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Bath Bars

ALL BAR ONE
11-12 High St, BA1 5AQ. Tel: 01225 324021, web: www.all-bar-one.co.uk • It may be a high street staple, but the Bath branch of this booming franchise has a reassuringly ‘independent’ vibe about it. An exceedingly well-stocked bar features an extensive wine list while a great selection of beers, lagers and ales - including British, continental and international varieties, proper cider and fruit/chocolate beers - and a menu thrumming with stylish standards based largely around locally sourced and/or organic ingredients keep everybody happy. Keep an eye out for wallet-friendly offers (such as a bottle of wine and two tapas dishes for £10 at the time of going to press) on the specials board and the website.

THE ARCH
2-3 Queen St, BA1 1HE. Tel: 01225 444403, web: www.thearchbath.co.uk • Atmospheric, convivial French restaurant with a chic champagne bar tucked away upstairs. Très glam. Housed in an original Bath townhouse.

NEW!
BANGLO
44 Lower Bristol Rd, BA2 3BD. Tel: 01225 345442, web: www.banglo.co.uk • With its interesting, inviting decor (think cosy but minimalist chic), sofa seating on the covered alfresco deck and thoughtfully eclectic menu at the bar and from the kitchen, Banglo has brought a much-needed blast of life to an erstwhile overlooked location. Open until 3am Fri-Sat, live music/DJs from 11pm.

NEW!
BAR 08
2 Victoria Buildings, BA2 3EH. Tel: 01225 465343 • Tiny, slickly decorated, buzzing little bar, popular with students en route to a night of clubbing and general merriment in town. Good range of shooters at the bar.

BEAUBAR
34 Monmouth St, BA1 2AN. Tel: 01225 444770 • This chic, intimate wine bar initially exudes an exclusive members-only atmosphere but actually offers a very warm welcome to all. The dimly lit décor and subtly erotic artwork gives proceedings a distinctly burlesque feel, while a knowledgeable wine selection and seriously classy cocktails complete the beauhemian experience. Covered pavement tables out front.

NEW!
BELUSHI’S
9 Green St, BA1 2YJ. Tel: 01225 481444, web: www.belushis.com/venues/bath-bars • Busy city centre bar catering to a young, clubby crowd; visit website for the current programme of events, promotions and themed evenings. Regular sporting action on big screens.

THE BELVEDERE
25 Belvedere, Lansdown Rd, BA1 5ED. Tel: 01225 330264, web: www.belvederewinevaults.co.uk • With Bellringer and Gem on tap, a fine selection of premium spirits, a vodka vault (yes, really), a champagne and cocktail selection and an extremely well-chosen wine list, the Belvedere provides all things to all people in a welcoming, unsnooty atmosphere. Regular live music - visit website for details.

THE BLUE ROOMS
George St, BA1 3EB. Tel: 01225 470040, web: www.bluerooms.net • More of a nightclub than a bar, popular with bling-conscious youngsters in search of weekend jollification. Once you’ve selected a cocky cocktail from the bar, cosy up in the sofa area or strut your stuff in one of three distinctly different areas, including a subterranean vaulted cellar where resident DJs spin tunes all night long. Open Fri until 3am, Sat until 4am (6am on bank holidays).

BONGHY BO’S
2 Barton Court, Upper Borough Walls, BA1 1RZ. Tel: 01225 462276 • This friendly, funky café by day - situated on a charming split-level heated courtyard - gives way to a groovy tunes bar on selected evenings. Regular salsa/club nights: visit www.bathsalsa.co.uk/party for details.

BROWNS
Orange Grove, BA1 1LP. Tel: 01225 461199, web: www.browns-restaurants.com • This massive Georgian building is decked out in classic Browns elegance and style. A spacious 160-seater restaurant serves up dishes from light bites to timeless mains, while the wine/cocktail/Euro-beer selection is extensive, to say the least. Heated alfresco patio with smashing views across Abbey Square.

CAFÉ ROUGE
15 Milsom St, BA1 1DE. Tel: 01225 462368, web: www.caferouge.co.uk • Upmarket French-themed café-bar/brasserie/restaurant serving well-priced Franglais classics in convivial surroundings, from breakfast to post-suppertime. Good disabled facilities; braille menus available.

CAFFE BAR
Francis Hotel, Queen Square, BA1 2HH. Tel: 01225 424105 • Uncluttered, relaxed and offering the kind of graceful, timeless, swishy vibe only found in bars attached to hotels, this cute little bar overlooking Bath’s lovely Queen Square tends to attract a sophisticated, professional clientele looking for a bar range to suit. Hidden urban oasis alert! There’s a gorgeous scented herb garden out back.

CENTRAL BAR
Upper Borough Walls, BA1 1RG. Tel: 01225 333939, web: www.centralbarbath.co.uk • This bright and breezy, easy-going city centre wine bar opens for breakfast from 10am and features a vibrant bar selection that runs the whole gamut of pick-me-up delights, including cocktails, decent wines and top-end lagers. Find sofas and a pool table upstairs, and fresh, imaginative food on menus based largely around locally sourced, free range ingredients. Now serves Aspell’s Suffolk Cider on tap.

CHAZZ BAR
Above Clarke’s Restaurant, 7 Argyle St, BA2 4BQ. Tel: 01225 444440 • Intimate watering hole conveniently situated over one of Bath’s liveliest restaurants. Expect elegantly understated luxury supplemented by plush, atmospheric décor, friendly bartenders and a second room lit by sparkling fairy lights and strewn with cushions. Vast wine list, fantastic cocktails.

THE COMMON ROOM
2 Saville Row, BA1 2QP. Tel: 01225 425550, web: www.bathcommonroom.com • Unique bar/nightclub hybrid offering the opportunity to indulge in a spot of post-11pm supping without bracing yourself for the full-on nightclub experience. Relax on comfy leather sofas and take in the fascinating, funky décor and entertainment courtesy of DJs who keep the tiny dancefloor packed with an accessible mix of soul and funk sounds. Meanwhile, a decent, affordable wine list plus plenty of premium lagers at the bar ensure a smooth journey into the wee small hours of the morning. Gets very busy at weekends when door charges apply from 10pm (Fri/Sat/Sun £2/£3/£4), but members (£10 per annum) gain free and prioritised entry.

GARFUNKEL’S
The Empire, Orange Grove, BA1 1LP. Tel: 01225 461465, web: www.garfunkels.co.uk • The Bath branch of this massive, vaguely American-themed franchise enjoys what’s possibly one of Bath’s most impressive locations on the ground floor of a building that was once one of the city’s most illustrious hotels. While food is of the standard Tex-Mex variety, the stylish decor and well-stocked bar makes Garfunkel’s an excellent cocktail/aperitif pitstop. Covered, alfresco patio with Abbey views.

GASCOYNE PLACE
1 Sawclose, BA1 1EY. Tel: 01225 445854, web: www.gascoyneplace.co.uk • Stylish, novel design twists proliferate throughout this tasteful split-level oasis that offers a choice between buzzing subterranean lounge bar, cool mezzanine, cosy snug and elegant supper rooms. The wine list is massive, there’s an extensive bar selection (including cocktails) and bar food ranges from a bowl of homemade chips with mustard mayo to focaccia sandwiches and cheese/charcuterie sharing platters. Free live jazz every Thursday/Sunday.

GRAPPA
3 Belvedere, Lansdown, BA1 5ED. Tel: 01225 448890, web: www.grappabar.co.uk • Subtly chic, easygoing hangout with a nouveau-boho atmosphere. The bar offers a big selection of new and old world wines, cocktails, continental lagers, beers and all manner of spirits and liqueurs while huge, colourful platters of Mediterranean antipasti (or pizzas from the pizzeria upstairs) solve the munchie problem. Available for private hire.

GREEN PARK BRASSERIE
Green Park Station, BA1 1JB. Tel: 01225 338565, web: www.greenparkbrasserie.com • Occupying the magnificently restored booking hall of Green Park Station, the GP Brasserie specialises in easonably priced quality food and wine in informal but slick surroundings. A well-stocked bar features Budvar, San Miguel and Butcombe Bitter on draught alongside 10 wines by the glass, 40 by the bottle and an extensive range of spirits, and there’s live jazz Wed-Sat evenings. Covered, heated alfresco areas to the front and rear, but smokers take note: you can only puff away at the front.

HA! HA! BAR AND CANTEEN
Tram Shed, Walcot St, BA1 5BD. Tel: 01225 421200, web: www.hahaonline.co.uk • This modern uber-bar offers huge, consistently good globe-straddling menus in vibrant, crowd-pleasing surroundings. Meanwhile, the vast bar selection keeps the wheels nicely oiled, while lots of events/promotions and live DJs every Sat evening keep attention levels up. 70-seater, heated alfresco terrace out front.

HUDSON BAR AND GRILL
14 London St, BA1 5BU. Tel: 01225 332323 • This atmospheric street-level bar offers classic cocktails, interesting ales and a confidently eclectic wine list in low-lit, sofa-strewn surroundings, while the casual but stylish grill room upstairs concentrates on serving up great steaks, gourmet burgers, seafood, salads etc in slightly more traditional (though contemporary) restaurant surroundings. Full restaurant menu can also be enjoyed in the bar area.

LOUNGE
43 St James Parade, BA1 1UQ. Tel: 01225 424321 www.loungecocktailbar.com • Lively cocktail bar with smart booth seating upstairs, a cosy vaulted area downstairs, an extensive wine/beer range and pretty sturdy (largely Med-themed) food to boot. If you can’t find the cocktail of your choice on the list, the bartender will deign to cater specifically to your needs and desires. Open seven days a week until 2am.

NEW!
MINIBAR
1 John St, BA1 2JL. Tel: 01225 333323 • Slick, intimate, one-room affair based around a sparkly bar that offers views into a gleaming galley kitchen. Subtle spotlights and full use of a glorious picture window have transformed what was previously a claustrophobic space into somewhere light, airy and chic. Cruise the fabulous ‘modern tapas’ menu while you’re here - a drink’s too wet without one.

MOON AND SIXPENCE
6a, Broad St. Tel: 01225 460962, web: www.moonandsixpence.co.uk • Enjoying a prime location at the heart of the recently refurbished Milsom Place shopping complex, the M&S has undergone a bit of a makeover itself, almost doubling in size but thankfully retaining all of its original charm. This enduringly popular, chic but cosy wining and dining experience ticks all manner of good times boxes, including a fabulous wine list at the bar. Alfresco opportunities a-plenty.

OPA
14 North Parade, BA2 4AJ. Tel: 01225 317900 • Glamorous Greek-themed bar/restaurant with a full-on party atmosphere, live music every Sunday evening and food - like the regulars - that’s loud, proud and sexy. Super pretty, partially covered, partially heated alfresco area makes full use of the glorious riverside location.

PULP
Monmouth St, BA1 2AN. Tel: 01225 466411, web: www.iguanas.co.uk/bath.asp • Laid-back little sister to the enduringly popular, Latino-themed Las Iguanas restaurant, popular with party-goers at the weekends but offering a more relaxed feel midweek. There’s an extensive, all-encompassing cocktail list alongside a substantial general bar selection and a tapas menu to cover all nibble-urge eventualities available all day. Enjoy Happy Hour prices on selected cocktails between 12noon-9pm daily, all day Sun-Mon.

REVOLUTION
George St, BA1 2EB. Tel: 01225 336168, web: www.revolution-bars.co.uk • Lively, spacious, split-level branch of a nationwide chain with a striking bar menu largely revolving around vodka, cocktails and shooters, and suitably funky food menus to match. Visit the website for events/DJs/party nights/drinks promotions etc, and sign up for the Revolution Privilege Card while you’re there to reap maximum rewards. Pavement tables get very popular during summer months.

SLUG AND LETTUCE
5-6 Edgar Buildings, George St, BA1 2EE. Tel: 01225 789050, web: www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/bath • The S&L enjoys an advantageous vantage point at the axis of the George St/Milsom St crossroads and offers chunky, affordable food with an impressive commitment to responsible sourcing all day long, alongside regular drinks promotions such as ‘Wednesday Wine Club’ (all bottles £9.95), cocktail pitchers for £9 between 5-8pm Mon-Fri and 50% off all food on Mondays, all of which keep regulars buzzing around the well-stocked bar. Alfresco alert! As well as a gorgeous, partially covered beer garden, there are tables on the wide pavement out front, too.

SUB 13
4 Edgar Buildings, BA1 2EE. Tel: 01225 466667, web: www.sub13.net • Classy subterranean bar featuring a small but progressive cocktail menu that earned head barman Danny Walker the illustrious title of Pilsner Urquell International Master Bartender of the Year 2008. An impressive wine list and excellent range of champagnes supplements Mr Walker’s mixology skills, resulting in a chic experience that offers an interesting alternative to the larger bars that dominate George Street. Gorgeous little garden out back.

VELO LOUNGE
30 Moorland Rd, Oldfield Park, BA2 3PW. Tel: 01225 344663, web: www.thelounges.co.uk • This welcoming, book-lined bar-diner effortlessly oozes bonhomie and is to be thanked for bringing the genuine ‘neighbourhood bistro’ experience to Bath. The house wine is excellent, cocktails go large for minimum prices, and coffee is the real McCoy. Board games, daily papers and regular quiz nights keep attention levels up.

NEW!
YEN FUSION @ THE EARL OF MANVERS
8-9 Manvers St, BA1 1JQ. Tel: 01225 464449, web: www.secondbridge.co.uk/earl-of-manvers.html • Stylish cocktail lounge and Asian-themed diner attached to the Second Bridge nightclub (next door) offering platters and small bites in the lounge or on the private alfresco terrace - the perfect accompaniment, perhaps, to the substantial, classic bar menu. Start the evening with a cocktail here and enjoy priority access to Second Bridge itself.

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