If you've read Jane Austen's book, you'll be intimately acquainted with the city of Bath in the U.K. It's a gorgeous place a direct train from London with lots of great places to eat at. Here's my list of the best restaurants in Bath city centre, all of which we've dined at on own our penny. (i.e. they're unsponsored reviews!)
Clayton’s Kitchen
Address: 15A George St
This lovely little restaurant is elevated slightly above the main road and is one of the best restaurants I visited in Bath.
The service was very attentive and the food delicious- we enjoyed our time here so much so that we made a note to come back again (even though there are so many places we still want to visit in Bath!) Even though we sat outside- we were the only table sitting along our stretch- we never felt neglected by the waitress, who was very warm and friendly.
We enjoyed the starters (salmon and), the mains (chicken and fish), the house wines ( worchester culver and rose) and the affogato dessert!
The Scallop Shell
Address: 22 Monmouth Pl, Batg BA1 2 AY
We were looking for a last-minute lunch place on Saturday, and managed to find a table upstairs, on the terrace. (No lift, you'll have to climb the stairs.) The staff were very helpful.
We had the Megrim Sole Fillet with chips, mushy peas and aioli and an English Heritage Tomato Salad with feta, pickled red onions, gem lettuce & muscatel dressing. The salad was very fresh but the sole a little bland (though fresh.) If the fish had been grilled on both sides, it would have tasted better. Next time, we must try the famous fish and chips instead!
Corkage Chapel Row
Address: Chapel Row,Bath BA 1, 1RN.
We passed this restaurant many times not realising that it has a charming and cosy ambience, with a very romantic lovely terrace. The ox cheek was great but the courgette salad a little bland. We finished with cheese cake.
Ole Tapas
Address: First Floor, 1St John St.,Bath, BA1, 2JL
This Spanish restaurant is a great choice if you want a change from English cuisine. It serves tapas style small dishes.
We had: Pantumacc, Setas a la Planeha, Gambia’s Pil Pil, Pulpo a la Brase, Polo Asada, and a Pan Extra. The octupus was very well presented and the bread super crunchy- I could have had two servings!
The service was quick but the music was too loud for us. (It's not really a good place for conversation.)
Ponte Vecchio
Address: Springs Garden Road, Bathwick, Bath BA2 6PW
This restaurant is a bit hard to find. You have to navigate down narrow steps down to this restaurant situated near the Pulteney weir by the river.
It has an upstairs dining area with terrace. The food was great- we had the fresh mussels for The Cozze Marinar, the Spaghetti lo scoglio and Caprese served with fresh tomatoes and slices of mozzarella.
The waitress, a student at the local Bath University, was also chatty and friendly.
The Marlborough Tavern Bath
Address: 35 Marlborough Buildings, Bath BA12LY
This gastropub is located a little out of the centre of Bath, uphill from the Royal Crescent, but is well worth a detour. It ties with Clayton's Kitchen as our favorite place to eat in Bath.
In fact, we ate here twice during our trip!
The Fish and Chips, the steak burger and salad were sumptuous. The chips were meticulously cut and fried crisply. We enjoyed the food and the cosy and comfortable ambience very much.
They also have a very value-for-money lunch set!
Raphael Restaurant
Address: Gascoyne House, Upper Borough House, Bath BA1 1RN
We were very excited to dine at Raphael as it's famous in Bath. Sadly, we were quite disappointed by our experience.
The food was hit-and-miss: my mom had a delicious hake with boneless chicken wings and peas. However, my skate wasn't the tastiest. We also ordered a salad bowl of kale and chips to share. (Chips were much too salty.)
The service was also a little lacklustre- we didn't feel as welcome here as we did at Clayton's Kitchen. In addition, the tables were placed very near to each other. You have to enter your seat sideways for fear of topping over the placed setting of bottle of wine and glasses.
For the same price that I paid at Raphael, I had ordered more dishes at Clayton’s Kitchen : a starter, 2 mains, a salad 2 glasses of wine and a dessert!
La Terra
Address: 2 John St, Bath BA12JL
We had the set lunch- I enjoyed it but my Mom felt that the fish was not hot enough. (It's because she eats slowly!)
As such, she felt that it was a bit pricy for the food and ambience, but I enjoyed it! The waiter was very friendly!
Places With Live Music
Bandook
Address: 3-7 Milson St, Bath BA1 1 BZ
We chanced upon this Insia restaurant on one of our walks along Milson Place, and were seduced in by the "live jazz" notice.
The place reminded me of Dishoom in London. The Kale Pakora Chaat, Chicken Curry, Jackfruit Biryani, prawns were all scrumptious. The staff were also very friendly.
Alas, the music started quite a bit later than advertised, so we were almost done with our meal by the time they had begun! The restuarant is divided into sections and, depending on where you sit, the music may be too soft (or loud.)
For more about Jane Austen, click here for Pride and Prejudice quotes about love.
