The Best Cafés in Bath: Coffee, Brunch, Bakeries & Beautiful Stops I’d Recommend
Looking for the best cafés in Bath, England? Here’s my pick of the city’s coffee shops, brunch spots, bakeries and lovely places to stop between sightseeing—from serious speciality coffee and Sicilian cannoli to incredible artisan pastries. Sincerely, a Bath café lover!
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Bath has always been one of those cities where I lose track of how much walking I’ve done until I sit down with something caffeinated (easy to do).
I’ve been coming back since moving to the UK in 2016—on my own, with my mum, with friends and through my work as a travel writer.
Given the city centre’s size, a café stop in Bath is never too much of a detour. One minute you’re looking up at the honey-coloured curve of the Royal Crescent; twenty minutes later you can be eating breakfast around the corner or holding a flat white on your way to the Roman Baths.
There’s also a lot more range in the coffee scene here than you’d expect compared to its ‘Georgian tea-room’ reputation.
You can get an incredible coffee from Colonna & Small’s, tear into naturally leavened pastries at Landrace Bakery & Café, sit down for a full breakfast between The Circus and the Royal Crescent, or disappear into a small Italian café for coffee and cannoli, all in one afternoon, if you’d like.
Here’s the best cafés to try in the city.
Shall we?
About the Author
Hi, I’m Candace — a London-based travel writer and content creator who traded the East Coast of the US for the charm of the UK back in 2016. London’s been my home ever since.
On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtfully crafted London, UK, Europe and Worldwide travel guides alongside lots of insider London tips, honest hotel and restaurant reviews and advice for content creators.
P.S. – For more trip inspiration, travel videos, and behind-the-scenes adventures, be sure to follow along (and say hello, if you fancy) on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube.
🗞️📺 As featured on the BBC, USA Today & Recipe.TV.
Quick Overview: The Best Cafés in Bath
| Café | Best for | Pair it with | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonna & Small’s | Serious speciality coffee | Queen Square | Kicking and sipping in Bath since 2009; best pick for coffee obsessives |
| Landrace Bakery & Café | Pastries, bread and bakery breakfast | Walcot Artisan Quarter | Walk-in café; excellent for a pastry breakfast |
| The Green Bird Café | Breakfast near Bath’s Georgian sights | Royal Crescent | Independent and walk-in only; particularly useful on a sightseeing morning |
| Society Café | A longer coffee, people-watching and a central Bath pause | Bath Abbey | They’ve got central Bath locations, including one inside The Corridor |
| Rosarios Café | Italian coffee, cannoli and brunch | Bath Guildhall Market | A Sicilian-leaning café inside a Grade II-listed Georgian building |
| Same Same But Different | Full breakfast and casual lunch | Jane Austen Centre | A Bath fixture since 2002 with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choice |
| Cascara | Fully vegan brunch and cake | Roman Baths | Everything is plant-based, from brunch plates to cakes and speciality coffee |
| Coret Coffee | Coffee that can turn into wine | Milsom Street area | A small courtyard coffee-and-wine bar with tastings and events |
| No.11 Espresso Bar | A quick independent espresso stop | Queen Square | Tiny by design; best for a quick coffee and near lots of Bridgerton filming locations. |
| The Courtyard Café | Homemade lunch, cake and cream tea | Bath Abbey | Tucked away near Bath Abbey with a lovely covered courtyard. |
| The Bath Coffee Company | Independent coffee and cake | Thermae Bath Spa | A favourite local coffee stop, especially useful if you’re on the west side of the centre |
Book Your Bath Trip
Where I recommend staying: For the most character, I’d choose No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath, set inside three Georgian townhouses on Great Pulteney Street with playful interiors and an on-site spa. For the easiest arrival by train, I’d stay at Hotel Indigo Bath; it’s a 5-minute walk from Bath Spa station with small Jane Austen touches alongside a modern stay. I’ve personally stayed at and highly recommend both.
Getting to Bath from London: Compare times and book your direct journey from London Paddington to Bath Spa—it takes around 1 hour 15 minutes and is a beautiful journey.
The attraction I’d book first: Reserve your Roman Baths entry ticket with audio guide. It’s an essential first-time Bath attraction, and arrival times can fill up quickly on busy weekends and holidays.
Visiting from London for the day? I’d choose this Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath and Roman Baths day tour if you want transport and all major bookings handled for you.
Staying longer? This Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock and Castle Combe tour from Bath combines two prehistoric sites with two of the prettiest villages within easy reach of the city.
For a different view: Take this 30-minute scenic River Avon cruise for glorious views over Bath’s weir and riverside.
Stay connected: Set up your Europe eSIM before your trip. It takes less than five minutes, and you’ll have mobile data ready to use when you arrive.
For extra peace of mind: I personally recommend using VisitorsCoverage to compare travel insurance options before your trip—it’s my go-to for finding the right cover whenever I travel.
1. Colonna & Small’s: Best for Speciality Coffee in Bath
Best for: single-origin coffee, and a nice stop near Queen Square.
If coffee is the entire reason you’re keen on Bath cafés, visit Colonna & Small’s.
The Bath shop is where the company began in 2009, and it’s more like a tasting room than a simple coffee shop—with rotating beans and origins chosen by the team week on week.
There’s pastries and cakes here too, but the coffee is the real gem, and you’ll be right next to Queen Square!
2. Landrace Bakery & Café: Best Bakery Café in Bath
Best for: naturally leavened bread, pastries, breakfast and the start of a Walcot Street morning.
There are some Bath coffee shops where pastries are an afterthought. Landrace Bakery & Café is absolutely not one of them.
The bakery works with speciality grains and naturally leavened doughs, with loaves, buns and pastries made downstairs while its wider Landrace operation mills grain in Bath too.
It’s also on Walcot Street, the old artisan quarter where Bath’s independent shops, vintage stores and creative businesses thrive, so eat first then have an explore around the area!
The café is walk-in and can get busy, so give yourself enough time to wait for a table if needed.
3. The Green Bird Café: Best Breakfast Near the Royal Crescent
Best for: a proper breakfast, seasonal lunch and a stop between The Circus and the Royal Crescent.
The Green Bird Café is best for a pit-stop after a morning of exploring Bath.
It sits on the pedestrianised stretch between The Circus and the Royal Crescent, so your breakfast, lunch or cake won’t require abandoning the prettiest part of your walk.
The menu is made from scratch and moves with the seasons: eggs and granola in the morning, then soups, salads, tarts and toasted sandwiches later.
Their breakfast bits even picked up a Bath Good Food Award, if you’re wondering…just bear in mind they close on Sundays!
4. Society Café: Best for a Longer Coffee in Bath City Centre
Best for: speciality coffee, cake, people-watching and a less hurried sit-down in the centre.
Society Café is where I’d go for a proper café sit-down in Bath.
To date, there are two Bath locations, including one inside The Corridor (Bath’s lovely covered shopping arcade opened in 1825).
The menu covers speciality coffee, tea, hot chocolate, pastries, cakes and sandwiches, and there’s lots of room to hang out and people-watch. Bath bliss.
5. Rosarios Cafe: Best Italian Café in Bath
Best for: Italian coffee, cannoli, homemade cake, breakfast and lunch.
For something delicious and Italian in Bath, head to Rosarios Café.
Owner Rosario Bavetta built the café around his love of coffee and his nonna’s cooking, serving locally roasted coffee alongside Italian pastries, Sicilian cannoli, homemade cakes and an all-day breakfast and lunch menu.
The café sits inside a Grade II-listed Georgian property, with old sash windows and all you need for a very relaxing coffee stop in the city.
It’s also just a short walk from Bath Guildhall Market and the Roman Baths.
6. Same Same But Different: Best for Brunch in Bath
Best for: cooked breakfast, brunch, toasted sandwiches and a casual meal near Bath’s upper city sights.
Same Same But Different has been feeding Bath since 2002, which is long enough to qualify as more than a TikTok brunch spot.
The café is small, colourful and unfussy, with cooked-to-order breakfasts, a full English, vegetarian and vegan options, big coffees and very tasty toasted sandwiches.
It’s walk-in only and best for an actual meal before several hours on your feet exploring the Jane Austen Centre, Queen Square and the walk towards The Circus.
7. Cascara: Best Vegan Café in Bath
Best for: fully plant-based brunch, coffee, juices, smoothies and cake.
Cascara is heaven for all things plant-based in Bath.
The entire café is plant-based, with food and drinks made in-house, ranging from brunch burritos and toast to bowls, cakes, pastries, cold-pressed juices and speciality coffee.
It’s also very central, so a great stop before or after the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey or a soak at Thermae Bath Spa.
8. Coret Coffee: Best for Coffee, Wine & a Calm Courtyard
Best for: speciality coffee, a quieter sit-down, wine and a pause around Shires Yard.
Coret Coffee is where the cool kids go in Bath, and a direct antidote to assuming every Bath coffee stop needs chandeliers, Georgian grandeur or a cream tea attached.
Tucked into the courtyards of Shires Yard, it’s pared back with speciality coffee in the daytime and wine when the evening hits.
They also do coffee and wine-tasting events, with a courtyard location right near the Jane Austen Centre.
9. No.11 Espresso Bar: Best Tiny Coffee Stop in Bath
Best for: espresso, a quick independent stop and coffee near Queen Square.
Some Bath cafés are lovely for a quick pop in. No.11 Espresso Bar is one of them.
The coffee shop is tiny, independent and close enough to Queen Square that it slips neatly into the walk towards The Circus and the Royal Crescent.
Fantastic for a quick pick-up and occasionally a nice viewpoint for some Bridgerton filming going on!
10. The Courtyard Café: Best Café Near Bath Abbey
Best for: homemade breakfast, lunch, cake and cream tea close to Bath Abbey.
The Courtyard Café is surprisingly local for its Bath city centre location.
It’s tucked down a little court around the corner from Bath Abbey, with covered courtyard seating, homemade breakfasts, lunches, cakes and cream teas.
Come here when you want lunch, a pot of tea and a cheeky sit-down once you’ve finished the Roman Baths, especially if you’re spending one day in Bath.
11. The Bath Coffee Company: Best Easy Coffee Stop Near Thermae Bath Spa
Best for: coffee, cake, central people-watching and an easy stop before or after the spa.
The Bath Coffee Company offers a simple promise—coffee, cake, outdoor tables and a very central Bath setting.
Its square-side setting makes you privy to some of the best people-watching views in Bath, and of course, required cake.
Location-wise it’s particularly well placed before or after Thermae Bath Spa, or when you’re crossing the centre on the way back towards Bath Spa station.
More Bath Cafés Worth Saving
- Cortado Café for speciality coffee with Argentinian empanadas on the side. It’s run by Argentinian-British couple Fran and Sophie, loved and local and walk-in only.
- Good Day Cafe for a divine Bath brunch with loaded hash browns, French toast, brownies, blondies and brookies (brownies mixed with cookies, yes).
- The Colombian Company for Colombian speciality coffee from founder Jhampoll Gutierrez Gomez’s own backyard.
- Rooted Café for vegetarian food that moves well beyond the usual brunch rota. The family-run café opened in 2018 with a daytime menu that runs from a Full Indian Breakfast to a Korean kimchi hot dog.
- Picnic Coffee for another coffee-first independent in the centre, with a wide selection of coffees and brew methods alongside handmade food.
Bath Cafés by Area: Where to Stop While Sightseeing
Bath is small enough that I wouldn’t plan the day around coffee alone, but there are quite a few near Bath’s top sights if you’d like to add them in as pit stops.
- Near the Royal Crescent and The Circus: use The Green Bird Café for a sit-down breakfast or No.11 Espresso Bar as you move back towards Queen Square.
- Near Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths: The Courtyard Café for a traditional sit-down, or Cascara for a fully vegan brunch.
- For shopping on Walcot Street: I’d make Landrace Bakery & Café part of your morning.
- Around the central shopping streets: Society Café, Rosarios Cafe and Coret Coffee.
- Near Thermae Bath Spa: The Bath Coffee Company is an easy coffee-and-cake stop, while Same Same But Different is better for a full meal.
If you’re still deciding what to do in Bath outside of coffee, read my best things to do in Bath guide or my two-day Bath itinerary to give you enough time to actually sit down in a few cafés vs. squeeze them between attractions.
What About The Pump Room, the Regency Tea Room & Bookshop Coffee?
In other words, two of Bath’s most famous eating houses.
The Pump Room Restaurant is where I’d go for a full Bath occasion: with chandeliers, tall Georgian windows, live classical music and afternoon tea beside the Roman Baths.
I’ve done it myself (twice) and loved it, but I think of it as afternoon tea rather than a casual café stop.
Read More: The Best Afternoon Tea in Bath: The Pump Room, Jane Austen & More
The Regency Tea Room at the Jane Austen Centre is also a lovely one if you’re keen on a literary day in the city.
Read More: Jane Austen in Bath: Places to Visit, Her History & the Perfect Literary Day
And if your idea of a good afternoon is coffee plus several floors of books, Topping & Company Booksellers gives you exactly that.
Pair it with the other independents in my Bath bookshop guide and you’re golden.
What Are the Best Cafés to Work From in Bath?
For a short laptop session, I would start with Society Café rather than one of Bath’s tiny speciality coffee shops.
It has more room to settle, and their whole coffee-house set-up works well for reading, notes or an hour of work. Coret Coffee also works, but since it’s a bit smaller, I’d read the room before opening a laptop.
I wouldn’t use places like No.11 Espresso Bar for this at all given its small size, and I’d always avoid working anywhere with a queue at peak brunch time!
Where to Stay for a Coffee-Filled Weekend in Bath
Because most of these cafés sit inside Bath’s walkable centre, I wouldn’t pick a hotel purely to be beside one coffee shop.
But in general, for a trip I’d choose No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath—it’s filled with Georgian character and is fabulous for a walk through the centre towards the coffee shops around the Milsom Street area, The Circus and the Royal Crescent.
Otherwise for lovely convenience, choose Hotel Indigo Bath to be close to Bath Spa station (just a 5-minute walk). I’ve stayed at both!
And of course, don’t forget to get your train ticket from London to Bath before your trip.
Final Thoughts on the Best Cafés in Bath
What I like most about Bath’s cafés is that each truly has its own character (vs. just blending into Georgian-era backdrops).
Some call for a very serious coffee. Some are lovely for breakfast before your first museum. Some do pastries insanely well—I’m talking to you Landrace—and some are just lovely for a courtyard pause before exploring more of Bath again.
Have the loveliest time—and coffee—in Bath!
Happy travels,
Candace x
FAQ: Best Cafés in Bath, England
What Are the Best Cafés in Bath?
For speciality coffee, start with Colonna & Small’s. For bread and pastries, choose Landrace Bakery & Café. The Green Bird Café is my pick near the Royal Crescent, Society Café is great for a linger, and Cascara is my pick for the best vegan options.
Where Can You Find the Best Coffee in Bath?
Colonna & Small’s is my strongest coffee-first pick in Bath. The original Bath shop opened in 2009 and built its reputation around changing origins and the tasting experience. Coret Coffee and No.11 Espresso Bar are the other two I’d look at if brunch is secondary.
What Is the Best Café in Bath for Brunch?
For a full brunch, choose Same Same But Different for cooked breakfast and casual daytime food, or The Green Bird Café when your sightseeing is around the Royal Crescent and The Circus. For an entirely plant-based brunch, go to Cascara.
What Are the Best Coffee Shops in Bath City Centre?
Most of the best coffee shops in Bath sit inside or just beyond the compact city centre. Colonna & Small’s, Society Café, Rosarios Cafe, Coret Coffee, Picnic Coffee and The Bath Coffee Company all fit easily around a first-time sightseeing day.
What Are the Best Cafés in Bath for Lunch?
Choose The Green Bird Café for seasonal soups, salads and toasted sandwiches, Rosarios Cafe for Italian-leaning lunch and panini, Same Same But Different for a casual cooked meal, or Cascara for fully plant-based food.
What Is the Best Café Near the Royal Crescent?
The Green Bird Café sits directly between the Royal Crescent and The Circus. It serves breakfast, lunch, cakes and coffee and is walk-in only.
What Is the Best Café Near the Roman Baths?
For a traditional café stop close to the Roman Baths, use The Courtyard Café near Bath Abbey. For vegan brunch, Cascara is also very central. If you want a grand historic experience instead, book afternoon tea at The Pump Room Restaurant.
What Are the Best Cafés to Work in Bath?
Society Café is the first café I’d try for a short laptop session as it’s much roomier than Bath’s smallest espresso bars. Coret Coffee can also work, depending how busy they are.
Are Cafés in Bath Open on Sundays?
Many Bath cafés open on Sundays, but not all of them. The Green Bird Café is closed and others may have reduced hours (or take time off in the summer holidays)—always check before you visit!
Is Bath Good for Independent Coffee Shops?
Yes. Bath has a particularly strong independent coffee scene for a city of its size, from the nationally influential Colonna & Small’s to bakery cafés, vegan spots, Italian cafés and tiny espresso bars. Because the centre is so walkable, it’s also easy to choose independent cafés without sacrificing any sightseeing time on your trip.
Plan the Rest of Your Bath Trip
Still planning? Here’s more of my Bath guides to help you decide where to stay, what to book and how to make the most of your trip.
Bath itineraries and planning
- The Best Things to Do in Bath, England: Roman Baths, Georgian Streets, Jane Austen & More
- 2 Days in Bath: The Perfect Weekend Itinerary (From a Frequent Visitor)
- One Day in Bath: The Perfect Day Trip Itinerary (With Map & Tips)
- How to Get from London to Bath: Train, Bus, Car or Tour?
- Christmas in Bath: The Perfect Festive Weekend Itinerary
What to see and do in Bath
- Bridgerton Filming Locations in Bath: A Self-Guided Walking Tour + Visiting Tips
- Jane Austen in Bath: Places to Visit, Her History & the Perfect Literary Day
- The Best Bookshops in Bath, England: A Literary Day Out for Book Lovers
- The Roman Baths in Bath, England: Everything You Need to Know Before You Visit
Where to stay in Bath
- The Best Hotels in Bath, England: Where to Stay, From Georgian Townhouses to Spa Hotels
- No.15 by GuestHouse Bath Review: Is This Characterful Georgian Hotel Worth It?
- Hotel Indigo Bath Review: A Jane Austen-Inspired Stay Near Bath Spa Station
Tours, day trips and experiences
- The Best Walking Tours in Bath: History, Bridgerton, Ghost & Food Tours
- The Best Bath Day Tours from London: Stonehenge, Windsor, Lacock & More
- The Best Day Trips from Bath: Cotswolds, Stonehenge, Oxford & More
- Thermae Bath Spa Review: Is It Worth It? Everything You Need to Know
- The Best Boat Trips in Bath, England: Sightseeing, Prosecco Cruises & River Avon Views
