Bath is full of very good places to eat, but eating out with eight, ten or twelve people is a different problem from booking dinner for two. Some brilliant little restaurants simply don’t work for a bigger table, while other places are much better at groups than their reputation suggests.
These are the places we’d genuinely consider when friends or family are staying with us — not a definitive ranking, just a useful shortlist of where we’d actually book and why.
Hare & Hounds — our easiest recommendation
The Hare & Hounds is up on Lansdown overlooking Charlcombe Valley, so it feels surprisingly rural despite being very close to Bath.
It's probably our first choice for a relaxed family lunch. There's space, the view is genuinely good and it works particularly well when you have different generations around the table.
It's also close to Deepdene, so it makes an easy lunch after a walk around Charlcombe or Lansdown.
We'd choose it for: Sunday lunch, an early dinner or food after a country walk.
Marlborough Tavern — proper Bath without being too formal
Just behind the Royal Crescent, the Marlborough Tavern is one of those useful places that feels special without becoming an occasion you need to dress for.
The food is taken seriously, but it still feels like a pub. That makes it particularly good for family groups where some people want a proper meal and others simply want a pint and something good to eat.
For a larger table, we'd definitely book ahead.
We'd choose it for: a family lunch or dinner after wandering around the Royal Crescent and Victoria Park.
Beckford Bottle Shop — for a smaller adult group
This is one of our favourites, although we wouldn't necessarily take twelve people and four children.
It's a wine shop and bistro on Saville Row, with sharing plates, cheese, charcuterie and a very good wine list.
It feels more like somewhere you've discovered than somewhere you've been funnelled into as a tourist.
We'd choose it for: four to six adults who genuinely enjoy food and wine.
Walcot House — when dinner might turn into drinks
Walcot House is useful when you don't necessarily want the evening to finish after dessert.
It has a restaurant, bar and a livelier feel later on, so it works well for birthdays or groups of friends having a proper weekend in Bath.
It's on Walcot Street too, which is an interesting part of the city to wander around before dinner.
We'd choose it for: an adults' evening when dinner is only part of the plan.
Bath Pizza Co — the democratic option
Bath Pizza Co sits in the old Green Park railway station and is one of the easiest choices when the group includes teenagers or children.
It's informal, lively and considerably easier than persuading ten people to agree on a tasting menu.
The old station setting gives it much more character than a standard pizza restaurant, and there's often plenty going on around Green Park too.
We'd choose it for: teenagers, casual Friday-night food and groups where everyone wants something straightforward.
A Bath pub that's still a Bath pub
If you want somewhere less polished, try The Bell on Walcot Street.
It's community-owned, known for live music and has retained rather more of Bath's slightly eccentric side than many city-centre pubs.
We wouldn't necessarily go there for the grand family dinner. We would go there for a pint when somebody asks, "Where do locals actually go?"
If we had to choose
For a big family lunch: Hare & Hounds.
For somewhere smart but relaxed: Marlborough Tavern.
For a smaller adult group and good wine: Beckford Bottle Shop.
For dinner followed by drinks: Walcot House.
For teenagers: Bath Pizza Co.
And one piece of genuinely useful advice: book ahead for Friday and Saturday nights. Bath is compact, which is part of its charm, but it also means the better restaurants fill up quickly.