The Circus Cafe and Restaurant in Bath is a real hidden gem. In fact, it was voted number 4 in The Times 20 secret restaurants that foodies love. You’ll find it just round the corner from the Assembly Rooms, between two more of Bath’s architectural delights – the Circus and the Royal Crescent. This is the perfect place to unwind after a hard day on the tourist trail. The vibe is elegant but relaxed and, considering how good the food is, excellent value for money.
I popped in on the off chance that they had a spare table for lunch and I was in luck. This is a very popular place so I’d recommend booking in advance. The staff are extremely professional and attentive, but not intrusive. The menu changes every month and most of the ingredients are sourced in the West Country, which gets a big tick from us.
I chose the fish special; lemon sole with brown shrimp and beurre blanc, royal jersey new potatoes, heritage carrots and greens. All the fish served at The Circus Cafe is caught on day boats out of Newlyn in Cornwall, Beesands in Devon, and Lyme Bay in Dorset. It was divine – incredibly delicate and cooked to perfection.
The pudding menu looked delicious – I had a hard time choosing between rose geranium meringue with strawberries and cherries, and the dark chocolate mousse with hazelnut praline, cocoa Madeleine, salted caramel and Jersey cream.
The Circus Cafe was perfect for a light lunch, and locals have recommended the candlelit intimacy of dinner to me as well. It is high on my list of places to return to.
Practical details about The Circus Cafe and Restaurant
The Circus Cafe is open all day for coffee, hot drinks and patisserie in the morning, lunch from noon, the famous buttermilk scones cream tea in the afternoon then dinner in the evening from 5.30pm.
Website: http://www.thecircuscafeandrestaurant.co.uk/
Bookings: 01225 466020
Address: The Circus Restaurant, 34 Brock Street, Bath BA1 2LN