Hoyle’s Guide To Bath

Or for those people google searching – a local’s guide to discovering the best things to do in Bath, or top cultural venues in Bath…

This page might be useful for the following folk:

  • Those new to Bath or environs as students or people with jobs;
  • Those that live nearby and want to do something cultural;
  • Those planning a stag or hen do / romantic getaway;
  • Other tourists that want something to do in the evening.

Google Maps and Trip Adviser tend to be gamed in my experience and are difficult to trust. This guide sets out all the information from my head that can be trusted because it has been lived and isn’t a for-profit optimisation game.

If you have any edits, suggestions, or recommendations please get in touch so I can add it to the guide!

See the Google Map List here – https://maps.app.goo.gl/HHEPfkL9tWfeZchL9

Information correct as of November 2025.

Music Venues

Not many bands play Bath these days. They tend to go to Bristol instead. One of the old music venues in Bath – Moles – shut down around Covid times. It hasn’t really been the same since. I normally keep my eye out for stuff of interest but mostly end up in Bristol.

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  • Komedia – https://komediabath.co.uk/whats-on/ – the last larger music venue left in Bath – they do some very good free community mini-festivals. Tends to be mostly tribute acts recently. Keep your eyes peeled – sometimes you get a band with a local link playing there. They have a small stage near the front bar that sometimes hosts free music on a weekend afternoon. Saw Ozric Tentacles and the 7 Hills Americana Festival here.
  • Royal Oak – http://www.theroyaloakbath.co.uk/whats-on.php – pub with nice beers and a tiny front room stage. Tends to have a lot of pub rock and some cool touring oldies and some local bands. There’s normally stuff playing on a Friday and/or Saturday night. The what’s on is updated a month in advance. Check out their Facebook and socials for more details.
  • The Bell – https://thebellinnbath.co.uk/live-music – a tiny stage in the pub sees some fun raucous acts and a back bar the size of a skittle alley has regular bands and music. The DJs are pretty good as well. Has pizza outside in the summer. Community owned. Often will have something on midweek.
  • Chapel Arts Centre – https://chapelarts.org/events/ – tends to be folk, americana, world music and arty stuff. Radio 3 vibes. With a sprinkling of tribute acts. Normally good quality bands if you are on a date night or romantic getaway in town and you just want to turn up for something to see. Saw Faeland and Project Smok here – they were really good.
  • Bath Forum – https://bathforum.co.uk/whats-on – tends to have “legacy” acts and stuff that would attract a large sit-down audience willing to pay £50 a ticket. Tribute acts for folks in their 60s and 70s. Saw Mogwai here.

Places that sometimes do music in amongst other stuff:

  • Widcombe Social Club – https://www.widcombesocialclub.co.uk/events – does a brilliant 3-day Jazz Weekend one of the first weekends in January. Then film clubs and middle-aged-folk dance nights.
  • Burdall’s Yard – https://www.burdallsyard.co.uk/whatson – decent venue in a set of basement arches. I’ve seen a coupled of decent punk-y things here. And some decent musical comedy. Tends to be folks that somehow are connected with the owners.
  • The Grapes – https://thegrapesbath.co.uk/whats-on/ – they have a jazz improv night on a Wednesday and an Irish folk night on a Thursday – worth going if you’ve nothing else to do. A mix of small folks, blues, and jazz acts play regularly.
  • Green Park Brasserie (Upstairs – sometimes) – on and off depending on what promoters are about. Tends to be via mailing lists or for local festivals.

Comedy Venues

  • Komedia – https://komediabath.co.uk/whats-on/ – these days often has a better comedy line up than music.
  • Rondo Theatre – https://rondotheatre.co.uk/whats-on/ – punches above it’s size in terms of shows – good for Edinburgh Fringe style acts – one-person shows, comedy, experimental theatre.
  • Bath Forum – https://bathforum.co.uk/whats-on – has the A-list comedy folk. Saw Stewart Lee here, and Tim Minchin. Tends to be pricey though. Good “in the future date night” or “distance mate get together” selection.
  • Nowhere Tavern – tends to now have a relationship with Bath Comedy Festival – check out https://www.bathcomedy.com/ for acts. (The Comedy Festival is crowd-funding at the moment and is a fair way off target so whether they’ll survive is sadly up in the air.) Often gets some Edinburgh Fringe level touring acts.
  • The Assembly Inn – https://www.abbeyinnsbath.co.uk/ – has a comedy club in the basement apparently. I’ve never been.
  • Green Park Brasserie (Upstairs) – as per the Nowhere Tavern. Get on the Comedy Festival mailing list.

Talks

Bath is really lucky to have the Bath Royal Scientific and Literary Institution on Queen’s Square. It’s ~£40 a year to join as a member but you can attend talks as a non-member. They just celebrated 200 years. There used to be loads of such institutions nationwide in the Victorian error but all but a handful have now died a death. Based on a premise of just having interesting talks open to the public, in a very democratic manner that now has mostly died behind the towers of academia.

They have talks on a few nights a week. Completely wide range of subjects – science to art to music to linguistics to politics to psychology to poetry etc. They also often do longer day conferences and events. The museum has a rotating collection of interesting artifacts.

If you live and work in Bath, it’s worth joining up as a member and going along. Think of it like going to the gym, but for your mind.

If you are in town for a few days, it’s worth seeing what is on and turning up.

Theatre Venues

Theatre seems to be a bit more of an acquired taste than music. For me the “cringe” factor is often higher than music – a just-about-okay band can be an evening’s entertainment but an over-earnest “artistic” performance can sometimes lead to high vicarious embarrassment. Or the performances are well-worn amateur dramatics or OAP-serving plays (39 Steps or Women in Black anyone?) that don’t really interest me.

That being said if you are more Teflon to the cringe and enjoy small-scale theatre there’s lots for you to see.

  • Theatre Royal – https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/whats-on/?ven=2353 – prestige theatre where tickets are around £40-50 for decent seats. There are sometimes some decent plays in amongst the usual suspects of old TV stars doing well-worn performances in “classics”. Alan Partridge would perform here doing History Boys. Also sometimes talking head type shows with old TV stars. Anything with classically-quaint murder (Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes). The annual Kismet dance performances are definitely worth going to. Also saw Harry Hill here.
  • Ustinov – https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/whats-on/?ven=2740 – the smaller, more turtle-neck wearing side of the Theatre Royal. More experimental theatre (but for mainstream patrons of the arts). Perfect for Beckett. Get the programme and book ahead for stuff that looks good. Seats tend to sell out quickly as the theatre is small. Has nice cosy long benches that you all squash up on. You get close to the stage action. There are some national level touring pieces here and a few TV/stage-famous names.
  • Rondo Theatre – https://rondotheatre.co.uk/whats-on/ – as per comedy above. Theatre shows tend to be experimental but less chin-strokey. More variety in quality (e.g. nearer to amateur).
  • Mission Theatre – https://www.missiontheatre.co.uk/whats-on – often has amateur dramatic performances. Possible future is dicey.
  • Burdall’s Yard – https://www.burdallsyard.co.uk/whatson – similar stuff to Rondo Theatre and Mission Theatre.

The Egg, which is part of the Theatre Royal complex, next to the Ustinov, also has kid-friendly shows.

Cinema

A good selection of cinemas for every occasion.

Also watch out for showings of theatre shows from that there London – they are normally fairly good. There is also a strong annual film festival in October time – https://filmbath.org.uk/.

Art Spaces

Again, fairly provincial selection in Bath.

  • Holborne Museum – https://holburne.org/ – the most “gallery-like” place in Bath. Not huge but a few floors to wander around. They usually have one or two exhibitions and then some permanent “Bath History” bits in a few rooms. A nice place for a few hours. The cafe and grounds are good for a coffee in the summer.
  • Victoria Gallery – https://www.victoriagal.org.uk/ – a council run gallery that sometimes has some interesting stuff to pop in and see if in the area.
  • Roseberry Road Studios – https://www.roseberryroadstudios.com/ – a new space in a small set of buildings by the river nestled in between new-build student accommodation, car parks, and Lidl. I’ve enjoyed a few events here recently. One to keep the eye on.

Pubs and Breweries

An arbitrary selection off the top of my head:

  • Electric Bear – https://electricbearbrewing.com/pages/taproom-and-shop – rough-n-ready brewery bar in a trading estate. Lovely beers, ever changing selection, food trucks on Friday/Saturday. Bring your coat in the winter. Lovely to sit in the car park in the summer. Spent most of my 30s here. If you are being lazy get an Uber in 5 minutes from the centre or walk along the lovely riverpath.
  • Grapes – https://thegrapesbath.co.uk/ – used to be a dive in the city centre but was bought a few years back and turned around. Good for stopping in for a quick drink when in town.
  • Raven – https://theravenofbath.co.uk/ – one of the best pubs in Bath, and now twice and big. Normally always busy. Loads of great beers on tap. Brilliant, not-too-pricey, pies and mash. Ticks all the classic country pub boxes in the centre of town, which is why it is always packed.
  • The Bell – https://thebellinnbath.co.uk/ – community owned – cheap, good beer; a few still arty/punky locals that haven’t moved to Frome. See above for music. Good in the summer with benches outside.
  • Locksbrock Inn – https://thelocksbrookinn.com/ – my local along with the Electric Bear. Used to be a great run-down pub called the Dolphin but now is a bit more gastro-pubby as many pubs are now. Staff are normally super friendly and the food is good, although on the higher side of pub fare. The outside space is nice in the summer by the canal.
  • Bath Cider House – https://www.bathciderhouse.co.uk/ – (high-end) studenty vibe with an edge of postgrad student – there’s a big sitting area down the stairs with a cool outside area with some nice views. The pizza’s are big and good value.
  • Bath Brew House – https://www.thebathbrewhouse.com/ – now kind of studenty – has a big covered outside area with fake grass out the back.
  • Assembly Inn – https://www.abbeyinnsbath.co.uk/ – turned into a good sports pub – pool, darts, and the football on TV. But with good beer and pickled eggs.
  • The Star – https://www.abbeyinnsbath.co.uk/ – classic old man’s pub, if that old man lived in the 16th-century. Oak-panelled rooms, real ale, regulars, sometimes a fire, maybe a picked egg.
  • The Coeur de Lion – https://www.abbeyinnsbath.co.uk/ – all the Abbey Inns in town are decent. This is a small classic boozer. Nice for a lunchtime pint of mild.

Sport

In Bath, you tend to be football or rugby (or above everyone at the golf courses or horse racing). I prefer the football but each to their own. If you are visiting and there’s a match on it can be an enjoyable way to spend a few hours and get some local flavour.

  • Bath City – https://www.bathcityfc.com/ – I’m a season ticket holder. It’s a cool community-owned little club. Still feels like the old glory days of football – stands, chips, a cup of hot chocolate and a Twix. There’s sitting on one side and standing on the other. The ends behind the goals are typically for the hardcore fans and the away fans. There’s a burger and chips stand near the seating, a bar (Charlie’s – catch the players there afterwards), a pop-up bar near the floodlights and a tea/snack place at the back of the stands. Tickets are £15-20 for adults and ~£3-5 for kids and you can get them on the door. A good place for teenagers to go wandering and socialising and eat chips. Run by volunteers. Good sense of community.
  • Bath Rugby – https://www.bathrugby.com/ – not really my bag but a lot of people attend and like it and there’s a good atmosphere in town on match days. It’s more commercial and professional than the football.

Places to Eat

Again, not exhaustive, more what can I think of at gun-point:

  • Rooted – https://www.rootedcafe.co.uk/ – we are spoilt to have this as our local cafe. Lovely vegan food, independent and family run. Lovely staff. Seating outside with covering. Breakfasts and lunches are the best. I need to get my act in gear and go to the renowned Supper Clubs. Feels warm and fuzzy to see this place grow from strength to strength.
  • Basil’s – https://www.basilsbakery.co.uk/ – another independent family run place that we’ve watched grow. It now has a place down by the canal with some benches outside. A perfect place for bread, buns, and sandwiches.
  • Chequers – https://chequersbath.net/ – on the swankier end of things – this used to be around the corner from work and they used to do a £15 or so fixed-price lunch menu and the food was always excellent. Haven’t been back for a while though, the new menu is £30 for a main. COVID inflation hey? Just don’t mention quantatitive easing…
  • Noya’s Kitchen – https://www.noyaskitchen.co.uk/ – I haven’t been here yet, just heard the good word-of-mouth. You need to book in advance.
  • Hudson Steakhouse – https://www.hudsonsteakhouse.co.uk/ – I’m mostly vegetarian but occasionally I feel a bodily need for a steak so can understand the appeal. This is one of the better places in Bath, which is reflected in the fact that it’s often booked up, so book in advance. They do a good Monday-Friday Steak-and-frites £25 special, and an early evening special with a glass of wine for £29, 5-7pm. Pair with a drink or music at the Bell.
  • Yak Yeti Yak – https://www.yakyetiyak.co.uk/about – Nepalese – been here a couple of times. Nice and slightly different.
  • The Oven / The Stable – pizzas near Kingsmead Square. Both adequate/nice (you can’t really mess up pizza). The Stable is good if you want to pair with a pint of West Country cider. The Oven is normally the busier of the two so might need to book.

Decent Chain Places:

  • Nando’s – we love a Nando’s and Bath has two to choose from! We slightly prefer the one in the cinema complex, it’s nicer and a little less busy and doesn’t smell of damp arches.
  • Wagamama’s – always quite liked a Wagamama’s as a just-does-the-job for okay price kinda fare.
  • Eat a Pitta – new in from Bristol, hence it’s sometimes a bit quiet. I go here to grab food before seeing stuff in Komedia. Good value. Good portions. Healthy.
  • Giggling Squid – good-ish date-night chain fare – Thai fusion. Not the best food and average eating out prices but a lovely building and it does the job.
  • Pizza Express – again adequate pre-theatre food, get the app for special offers to make it all affordable. The one by the Theatre is a little older and nicer? Is always full of retirees being the only folk that can afford eating out these days.

Places to Avoid

  • Chain pubs – Slug and Lettuce, All Bar One, Spoons, O’Neill’s, most things at the top of Milsom Street. The normal mixture of overpriced and under-delivered. There are enough decent pubs within working distance there’s no real need to visit these places.
  • Stuff in the city centre around the Abbey – apart from Primark most of the stuff here is designed to trap tourists. The restaurants tend to be mediocre and over-priced. Avoid anything marketed as an “experience”. The baths and Abbey are worth a look around if you are a tourist.
  • Clubs – I haven’t yet stumbled upon a decent club in Bath – get across to Bristol for world-class DJs in almost every genre. In my limited experience, most of the clubs in Bath are class-A drug heavy and full of ex-regional sportspeople or the children of high-net-worth individuals with a dubious income history.

Finding Things to Do

  • Meetup – https://www.meetup.com/home/ – tends to have small reading, talking, and art groups. Lots angled more at the retired market (it is Bath folks).
  • Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ – seems to be the home of business and quacks. Most business networking events are arranged through here, with a few university based creative arts events, and a conference about crystals and cryptocurrency.

Facebook seems to be mostly dead. There are a few groups left with live posts but most small scale unticketed events tend to be arranged by one of the two above. Like most small-scale events, many groups have an ebb-and-flow of energy and action. So you need to keep looking and rejoining and/or setting up stuff yourself.

Useful Buses and Transport

You can walk from one side of Bath to the other in about 90 minutes (i.e. from countryside to countryside). So walking or cycling is normally the easiest option, especially with the sometimes patchiness of the bus – by the time you’ve waited for the bus that comes, you can be mostly there and get some exercise.

The river path is a nice way in and out from the western edge to the centre during the day. Outside of the river the city slopes upwards on all sides so be prepared for some steep climbs.

In terms of buses:

  • Number 4 bus – gets from Weston into town.
  • Number 3 bus – gets across town a little faster than walking.
  • X39/39 bus – gets from Bristol to Bath and vice versa.