted coffees, loose-leaf teas, all-day breakfasts, daily specials and absolutely divine Sicilian pastries. It may be physically impossible to leave without stuffing a connolo into your face and/or your pocket.

If you’re paying a visit to the Royal Crescent, be sure to call into The Green Bird Café. This stylish little independent’s breakfasts were voted the best in town by the Bath Good Food Awards 2017. You can even create your own from their selection of locally sourced produce. Their lunch menu is similarly sublime. It changes with the seasons and features baked tarts, salads, stews and splendid open sandwiches.

For those of you staying at our Bath City Centre hotel, you can’t beat the convenience of Society Café in Kingsmead Square, literally a minute’s walk from our front door. They also have a second branch on the High Street, as well as locations in Bristol and Oxford. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable; ask about their guest coffees, which change every week. They also offer great homemade sandwiches and a lovely selection of cakes too.

However, if you fancy yourself as a bit of a pro when it comes to a cup of joe, then there’s no better place for you than Colonna & Small’s on Chapel Row. It’s a speciality coffee shop with an award-winning team of baristas, including a two-time UK champion and world finalist. The shop itself is extremely minimalist; the focus is firmly set on the coffee, which changes constantly to reflect how different beans can change in flavour depending on the seasons and where they’ve been grown.

Last but not least – largely because we couldn’t work out where to put it – is Hunter & Sons. Tucked away in Milsom Place Shopping Centre, it perfectly blurs the lines between café, bar and restaurant. You can go there for craft beers, specialist coffees or something from their superb kitchen that regularly changes its menu to complement its lucid beer list and to incorporate seasonal local produce.

If you want to sample some of the West Country’s finest produce, make your way down to Green Park Station every Saturday for Bath Farmers’ Market. It’s proud of the fact it was the first farmers’ market in the UK, and that it operates 100% sustainably. Traders change every week, but it’s always a haven for foodies looking for traditional bread, local cheeses, fresh fish, the finest organic meat, pukka pies, cakes and much, much more.