Bars & Pubs, Bath

This place has been recently refurbished and looks very nice. There are lot's of different areas to sit down on the entrance level. There is also a good seating area outside, nice during the day and also at night. Finally there is another level in the basement with a larger bar and a pool table.

Food is served during the day and looked pretty good. I'm definitely starting my night here next time I'm in Bath.

The Boater is always the first pub from my friend's house to the centre of town, so always the first port of call on a night out. Upstairs is a traditional English pub, while downstairs is an area for the younger people and students. Outside is a nice beer garden near the river. Sky Sports is shown on the TV so you can watch the football and rugby here.

If the rugby is taking place in the Rec nearby this place will be heaving on game day. If you want to enjoy the rugby crowd come here. If you want a quieter time head to the other side of the town

Another good lively spot. Similar to the Rat and Parrot it is often full in the evening of people on their way out to a club. During the day though the place is relatively quiet and has sports on the TVs at the weekend. If you like cricket and there is an international match on it will be on the screens during the day. I remember having a meal in here once and my friend's bangers and mash looked and tasted great.

The place has since changed its name to Belushi's, but is pretty much the same as before. The hostel above the bar is still called St. Christopher's so I've kept the tip with the same name.

I visited this venue at lunchtime, where there was a good atmosphere, as it's been named Bath Pub of the Year, I'm sure its well worth a visit at night.

Selection of Real Ales, and extensive menu including a variety of burgers made from kangaroo, ostrich meat etc!

Inside are different rooms, with plenty of tables/seating in cosy corners.
Sporting paraphanelia adourns the walls.

Heated outside seating area.

to be continued

Dress Code: At lunchtime clientele appeared to be a mix of office workers and professionals, students and a few tourists.

Therefore mix of casual/ suits etc.

Relaxed atmosphere, should imagine same mix at night time.

I tend to visit this place as the last before a club. It is very lively on a Saturday night, but has quite long queues in the evening at the bar. The pub is very large and has lots of avaliable seating.

This is another traditional pub with probably the best food of the lot. There is a good menu (I remember kangaroo and osterich being on there) and a number of big screens for the rugby/football. Great atmosphere.

The Grapes is a good pub with reasonable food. I always seem to have a meal in here and watch the rugby/football depending on what time we arrive. At the weekend there will always be a match on. Nice atmosphere.

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Bath, I read, is the real ale capital of Britain*. Real Ale (for foreign readers) is traditional beer, as opposed to the fizzy industrialised dishwater now served in most establishments. You don't have to (stereotype alert) have a beard, a woolly jumper, and listen to folk music to enjoy it; just an interest in drinking something a bit more flavoursome. There are a wide variety of types though nearly all are darker beers (ranging from golden to tar-like). If you are not used to them, probably best sampled by the half-pint.

There are certainly plenty of places in Bath to do this, with two locally-based breweries (Bath Ales and Abbey Ales) featured widely, and many others from all over Britain. Also some ciders (though not as many as I expected).

You can see more drinking choices (not all real ale) at the Bath Pubs website.

The final picture is perhaps the most amiable of the pubs I was in (and I sampled quite a few), The Old Green Tree. If you have done the same, this is the view you would see ;-) The blur behind the bar is the landlord; out of shot to the left was Lincolnshire's only commercial cider maker.

*I don't know if there is an 'official' measure of this, but I can certainly believe it.