Bath makes for a perfect weekend away—it’s easy to cover the main sights on foot and it's packed with plenty of independent cafés, bars and restaurants. The city boasts some of the most beautiful Georgian architecture in England and it's been a destination for wellbeing since Roman times (and who isn’t currently in need of a bit of TLC?). Here’s our guide to where to eat, drink, stay and shop, so all that's left to do is pack your weekend bag and pick your dates to escape.
Best coffee shops
Society Café
Good Day Café
There’s no shortage of places to get your caffeine fix in Bath. Arriving straight off the train? A stone’s throw from the station and just across the road, you’ll spot Café au Lait, serving up an excellent flat white and a full menu of brunch options. Don’t miss Society Café—with two outlets in Bath, minimalist interiors and an excellent variety of cakes and pastries to go with some of the best coffee blends you’ll find. The cheery Good Day on Upper Borough Walls is another good find—excellent quality coffee with a menu of brunch and cakes to see you through the day.
Where to eat
Beckford Bottle Shop
Bath is packed with independent restaurants, whether you're looking for a casual lunch or dinner out. Don’t miss the Beckford Bottle Shop—it houses floor to ceiling wines from all over the world, and is a wonderful choice for a lunch or dinner of small plates, charcuterie and cheese boards.
Clayton's
Clayton’s Kitchen is hard to beat for a special occasion, serving up a menu inspired by Mediterranean and modern French cuisine (we can confirm the scallops were divine). Like champagne and cheese? Head to Comptoir + Cuisine whose menu offers a variety of champagnes to pair with a menu of nibbles, cheese and charcuterie boards and mix and match tapas portions. You might find it hard to leave…
Where to stay
No. 15 Great Pulteney Street | Broad Street Townhouse
Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
A Victorian town house with quirky boutique bedrooms above a café by day that serves cocktails by night, Broad Street Townhouse is just five minutes’ walk from the Thermae Bath Spa (more on that later). The ultimate Bath city stay, the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa has rooms as grand as you would expect from its location on the Royal Crescent itself, whilst No. 15 Great Pulteney is a small but sophisticated stay, with playful interiors and a cosy bar serving carefully curated cocktails.
Things to do
Thermae Bath Spa
No trip to Bath is complete without whiling away a morning at the Thermae Bath Spa—it’s Britain’s only natural thermal spa with state-of-the-art facilities and a wide variety of treatments. Don't miss its rooftop pool, whatever the weather. Take a stroll along the Royal Crescent — it was built between 1767 and 1775 and is one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture anywhere in the UK.
(c) Holburne Museum | Evoke Pictures
The Holburne Museum was the city’s first public art gallery and is home to a collection of fine and decorative arts. It runs a full programme of temporary exhibitions, family events and creative workshops.
Where to shop
Homefront Interiors
Head to Homefront for interiors, which has a keen interest in sourcing from local artists and makers, as well as fair trade and ethical homewares from around the world. Rossiters of Bath is an award-winning, independent department store, packed to the rafters with desirable gifts, from table ware and ceramics to furniture and female fashion.
Found
Found on Argyle Street, just over the beautiful Pulteney Bridge has been touted by Vogue as one of the best 100 shops outside London. Stop by for a carefully curated range of products from clothing to stationery and independently sourced accessories.
Make the trip even more enjoyable by upgrading your weekend bag before you go—shop our collection of hand luggage and travel accessories.
