With its handsome Georgian architecture, numerous canal and riverside walks, and location just a short drive from Cardiff, Bath was our mini-break destination of choice for July’s scorcher of a heatwave.
During the time we weren’t searching for shade and nearly fainting from heat exhaustion, we spent a great few days exploring the city’s excellent independent food and drink scene. Here’s our highlights:
Magu Diner
Magu cook their burgers the right way with smashed patties, steamed soft and sturdy buns, and a paucity of salad. I had the All American Smash (£9.50) with two well crusted hyper juicy patties, an ooze of American cheese and tangy burger sauce and gherkins to cut through the richness.
A Maple Bacon (£10.50) included crispy maple bacon and baconnaise in the mix. But, if you fancy something even more off the wall, their Flying Lotus features Biscoff spread, pecan peanut butter and chilli jam.
Chaiwalla
A great value city centre lunch option, Chaiwalla serves vegetarian Indian street food from their little hole in the wall.
A great value city centre lunch option, Chaiwalla serves vegetarian Indian street food from their little hole in the wall.
We had wraps (£5.50) filled with crisp freshly fried falafel and golden onion bhajis loaded with fresh chutneys and crisp salad
Suppliers of royally good cheese to the royal family, we purchased a small selection of Bath focused cheese including a creamy stilton-esque Bath Blue and a nutty Wyfe of Bath from the Bath cheese company.
An additional top tip, their refrigerated cheese room is an ideal spot to cool down during a heatwave.
The Scallop Shell
Beneath the Scallop Shell’s family friendly sea shack decor is a seriously good fish restaurant where there's a big focus on quality produce and precise cookery.
Beneath the Scallop Shell’s family friendly sea shack decor is a seriously good fish restaurant where there's a big focus on quality produce and precise cookery.
A well-caramelised and sweet plump diver-caught scallop (£4.50) was generously bathed in punchy and vibrant garlic and herb butter.
Fresh as you like crisp-skinned Cornish sardines (£7.50) and fried sourdough were balanced by a cleansing tomato salad with plenty of garlic and cutting acidity.
A whole Torbay sole (£17) pulled off the bone with ease. It was bathed caper butter.
Golden battered cold (£15.95) flaked into chunks beautifully. Accompanied by textbook tartare, old skool mushy peas and fluffy crisp chip shop chips (which could have been a shade darker), it was a cracking example of its type.
Electric Bear
Tucked away on an industrial estate a short walk along the river, Electric Bear is a quality modern brewery.
Tucked away on an industrial estate a short walk along the river, Electric Bear is a quality modern brewery.
We smashed back a few crushable hoppy beers and mouth puckering sours such as A Zoom Landing pink lemonade sour.
Many of the UK's best breweries are present and correct at this city centre bottle shop and taproom from Deya and Yonder to Verdant and Pressure Drop.
We enjoyed a dank and hoppy Cloudwater New Normal IPA and a fruit-packed North triple-fruited tayberry sour.
Mjolk
Located in a bit of a tourist trap next to the cathedral, we were impressed by the cinnamon and cardamom buns (£3) from this Scandinavian cafe. Crisp crusted, super soft and heady with sugar and spice, they made for a lovely mid-morning snack.
Located in a bit of a tourist trap next to the cathedral, we were impressed by the cinnamon and cardamom buns (£3) from this Scandinavian cafe. Crisp crusted, super soft and heady with sugar and spice, they made for a lovely mid-morning snack.
Corkage
Corkage wasn't quite as impressive as our last visit but we still enjoyed a few small plates and glasses of riesling and orange wine at this wine-focused restaurant.
Corkage wasn't quite as impressive as our last visit but we still enjoyed a few small plates and glasses of riesling and orange wine at this wine-focused restaurant.
Roasted broccoli (£6) was bathed in lemon and chilli oil and topped with a dusting of savoury grana padano.
Indian spiced tender cauliflower (£6.50) and sultana studded couscous were generously drizzled with tahini yoghurt.
Ras-el-hanout spiced roasted aubergine (£6) was accompanied by pickled cabbage and onions which slightly dominated with their acidity.
Beckford Bottle Shop
Another wine-focused small plates joint, Beckford Bottle Shop’s terrace is a lovely place to while away a few hours in the sunshine.
Another wine-focused small plates joint, Beckford Bottle Shop’s terrace is a lovely place to while away a few hours in the sunshine.
From Pierre Frick orange wine, to their own picpoul and coups of champagne, they've got a great range of stuff to drink.
Anchovies on toast (£4.75) were a simple combination of top drawer ingredients with mini pickled shallots bringing welcome cut through to the party.
Uber crisp courgette fritti (£6.75) were accompanied by golden honking aioli.
A first class raspberry fragranced brûlée (£6.50) was topped with thin toasty caramel, fresh berries, crushed pistachios and mini turkish delight pieces. It was the Middle East distilled into a dessert.
An affogato (£7.50), made with tonka bean ice cream and a bonus shot of caramel rum and a buttery oat biscuit, was a lovely boozy riff on a classic.
Natural wines, artisanal provisions and top notch baked goods, Landrace Bakery is right up my street.
A lovely tart was made with crisp shortcrust pastry, grownup hazelnut frangipane and a soft fragrant apricots. I'd have loved another one served hot with custard. Excellent cinnamon buns (£3) were crisp and soft with plenty of warming spice.
Yum Yum Thai
We knocked back some ice cold beers over a quick lunch at this Thai cafe, which is a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Pad Thai (£13.95) was packed with whopping butterflied king prawns and licked with a good smoky hit from the wok.
We knocked back some ice cold beers over a quick lunch at this Thai cafe, which is a member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Pad Thai (£13.95) was packed with whopping butterflied king prawns and licked with a good smoky hit from the wok.
Green curry (£9.95) was enjoyably fragrant and loaded with tender poached chicken and impeccably fresh veg.
We had a lush trip to Bath and there’s plenty more places I want to check out on my next visit from the Michelin-starred Olive Tree to the game-focused Elder and the new restaurant upstairs at the Landrace Bakery.
A lovely set of reviews! Yum Yum Thai is a grand institution. Worth also trying Pinxtos, Bath's answer to Curado Bar, and equally delicious with delightful staff/customer service . https://pintxobath.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteThanks Graham. We walked past Pintxos and thought it looked good - cheers for the recommendation for next time!
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