Exploring Bath Through Its Independent Shops And Restaurants

Bath independent shops and restaurants form the backbone of this city full of character. From bookshops and shoe shops to artisan gelato, there are plenty of diverse and interesting things to buy and try. Here are some of my favourites.

Everyone knows that independent businesses such as shops and restaurants are the life and soul of a city, and in the case of Bath in England it’s especially true.

Bath is a city with a special kind of character and unmatched beauty. This is why it always comes up in ratings as one of the top cities in the UK. And I am convinced that some of this character and charm is due to the abundance of Bath’s independent shops and restaurants.

Here are some of my favourites.

Abbey Hotel

Before getting on to the shops and restaurants, I wanted to mention the also independently owned Abbey Hotel, where I stayed during my time in Bath.

Built within three Georgian townhouses, this charming boutique hotel is located in the heart of the city, only a couple of minutes’ walk from the famous Pulteney Bridge and Parade Gardens.

Abbey Hotel has been recently refurbished and it is now home to the ArtBar, a bar cum art gallery well known for its curated art collection and its bespoke cocktail menu.

Within the Abbey Hotel, you can also find the new brasserie-style restaurant led by renowned chefs Pierre Koffmann and Marco Pierre White. But more on that below.

Book Abbey Hotel here

Address: North Parade, Bath BA1 1LF

Exploring Bath independent shops

Bath Aqua Glass

Bath Aqua Glass is not only a beautiful shop but it’s also a glass blowing studio. It’s an independent glass production company that specialises in stained glass and glass blowing.

All their pieces are made in the studio and you can even have a go at blowing your own bauble.

There are two shops in town, but I would recommend visiting the studio which is 10 minutes walk from the centre. Here you can visit their Theatre of Glass, where you can enjoy a demonstration of how they blow and shape the glass, and one of the best things to do in Bath.

Address: 14 Cheap Street, Bath BA1 1NA; and  105-107 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BW (Studio)

Graham & Green

If you are a fan of unique home deco, then Graham & Green will have you jumping for joy.

This super stylish shop has furniture and decorative items that you will not find anywhere else. From eccentric British pieces of furniture to vibrant Mexicana prints, and nature-inspired cushions, you will want to buy everything here!

Run by the same family for over 40 years, Graham & Green’s passion for travelling and exploring is evident in the eclectic pieces they sell in their shop.

Address: 92 Walcott Street, Bath BA1 5BG

Always Sunday

Always Sunday offers luxury homewares and gifts including their own signature coloured enamelware and scented candles like ‘Garden Party in the Crescent’ (it smells like the Crescent on a glorious summer’s day).

This lovely little independent store is an aesthetically pleasing treasure trove to explore with their wall to wall coloured candle display and colour-paletted collections made by local makers.

Address: 9 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ

V V Rouleaux (permanently closed)

This haberdashery shop and workshop was a colourful ribbon heaven!

This was a destination shop for anyone who enjoys crafts, designing and making things, and for anyone looking for inspiration and a bit of colour in their life.

They stocked over 5,000 luxury ribbons, tassels, feathers, braids and other trimmings that you can think of. If you were looking for a particular shade of a particular colour, chances are they had it. They had a collection of over 100 colours!

They also offered headdress workshops, which I got to try. I never thought I was a handicraft-type person, but I discovered that I am a lot more patient making things than I thought I would be and I loved it!

Sadly, the V V Rouleaux closed after two years of operation, but if you are a haberdashery lover and you find yourself in London, they do have a shop in London’s West End.

Address: 9 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2EE

Topping & Company Booksellers

This is a shop for all books and bookshop lovers. The joy of walking through the door of this small but vibrant independent bookshop cannot be described in words. But I’m going to try.

The feeling of being hugged by books as soon as you step inside Topping & Company Booksellers is undeniable.

The symmetry of the book shelves, together with the bookshop ladders on both sides, and the colourful display of the book spines are beautifully appealing and they straight away invite you to browse. But it’s not just the visuals that make this shop special.

It is run by a team of passionate booksellers that will have a complementary cup of coffee or tea ready for you while you browse. And all this is complemented with the Georgian baby blue shop front, which is the first thing you see. Plus it’s dog friendly! What’s not to like?

Address: York Street, Bath BA1 1NG

Chanii.B Shoes

Ok, now for something pretty special. If you are looking for unique shoes with bags of character this has to be one of the best shops in Bath for that.

This is the shop of international shoe designer Chantal Pilon, said to be the next big thing in shoe design. She trained at the prestigious Cordwainers College (same college as Jimmy Choo) and has worked with Clarks and Kenneth Cole.

Chantal’s shoes are a dream. They are stunning and original, and they are made in a small family run factory in Portugal with the best quality leather. 

Address: 9 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ

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The best independent restaurants in Bath

OAK Restaurant (formerly Acorn)

This compact restaurant may be small but it really packs a punch.

Located in one of Bath’s oldest buildings, it specialises in vegan cuisine with an innovative angle. Dishes such as cauliflower core glazed in coffee, mushroom parfait and parsnip sorbet will surprise you as well as delight you.

Food waste is big concern for the owners of OAK (formerly Acorn), and they address that using ‘vegetable rejects’.

One of the dishes I had was made with donkey carrots – carrots that don’t make it to the supermarket’s shelves because they are not pretty or straight enough, so they are normally fed to donkeys. For OAK, ugly vegetables are the new beautiful.

Their expert sommelier will pair the wine with the different dishes for you. And if you want a piece of vegan heaven at home, they have a book called Plants Taste Better.

Address: 2 North Parade Passage, Bath BA1 1NX

The Beckford Bottle Shop

The Beckford Bottle Shop describes itself as a modern wine shop with old fashioned values.

This beautiful wine shop cum restaurant stocks a very impressive collection of more than 250 wines from all over the world. Here you can meet friends for a glass (or two) of wine, or for brunch in a very relaxed atmosphere. They also have a great selection of craft beers, ciders and other spirits.

We had a number of small plates in the tapas style, starting with British charcuterie and cheeses and ending with beautifully cooked skate wing, pork putties, courgette fritters and bocconcini salad.

Address: 5-8 Saville Row, Bath BA1 2QP

Good Day Café

This cute little café is owned by Steph, a West Country lady passionate about helping people on their day with a delicious cup of coffee. For Steph it’s the little things that make a difference, and you can tell by just looking around this cute café.

All I can say is that this place made me smile with its doggie wall of fame and the beautiful furniture.

We got to try colourful beetroot, matcha and charcoal lattes, but these are only available as part of a food tour tasting. It’s a shame they’re not available to have individually… yet.

Address: 12 Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RH

Swoon

Ok, this one is not a restaurant per se, but I couldn’t cover independent places to eat in Bath and not mention Swoon.

This renowned little business knows how to make proper artisan gelato and it has now become a classic in Bath. They churn it on site and use the finest ingredients they can get their hands on – from Somerset milk to pistachios from Bronte, Sicily.

They have eleven flavours that you will always find here, but they also like to play with different combinations and offer monthly seasonal flavours. I tried the monthly combination of blackberry and lavender and it was absolutely scrumptious!

They also make delicious gelato cakes. Yes… gelato cake! I’ll leave you with that thought.

When to visit Bath

Bath is great any time of the year, but if you prefer to visit in good weather, it is one of the best places to visit in UK in July.

But it’s one of those cities that looks fantastic in any type of weather. And I really mean it. The warm tones of the sandstone on the buildings and roads really come into their own in the rain.

But the one thing I would say is that Bath is very popular at weekends, so I would encourage you to visit during the week. You’ll have the city to yourself. Ok, you’ll have to share it with the locals.

Also, I recommend staying overnight if you can to get the most out of this magnificent city. A day trip to Bath is certainly good, but you’ll get a lot more out of it if you spend a couple of days here. There are plenty of things to see, do and independent shops to shop in!

And if you have more time, why not include a visit to the Cotswolds too? Here is my Cotswolds itinerary to help you plan 3 days in this idyllic area.

How to get to Bath from London

The easiest and most comfortable way to get to Bath from London is by high-speed train with Great Western Railway. Trains depart from London Euston station several times a day and they only take 90 minutes.

Pssst…. Looking to explore more of the South West of England? Cornwall and Devon are really easy to get to from Bath.

Have you ever been to Bath? Would you ever visit a destination because of its independent shops?
Let me know in the comments!

Travelling around England? Check out my other England articles

• Best London Day Trips by Train – 30+ Awesome Ideas for London Day Trips
• Why NewcastleGateshead Should Be Your Next UK Destination this Spring
• How to Make the Most of a Weekend in York, England
• 6 Of The Best Day Trips From York, England
• Day Trip to Brighton from London – Taking a Microgap to Switch Off

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Disclosure: A big thank you to Visit Bath who hosted me on this trip. As always, all views are my own.