Bath Eats

Paris is full of Prohibition-style speakeasy bars which generally serve expensive, but cool cocktails.

For those of you that don't know, the Prohibition was when the USA banned all alcohol between 1920 and 1933. Naturally, 'speakeasies' (secret bars) popped up all around the country and although the Prohibition is long gone and alcohol was never banned in France, Parisians continue to enjoy the concept of the secret bar.

Here are 6 of Paris' secret bars, from secret hotels to Indian train themed establishments, including tips on how to get inside them.

The Marlborough Tavern, one of Bath's post popular pubs, had a menu makeover a couple of months ago, created by their new Head Chef. Marrying classic pub favourites with oriental-inspired dishes, we were super excited to check it out.

Hidden away next to the Premier Inn by Kingsmead Square, a new steakhouse has popped up: Bar + Block.

The New Inn is a recently refurbished pub on Monmouth Place that has a great selection of cask ales and craft beers. More recently, they have launched "Simply KL", a new menu featuring an array of Malaysian Hawker Centre (street food) style dishes.

We were lucky enough to get invited along to their soft launch to try out some their menu. Having lived in Singapore for eight years, a country with strong Malay influence, I was curious to see what The New Inn's version of Malay food tasted like. 

Located in the heart of Fitzrovia, Sushi Atelier serves modern sushi created by their skilled sushi chefs. Their menu is far from standard, showcasing its creativity with dishes such as their everchanging chef's selection of nigiri and sashimi.

Outside of Italy, Bath is pretty lucky to have such good pizzerias. Here are some of the best ones the city has to offer. 🍕
Franco Manca

Authentic Neapolitan sourdough pizzas (also garlic bread, salads, burrata, dips for pizza crusts, wine, beer, Aperol spritz, tiramisu). Gluten-free bases & vegan cheese available. Our personal favourite - cheap & cheerful! 

12 Brunel Square
£

When Franco Manca opened earlier this year, it seemed that everyone in Bath was excited about it. The reason? Authentic neapolitan, sourdough pizzas for a very reasonable price as well as wine, beer, burrata... you get the gist.

We were lucky enough to get invited to their Opening Party a few weeks later. Here's what we got up to.

First up: starters and lots of aperol spritz

The burrata with sourdough bread and sundried tomatoes was incredible - so creamy. If you're not sure what burrata is, it's basically like a creamier (more heavenly) version of mozzarella.

The cured meats were perfectly fresh.

The aperol spritz' were amazing. It's a traditional Italian aperitif made from aperol liquer, soda water and proseco. Dream.

If you have ever been to Florence or are planning a trip to go there you have no doubt heard about All'Antico Vinaio. Originally a rosticceria (where they sell whole roasted chickens), the place has turned into one of the most famous sandwich shops in the world.

They originally didn't have enough space, so they bought the wine bar across the road which is where their name comes from (the old wine bar). It definitely turned into a success and you can now be sure to always find yourself at the back of a long queue which you can find in Via dei Neri (close to the Piazzale Signoria and the Galleria degli Uffizi), but don't worry - it's worth it!

If you haven't heard of the Scallop Shell yet, I'm not quite sure where you've been. It's arguably (and in our opinion) the best place for seafood in Bath. Its fish and chips are reason enough for a visit, not to mention their nautical-themed interiors. 

Located in the heart of Southgate, Tapas Revolution is one of Bath's many tapas joints.

Noya's Kitchen opened in Bath back last year after Noya had held extremely successful pop-up supper clubs in Bear Flat for years. Due to her success, a beautiful new restaurant was opened on St James Parade (near Bath College) with a menu that changes every week always including both a meat and vegetarian (which is usually vegan too) option.

We were lucky enough to be invited to the preview evening of her new restaurant where Noya explained how she had fled from Vietnam in the 1970s, seeking refuge in the UK and how the flavours in all of her cooking reflected her Vietnamese roots. We also got to sample some of her food that evening, and were invited back a few weeks later to try a full menu.

Aperitivo in Italy is one of the best ideas ever. Traditionally it would be a pre-dinner drink with maybe some nuts or chips but luckily in Italy they have something called apericena (cena is dinner in Italian) which is also called aperitivo: basically a very cheap way of having dinner and a drink.

In Florence, there's normally a set price which is around 10 euros and you can choose any drink with an unlimited buffet. Having previously lived in Italy for half a year,  I have been to a fair few places for aperitivo and I have to say that Tamerò is one of my favourites because it has simple, but good food for under 10 euros.

As more and more people are becoming vegetarian, vegan or just interested in eating less meat, the number of places providing this kind of food in Bath is growing. Better for the environment, the animals and arguably for your health, it's not hard to see why.

Here's a little list of the restaurants and cafés in Bath that cater 100% to a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle.

Nourish Plantbased Eating

Nourish is a 100% vegan restaurant with influences from all over the world best for a sit-down lunch or dinner. Their tacos, laksa and buddha bowl are all verrryyyy good. Click here for a full review.

1 London Road W
££

When the Giggling Squid, a Thai restaurant, opened in Bath earlier this year we were invited to try out their menu. It's on Saw Close, where the Mexican restaurant Chimichanga used to be - you may have seen the beautiful orchids through the windows as you walk past.

I went with one of my friends who is vegan, so we decided to test out their plant-based menu. For a non-vegan restaurant, they had many different options to choose from!

Nestled away in Milsom Place, Le Vignoble, a new wine bar with wine despensers (omg) opened earlier this year. Le Vignoble, 'the vinyard' in French, focuses on a balance between quality and price, therefore promoting small producers and unusual wines. As wine lovers, we were super happy to get invited to go down to Le Vignoble to see what it was all about.