Hare & Hounds, Lansdown, Bath

Much as described by Blackthorn, below, though the marquee is not there anymore.  It’s owned by The Bath Pub Company, which also runs the Marlborough, Moorfields and The Locksbridge. The views are spectacular, both from the terraced garden and the huge picture window in the bar.  We were greeted by a functional receptionist who also took our drinks order as going to the bar is discouraged and there is no standing drinking.  The drinks were then delivered by another young staff member who was cheerful enough but didn’t really know anything about beer.  It gets very busy at weekends so it’s advisable to book a table, even if all you want is a drink, otherwise the chances are you won’t be allowed to sit inside; indeed they were turning people away and we were lucky to get in.  Ales on were Bath Gem and Butcombe Original, both in excellent condition but somewhat overpriced.  Also available were Simmonds Cider and Young’s Stout on keg, plus Peroni, Heineken and Amstel. A range of barista coffees and teas were on offer.  It’s a beautiful building in a nice setting but it didn’t really tick any of the pub boxes for me apart from the beer.

An imposing stone built pub that looks as though it may perhaps have been a school in a former life, there are fantastic views across the valley towards Batheaston and the hills of Wiltshire beyond. The pub makes the most of this by providing plenty of picnic benches on the lawned garden as well as an outside bar and barbeque in a marquee and a good selection of tables and chairs on the terrace. It’s a bit of a shame that this faces east and so completely loses the evening sun, but it’s still a very pleasant spot. The downside was that there were perhaps one or too many kids running around for my liking, particularly when they’re kicking a football around. This was surprising as it doesn’t strike me as a pub that aims to attract children, so it may of course just been a one off when we visited. It’s very much in the “gastro” category these days, and is, I believe, run by the same team behind the Malborough Tavern and Chequers. Inside it has a fairly traditional appearance with old wooden boards on the floor, a mixture of cream and blue/grey paintwork on the walls and a cream panelled ceiling. There are full height leaded windows all along the back wall to make the most of the views even if you’re sat inside. There was an old fire-place at the rear and a conservatory off to one side. This had massive black flagstones on the floor and exposed stone wall and doubles up as the restaurant, although there were also several tables reserved in the main bar. Some wildlife artwork was for sale on the walls, appropriately enough of a hare and a hound, and these were priced in the £280 - £300 range. It looks as though there may also have been a lounge bar at the front, although we did not investigate this. As previously mentioned, food is in the gastro-pub category, although the menu was split in to two with one section on pub classics and this included options such as Haddock & Chips, a burger or steak. These were mostly in the £10 - £12 price bracket, whilst the more adventurous main courses from the other section were in the £15 - £20 range. I chose from here and had a tasting of Dorset pork with sage confit potato, caramelised apple and a smoked paprika sauce. All in all it was a pretty decent dish, and I would happily return to try something else. Beers on tap were their own Hare & Hounds ale along within St. Austell’s Tribute. The solitary cider was Symonds Founders Reserve.

Official site of The Hare & Hounds with menus - www.hareandhoundsbath.com