10 Great Restaurants in Bath

The Elder is a fine-dining restaurant in Bath that’s known for serving dishes using locally sourced wild game. It is named after architect John Wood the Elder, who designed the building in which it’s housed back in 1700. Hardwood floors, Chesterfield-inspired leather banquettes, sage-green wood panelling and heritage prints on the walls add character.

The ingredients that create each dish are sourced from farmers, foragers, and fishermen. In the talented hands of The Elder’s kitchen team, they’re transformed into something special. Expect a menu that excites, featuring dishes such as slow-cooked Berkshire hare ragout and roast pave and faggot of Bathurst estate fallow deer.

Raphael Restaurant first opened its doors in the 1980s and has been at its present address in Bath for the past 2 decades. This family-run eatery specialises in British cuisine, with an evolving menu that’s regularly updated.

Begin with starters such as pan-fried scallops served with celeriac, pickled strawberries and pecans, braised pig cheeks with fennel, apple and crispy polenta or a crab risotto coloured with squid ink. Continue with cod accompanied by saffron crushed potato, chorizo and clams, or harissa marinated chop, with couscous, zaalouk (a Moroccan salad of cooked eggplants and tomatoes), dried fruits and nuts.

Oak is an organic grocer and restaurant in Bath whose menu is centred on unadulterated ingredients sourced, where possible, from the local area. The food on offer is proof that vegetarian cuisine doesn’t have to be mundane, with inspired combinations perfectly executed.

Try delicious dishes such as blood orange and fennel salad with tarragon vinaigrette, seared hispi (sweetheart cabbage) accompanied by crispy cabbage and caramelised apple, roast Jerusalem artichokes served with hazelnuts and pear purée or braised leeks with whipped ricotta and sweet mustard.

Bathwick Boatman Riverside serves modern European dishes overlooking the River Avon. The restaurant offers warm hospitality and tasty food using ingredients sourced from local suppliers – meat from Bath butcher Terry & Son, eggs from Nick’s Farm in Perrymead and cheese from the Bath Soft Cheese Company in Kelston.

The menu draws inspiration from around the globe but dishes such as strozzapreti pasta with aubergine, tomatoes, courgette, peppers, capers and basil reflect the Italian influences that shaped the owning couple’s past. Order locally brewed ale from the Box Steam Brewery to wash down your food.

Green Park Brasserie is a restaurant within Green Park Station that offers British cuisine and live jazz. No longer in use as a railway station, the 1870s booking hall found a new lease of life as the setting for this popular brasserie.

Popular weekly events include bottomless brunch and evening happy hours. Dine on tasty dishes made from ingrediants sourced at Green Park Station’s very own farmer’s market. Make a reservation from Wednesday to Saturday to enjoy listening to live jazz, swing and funk music as you dine.

The Scallop Shell is a fish and seafood restaurant in the centre of Bath. Its light and bright interior feels like it belongs at the seaside, with plenty of wood, fish pots and rope accents to evoke such a sense of place even though you’re inland.

The menu varies according to what’s freshest and best, but expect to start with prawns, oysters, crab, scallops and mussels. Battered fish mains come with mushy peas and chips; watch the potato peelers hard at it in the kitchen as you wait for your plates to arrive at the table.    

Woods Restaurant is a spacious restaurant in Bath that’s been in business for more than 40 years. The recipe for its success consists of blending its husband-and-wife owners’ British and French heritage into their food and combining it with a warm welcome.

In this stylish setting – the restaurant occupies the ground floor of 5 Georgian townhouses – you might begin with grilled goat's cheese or rillette of rabbit and tarragon. Mains include dishes such as seared duck breast or pork in a honey and garlic glaze. Round off with chocolate mousse or quince sorbet.

Clayton’s Kitchen is a critically acclaimed fine-dining restaurant in the heart of Bath. For over a decade, Robert Clayton brings Michelin-recognised experience to serve food that delights discerning foodies.

Begin with the slow-cooked Somerset lamb shoulder bon bon or roasted white onion and thyme soup. Continue your culinary journey as you tuck into grilled fish with confit fennel or honey-roasted free-range duck breast. Save room for dessert as you won’t want to miss out on spiced sticky toffee pudding or vanilla panna cotta.

Comptoir+Cuisine is a Francophile’s dream in Bath. Rustic meets arty in its eclectic decor which sets the tone for an easygoing take on French cuisine. Its charcuterie boards, baked Camembert and Gallic-inspired tapas are ideal for a casual meal. You can make things a little more special with a glass of fizz from the champagne bar.

Book a bistro table for something a little more substantial. For an unmistakable taste of France, order escargots, Croque Monsieur, chicken filled with pancetta and Bleu d’Auvergne cheese or a serving of pork cheeks with apple and Calvados sauce.

Henry’s Restaurant occupies one of Bath’s Georgian townhouses on a pedestrian lane in the heart of the city centre. Chef-owner Henry Scott has created an eatery that’s deceptively simple yet fabulous, earning him a mention in the Michelin guide.

The decor is understated, with bare floorboards and simple adornments, allowing the food to shine. Opt for a 5- or 7-course tasting menu focused on land or farm and sea. The menu changes regularly according to what’s in season.