Whether you’re looking for a traditional pub lunch or to grab a pint with friends, the perfect place for after-work cocktails or refreshments for your next at-home get-together, Bath’s businesses have you covered. Here’s our round-up of pubs, bars and bottle shops in the city centre…
Pubs
- Offering a selection of over 30 ales and 20 ciders, The Ale House is a friendly and welcoming traditional pub, with magic shows in their cellar bar, Sleight.
- With an in-house micro-brewery, a main bar offering carefully chosen local and international craft and cask beers, an open kitchen serving up seasonal dishes, and a large suntrap garden with an outside bar, The Bath Brew House is a great place for drinks with friends, a bite to eat, or to catch the big game.
- The Bell Inn is a historic pub and music venue in Walcot Street, offering live music three times a week. The Bell is owned by around 500 of its customers, fans and workers, and stocks seven real ales and two guest ales.
- The Boater boasts Bath’s biggest beer garden with spectacular river views, four unique bars, three stylish dining areas and a plethora of cask ales and craft beers.
- Open from breakfast until the early hours, The Canon is a lively pub opposite the Theatre Royal Bath, offering traditional comfort food, regular food promotions, and live sports on their two big screens.
- Tucked away in Northumberland Place, the Coeur de Lion is Bath’s smallest pub. The pub serves an excellent choice of real ales, along with traditional pub classics including bangers and mash, and fish and chips.
- The Cork boasts two bars, two vaulted party pod booths, a conservatory, and a large al fresco terrace area, offering a great place to socialise, relax, watch live sports, or party the night away.
- Set in the leafy Abbey Green, The Crystal Palace has a wide range of delectable drinks, served alongside classic English dishes and daily specials.
- Named after Flan O’Brien, one of several nom de plumes of Brian O’Nolan, a major figure in twentieth-century Irish literature, Flan O’Briens is an Irish-themed pub with two screens showing sporting fixtures.
- Set in the former home of Beau Nash, The Garrick’s Head’s location next to the Theatre Royal Bath always makes for an interesting and colourful crowd. The Garrick’s Head has a reputation for well-kept ale and cider, as well as serving over 20 wines and 50 whiskies, and their menus are bursting with fresh, seasonal ingredients and modern British dishes.
- Found just a stone’s throw from Bath Spa Train Station, Ludo Sports Bar serves up delicious burgers and pub classics surrounded by all of the sports you could watch!
- Enjoy delicious food and drink in surroundings that marry Georgian elegance and contemporary functionality at The Huntsman on Terrace Walk.
- Named after the first king of England, who was coronated on the site of the present Bath Abbey, The King of Wessex is a Wetherspoon pub popular with students.
- Enjoy a wide variety of reasonably priced food, a large beer garden, and sporting events on numerous plasmas, at the Lamb and Lion in Lower Borough Walls.
- Recently refurbed and relaunched with a stunning new look, the Pig and Fiddle is an iconic pub in the heart of Bath offering hearty seasonal dishes and pub classics, a great selection of craft beer, cask ale, wine and cocktails, and regular live sport.
- The Raven is a traditional old English pub offering hearty pies and sausages complemented with an ever-changing selection of real ales, ciders and wines.
- With a well-stocked bar with a fine range of locally brewed Bath Ales, carefully selected wines, local ciders and premium spirits, and a menu featuring traditional British pub classics, The Salamander is small and snug with a unique ambience.
- Named after a character in Charles Dickens’ Pickwick Papers, Sam Wellers is a traditional local pub that is popular with both locals and visitors, offering an extensive food menu of traditional pub fare.
- Possibly the oldest pub in Bath, the Saracens Head was reputedly once stayed in by Charles Dickens. Delivering a truly British experience, the characterful Saracens Head is the ideal choice for anyone seeking a convenient, well-served pint of cask ale alongside delicious British pub classics.
- The Trinity Inn is a popular live music and sports venue serving a great choice of beers and guest ales, and a range of bar bites including fresh rolls, pasties, and scotch eggs.
- From brunch and lunch to beer and bar snacks, the West Gate is ideal for any occasion. Whether you’re heading out for a pub lunch or a big night out, you’re sure to have a great time at the West Gate.
Bars
- Enjoy an expertly mixed cocktail, a fabulous brunch or a quick lunch at All Bar One. Make sure you take a look at their special offers for some great deals, including their Bottomless Brunch and Tapas Tuesdays.
- Head to Be At One in Brunel Square for an extensive range of cocktails, including low-alcohol and non-alcoholic choices.
- Offering generous breakfasts, brilliant burgers, a mammoth choice of local ales, ciders, spirits and international craft beers, and great student deals, Belushi’s Bath is a sports bar showing everything from footfall, rugby, NFL, AFL and much more.
- Explore a secret garden of food and drink at The Botanist Bath. Opt to enjoy their impressive drinks menu alongside a meal in their restaurant, around their octagon-shaped bar, or in their apothecary-style basement bar, Beneath.
- Serving up their very own Bath Gin, along with a wide range of other gins and a diverse cocktail menu, you will find the Canary Gin Bar down the cobbled stones of Queen Street.
- Winner of the Bath Life Award for Best Bar in 2013 and 2019, Circo Cellar Bar and Lounge has one of the most extensive back bars in Bath, offering a stunning array of cocktails and a comprehensive champagne, wine and spirits list.
- Winner of the 2020 Bath Life Award for Best Bar, The Grapes is a modern bar in a seventeenth-century pub, offering great drinks, exciting food and live music.
- Originally an auction house built in the 1960s, Hall & Woodhouse is a stunning bar and restaurant in the heart of Bath. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch, celebration dinner, business meeting or a few drinks, Hall & Woodhouse offers it all.
- Enjoy quizzes, karaoke, drag queen cabaret and club nights at Bath’s only gay bar, Mandalyns Bar.
- Inspired by the pintxo bars of San Sebastián, Pintxo de Bath is a Basque-style tapas and sherry bar in the heart of Bath’s theatre district, bringing an authentic taste of Spain to the city.
- Boasting a lively and friendly atmosphere, a beautiful garden, a modern and stylish bar lounge and a warm and inviting dining area, Slug and Lettuce Bath will take your celebrations from day to night.
- Set over three floors, with a fully heated and covered terrace, Sub 13 offers two-for-one cocktails, grazing boards, and DJs, as well as cocktail-making classes and gin masterclasses.
- Vino Vino is a sophisticated wine and cocktail bar offering a thoughtful selection of wines by the glass, an expertly chosen cocktail list, and an excellent selection of artisan cheese and charcuterie, delicious sharing boards and tapas-style plates.
Bottle Shops
- Amathus Bath offer wide range of expertly sourced wines, whiskeys, spirits, liqueurs, beers and ciders. For a personal recommendation, head to their store in Green Street.
- For stunning wines hand-picked by their talented team, head to Beckford Bottle Shop, a wine shop with a critically acclaimed bistro serving tasty small plates.
- Offering a broad range of exquisite wines from around the world, by the glass and bottle, alongside creatively cooked, locally sourced small plates and daily specials, Corkage is a buzzing independent wine restaurant and bottle shop in Chapel Row.
- For Scotch, Irish and world whiskies, plus a range of other spirits, head to The Whisky Shop.