The Bath Brew House, Bath

A recent addition to the Bath pub scene having taken over the pub that was previously The Metropolitan, this is yet another pub that also houses a micro-brewery on site known as the James Street Brewery and the fermenting vessels were clearly visible behind a glass viewing window as you walk in through the front of the pub. To further emphasise the pub’s brewery credentials, a small jar of hops was on each table. It’s quite a long, single room bar, and quite narrow where it runs alongside the bar counter although it opens out at both the front and rear. The flooring is a dark parquet wood and there was also some wood panelling on the walls which contrasted with a somewhat industrial feel elsewhere such as cable trays on the ceiling and pillars with white tiling. To the right was a counter with some high chairs and there were a couple of Chesterfield arm chairs in the window at the front. To one side was an old stone fire-place and it looks like a real fire is in use on occasions. Above this was a plasma screen showing the football, although the volume was off. Opposite this was a table football game, but unfortunately on a recent visit it was surrounded by an extremely loud bunch of guys drinking from Steins whom everyone was gradually inching away from. Next to this was some wooden shelving that contained a selection of old books and various bric-a-brac such as old scales and miniature beer barrels. At the rear it opened out in to more of a restaurant area and there was also an open kitchen adjacent to this and a small beer garden. Upstairs was something described as a Tank Room which had a large projection screen covering one wall and was showing a rugby match. There is also a small bar counter here with a reduced range of drinks. We didn’t eat on this occasion, but the menu appeared to consist primarily of sharing platters, tapas and a selection of sandwiches with most of the main courses being in the £10 - £12 price range. There were also jars of picked eggs, nuts and suchlike behind the bar. Service was rather slow, but that may just have been unfortunate timing since every punter seemed to be paying by card when I was there. Beers on tap were RWB, Yeovil Stout, Blindman’s Icarus, Blood Beer, Kernel Table Beer, Arbor’s Saison Bouffant, Wild Beer’s Madness IPA, Kernel’s Table Beer plus their own Maximus and Emperor. Ciders were also well represented with Stowford Press and Symonds Founders Reserve plus Honey’s Midford served from a barrel behind the bar and a hot mulled option.

Official site of Bath Brewhouse - thebathbrewhouse.com