After a short hiatus, Bath’s best bars are back open and they’re just as good as ever!
And whilst they’ve all had to adapt and change to the new rules and regulations (cheers, COVID), you’ll still be able to get yourselves an incredible drink in fantastic surroundings with a fun and friendly atmosphere to boot.
So, we’ve been on a tasting mission in our hometown and picked out our absolute favourites.
Check out the best bars in this fabulous city in preparation for your next Bath hen do… we might even see you there!
The Bell Inn – Walcot Street
You’re in the West Country now, and if there’s one life we live for here, it’s the pub life. No visit to Bath is complete without a trip to The Bell Inn. It’s bohemian through and through, with dried hops cascading from the ceiling and a leafy beer garden at the back. It’s a cooperative; owned and run by locals. The community feel is striking and visitors are welcomed with open hearts and arms. Sipping a local brew by the fireside is the perfect way to spend a winter’s evening in Bath.
📍 103 Walcot St, Bath BA1 5BW
Electric Bear Brewing – The Maltings
On Fridays, Saturdays and (come spring), Sundays, you can find us in the Electric Bear Taproom just a short walk from the city centre. ‘Uh, why would you want to spend your evening on an industrial estate?’ I hear you cry. Good beer, that’s why. The best beer in Bath, as a matter of fact. The taproom is rustic, charming and it wonderfully represents the laidback South West vibe. With craft pints aplenty and community spirit in full force, the atmosphere is always friendly and the beer is always flowing. It’s well worth the walk if you want to experience the local’s favourite way to enjoy Bath’s craft beer revolution.
📍 Unit 12, The Maltings Industrial Estate, 7 Brassmill Ln, Bath BA1 3JL
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The Botanist – Milsom Street
We’re right in the epicentre of millennial aesthetic awareness and it is physically impossible for us to go anywhere that won’t fit our creative vision. If you can’t take a decent pic, we’re not interested. Luckily, there are branches of The Botanist popping up every which way we look to meet the needs of trend and cocktail thirsty Gen Ys. Plants, check. Edible flowers, check. Pink gin, check. The tyranny of cheese plants continues and we are HERE for it. Oh, yeah, the drinks are pretty great too. Good vibes only, guys. Good vibes only.
📍 The Octagon, No. 25 Part 46A and 28 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ
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Brewed Boy – London Street
Located in the artisan quarter of the city, Brewed Boy offers us a taste of something different in a venue designed for any craft beer lover. You’re welcomed by a graffitied back wall (it’s edgy, alright?) and the faces of happy drinkers who’ve chosen their bev from the selection of ten taps or full fridges. It’s the alternative choice in a city that’s already indie to the core, with tipples from nationwide breweries you haven’t even heard of yet. And that’s the real stamp of hipster approval, isn’t it? You heard it here before it was cool.
📍 London Street, Bath BA1 5BX
The Dark Horse – Kingsmead Square
When it comes to cocktail bars we like them dark, we like them cosy and we like them underground. Your candlelit table will often be adorned with wax drippings and Gothic details. The interior is an advert for what we South Westerners can produce, with everything being made or sourced locally from the cocktail ingredients down to the very chairs you’ll be sitting on. It’s a fancy (but far from pretentious) affair and easily has the best service you’ll receive in the city. The local beers are not to be missed and with one of their cocktails in-hand, you’ll finally feel like you’ve won life.
📍 7A Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB
Opium Bar – Pulteney Bridge
The first thing you’ll notice about Opium is the smell. And, no, this isn’t the introductory line of a bad Trip Advisor review, it’s one of the things that make Opium one of our fave places to grab a cocktail. There’s always delicious incense burning and you’ll be seated amongst the eclectic range of pan-period décor. You’ll find a lengthy menu to peruse as figures from renaissance paintings look down on you, urging you to try the JoyPlant. It’s Bath’s “best-known secret” and we could shout about it all day and night.
📍 The Vaults, Spring Gardens Rd, Bathwick, Bath BA2 6PJ
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Beer Craft – Pulteney Bridge
Alright, fine, maybe it’s more of a bottle shop than it is a bar, but we couldn’t keep Beer Craft off of our list. It’s an indie craft beer pick-a-mix and if you, like us, can’t resist a boldly designed can of the hipster variety, you’ll be stocked for life after a trip here. Take a pew inside at a candlelit table, or watch passersby on the outside tables made from kegs (ooh). Their collection of beers on tap will also make the mind boggle, and their homebrews (oh man, we love a homebrew) will prove why the South West is best for craft beer, baby.
📍 3 Argyle St, Bathwick, Bath BA2 4BA
St James Wine Vaults – St James Street
“Pub, pub, pub, pub”. This is the chant of Friday nights in Bath, and we’re all heading to St James Wine Vaults. Down in the cellar, there’s often a buzz of activity from live music to comedy, and upstairs you’ve got a good old pool table to strike up some healthy competition. The real ales are, well, re-ale-ly good and the wine list is nice and lengthy. On the top floor, The Gallery hosts poetry nights and it’s also a great exhibition space if you’re yearning for some culture alongside your cider. Very good. Very nice.
📍 10 St James’s St, Bath BA1 2TW
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Sub 13 – George Street
Sometimes it just has to be cocktails, and when the craving hits there’s no place better than Sub 13. George Street is home to some of the city’s best nightlife, but this cocktail venue stands out with a uniquely stylish interior and talented mixologists to match. You can post up for the evening with late weekend openings, 2-for-1 cocktails and DJs in the basement when the bar vibe smoothly transitions to the club-style. We can’t forget the terrace, either, that is just part of why Sub 13 has a reputation for being the best cocktail bar in Bath.
📍 Edgar Buildings, 4, George St, Bath BA1 2EE
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The Grapes – Westgate Street
The Grapes is relatively new to the Bath drinking scene after reopening in 2019, but it has already established itself fully in a city fit to burst with great pubs. The beers and ciders on tap cater for every taste imaginable, and you won’t find any of the big brands that can *prepares for a scolding* bore us sometimes. The décor is stylishly simplistic with fun twists like old bus seating and copper details. It’s right in the heart of the city centre and stands out with a traditional yet modern exterior that’ll bring you to a halt on the always busy Westgate Street. It’s a 20-second walk from GoHen HQ, so let’s grab a drink sometime.
📍 14 Westgate St, Bath BA1 1EQ
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The Cork – Westgate Buildings
The Cork embodies what we love most about Bath. The city embraces nearly 5 million visitors a year and everybody from every walk of life is welcome here. The same goes for The Cork, which offers something for anyone on the hunt for a tasty tipple. You can catch a sporting match, jam out in a karaoke pod, enjoy a local ale, sip on a cocktail in the beer garden or fight over what board game to play on the colourful ground floor. And, best of all, it’s a double bar scenario, so it’s never far to walk when you need a top-up.
📍 11-12 Westgate Buildings, Bath BA1 1EB
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Wolf Wine – Green Park Station
A bar in a car park? When will the hipster nonsense end? Never. It never will. So, you better hop on board for the journey as we take you on down to the saloon-style Wolf Wine in a stunning former train station setting. Expect craft wine from around the world; vegan, organic, red, white, orange, they’ve got it all. Their knowledge of our favourite grape-based beverage will sort you out with an indulgent glass to suit the seven sins and five senses. It’s small-batch wine with flair, but without the pretension, to be enjoyed by everyone.
📍 Green Park Station, Bath BA1 1JB
The Bath Brew House – James Street West
It’s a little bit rustic, and a whole host of chic. A quick peek in the window will tell you everything you need to know about The Bath Brew House. You’ll see a home-brewery housed behind glass doors, mismatch furniture and period portraits from the pub’s brewing past. It’s home to undeniably the best sun-trap beer garden in the city, and the selection of homebrews on cask and keg will keep you quenched during a spot of summer day drinking. It’s a popular choice amongst trendy locals and craft beer lovers alike, with style and substance in spades.
📍 14 James St W, Bath BA1 2BX
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Corkage – Walcot Street
If you’re looking for an artisan wine bar in Bath that’ll be the peak of your weekend trip, then Corkage is the greatest shout we could give you. This eclectic restaurant bar receives a lot of conversational attention from locals and is the go-to venue for celebrations. The décor is stunningly rustic and emanates the continental vibe that we all crave from a wine establishment. There is a second Corkage on Chapel Row that is potentially preferable in summer months where sunlight shines in from the balcony. The wine list is eleven pages long, so maybe just ask your friendly waiter for recommendations – their knowledge is unrivalled.
📍 132a Walcot St, Bath BA1 5BG
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The Boater – Pulteney Bridge
You can’t begin introductions to The Boater without first mentioning the stunning river views over the famous Pulteney Bridge. The beer garden is h-h-h-huge and inside the traditional pub aesthetic is met with up-to-date twists. On rugby days it’s easily the most buzzing venue in town as fans descend to drink amongst stylish surroundings and other weekend party-goers. It’s a proper pub to suit every drinker, with each floor offering a different vibe. Eat, drink, dance or soak up some sun outside on trendy park bench seating. No ifs, not boats, get down to The Boater.
📍 9 Argyle St, Bathwick, Bath BA2 4BQ
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