The Best Restaurants in Bath: Where to Eat, From Local Pubs to Georgian Dining Rooms

Looking for the best restaurants in Bath, England? From wine-and-small-plates places and vegetable-led kitchens to Vietnamese food, fresh pasta, seafood and Bath’s Michelin-starred dining room, here’s all the Bath restaurants I’d actually save for your trip—from a constant visitor!

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Bath’s food reputation can get stuck somewhere between afternoon tea and Sally Lunn buns.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love both. I’ve eaten the famous bun at Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House, had afternoon tea with live music at The Pump Room Restaurant and would still send any first-time visitor to Bath straight towards them (with an empty stomach and a large appetite, preferably).

But after returning to Bath countless times since moving to the UK from the East Coast in 2016, I’ve become just as interested in what happens when the Bath sightseeing stops and dinner starts.

Over the years I’ve visited Bath on my own, with my mum, with friends and through my work as a travel writer across spring, autumn and Christmas.

Despite doing every tourist thing in the book, one of my most ordinary-but-favourite Bath memories was finishing a festive day with fish and chips at The Pig & Fiddle.

The more I’ve come back, the more Bath’s restaurant scene has surprised me. A Georgian greenhouse serving modern British food. A bakery milling speciality grains for the restaurant upstairs. A Vietnamese kitchen rooted in one Bath family’s story. A wine shop where dinner can include a bottle you keenly spotted on the shelf ten minutes earlier.

Bath’s restaurant scene is severely underrated, so I hope this helps you go beyond the best things to do in Bath, your one-day Bath itinerary or your two-day Bath itinerary—into the more local side of Bath’s foodie scene.

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 Restaurants in Bath

Emberwood Bath

11 Best Restaurants in Bath, England

1. Beckford Bottle Shop: Best for Wine and Sharing Plates

Beckford Bottle Shop

Best for: wine, small plates, British cheese and a dinner that can very easily become your entire evening.

Beckford Bottle Shop is part wine merchant, part bistro, and all parts cool.

It opened in 2015 and now holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good-quality, good-value cooking. The kitchen works with seasonal Somerset produce, while the menu stays firmly in small-plate territory.

To get more specific, I’d have my eye on the charcuterie bolognese with cavatelli and beef-tallow butter, or the confit octopus with pomme paillasson and mojo verde. Their current menu also holds a juicy Creedy Carver duck with orange-glazed chicory and jus—changing always with the season.

There’s more than 30 choices by the glass here, but if something catches your eye in the adjoining shop, you can buy the bottle and pay corkage to drink it with dinner.

I’d choose it after a day around The Circus and Royal Crescent for a lovely ‘grown-up’ dinner.

2. Upstairs at Landrace: Best for a Gourmet Dinner

Upstairs at Landrace

Best for: seasonal South West produce, natural wine and the bread…oh the bread.

Upstairs at Landrace sits above Bath’s local and loved Landrace bakery and is a huge part of the Bath food scene.

Their wider mission is built around restoring a regional community of speciality grains: the flour is milled locally, the bakery works with naturally leavened breads, and upstairs the restaurant carries that same obsession with ingredients into dinner.

The menu changes daily, leaning Mediterranean while keeping Somerset produce firmly in the foreground.

I’d book it for a fabulous independent dinner in Bath and make sure not to leave without a bite of their stoneground sourdough bread.

3. Noya’s Kitchen: Best for Vietnamese Food in Bath

Noya’s Kitchen

Best for: Vietnamese lunch or dinner, fresh herbs, pho, curries and a kitchen rooted in Noya’s own family story.

Noya’s Kitchen opened in central Bath in 2017, inside a homely Grade II-listed building on St James’s Parade, but Noya’s relationship with Vietnamese food began long before the restaurant.

After leaving Vietnam by boat as a child, she remembers cooking rice for her siblings in a Hong Kong refugee camp while her parents worked. Growing up in the UK, Vietnamese food remained a connection to the culture her family had left.

On the current dinner menu, I’d look first at the phở bò or Bún thịt nướng/Bún Chay. But the dish that says the most about Noya’s story is Cari Ga—“An’s Chicken Curry”—made from her mum’s recipe with the ginger, kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass and galangal that run through Vietnamese curry.

Save it for when you’ve had your fill of British and modern European menus and want a Bath restaurant with a story behind it.

4. Oak: Best Vegetarian Restaurant in Bath

Oak

Best for: vegetarian and vegan food, natural wine and vegetables.

Oak is the restaurant I’d choose for a vegetarian meal even if nobody else at the table is vegetarian.

The kitchen follows a farm-to-table approach around seasonal, local and low-intervention ingredients, with its own chemical-free market garden just outside Bath supplying a sizeable share of the produce.

The result is small plates designed for sharing rather than a procession of meat substitutes. It’s also been awarded a Green Star by Michelin for its sustainability work.

My picks? Their Nice Bunch beetroot with smoked almond butter, dukkah and fig-leaf oil; homemade ricotta ravioli with agretti and Old Winchester; and a dark-chocolate tart with sourdough ice cream. To name a few…

P.S. – It’s also very close to the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.

5. Beckford Canteen: Best Modern British Restaurant in Bath

Beckford Canteen

Best for: modern British cooking, a special lunch or dinner and Bath history.

Set inside a former Georgian greenhouse, the old bones of Beckford Canteen are still part of the pleasure.

Head chef Joe Lacey is Bath-born and came home with a CV that includes Michelin-starred kitchens, Claridge’s, Melbourne and the South of France. His food now looks much closer to home, built around seasonal produce from the South West with European and Mediterranean influence.

The restaurant can do both a quick lunch and a more indulgent dinner, and keeps some window-counter seats for walk-ins. If wine becomes the priority, its sister Beckford Bottle Shop is only a couple of minutes away.

For dishes, I’d single out the megrim sole with Café de Paris butter. But on Sunday, the thing to come for is the roast—chicken breast, pork belly or roast beef sirloin—with all the trimmings (including their divine confit potatoes).

6. Root Bath: Best for Vegetable-Led Sharing Plates

Best for: vegetable-forward sharing plates, rooftop tables and Bath’s new restaurant scene.

Root Bath is one of the city’s newer openings, taking the South West restaurant group’s “more veg, less meat” approach into the restored Shires Yard.

Rather than politely sitting beside the protein, vegetables are the star here, with a seasonal sharing menu shaped by local farms and whatever is good in the year when you visit. Did I mention the roof terrace?

Start with the cheese puffs with Old Winchester and brown sauce, one of the Root classics that quickly became a Bath favourite. Then watch out for their seasonal plates like smoked beetroot with cashew-horseradish cream, apple and dill, alongside roasted cauliflower with cashew curry.

There’s also a Wednesday-and-Thursday Japanese residency, Koji Izakaya, where you can sample British ingredients through Japanese techniques alongside sake, whisky and highballs.

7. The Circus Restaurant: Best All-Round Dinner in Bath

The Circus Restaurant

Best for: a first dinner in Bath, seasonal food and a loved and local Bath restaurant.

The address does a lot of the work for The Circus Restaurant, a stunning Bath restaurant in a Georgian house on Brock Street, almost exactly between The Circus and Royal Crescent.

Inside, it’s quaint—it’s been part of Bath’s dining scene for more than 15 years and was taken over in 2021 by its then head chef, Matthew Lisanti.

The menu changes with the seasons, using local produce for modern European dishes alongside old-world wines from smaller growers, with stunning bites like cheese choux buns with fondue leeks and tarragon, and chicken suprême with chorizo-and-pea succotash, sweetcorn velouté and charred corn ribs.

Book dinner on Fridays and Saturdays!

8. The Pig & Fiddle: Best Bath Pub for Fish & Chips, Cocktails & a Lively Night

Best for: fish & chips, cocktails, Butcombe beer, live music and game nights.

The Pig & Fiddle deserves more than a throwaway pub mention. In fact, it’s one of my favourite restaurants in the city.

I came here during Christmas in Bath after a full day of exploring, still bundled up from being outside, and ordered the Butcombe Gold beer-battered fish & chips, covered in the brewery’s own ale batter, and honestly, it was perfect.

Outside of the food and craft brews, they also do pub quizzes, plus live music every Friday from 7–9pm.

Fabulous for comfort pub food in Bath.

9. The Scallop Shell: Best for Seafood and Fish & Chips

The Scallop Shell

Best for: fish & chips and delicious British seafood in Bath.

The Scallop Shell opened in 2015 when chef Garry Rosser returned to Bath, the city where his cooking career began.

The family-run restaurant is both a fish & chip shop and seafood grill, using fresh, sustainable catch from UK waters and seasonal coastal markets. Cod and haddock sit beside scallops and changing fish dishes, while the chips are cut in-house from seasonal potatoes.

For the classic order, I’d keep it simple: prime cod loin or Cornish haddock with the fresh-cut chips, homemade tartare sauce and mushy peas.

If you want to move past fish & chips, check the day’s market fish and shellfish. And grab a seat on the Upper Deck if you can.

10. Emberwood: Best for Fire-Led Dining in Bath

Emberwood

Best for: fire-led cooking, an open kitchen, cocktails and a smart dinner around Queen Square.

Emberwood opened in May 2025 inside the Francis Hotel on Queen Square and it’s been a Bath gem ever since.

The open hearth is the centre of the kitchen, with seasonal British produce, coastal fish and European influences all on display—from coal-roasted Cornish scallops with garlic butter and gremolata to pork schnitzel with anchovy-and-celeriac remoulade and garlic-butter fries. There is plenty of choice here.

Did we talk about the South West côte de boeuf with Koffmann fries and beef-fat béarnaise?

11. The Olive Tree: Best Michelin-Starred Restaurant in Bath

The Olive Tree

Best for: a serious special occasion in Bath and world-class tasting menus.

And lastly, we can’t talk about the Bath restaurant scene without talking about The Olive Tree, Bath’s only Michelin-starred restaurant.

It earned its first star in the 2019 Michelin Guide and has kept it, rightfully, ever since.

Executive head chef Chris Cleghorn builds seasonal tasting menus around modern technique and produce from Somerset and the South West, with the dining room tucked below the Georgian townhouses of The Queensberry Hotel.

The last time I was in Bath, their tasting menu stars were Cornish lobster with Wye Valley asparagus, shiitake and lemon verbena, and Sladesdown Farm duck with morels, wild garlic and Vin Jaune.

And for dessert? Dark chocolate with fruity olive oil and aged balsamic.

On my way back to Bath…

P.S. – Reserve well in advance.

More Bath Restaurants Worth Saving

Solina Pasta, Bath

For pasta, wine bars, a pub meal or a tasting menu, I’d keep these Bath restaurants in reserve.

• Menu Gordon Jones for a chef-led surprise tasting menu with English, Indian and Asian influences.
• Solina Pasta for authentic handmade pasta and a quick dinner in Bath, walk-in only!
• Corkage for wine, British charcuterie and small plates in a neighbourhood-style bottle shop and bar.
• Sydney’s Bar & Kitchen for a relaxed lunch, seafood-leaning small plates and a rooftop terrace above Monmouth Place.
• Clayton’s Kitchen for independent modern British cooking from chef Robert Clayton and a more intimate George Street dinner.
• Amarone for fresh pasta and Italian wine inside a historic St John’s Place building associated with Beau Nash, the man who helped organise Georgian Bath’s famous social life.
• Thai Balcony for Thai curries, grilled dishes and a central lunch or dinner when you want a break from British food.
• Sotto Sotto for Italian food in one of Bath’s most distinctive dining rooms, set below street level beneath stone vaults.
• The Locksbrook Inn when you want to leave the busiest centre and eat beside the canal in Bath, with pub food, local drinks and a garden by the water.
• Montagu’s Mews for a quieter hotel restaurant attached to The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, with locally sourced produce and a polished special-occasion feel (if you don’t have one, make one up!).

What Food Is Bath Famous For?

Before Bath had tasting menus and natural wine bars, it had buns, biscuits and cheese.

The most famous is the Sally Lunn bun: an enormous, light brioche-like bun served sweet or savoury inside one of Bath’s oldest houses. Its exact origin story is wonderfully muddled, but it’s been associated with the city for centuries.

Then there’s the Bath bun, a sweeter yeast bun traditionally topped with currants and crushed sugar, plus the far plainer Bath Oliver biscuit created by eighteenth-century physician Dr William Oliver after, according to local lore, his richer buns proved rather too popular with patients.

Bath Soft Cheese is another one worth knowing: a creamy square cheese still made just outside the city in Kelston, with a recipe connected to the late eighteenth century. They do cheese tastings too!

Once you’ve indulged in historic Bath bites, you can get back to the much more modern restaurant scene.

The Best Foodie Tour in Bath

British wine and cheese tasting in Bath

If you’d rather do more than book a table, this British wine and cheese tasting in Bath is the best Bath foodie experience to pair with your restaurant list.

On it, you’ll join Bath locals in an intimate setting all whilst tasting the very best of Somerset wine and cheese.

Where to Stay for a Food-Focused Bath Weekend

For a restaurant-heavy trip in Bath, I’d absolutely stay centrally.

I’ve personally loved No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath, my top character pick. It’s set in three Georgian townhouses on Great Pulteney Street, with playful interiors, pantry treats and an on-site spa. Read my full No.15 by GuestHouse Bath review for more…

I’ve also stayed at Hotel Indigo Bath, which I’d choose for practicality. It’s an easy walk from Bath Spa station and the central restaurants, so you can arrive, drop your bag and get on with eating.

For more options, use my guide to the best hotels in Bath.

Final Thoughts on the Best Restaurants in Bath

There’s really nowhere you can go wrong when it comes to Bath’s restaurant scene.

If I were booking today, I’d start with Beckford Bottle Shop for wine and plates that keep arriving, or Upstairs at Landrace for the dinner I’d want to make an evening of.

I’d choose Noya’s Kitchen when I wanted something completely different from the Georgian surroundings, Oak for vegetables done well and The Olive Tree for a big special dinner in Bath.

And if I’d spent all day walking Bath and wanted to feel loved and local, I’d go straight back to The Pig & Fiddle for fish & chips and a cocktail.

Happy eating—and happy travels!

Candace x

FAQ: Best Restaurants in Bath, England

The Circus Restaurant

What Are the Best Restaurants in Bath?

My strongest all-round Bath picks are Beckford Bottle Shop for wine and sharing plates, Upstairs at Landrace for a food-focused dinner, Noya’s Kitchen for Vietnamese food, Oak for vegetarian dining and The Olive Tree for a Michelin-starred special occasion.

What Are the Best Restaurants in Bath City Centre?

For Bath city centre, look at Beckford Bottle Shop, Beckford Canteen, Noya’s Kitchen, Oak, Root Bath, The Circus Restaurant and Emberwood. For a livelier pub meal rather than a restaurant dinner, I’d add The Pig & Fiddle for fish & chips, cocktails and its games nights & pub quizzes.

Does Bath Have a Michelin-Starred Restaurant?

Yes. The Olive Tree is Bath’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and currently holds one star. Beckford Bottle Shop holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, while Beckford Canteen, Upstairs at Landrace, Oak, Emberwood and Menu Gordon Jones are also included in Michelin’s current Bath picks, but without a star.

What Is the Best Restaurant in Bath for a Special Occasion?

For the biggest special occasion, I’d choose The Olive Tree for its Michelin-starred tasting menus. For something less formal, book Beckford Canteen or The Circus Restaurant. For a surprise tasting menu, go for Menu Gordon Jones.

What Is the Best Vegetarian Restaurant in Bath?

Oak is my first choice for vegetarian and vegan dining in Bath, with seasonal vegetable-led small plates and a market garden outside the city. Root Bath is another strong one if you want a vegetable-forward menu rather than a strictly vegetarian restaurant.

Where Should You Eat Seafood in Bath?

Choose The Scallop Shell for seafood and fish & chips. It’s a family-run kitchen that works with fresh, sustainable catch from UK waters—you can keep it simple with a traditional battered fish or indulge in their changing seafood grill menu.

What Food Is Bath Famous For?

Bath is best known for the Sally Lunn bun, the sweeter Bath bun, Bath Oliver biscuits and Bath Soft Cheese. The Sally Lunn bun is the easiest historic speciality to try in the city centre, or you can visit and taste Bath Soft Cheese in Kelston, just outside Bath (they do cheese tastings too!).

Where Do Locals Eat in Bath?

For more local, independent restaurants in Bath, I’d look at Beckford Canteen, Upstairs at Landrace, Corkage, Noya’s Kitchen and Solina Pasta.

What Are the Best Restaurants in Bath on the Water?

The Locksbrook Inn is the best one on the waterside, sitting beside the canal with a garden and full pub menu. Central Bath has fewer true waterfront restaurants than you’d expect, so I’d personally eat centrally then walk to Pulteney Bridge afterwards.

Where Is Good for Lunch in Bath, England?

For lunch in Bath, I’d choose Noya’s Kitchen for Vietnamese food, Oak for vegetarian small plates, The Scallop Shell for seafood, The Pig & Fiddle for a proper pub lunch and fish & chips, or Beckford Bottle Shop if you’d like lunch to turn to wine.

Where Is Good for Pub Food and Live Music in Bath?

I’d choose The Pig & Fiddle. They’ve got a lovely gastropub-esque menu, local beer, wine and cocktails and live music every Friday from 7–9pm.

Do You Need to Book Restaurants in Bath?

For most, yes, especially on a Friday or Saturday and at smaller restaurants like The Circus Restaurant or Michelin-starred dining at The Olive Tree. Lunch spots in Bath are always easier to keep flexible, and Solina Pasta is walk-in only.

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

Where to eat and drink in Bath

• The Best Restaurants in Bath: Where to Eat, From Local Pubs to Georgian Dining Rooms
• The Best Cafés in Bath: Coffee, Brunch, Bakeries & Beautiful Stops I’d Recommend
• The Best Afternoon Tea in Bath: The Pump Room, Jane Austen & More