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Detail Pages
The Architect, Bath
Bath
BA1 1LP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Architect
Ferociously upmarket and opulent hotel bar but, satisfyingly, welcomes the bang-average toper like me. Not your usual hotel bar ambience though, there are three posh, high-ceilinged rooms and a front-facing sun room (not a conservatory, darling!). To be fair it is all rather well done and pulls off the trad vs modern middle ground rather well. Behind the bar is a huge dining room. Six pumps at the jump with a scarcely credible four cask on - 2x Butcombe, Bath Gem and St Austell Tribute. A half of the latter set me back a less than expected £2.85 though it was a hazy, pedestrian output (NBSS 2). There's enough intrigue value here to warrant a visit. If someone could fully focus the cask offering and quality, they'd be a contender for top-tier in BA1. One top-tier they are already achieving is best pub toilets, an A1 set of traps. Just learned that it’s a Brunning & Price outlet – which might explain things. They certainly do have upmarket aspirations these days. 6.5
On 22nd August 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5125 recommendations about 5108 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Architect
Well described by Blackthorn, below, but I didn’t warm to the place the way he did. I did like the initial impression on entering, it felt grand and traditional, but this was marred by the supercilious attitude of the bar staff who made it very clear that I wasn’t worthy to be in there. Other customers were mainly older (and I’m in my 60s), and most appeared to be eating, while I was content just to have a beer. Just the one, as it was around 20% above the average price for the area. Ales on were St Austell’s B and P Traditional and Proper Job, Butcombe Gold and Bath Gem. Midford Cider was also on draft. Craft beers were Mixtape, Monterey and Goram IPA, plus there was a selection of megakeg lagers and ciders. Given the price and the lack of welcome I don’t think I’ll be rushing back.
On 15th November 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3293 recommendations about 3258 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Architect
A recent opening on the site of a former Garfunkel’s restaurant, this is still very much a food led establishment with a large, high-ceilinged dining room, but there is nonetheless a bar area with a surprisingly good selection of real ale for such an establishment, as well as a small terrace with views across to the abbey. It appears that no expense had been spared on the refurbishment and the whole place has a very elegant feel to it.
The entrance vestibule leads you in to a small lounge area with some seating off to the right, whilst the bar is beyond this to the left. Large arched windows let in plenty of light and the traditional wooden bat counter supports decent array of beer engines as well as keg fonts with a large selection of spirits on the shelves behind being bookended by wine racks. Beyond this is the dining room which is really quite enormous. Décor is broadly similar throughout with dark wood strip on the floor, a mixture of royal blue and pale green paint on the walls with painted wood panelling on the lower part, and all manner of pictures including old black and white photographs and old maps of the locale, portraits, old advertising prints for such random companies as Linton’s and Raleigh as well as Bath itself. Lighting was large chandeliers supplemented by ornate globe lamps and the whole feeling was of rather elegant splendour, which is perhaps appropriate given it’s location and history, having started it’s life as an upmarket hotel).
The menu offered a decent selection of dishes with options such as fish pie, sausage and mash, fish & chips, etc., as well as a few more adventurous options with most of the main courses coming in somewhere around the £16 mark. My smoked haddock and salmon fishcake with poached egg and heritage tomatoes was a decent and tasty dish, and I’d happily return to try something else.
Beers on tap were Bath Ales’ Red IPA and Gem, Proper Job, Butcombe Gold and Brunning & Price’s Traditional Bitter. Cider’s meanwhile were Honey’s Midford and Thatcher’s Gold. Overall, whilst this certainly isn’t the cosy, traditional style of pub that I usually go for, I quite liked it here with it’s refined ambience, decent food and friendly service and it’s good to see that they have made something of an effort with the drink selection too.
On 2nd August 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1953 recommendations about 1866 pubs]