On any given day, there are probably about as many New Yorkers headed to London as there are to LA…but how many people are headed to Bath? This moody and beautiful town, which is the site of ancient Roman baths, is a mere 1.5 hour train ride west of London and should absolutely be on your list of cities to hit. We’ve rounded up all the best places to eat, relax, shop, and – of course – stay in Bath, England.
When visiting Bath, in our opinion, there is only one place to stay – the Yard in Bath. This charming hotel comprised of a series of historic buildings and centered around a bright open-air courtyard is exactly what you’d want. From the glass of bubbles upon arrival to the plush beds draped in English fabrics, it’s absolutely luxe. While there’s a great variety of rooms available, we loved that ours had a skylight above the bed letting the dappled morning light slowly wake us up.
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In the county of Somerset, the day begins slowly. If you’re staying at The Yard in Bath, take advantage of the lack of early risers, and enjoy the basket of breakfast goodies delivered to your doorstep every morning. A cup of tea from the in-room kettle and something to read (or watch) is all you need to get a fantastic start to the day.
You heard it here first: according to coolstuff.nyc this is the best restaurant in Bath! At the street level, there is a wonderful bakery/grocer churning out breads and pastry as well as fantastic coffees. But the real treat is a step through the bakery, up a winding cast-iron staircase to the bright and airy upstairs dining room. The team at Landrace serves an ever-changing menu for lunch and dinner paired with a tight selection of natural wines. This is a meal you’ll wish would continue for hours.
Corkage is a wine bar with small, shareable plates nestled off of the charming Queen Square. This is the kind of place where the best experience is had by ordering a bottle, and asking the servers to guide you to their favorite bites on the menu.
A fun little shop, Milk Bun is a perfect place to get a super flavorful sammy to enjoy at one of their tables out front or perhaps on a picnic in one of the many green parks surrounding the city. Here, you can get everything from milk bread Banh Mi to a cured meat sandwich akin to a NY italian.
This small cafe has a ladies-who-lunch vibe that we LOVE. It’s the kind of restaurant Carrie & the girls would eat at if Sex and the City ever filmed an episode in the west of England. Needless to say, there is great wine and elevated plates– all served in the ground floor of a Georgian building off Bath’s famed roundabout, “The Circus.”
While there are many pubs in Bath, this is the only one whose food has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating. The food here is decidedly decadent and great enjoyed downstairs in the pub (full of locals with pups) as well as in the more formal upstairs dining room. It sounds simple, but do not miss the bread here – a few comically large slices of house-made focaccia served with local salted butter.
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For the true wandering coffee nerd, Picnic coffee is likely what you’re looking for: a rotating selection of beans, dialed in espresso, and the option for a pour over. While they have a bright seating area, we liked grabbing a cup to go and continuing along our way – hands warmed by a fresh brew.
Fancy a cheeky pint? While more modern in style, the vibe is traditional. We loved playing backgammon here for hours over a few beers and plenty of snacks.
The small chain, WatchHouse, has a fantastic location on town center – an area largely void of great coffee. This is a good place to head upstairs and sit for a moment as you enjoy a pour over coffee and a slice of griddled banana bread.
Not only the best shop in Bath, but perhaps the best shop in all of England. Berdoulat is run by the husband-wife interior design studio of the same name and carries a unique selection of handmade products as well as art and natural wines. The store was built as a live/work space for the couple and their family and is full of furniture they designed as well as period pieces in the building. To top it all off, they are as kind as can be – especially if you’re a design lover like us!
Among many things, Bath is also a college town, home to a handful of universities in and around the town center. Well, for all the art students and magazine lovers, Magalleria is a fantastically curated shop. Full of current and back issues of amazing titles (some we’d never ever seen before) as well as local zines!
This fun and eccentric store is an absolute tribute to craft. Full of shoppable things like glass vases in the shape of birds or a strand of ceramic plums, there is a decidedly fun (yet high end) curation to this little shop. A must hit!
If we haven’t been clear enough already: Bath is a very relaxing place. And what’s a better snack to enjoy while relaxing than a fine cheese? Helmed by Nick Bayne, the 2015 winner of the 2015 Cheesemonger invitational and formerly of Brooklyn’s Bedford Cheese, this place has the best stuff in town.
Persephone Books is more than a book shop – they’re an independent publisher! The small, sunny store retails their own collection of publications ranging from modern works to classic and forgotten stories. We love their strong point of view about stories and storytelling as well as their amazing and consistently designed books.
A little ways from town center and closeby to Landrace, Graham & Green is a deceptively large space chock full of fun interior bits and bobs. Sure you can find a new chair here but there are also plenty of small items perfect for fitting back into your carry-on.
This modern design shop has a great selection of lighting and furniture as well as almost the entire catalog from Copenhagen’s HAY. This is a great place to browse and get some interior inspiration to bring back home.
When we think of British interiors, we think of lampshades. Well, OKA is the place to procure these things! If lampshades aren’t your thing (they should be) there are also a ton of great and reasonably priced mirrors – a surprisingly hard thing to find!
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A UNESCO world heritage site, the Roman Baths are a preserved reminder that England was once ruled by the Romans. While there will be plenty of tour groups and the price of entry is steep, it’s all worth the fuss to see this piece of history. You can even taste the sulfuric bath water if you’re feeling adventurous. Skip the gift shop.
The same natural, warm, thermal waters that fed the Roman Baths are accessible for your relaxation at Thermae Bath Spa – the only place where you can bathe in the ancient waters! We loved our visit here, from the steam rooms to the large, warm, rooftop pool that actually overlooks the original ancient Roman Baths!
Right in the center of town lies the Victoria Art Gallery – a beautiful space that houses a strong permanent collection as well as a rotating calendar of curations. Sadly while we were in town the main gallery was closed for renovations, but if it’s open for your visit, this is a must see.
Kensington-based gallery 8 Holland Street has a charming shop that you have to visit. From the cheery yellow covering the floors to tons of fantastic vintage furniture, this is a must visit…and if you find something you absolutely can’t live without, they’ll ship it back to NYC for ya.
Bath has a huge collection of stunning Georgian architecture and the rounded faces of rowhomes along the Royal Crescent, Landsdown Crescent, and The Circus. While many come for the ancient architecture of the roman baths, we were equally drawn to the 18th century charm of these impressive buildings. If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch some historical impersonators waltzing down the cobbles in full petiskirts.
Head towards town center to find this magnificent bridge overlooking a manmade waterfall. Grab a coffee from nearby WatchHouse, then serenly listen to the sound of the water. There might be some swans or ducks swimming in the current below. The juxtaposition and business with tranquil water sounds is a great encapsulation of Bath: a city of nearly 100,000 that feels like a small, sleepy country town.
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