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Bath Pubs

THE ASSEMBLY INN
16-17 Alfred St, BA1 2QU. Tel: 01225 333639
• A change of management has breathed some much needed life into this old girl, along with a whole new menu and a revamp of the beers on offer. They now have Sharp’s Doom Bar, along with Weston’s Old Rosie and Stowford Press ciders.
Great place to watch rugby or football.

THE BARLEY
32 Bathwick St, BA2 6NZ. Tel: 01225 464845, web: www.thebarley.co.uk
• Great little pub, with wonderfully comfortable sofas arranged around the real fire, and a separate dining area in the back. Nice patio for warmer days, welcoming regulars and excellent, reasonably priced food. Three real ales, including Butcombe, Adnams and one of the best pints of Bass in Bath. Smoking area.
The Sunday quiz is not to be missed.

THE BATH TAP
19 St James’s Parade, BA1 1UL. Tel: 01225 404344
• The city’s longest-established gay pub. When they took it over last year, leaseholders Gemma Buchaly and Nikki Swain had a heck of a lot of work to do, but the girls have re-established its position as one of Bath’s most welcoming hostelries. Courage Best and John Smiths on tap, plus a selection of premium lagers. Food comes in the form of full English brekkies, good, home-cooked lunches and daily specials with the emphasis on quality ingredients.
Nikki, a trained chef, once cooked for Diana, Princess of Wales.

THE BELL
103 Walcot St, BA1 5BW. Tel: 01225 460426, web: www.walcotstreet.com
• A Walcot Street institution, this bohemian place welcomes one and all - black and white, male and female: in fact, women will be delighted to know this is just the place to come on your own and not get hassled. Eleven ales in total, three of which are rotating guest ales, plus organic beers. Live music from jazz to folk on Mon and Wed eves and Sun lunchtimes. The heated, covered backyard is an oasis after a hard day’s shopping, and there’s bar billiards, table football and a chill-out lounge too. Heated smoking area.
They’ll take Euros over the bar and the place boasts ‘the smallest launderette in the world’!

BELVOIR CASTLE
Lower Bristol Rd, BA2 3EH. Tel: 01225 425725, web: www.thebelvoircastle.com
• A Victorian community pub, five mins’ walk from the town centre, with wooden floors and panelling. A variety of real ales, plus keg beers and premium lagers. Tiny beer garden. Sports mad, the place has its own skittles alley, pool, darts and shove ha’penny teams. Smoking area.
W.G. Grace played cricket on the site at the rear of the pub now occupied by Homebase.

THE BLADUDS HEAD
Catsley Place, Larkhall, BA1 6TA. Tel: 01225 423177, web: www.bladudshead.co.uk
• Not exactly city centre, but well worth the 20-min walk (or bus ride if you’re feeling lazy). Open from 5pm during the week, and all day Sat, this is a real character pub, with its regulars described as “local alcoholics who delight in exchanging over-the-top anecdotes and under-the-table merchandise”. Good selection of real ales.
Very much a country inn, complete with own gun club, Bath Muzzle and Historic Breechloaders Association.

BLATHWAYTE ARMS
Lansdown, BA1 9BT. Tel: 01225 421995, web: www.theblathwayt-bath.co.uk
• An open-beamed beauty, right next to the racecourse, with daily menu specials that run the full pub grub gamut, from cottage pie, cod & chips and steaks to chicken pesto, stuffed red peppers and lasagne, with baguettes and jackets dominating trade at lunchtime. Huge garden, kids’ menu, real ales. Heated smoking area.
Food served lunch and dinner, and all day at weekends.

THE BOATER
9 Argyle St, BA2 4BQ. Tel: 01225 464211
• This 18th-century pub in the centre of Bath is a popular three-floor boozer, a favourite of rugby fans (it’s next to the ground), college teams and other students drawn by the view, drinks promos and big-screen sports. If the pub is a little noisy, you can always escape to the large backyard, which has its own bar that opens subject to demand with summer barbecues, and hearty, filling fodder. Courage Best, 6X and Bombardier on tap. Smoking area
Overlooks the dramatic weir beneath Pulteney Bridge.

CHARMBURY ARMS
69-70 Brook Rd, Twerton, BA2 3RR. Tel: 01225 405559
• Not even the brewery knows where the name came from, yet the Charmbury Arms has been quietly plying its trade on the edge of Twerton for around 125 years. Landlords Brendan and Pam Carley have spent 30 years in the trade and it shows: everyone who walks through the door is greeted like an old friend. There’s no food and no frills but there are both 6X and Henry’s IPA on tap, plus the occasional seasonal special. There’s a quiz every Sunday night which always fills the bar, occasional live music nights, and, if you’ve time, have a go at Find The Joker, the pub’s very own confounding card game.
The Charmbury must be one of the only pubs in the country with a skittle alley in the bar itself.

THE CHEQUERS INN
River St, BA1 2QA. Tel: 01225 360017
• Hidden away from the main bustle of the city, yet no more than a five-minute walk from the Royal Crescent or the Circus, the Chequers has undergone a rather dramatic transformation since the Delfter Krug and Sub 13 boys took over at the end of 2005. Now a smart, contemporary bar with parquet flooring, stripped wood furniture and church pew-esque seating, this child-friendly, dog-friendly, family-orientated pub is building itself a fearsome reputation for the quality of its food. The ever-changing wine selection is pretty decent too, and the three real ales include offerings from Butcombe and Bath Ales.
It’s worth a trip to marvel at the slate-lined toilets alone.

COEUR DE LION
Northumberland Passage, BA1 5AR. Tel: 01225 463568, web: www.coeur-de-lion.co.uk
• This tiny little place, on the same site since 1889, offers up the kind of welcome sadly missing in many of the city’s larger, chain-owned establishments, and its acquisition by Abbey Ales has only improved things. The floor is now stripped back to the bare boards, a new paint job has brightened the pub up dramatically, and the menu - bursting with home-cooked treats - has the tourists flocking. Events are intimate little affairs (you can’t squeeze in more than a couple of dozen people in the place), but landlord Julian’s ethos of making sure the real ales (Bellringer, Abbey Star and two guests) and food are of the highest standard will ensure that, whatever is on, the Coeur de Lion will always be full of friendly faces.
Officially Bath’s smallest pub.

CORK AND BOTTLE
11-12 Westgate Buildings, BA1 1EB. Tel: 01225 330470
• It wouldn’t be right to have a new issue of Drinking Out West without reporting on yet more changes at Bath’s C&B. Now owned by Marstons, which means you’ll find a decent pint of Pedigree on tap among the regular beer and lager selection, food comes courtesy of a tapas, pizza and wrap selection available day long, with tapas dishes from £1.25-£4.95. Massive screen for Sky Sports, at the time of writing they were still trying to sort out an external smoking area. Open until 1.30am
Fri & Sat.
Live band every Sat evening.

THE CROSS KEYS
Midford Road, Bath BA2 5RZ. Tel: 01225 849180, web: www.crosskeysbath.co.uk
• The joy of writing this guide is in finding people who really understand what a pub should be, like David Chaplin and Helen Lacey, who took over the helm of the Cross Keys last October. In the two bars, wood panelling and gas light fittings sit comfortably along with the original open fires. Everything on the menu is cooked to order using, wherever possible, fresh produce from local suppliers. Chef Peter ensures that there are always plenty of vegetarian options available and the pub has fresh fish delivered daily from Cornwall. It’s a place for everyone - from ramblers and their dogs to locals and their kids - to relax; no jukebox, no fruit machines and no TV, unless you ask really nicely on a match day. Here it’s all about good beer (at least four real ales to choose from), good food and good conversation. Smoking area.
Built in the early 18th century, reminders of the pub’s past remain: the original hitching post still
stands outside.

THE CROWN
Bathford Hill, Bathford, BA1 7SL. Tel: 01225 852297
• Lovely, chilled-out, community-spirited pub that regularly hosts discos, barbecues, Hawaiian theme nights (grass skirts encouraged) and curryfests. Home-cooked dishes, ranging from the traditional (steak & ale pie) to more upmarket fare. Wash your meal down with Wadworth’s 6X or Bath Ales’s Gem, or try one of the 15 malts. Heated smoking area.
Back garden has a climbing frame, slide and swings to keep the little ’uns occupied while the big ’uns play darts and pool indoors.

CRYSTAL PALACE
Abbey Green, BA1 1NN. Tel: 01225 482666
• A picture-postcard setting, colourful hanging baskets and gorgeous cobbled courtyard make this 300-year-old pub a big hit with everyone from office workers to tourists, and the original wood panelling still gives the place that historic feel. Freshly prepared food, Marston’s beers on draught, and a fair few guests too. Courtyard is a real suntrap, and heaving all year round. Heated smoking area
Nelson and Lady Hamilton used to smooch here in secret, apparently.

THE CURFEW
11 Cleveland Place West. Tel: 01225 424210
• Lots of changes at the Curfew since we were last here, with a new management team in Anna and Heidi, extended opening hours, a new wine list and plans for an ambitious heated beer terrace, but the integrity of the pub has remained intact. There’s occasional live music, plus summer barbecues, and you’ll always find 6X and IPA on tap, Wadworth’s regular seasonal ale and excellent lunch and dinner menus with a good sprinkling of vegetarian options. Spacious, bright lounge upstairs, complete with 42” plasma-screen TV for Sky sports, and leather armchairs. Heated smoking area.
Open midday-11pm Sun-Wed, midnight Thur-Sat.

THE DEVONSHIRE ARMS
139 Wellsway, BA2 4RY. Tel: 01225 429593
• The origins of this decent neighbourhood boozer date back to 1841. The Devvy is a friendly, traditional pub with few frills but a well-stocked bar and sturdy pub grub on offer lunchtimes and early eves. Sunday roasts, internet-based jukebox with thousands of titles, and - as a concession to the modern age -
wi-fi access.
Regular karaoke and live music evenings keep the locals happy.

THE DOLPHIN
Locksbrook Rd, Lower Weston, BA1 3EN. Tel: 01225 445048
• Situated right next to the Avon - you can walk or cycle from Bath along the towpath. Sit and relax in the lounge or outside in the large seated garden, where you can wind down with family and friends over drinks (Butcombe, 6X and Pedigree on tap) and good homecooked food. Serves lunch and evening meals throughout the year. Heated smoking area.
Garden is fully equipped to cater for children, with safe play area.

THE FAIRFIELD ARMS
1 Fairfield Park Rd. BA1 6JN. Tel: 01225 310594
• It’s been a full year since landlord Colin Scott and business partner Stephen Smith took over the Fairfield, and the boys have done a marvellous job sprucing the place up, tidying the beer garden, opening up the original fireplaces and upgrading the quality of the food - substantial quantities of traditional pub grub. Summer will see the beer garden (which seats around 40 and offers fantastic views of the city) full to bursting for the occasional barbecue. Very much a community boozer. Smoking area.
Kids and dogs are more than welcome, and there’s a 48” plasma TV for major rugby and footy matches.

FLAN O’BRIENS
21 Westgate St, BA1 1EP. Tel: 01225 312914
• Stupidly busy Irish-themed bar, serving up an excellent pint of Guinness. Absolutely heaving, especially when there’s rugby or football on the TV. Very helpful and friendly staff, good new wave/punk soundtrack and now open until very late Wed-Sat. Huge windows and high stools are particularly good for people-watching.
First licensed in 1793 as the
Falstaff Tavern.

GARRICK’S HEAD
Sawclose, St John’s Place (next to Theatre Royal), BA1 1ET Tel: 01225 318368
• The Digneys have done it again. Not content with turning the King William (see below) into one of the finest foodie haunts in the UK, Charlie and Amanda took on the Garrick’s Head, transforming the place into one of the best eateries in town. Head chef Hugh Dennis-Jones and his number two Rufus Hanson have transformed a kitchen geared to little more than frying chips into one which now provides some of the best food in the city, using locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients. Four real ales on tap, Weston’s perry, plus what appears to be the city’s only supply of Burrow Hill Somerset cider brandy.
Open until 1am Fri-Sat.

THE GEORGE
Bathampton, BA2 6TR. Tel: 01225 425079
• Fabulously popular, and in an idyllic setting best reached by a rather pleasant walk along the canal towpath, The George had heaps of character restored in a 2004 refit, returning it to its former glory. An imaginative and traditional menu serves up delights such as lamb kofta, duck with braised red cabbage, and mussels. Real ale, keg favourites and a decent wine selection. Smoking area.
Fabulous grassy canalside gardens are perfect for lazy days with a pint of ice-cold lager.

THE GRAPES
14 Westgate St, BA1 1EQ. Tel: 01225 310235
• This popular pub is always busy, thanks to its good meal deals - currently offering two mains for £7 - and various booze offers throughout the week. Decent place to relax over a slow pint in the afternoon, but gets very busy and a bit boisterous at weekends when there’s footie on.
Courage Best on tap, plus a couple of guest ales.

GREEN PARK TAVERN
Lower Bristol Rd, Twerton, BA2 3BD. Tel: 01225 400050, web: www.greenparktavern.co.uk
• There’s so much going on at the Green Park Tavern that it’s hard to know where to start: open deck DJ nights, live acoustic showcases, quiz nights, open mic nights and, on Sundays, anything from gospel singers to trad jazz. Lunches are simple but robust, with sarnies, jackets and daily specials, but the carvery, Sunday Most, is something quite special: sumptuous food which can be enjoyed in the pub or taken away to the comfort of your own home. All of the meat is free range and there is always an excellent vegetarian option available too. Fantastic for families, their child-friendly policy means that kids are catered for not just on Sundays but all week round. Smoking area.
They annexed the local rugby club to provide a third bar, with everything from salsa dancing to live gigs.

HARE AND HOUNDS
Lansdown Rd, BA1 5TJ. Tel: 01225 482682
• This cracking country pub has a great menu, which includes plenty of local produce and yummy pies from Venue favourites Pieminister, plus a couple of Marston’s real ales always on tap. There’s a staggering view over the valley and a great garden that fully exploits it, including a covered, lit area which is particularly pretty on summer evenings. Just the spot to bring visiting guests or family, who’ll be photographing ponies, sighing over the rolling hills and hankering for a go on the boules pitch before you can say ‘extensive wine list’. Smoking area.
Views to die for and an extremely child-friendly attitude.

THE HOBGOBLIN
47 Saint James’s Parade, BA1 1UQ. Tel: 01225 460785
• Crammed with students from City of Bath College, drawn by the agreeable spit’n’sawdust vibe that the stripped wooden floors and ceiling fans create, not to mention the pound-stretching promotions. Pool tables upstairs are popular. Five real ales always on, including Wychwood Hobgoblin (of course), Bath Ales’s Gem and three ever-changing guests. Open until 1am Fri-Sat. Quite possibly the best jukebox in Bath.
Themed DJ/live music evenings every Saturday.

THE HOP POLE
7 Albion Buildings, Upper Bristol Rd. Tel: 01225 446327
• Wow! A real gem in the pub crown. Beautifully designed, atmospheric wooden interior, fantastic staff, lovely customers, a vast range of Bath Ales, Belgian beers and more, and a child-friendly attitude too. The food puts most restaurants to shame, with a monthly-changing, mouthwatering mix full of local produce and Cornish fish. This pub is sure to impress. Luscious, leafy back patio for whiling away those summer days (although the interior is so lovely, it’s a shame to be outside). Heated smoking area.
Faultless pub, perfect patio and fantastic award-winning restaurant.

THE HUNTSMAN
1 Terrace Walk, BA1 1LY. Tel: 01225 482900
• This late-night haunt witnesses a complete transformation after the sun goes to sleep. By day it’s an airy, civilised pub with a modern feel, popular with tourists and families. It’s only by night that it gets more boisterous. The drinks selection includes Marston’s real ales, plus all the usual keg suspects. If boozing’s not an option, there’s an espresso machine and a food menu ranging from a ploughman’s right through to the full three courses. Plenty of live entertainment, with everything from karaoke and DJs to Irish folk.
Open till 2am Mon-Sat.

KING OF WESSEX
James St West, BA1 2BX. Tel: 01225 303380
• Huge pub, part of the Wetherspoon chain, and just one piece of Bath’s multi-use Kingsmead leisure complex. All the Wetherspoon trademarks are here, from cheap beer to two-for-one meal deals. Four real ales: Abbot, Pedigree, Spitfire and Burton, plus regularly changing guests. Open from 9am weekdays from breakfast, until 11.30pm Mon-Sat, 11pm Sun.
They won an award in 2005 for the Best Kept Loo!

KING WILLIAM
36 Thomas St, BA1 5NN. Tel: 01225 428096
• You must visit this pub. Charlie and Amanda Digney (congratulations, by the way, on the new sprog which arrived just as we were compiling this guide) turned a long-closed community boozer on London Road into a stylish, sophisticated pub complete with a stunning menu. Beautifully presented both inside and out, it’s incredibly popular with Bath’s foodie cognoscenti. The lunchtime menu changes daily, and whenever you visit you’re guaranteed an excellent meal. All the food’s made with ingredients sourced locally, including vegetables from the greengrocer in nearby Larkhall and meat from the local butcher, which they ensure comes from free-range farms. Also serves a damn fine cup of coffee. Original Georgian fixtures abound, but bar and dining areas have been tastefully updated to breathe a less formal air into the place.
Rated as one of the top 15 gastropubs by PubChef magazine.

THE KING’S ARMS
Monmouth Place, BA1 2AT. Tel: 01225 425418
• This unpretentious, busy boozer is a good all-round pub, with two real ales, Courage Best and Bass, one guest beer and three ciders. Pub grub food at excellent prices, and bargain Sunday roast dinners. Live music Fri and Sat, and Sun is quiz night. Five letting rooms available, accommodating up to 18 people. Smoking area.
A 17th-century coach house with a stunning cobbled courtyard.

LAMB AND LION
15 Lower Borough Walls, BA1 1QU Tel: 01225 474931
• Popular, busy city centre pub, always packed to overflowing at weekends, which has had a decent spruce up and has generally improved all round. Usual range of keg beers and lagers, real ale in the form of Timothy Taylor’s, plus lots of bottles to choose from. Extended opening hours. Smoking area.
Nice beer garden and decent
pub grub.

LITTEN TREE
23 Milsom St, BA1 1DE. Tel: 01225 310772
• Madly busy city centre pub, where food comprises the likes of steak & ale pie, mixed grill and spag bol. Lots of food-themed nights, cheap drinks deals and big-screen sports mean that the place can get very boisterous.
Cheap drinks and full-on football.

MANDALYN’S
Lansdown Rd, BA1 5DX. Tel: 01225 425403, web: www.mandalyns.co.uk
• Cheery, individual, unashamedly gay- and lesbian-friendly party pub whose theme nights have been legendary in the past. The menu features rump steaks, pasta and a choice of meat or veggie roast on Sun. Extended drinking till 2am Thur-Sat, with lively music and a great atmosphere. Karaoke and quiz nights Thur, loads of drinks offers.
Sunday night cabaret is a must.

THE MARLBOROUGH TAVERN
35 Marlborough Buildings, Bath BA1 2LY Tel: 01225 423731
Refurbished in summer 2006, the Marlborough Tavern has come a long way since its days as a down at heal boozer. Gone are the sticky carpets and fruit machines and in its place is a cool, retro inspired interior and friendly atmosphere. Don’t let their informal style fool you though – they take the quality of the food very seriously. A constantly changing menu of fabulous tasting, essentially simple dishes has firmly established the Marlborough Tavern as one of Bath’s top food destinations. Add to that arguably Bath’s best pub garden and you can see why it has customers beating a path to its door.

METROPOLITAN
14 James St West, BA1 2BX. Tel: 01225 330439
• Formerly The Midland. A big, old-fashioned locals’ boozer near to Green Park Station, open all day every day (closed Sun from 6pm). Real ales now include a selection of Marston’s finest. Now very much food orientated, with a menu available all day from 12noon-9pm. Heated smoking area.
Very busy on a Friday night.

OLD GREEN TREE
12 Green St, BA1 2JZ. Tel: 01225 448259
• There are plenty of historic pubs in Bath, but few that can claim to have been serving the finest ales from the same site for almost 300 years. Fewer still have had little more than a lick of paint since a refit in the 1920s which replaced the original backyard brewery with an extra room and lined the building with its distinctive wood panelling. If it’s character you’re after, then the Old Green Tree has it in spades: even the redundant fireplace is listed. Up to six real ales on tap, all sourced from microbreweries within 70 miles or so. There’s a tempting menu, with everything from doorstep sarnies to smoked duck or trout, and a small wine list.
No alcopops, jukebox or bandit.

PARK TAVERN
Park Lane, Victoria Park, BA1 2XG. Tel: 01225 425174
• The back garden - lovingly tended twice a week by a gardener - is just one part of the appeal of this traditional establishment. A real suntrap, it boasts a lawn, pretty borders, pear tree, apple tree, herbs and roses. There are also the Sunday lunches and good-quality bar snacks during the week, plus an evening menu with mains from £7. Courage Best, one guest ale and various lagers, pool table. Heated smoking area.
The kind of place where you’ll see a businessman happily chatting to a biker.

PICCADILLY ALE HOUSE
London Rd, BA1 6PL. Tel: 01225 428915
• Friendly atmosphere, with a mixed clientele all soaking up the cosy interior and welcoming ambience, helped by family pictures adorning the walls, roaring log fires and a fine selection of drinks. Good range of wines, standard lagers and real ales. Jukebox and pool table, quiz nights every other Sun, and they even have their own skittle alley with four teams.
Opened around 1790 as the Hanover Hotel, later renamed the Britannia.

PIG AND FIDDLE
2 Saracen St, BA1 5BR. Tel: 01225 460868
• Busy, lively pub with a young clientele who revel in the pre-club vibe and regular theme nights. The old-school table arcade featuring Pacman and Donkey Kong is well-loved. Loads of real ale: Bellringer, Barnstormer, Butcombe, constantly changing guest ales and traditional cider. A great menu based on traditional pub fare - try their burgers, which include more exotic varieties such as wild boar, buffalo, ostrich and kangaroo. The all-day breakfasts remain a firm favourite. Food available all day 12noon-7pm. We’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love the place. Heated smoking area.
Annual one-day music festival, Pigstock, every June.

THE PORTER
2 Miles Buildings, George St, BA1 2QS. Tel: 01225 424104, web: www.theporter.co.uk
• This much-loved Bath institution is more than just a pub, doubling as one of the city’s best vegetarian eateries and an awesome free live music venue. The ground floor bar dishes up great food including a splendid veggie breakfast, available until 6pm weekdays, and a vegetarian Sunday roast. There’s real ale in the shape of Doombar, Smiles and Bellringer, Stowford Press and Weston’s ciders and a vegetarian wine list. At night, head downstairs to the Cellar Bar: Mon is open mic night, Tue through Thur sees up-and-coming bands play, Fri and Sat nights are given over to some of the area’s hottest DJs (all free), and Sun sees the Comedy Cavern, which in 2004 won the Chortle award for Best Comedy Club in the South West and Wales. Smoking area.
Make the most of the summer by chilling out on the terrace; the sun hits around midday and stays all afternoon.

THE PORTER BUTT
York Place, BA1 6AE. Tel: 01225 425084
• Mostly a local London Road crowd, with the odd skateboard kid in for the live punk rock out back (happening from once to five times a week). Porter Butt customers enjoy a large, kid-friendly garden and a good selection of ales, plus Hoegaarden on tap. Sunday roasts are stupidly cheap, with a vegetarian option; there’s one of the finest all-vinyl jukeboxes in the west; and there’s also a Fri night Irish folk session. Open all day, every day. Smoking area.
Landlord for the past 16 years or so, Andy Tanner declares: “They’ll have to carry me out in a box.”

THE PULTENEY ARMS
37 Daniel St, BA2 6ND. Tel: 01225 463923
• Ash McMorris took over The Pulteney Arms in October 2005 and quickly re-established its links with the local sports scene. The changes he’s overseen are both sympathetic to the hostelry’s 200-plus year history and easy on the regular punters. A great, traditional boozer with wooden floors, comfortable banquettes, roaring open fires (one with a surround by Robert Adam, the man who built Pulteney Bridge) and five real ales on tap, plus generous portions of good, honest homemade food. A delight.
The pub still has its original gas light fittings.

THE RAM AT WIDCOMBE
20 Claverton Buildings, Widcombe, BA2 4LD. Tel: 01225 421938
• Former landlord Simon Wynne may have moved on to pastures new (actually he’s still in Widcombe, at the Royal Oak) but, under the auspices of co-owners Scott Castleton and Paul Cornock, the Ram is still what it always has been: a fabulous neighbourhood boozer in the heart of a bustling community. Very sports orientated, with TVs in the bar and Founders Room for football and rugby - well, this is Bath, after all - but they don’t detract from the overall ambience. The stripped wood floor, oak beams, bare brick walls, four real ales and open fire lull you into thinking you could be in a village inn, not merely a stone’s throw from the centre of the city. Smoking area.
Says Scott: “It’s not the sort of place you want to make sweeping changes to. It’s a proper pub, and they’re few and far between.”

THE RAVEN
6-7 Queen St, BA1 1HE. Tel: 01225 425045, web: www.theravenofbath.co.uk
• The Raven is one of the city’s warmest, friendliest and most welcoming hostelries. Squeeze in through the door and you’ll find a rather nice, sympathetically refurbished village inn. There’s no loud music or fruit machines, just an excellent selection of local and guest ales and a superb wine list. Lots of pubs offer non-smoking areas, but very few promise a fully stocked, totally smoke-free bar as well as somewhere for nicotine addicts to get their fix. The Raven does. On top of that, there’s a menu courtesy of Bristol’s Pieminister: quality!
Regular home for groups from storytelling circles to shove ha’
penny enthusiasts.

THE RICHMOND ARMS
7 Richmond Place, Lansdown, BA1 5PZ. Tel: 01225 316725
• This warm, welcoming neighbourhood boozer, while not the easiest pub to find, is well worth seeking out. The Richmond Arms has a reputation for excellent food but, at heart, this is very much a village pub: comfortable and understated, with stripped pine tables and chairs. You won’t find any fruit machines or television, but with real ales including Butcombe, Old Speckled Hen and Courage Best on tap, lunch from under a fiver and a cast of regulars who’ve been drinking here since before they were legally entitled to, why would you want them?
Suntrap front garden is crammed to bursting when the weather allows.

THE RISING SUN
3-4 Grove St, BA2 6PJ. Tel: 01225 425584
• Nicky and Gerry Nettlefold, for years at The Rummer, have successfully transplanted their winning formula of bawdy bonhomie and cheap meal deals, and taken a good proportion of their old customers along with them to the city’s self-styled ‘friendliest pub’. Ensuite B&B accommodation available. Smoking area.
The garden, table tennis, pool
and skittles are sure to keep
everyone happy.

ROSE AND CROWN
6 Brougham Place, Larkhall, BA1 6SJ. Tel: 01225 425700
• The oak settles, tiled floor and stained leaded glass all reminiscent of a century gone by; the funkily shabby sofa next to the roaring real fire; a pint of 6X and a hearty plate of pie and mash, all imbibed while photos of the pub’s cricket team in their near-naked glory look down on unfazed regulars; and the resident pooch skittling around your feet looking for scraps. The Rose and Crown is a community pub par excellence. Licensees Dale and Ailsa Ballard knew they had a winning formula on their hands when they took this place on, hence there have been scant few changes over the years bar the addition of a homely dining room where you can tuck into an excellent meal away from the talk of sport. Smoking area.
Visiting tourists might like to know that the pub featured in Michael Z Lewin’s 1995 novel ‘Family Business’.

THE ROYAL OAK
8-10 Summerlays Place, Pulteney Rd, Widcombe, BA2 4HN. Tel: 01225 335220
• Former Ram landlord Simon Wynne took over the Royal Oak just this February, and has set about returning the kind of neighbourhood geniality his last establishment was so well-loved for. Several real ales on tap, and a decent selection of keg lagers.
Boasts its own skittle alley, and regular quiz nights.

ROYAL OAK
Lower Bristol Rd. Tel: 01225 481409
• When John and Becky Whinnerah took on the Royal Oak, it was barely a shell, but they have turned the place into one of the most welcoming free houses in the region. If having an Irish music jam session every Wednesday evening, paintings on display (and for sale) from local artists, a good kitchen and even its own book club isn’t enough to tempt you to visit, having up to 10 real ales, all sourced from microbreweries, on tap at any time should be. The couple host three beer festivals each year: a charity folk and beer weekend in June, and organic beer week in December and a winter beer fest in February. There are taster glasses beside each pump, offering you the opportunity to sample before you buy, discounts for CAMRA members and a fine selection of single malt whiskies too. The only lager is Bath Ales Organic, and there’s Stowford Press and a guest cider for scrumpy lovers, and a perry too.
CAMRA Pub of the Year 2007, Bath and Borders region.

THE RUMMER
6 Newmarket Row, Grand Parade. Tel: 01225 339345
• New management team Christine and Martin Jones are now at the helm of this cosy, neighbourhood pub as well known for its excellent homemade food and ever-changing specials as its superb range of real ales (currently Bath Ales’ Gem, Otter, Butcombe Bitter and Theakston’s) and ciders. A genuine community pub, the Rummer provides a home for several local social groups and is always packed to bursting when Bath Rugby are at home. Toasty-warm in winter thanks to its two open fires, with a new, loungier feel to their upstairs meeting room, complete with leather sofas and low tables for a café-cum-club look.
Situated immediately opposite Pulteney Weir, there can be few better spots in Bath to sit and watch the world go by.

SAINT CHRISTOPHER’S
9 Green St, BA1 2YJ. Tel: 01225 481444, web: www.st-christophers.co.uk
• Fun-packed pub-cum-backpacker’s hostel, part of a small UK-based chain, that’s always brimming with smiling faces of all nationalities, merrily jawing about their travels, supping VB stubbies, Fosters and Kronenbourg, refuelling on Thai fishcakes and bangers and mash, watching big-screen sports, and swapping email addresses. Closes between 12midnight-1am.
Find 59 beds upstairs, divided into various-sized dorms, yours from as little as £9.50 a night.

SAINT JAMES WINE VAULTS
10 Saint James’s St, BA1 2TW. Tel: 01225 310335
• This place is a cracker, with tons of atmosphere. London Pride and Butcome on tap, plus loads of premium lagers including San Miguel and Lowenbrau. There’s no food as such, but you can make use of the upstairs gallery room - where local artists display their work - and order in your own takeaway! DJs in the basement bar, with live music every Friday and extra jazz and blues nights during the week. Charity quiz night every Thursday. Open from 2pm every day, until 1am at weekends.
Opened as the St James’s Hotel
in 1791.

THE SALAMANDER
3 John St, BA1 2JL. Tel: 01225 428889, web: www.bathales.com
• Highly recommended Bath Ales pub with its own restaurant, the Leveret, upstairs. While Bath Ales dominate, their bottled selection is eclectic and wide-ranging, including Leffe, Belgian fruit beers, Duvel and Weston’s organic cider. They’ve introduced some gastro-delights to the menu, served in the restaurant or at the bar if you prefer something less formal. The atmosphere is light, stylish and subtly sophisticated. A real winner, and highly recommended.
Folk session every Tuesday, from 9pm..

SAM WELLER’S
Upper Borough Walls, BA1 1RH. Tel: 01225 474910
• After being closed
for almost a year, Sam Weller’s
reopened last spring helmed by Mike Hoskins, former head honcho at the Saracen’s Head, another pub with impeccable Dickensian connections. Four real ales: Bath Ale’s Gem plus three guests, good value, all-day food menu, and now open until 12midnight or so
at weekends.
Named after the servant Samuel Weller, who appears in ‘The Pickwick Papers’.

THE SARACEN’S HEAD
Broad St, BA1 5LP. Tel: 01225 426518
• Old-fashioned historic boozer. Charles Dickens used to get so sozzled while staying here to write ‘The Pickwick Papers’ that he’d fall asleep in his chair at the bar. Busy, city centre pub with throngs of tourists, big-screen TV sports and the occasional stag party. Regular drinks promos pack in the crowds. Over in the quieter, back end of the pub, expect 10-strong groups of American tourists enjoying the traditional English cooking - steak & ale pies, Sunday roasts and veggie options.
Claims to be the oldest pub in Bath.

THE STAR INN
The Paragon, BA1 5NA. Tel: 01225 425072, web: www.star-inn-bath.co.uk
• Grade II-listed cracker of a pub. A real ales nirvana that offers as many CAMRA-approved tipples as you can imagine (including Abbey Ales, London Pride, IPA, various unusual imports and Bass straight from the jug - very rare) and inspires fierce loyalty from fans both locally and all around the world. It’s 260 years old, with a wonderful 19th-century wooden interior. There’s no games machine, no music, no pool table and no cordon bleu food, just a small selection of excellent rolls and ciabattas. Get there early on Sun, as the bar snacks are free.
Annual Cornish beer festival in July.

THE TRINITY
James St West, BA1 2DA. Tel: 01225 400042
• Busy sports-orientated boozer, very popular with both the workers and clients of the nearby social security offices. They serve a very good pint of Guinness, plus the usual range of keg beers and lagers, and there’s room for a few tables outside in better weather. Smoking area.
Bath & West Country Magic (it’s something to do with a card game) meeting every Wed eve.

VOLUNTEER RIFLEMAN’S ARMS
New Bond St Place, BA1 1BH. Tel: 01225 425210
• A tiny backstreet nook, which perfectly proves that size isn’t everything. Despite measuring 300 sq ft, including the bar, it hasn’t actually got a designated maximum capacity - although more than 30 of you, and it all gets a bit intimate. Four traditional local ales - which change regularly but usually feature Abbey Ales’ Bellringer, Otter and Weymouth - mean that the place is really starting to forge a name for itself as a real ale haven. Heated smoking area.
Plenty of pub grub favourites, all homecooked, with a decent Sunday roast too.

YE OLD FARMHOUSE
1 Lansdown Rd. BA1 5EE. Tel: 01225 316162
• Formerly best known as the home to Bath’s jazz fraternity and to Abbey Ales, Ye Old Farmhouse has seen a massive transformation under its new management team. The menu treads a fine line between comforting, homemade favourites and more aspirational dishes: corned beef hash right through to tempura crab, for example, but there are plenty of real ales and top-flight lagers on tap for those who are just after a bevy rather than a full meal.
The music’s still here, with regular live jazz and blues nights.

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