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Restaurant reviews
Bistro La Barrique
31 Barton Street,
Bath,
BA1 1HG
Tel: 01225 463861
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 12-2.30pm, 5.30pm-late
We visited: Saturday 5.30pm
Prices: Petit plats start at £4.95 and go up to £6.50
Do they welcome children? Of course
Vegetarian choice: Plenty
Disabled access: Yes
Wine list: Predominantly French, with everything by the glass
Service and atmosphere: Laid-back and polite, with a cheery French bistro buzz
“The mousse was not such a hit with the Northerner, who judged it it ‘super sickly’ – but for me it was absolutely transcendental. Beneath a light, sweet vanilla cream was rich, dark mahogany chocolate mousse, airy but with body, and at the very bottom some booze-soaked crushed macaroon biscuits. Each mouthful became more and more ambrosial.
“Finished and full the Northerner and I had a contented glow, the sort that can only come from several, five in fact, good meals. A superb modern take on classical French cuisine.”
Las Iguanas
12 Seven Dials,
Sawclose,
Tel: 01225 336666
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs midday-11pm; Fri-Sat midday-12am; Sun 12pm-10.30pm
We visited: Sunday lunchtime
Prices: Tapas £1.60-£5.50; mains £7.90-£14.50; desserts £3.80-£4.80
Children welcome? Very much so; they’ll love it
Vegetarian choice: Excellent
Disabled access: Some steps
Drinks list: Don’t miss the caipirinha
Service and atmosphere: Upbeat, friendly, funky, Latino!
“The great thing about eating in a group is that you get to try practically everything on the menu. While I tucked into my Xinxim – tender lime chicken in a rich, creamy crayfish and peanut sauce – the children’s father tried to keep his salmon moqueca to himself. I couldn’t leave it alone; the coconutty favour reminded me of a Seychellois recipe I used to cook, while the lightly curried pepper and tomato sauce imparted a zingy freshness.”
The Hole in the Wall
16 George Street,
Bath
tel: 01225 425242
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-3pm, 6-10pm; Sunday 6.30-9.30pm
We visited: Wednesday lunchtime
Prices: Lunchtime set menu £9.95 for two courses, £13.95 for three, à la carte starters begin at £4.25, mains at £10.95
Children? Welcome
Vegetarian choice: One per course
Disabled access: not good due to position
Drinks list: extensive and varied
Service and atmosphere: Friendly and homely
"There was no need to book it seemed, as we were one of only three tables; but despite its distinct lack of customers, the restaurant still had a pleasant ambience. Decorated in calming greens and creams, with soft lighting and unfussy tables, The Hole in the Wall is clearly going for ‘relaxed’ fine-dining – my favourite kind…"
The Chequers
50 Rivers St,
Bath
tel: 01225 360017
Opening hours: Mon-thur 5-11pm; Fri & Sat 12 noon-11.30pm; Sun 12 noon-10.30pm
We visited: Monday evening
Prices: Starters £4.50-£6.95; Mains £9.95-£11.95; puddings £5.95
Children? Suitable
Vegetarian choice: at least one choice
Disabled access: Downstairs room
Drinks list: Local ales and an interesting international wine list
Service and atmosphere: Relaxed, friendly
Chequers (locals never seem to pronounce the ‘The’) is just far enough off the beaten track to lend the place an in-the-know, non-touristy feel; it’s also close enough to the centre of Bath to give it a happening, city vibe.
The Olive Tree
Queensberry Hotel
Russel Street, Bath
Tel: 01225 447928
Opening hours: Tues-Sun (12-2pm), Mon-Sun (7pm-close)
We visited: Tuesday lunchtime.
Prices: Lunch – two courses £16, three £18; Dinner – starters from £6.75, mains from £16.25
Do they welcome children? Yes
Vegetarian choice: Limited
Disabled access: Tricky
Wine list: Extensive and well categorised e.g. ‘nutty whites with intense aromas’ and ‘mouth-watering sweet and sour reds’
Service and atmosphere: Expert and friendly
Reviewed: Issue 114
Published: September
demuths
North Parade Passage
Bath Ba1 1nX
tel: 01225 446059
'I really wanted to love this place - it was just all a little bit samey"
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10-5pm, 6-10pm; Sat 9-5pm, 6-10pm; Sun 10-5pm, 6-10pm
We visited: Monday lunchtime
Prices: For lunch dishes range from £6.25 to £10.95; for dinner £7.50 to £13.50
Do they welcome children? Yes
Vegetarian choice: Yes, and vegan, and wheat free, and gluten free
Disabled access: awkward
Wine list: all organic, predominantly new World with a few english varieties
Service and atmosphere: Cosy and relaxed
Reviwed: Issue 113
Published: September
Calcot Manor
Near Tetbury
Gloucestershire GL8 8YJ
tel: 01666 890391
"This place has it all; a sybaritic spa, resplendent rooms and no less than two restaurants that feature in the latest Michelin guide – in short, we were expecting a lot."
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-2pm, 7-9.30pm; Sun 12-2pm, 7-9pm
We visited: Tuesday evening, 7.30pm
Prices: From the à la carte menu starters begin at £8.50, mains at £18.50, and desserts at £8
Do they welcome children? Yes, there was everything from newborns to teens dining
Vegetarian choice: Poor
Disabled access: Good
Wine list: Fairly traditional but well considered with a helpful 100ml ‘tasting’ option
Service and atmosphere: Unfailingly attentive
The Horse and Groom Inn
The Street,
Charlton,
Malmesbury
SN16 9DL
tel: 01666 823904
Opening hours: Food is served 12-2.30, and 6.30-9.30 Mon-Sat
We visited: On a Wednesday night
Vegetarian choice: Very limited
Prices: Starters are around £5-£8, while mains can be anything from £8 to £20
Children: Yes – it’s a pub!
Service style: Relaxed but unfailingly polite
Disabled access: Yes
Service charge: Not included
Wine: A great selection, including cheap but palatable prosecco, a reasonable rosé (£16.95) and a French dessert wine (£18.95)
Reviewed: Issue 109
Published: July 4
Fiorelli
39 Gay Street
Bath BA1 2NT
tel: 01225 427919
Does Bath really need yet another Italian restaurant? When it’s as delightful as Fiorelli then it probably does, concludes Deri Robins.
"Fiorelli occupies one of those narrow Gay Street town houses and is an altogether cosier affair."
Opening hours: Every day midday-2.30pm; 6-10.30pm
We visited: Tuesday lunchtime
Vegetarian choice: Good
Prices: Antipasti, £5-£6.90; pasta £7.90-£11.50; pizza £7-£10.25; meat and fish £9-£14; puddings £ 4-£5.25
Children: Welcome
Service style: Attentive, charming, Italian
Disabled access: Limited
Service charge: 10% on groups of 6 or more
Wine: Mainly Italian with some New Worlders; bottles start from £11.50
Reviewed: Issue 108
Published: June 20
Ask
George St
Bath, BA1 2EH
tel: 01225 789997
How do you find a decent pasta/pizzeria among the huge choice available in Bath? It’s not that big an Ask, says Deri Robins.
“A nice, relaxed, chilled-out atmosphere, quite Mediterranean. The best of the bunch was definitely V’s calzone con funghi e capra.”
Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday midday-11pm; Friday and Saturday midday-11.30pm
We visited: Friday lunchtime
Prices: anti-pasti, £3.95-£5.95; pastas £6.95-£8.95; pizzas £5.95-£8.55
Do they welcome children? Of course they do, it’s an Italian restaurant
Vegetarian choice: Limited
Disabled access: Good
Wine list: The usual Italian suspects predominate
Service and atmosphere: Relaxed and friendly
Reviewed Issue 107
Published June 6
Homewood Park
Abbey Lane
Hinton Charterhouse
Bath
tel: 01225 723731
www.homewoodpark.co.uk
Some of the best summer lunch deals are available at Bath’s most luxurious hotels, as Deri Robins discovers..
We went in search of summer dining paradise, and found it in this idyllic country house hotel on the fringes of Freshford. Haute cuisine at a very affordable price. “No dish that is not a pudding has any right to look so pretty”
Opening Hours: Lunch midday to 1.45pm; dinner 7-9.30pm
We visited: Tuesday lunchtime
Prices: Set lunch £14.50-£18; early-bird dinner £19-22; à-la-carte starters £12.50, mains £23.50, desserts £8. Light lunches also available
Vegetarian choice: Not all menus list veggie options, but they’re always available on request
Children: It’s really not a chicken nugget zone; only the most preternaturally sophisticated kid will appreciate the menu
Disabled access: Good
Service charge: At your discretion
Reviewed Issue 106
Published May 23
Café Maitreya
89 St Mark’s Road
Easton
Bristol
BS5 6HY
tel: 0117 951 0100
www.cafemaitreya.co.uk
Given Bath’s varied restaurant scene, there’s little point going further afield in order to dine. Make an exception for Café Maitreya, says Vicky Green. “Food of this calibre isn’t usually served in such a relaxed environment. We jealously eyed up the pre-dessert
amuses bouches”
Opening hours: Evenings only, from 6.30pm, Tuesday – Saturday. Last orders 9.45pm
We visited: Tuesday evening – and it was buzzing
Vegetarian choice: The best in Britain, according to some
Prices: Reasonable given the quality. £18.50 for two courses or £21.95 for three. Glass of wine from £4.55
Do they welcome children? Yes
Disabled access: Yes
Reviewed Issue 105
Published May 12
Raphael
Gascoyne House
Upper Borough Walls
Bath
tel: 01225 480042
www.raphaelrestaurant.co.uk
Lunch at the site of an old Café Rouge had Nicola Cunningham favourably impressed with its replacement.
OUR VERDICT
A great little place that serves something for everyone, where you can eat well and not too expensively
Opening Hours: Lunch, 12-3pm; dinner, 5.30-10pm daily
We visited: Thursday lunchtime
Prices: Set lunch, £10.95 two courses; pre-theatre supper from 5.30-7pm £13.95 two courses; à la carte starters from £4.50, mains from £9.50
Vegetarian choice: not huge
Children: welcome
Disabled access: yes, but loos upstairs
Total covers: 45 approximately
Service charge: only for groups of six or more
Reviewed Issue 104
Published April 25
The Dining Room,
Whatley Manor
Easton Grey, Malmesbury SN16 ORB
tel: 01666 822888
www.whatleymanor.co.uk
Laura Rowe basks in the splendour of the newly refurbished Dining Room at Whatley Manor in Malmesbury.
OUR VERDICT
The new look Dining Room at the wonderful Whatley Manor effortlessly complements its Michelin-starred cuisine. The staff know their stuff, the courses keep on coming, and the food is faultless. For a gastronomic experience hard to match the Dining Room is certainly worth a visit.
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 7-10pm (Booking for non-residents is essential)
We visited: A Wednesday night
Prices: £65pp for the three course à la carte tasting menu; £80 for seven course tasting menu
Vegetarian choice: One intelligently and inventively designed dish per course
Children: No – this is an adult zone
Disabled access: Difficult
Total covers: 40
Service: Staff were impeccably presented, thoroughly knowledgable and reassuringly attentive
Reviewed Issue 103
Published April 11
Bramleys,
25 Claverton Buildings,
Widcombe, Bath
tel: 01225 338007
www.bramleysbath.co.uk
OUR VERDICT: IIn which Kate Authers enjoys a midweek candlelit dinner for two at Widcombe’s latest eatery . “The apple-iness of Bramleys is imaginative and surprising...After just one bite he declared it one of the nicest steaks he’s ever eaten”
This ‘modern British’ restaurant effortlessly combines a stylish and imaginative décor with simple, superbly cooked food, served by friendly staff. Be sure to book, as it seems we’re not the only ones who have discovered the delights of Bramleys.
Opening Hours: Lunch Tues-Fri 12pm-2.30pm; dinner Tues-Sat 6pm-10pm
We visited: Tuesday evening
Prices: Starters £5-£6.85; mains £11.75-£15.50; puddings/cheese £6-£7
Service style: friendly but very efficient
Vegetarian choice: Two starters, two mains
Disabled access: Tables at ground-floor level
What else do I need to know? Bramleys offers a children’s menu as well as a separate light lunch and sandwich menu
Reviewed Issue 102
Published March 28
Same Same But Different
Bartlett Street, Bath
tel: 01225 466856
OUR VERDICT:
Café society is alive and well at this characterful little eatery on Bartlett Street – long a favourite of the Bath Life editorial team. “It’s a place that manages to be a lot of things to a lot of different people ”
Famously attractive, very helpful staff preside over this little corner of Bath café society; ideal for anything from a quick coffee with the paper to light snacks to a full meal. The tapas are generous and colourful, and ideal for sharing with friends for a quick lunch or more leisurely dinner
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-11pm; Sun 10am-5pm
We visited: Thursday lunchtime
Prices: Tapas £4-£5 each; one makes a snack, two or three a filling meal; sandwiches, soups, salads and pastas also available
Service style: Very sweet staff manage to keep things moving even when the place is packed.
Vegetarian choice: Good
Disabled access: Restaurant at ground level, loos downstairs
Kids? Yep; sometimes it’s pushchair central
Reviewed Issue 101
Published March 14
The Circus
34 Brock Street
Bath
tel: 01225 466020
www.thecircuscafeandrestaurant.co.uk
Triumphantly reopened as a café and restaurant, this ‘refined rustic’ eatery has a good chance of becoming your favourite new local, as Deri Robins discovers.
It may have only opened in January, but you already need to book in advance to make sure of a table. The Circus combines style with affordability, and offers simply presented, top-quality food served by personable young staff – everything, in short, that you need from your favourite local
Opening Hours: 10am-midnight Mon-Sat. Elevenses served until midday; afternoon tea 3-5pm. Last orders for dinner 10pm
We visited: Tuesday evening
Prices: Starters £5-£6.50; mains £9-12; puddings/cheese £3.50
Cuisine: ‘refined British rustic’
Service style: Friendly and professional Vegetarian choice: One starter, one main
Disabled access: Tables at ground-floor level
What else do I need to know? You can pop in any time of day just for a coffee and snack
Reviewed Issue 99
Published Feb 15
Yen Sushi
11-12 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ
tel: 01225 333313
For a city with such a thriving and varied food scene it was only a matter of time before a sushi bar arrived. Laura Rowe went to sample Yen Sushi’s fare.
Located on the charming Bartlett Street, Yen Sushi is a welcome addition to Bath’s foodie scene. Inviting, inclusive and fresh – the sushi, sashimi and Japanese delicacies here will satisfy both aficionados and timid beginners alike. And, if this wasn’t all, it is quite possibly one of the most reasonably-priced restaurants in Bath.
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday; lunch 12pm - 3pm; dinner 5.30pm - 10.30pm
We visited: Thursday lunchtime
Prices: Plates are colour-coded according to price; from £1.50 - £4 (very reasonable), set menus range from £5.50 - £30
Cuisine: Traditional sushi and sashimi along with other Japanese classics
Service style: Charming and informed
Vegetarian choice: A few, but predominantly fish based sushi
Disabled access: Yes, but no disabled toilets
Reviewed Issue 99
Published Feb 15
White Hart
Widcombe Hill
Bath BA2 6AA
Tel: 01225 338053
Fed up of the winter blues, Laura Rowe ventured out of the city centre to enjoy a midweek supper at Widcombe’s White Hart.
Now established as a gastropub, the White Hart in Widcombe is fast gaining a reputation as a top foodie destination. While on our trip we felt a couple of items on the British/ Mediterranean-inspired menu needed a little refinement, the atmosphere in this trendy pub is unsurpassable and well worth the venture out of the city centre.
“It was only a Wednesday evening and yet there was a steady flow of enviably chic locals”
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11.30am-11pm (lunch 12-2pm and dinner 6-10pm), Sun 12-4pm (lunch 12-2pm)
We visited: On a wet Wednesday evening
Vegetarian choice: One dish per course
Prices: Tapas from £3, starters from £5, main courses from £10.80 to £13.90 and puds are £6 each
Service style: Laid-back and chilled out
Wine list: Wonderful array of reasonable wines and bubbles as well as a choice of finer bottles
Do they welcome children? Well-behaved ones before 8.30pm
Disabled access: There is no ramp as such but there are very few steps
Reviewed Issue 98
Published Feb 1
The Pear Tree Inn
Top Lane, Whitley,
Melksham
Tel: 01225 709131
www.thepeartreeinn.com
Bored with sterile gastropubs? Deri Robins suggests a trip to Melksham, where The Pear Tree offers fine dining in traditional surroundings.
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday midday-2.30pm, 6.30-9.30pm; Sunday midday-3pm, 7-9pm
We visited: Saturday evening
Prices: A la carte starters £5.50-£8.50, mains £11.95-£19.50, puddings £5.95
Cuisine: Classic with an imaginative twist
Service style: Efficient and friendly
Vegetarian choice: Good
Disabled access: Dining rooms on ground floor; a few shallow steps from the bar
Reviewed Issue 97.
Published Jan 18.
The Real Italian Pizza Co.
16 York Sreet
Bath
Tel: 01225 330121
Probably the best pizza we’ve ever eaten, in a stylish and relaxed, friendly family atmosphere.
Opening hours: 11am-11pm Mon-Sun
We visited: Tuesday evening
Vegetarian choice: There is a vast choice of vegetarian options available
Prices: Starters £3.55-£10.95; mains £5.95-9.95; desserts £4.95
Children: Smaller pizzas are available
Service charge: Not included
Disabled access: There is a step outside up to the main entrance
Total covers: 75 over two floors
What else do I need to know? Sit downstairs if you want to see the magnificent pizza oven and the chef in action. They are also open for takeaway.
Reviewed Issue 96.
Published Jan 4.
The Bath Priory Hotel & Restaurant
Weston Road,
Bath, BA1 2XT
tel: 01225 331992
web: www.thebathpriory.co.uk
"Serious foodies all over the country rate Chris for his innovation and experimentation, and his menu made engrossing reading.
"He introduces his style of cooking to the diner with a bit of blurb at the start of the menu. There is a clearly defned concept to his food and part of the experience is understanding exactly what you are eating. Chris describes his food as a three-dimensional story, with presentation, favour and nutrition as the three main stars of the tale. And, when we were given the frst of two complimentary pre-starters, it was clear that the meal we were about to sample would be a theatrical masterpiece rather than a poorly played farce."
When is it open? Food is served 12-2pm, Mon-Sun and 7-9.30pm Mon-Sun
We visited: Tuesday evening
Prices: Lunch starts at £20 for two courses, and £25 for three, dinner is £55 for three courses
(Prices now: Lunch starts at £22 for two courses, and £27.50 for three, dinner is £65 for three courses)
Vegetarian choice: There is a separate vegetarian menu on request with 4 or 5 dishes per course
Children: Welcome at lunch but not for dinner (which in my book is no bad thing)
Disabled access: Yes
Total covers: 64 – not too big and not too small
What else do I need to know? The décor is being updated in the new year to refect the contemporary style of food.
Reviewed: Issue 94
