Your travel guide to Bath, Somerset

On arrival, grab a flute of fizz, slip on a pair of the communal Barbour wellies kept in the lobby for guests, and stroll across the grounds at sunset. Pull up some Adirondack chairs at the edge of the Deer Park on site, and watch the sun go down while your new four-legged friends run past. Stress? What stress?

Your bathtub in a ’Big Comfy Luxe’ room at The Pig Near Bath

Before dinner, order a cocktail at the bar (plus some delicious “Piggy Bits” to graze on), and settle in by the fireplace, while guests tinker around on the piano. Dinner at The Pig is divine, thanks to their hyper-local and seasonal 25 Mile Menu. There is a large kitchen garden on site (the biggest of all The Pig locations), plus a smoke house, berry cages, chicken coops, and beehives for starters, so much of the menu is made with “zero mile ingredients,” produced on location. In fact, they’re now B-Corp Certified, as of 2024. Choose from sublime dishes such as ruby red Devon beef, smoked chalk stream trout, or poached pear salad. The in-house Sommelier will gladly suggest some wine pairings to accompany your meal, with a focus on family-run vineyards and sustainable biodynamic wines.

’Piggy Bits’ grazing plate and cocktails at The Pig Near Bath

After supper, polish off a slice of apple and sultana crumble by the fireplace, and then take a nightcap up for a piping hot bath in your room’s claw foot tub. You’ll sleep like a baby in their dreamy, king-sized four-poster beds, and wake up in the morning to the day’s newspaper and a coffee in bed. Heaven. During your stay, be sure to book in for a decadent massage or facial at one of The Potting Shed treatment huts, and take advantage of the top-notch country walks on your doorstep.

The Bird

This eclectic boutique hotel in the city makes an ideal base for exploring Bath on foot. There’s convenient on-site parking, and you can even request a dog-friendly room if you need to bring a furry friend along. You’re greeted in the lobby by a sprawling gallery wall, OTT chandeliers, and patchwork cushions, before heading up to your uniquely designed room. Each one features vibrant decor, pillowy soft beds, and lots of views of Bath. Plate, the seasonal restaurant in the lower ground lobby, continues on with the colourful mood, offering a selection of locally-sourced seasonal dishes like pan-seared scallops, charred hispi cabbage, and braised ox cheek.

The Bird hotel in Bath

The cocktail list, named entirely after different birds, is a creative one: the ‘Bullocks Oriole’ mixes rhubarb vodka, passionfruit, orange, and lime, for starters. If you get peckish for a midnight snack, the larder in the lobby is open to guests around the clock, offering sweets, soft drinks, and snacks free of charge. On balmy days, take advantage of the large open air back decking area, attached to the restaurant. During the day it’s often used as a co-working space, with guests making use of the fast wifi and coffee bar. But as the sun goes down it’s the ideal spot for working your way through those bird-themed cocktails.

The Bird

What to do in Bath

The clue’s in the name: this city has long been regarded as a restful spa destination, thanks to the ancient thermal Roman Baths there. You can tour the original historic bath site, but if you want to actually take a dip, book a slot at Thermae Bath Spa. Its crown jewel is a rooftop pool, naturally warmed with mineral-rich waters and open to the sky. Whether you go in the morning or at sunset, you can relax and take in sprawling city views, through steam rising from the bubbling jets. Inside, there’s an even larger thermal bath, plus a wellness suite with infrared rooms, an ice chamber, and aromatherapy. This venue is adults-only (16 and up), so you can enjoy your soothing soak in peace.

Thermae Bath Spa

For booktok lovers, 2025 marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, the famed author who gave us Pride and Prejudice, among other English lit classics. You’re invited to the festivities, at the Jane Austen Festival, 12- 21st September. Expect a schedule of grand masked balls, musicals, fashion lectures, and period costume promenades during the festival, though events marking the 250th anniversary will take place all year, all over the city. The Bird hotel put together a 90 minute audio tour of key Jane Austen locations you can explore by foot; Click here to download the map and audio. Or if Bridgerton is more your speed, you can take walking tours of key Bath filming locations from the hit Netflix show.

Bath is a history buff’s paradise: the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you can spend hours wandering through the streets of sandy-coloured Georgian architecture. For your culture fix, take in impressive sites like Bath Abbey church, the Royal Crescent, or the multiple museums and galleries on offer. Enjoy a live show at Theatre Royal Bath, one of the oldest theatres in the country, or catch a music gig, cabaret show, or a comedy set at Komedia Bath.

Roman Baths balcony with Bath Abbey in the background

Where to eat and drink in Bath

For starters, afternoon tea is a whole *thing* in Bath, with teas on offer for every vibe and budget. For an elegant (splurge-worthy) experience, book Searcy’s at The Pump Room. Previous patrons include Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and you’ll sip champagne in an elevated traditional setting – exactly like you’re on the set of Bridgerton. If you’re after something more casual to enjoy with friends or your younger niece, visit Sweet Little Things in the middle of town. Enjoy your cucumber sandwiches, fizz, and cakes in an all-pink, flower-covered upstairs room, complete with a requisite pink neon sign.

Afternoon tea at Sweet Little Things in Bath

For casual dining, Green Park Brasserie is a popular independent restaurant built into an 1800s railway station, with free live music 4 nights a week. They specialise in steak and burgers from local farms, and be sure to book, because the two terraces fill up quickly. Next door is sister restaurant Bath Pizza Co, serving up wood-fired pizza on beer hall style shared picnic tables. For something quieter and more romantic, book a table for 2 at Sotto Sotto, a tiny candlelit Italian built into a historic cellar made from Bath stone. And you may recognise The Botanist as the restaurant from the recent series of Channel 4’s First Dates. Go for the tree growing out of the bar in the atrium, stay for the cocktails and the atmosphere.

Continuing with more tipples…for award-winning cocktails and candlelit vibes, visit The Dark Horse. Or try The Hideout, a small and cosy spot with craft cocktails, draught beers, and over 150 whiskeys. Opium is a quirky cocktail spot too, built into the arches and complete with taxidermy hung on the walls and a scattering of oddball artwork. For pubs, you’re spoilt for choice but people love The George Inn, The Raven, The Bell Inn, Volunteer Rifleman Arms, The Packhorse, and The Salamander.

How to get to Bath

Ready for your getaway? Book ‘The Long Weekender’ tickets to save with Great Western Railway, starting from £49.

Book Tickets

 Maddy Alford is the Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan UK and Women’s Health UK, covering fashion content online and in print. Maddy specialises in shopping galleries and first-person reviews of the best fashion buys, from jeans and jewellery to wedding dresses, gymwear, and winter coats. She also writes op-eds on on pop culture, viral fashion moments, travel journalism, fitness, and the LGBTQ+ community’s relationship with style. Maddy is also a fashion stylist who has worked on over 100 photoshoots at Hearst, including those starring Raye, Niall Horan, and Lena Dunham. Previously, she has worked in fashion PR and e-commerce, including stints at ELLE US and UK, Net-a-Porter, InStyle, and Time Out New York. Maddy has ten years of experience in the fashion industry in both London and New York City, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She is passionate about second-hand shopping, inclusive fashion, running on Regent’s Canal, and finding London’s cosiest pubs.