Browns Bath, Bath

As described by Blackthorn, below, the building is impressive and it’s nicely decorated. The staff were pleasant but functional, and there was a nice atmosphere. A grand piano was in the restaurant, but it appeared to be for decoration rather than any performance. We did indeed pop in for a drink, but predictably there was no real ale or cider on offer, so we settled for wine which was expensive for the quality it offered. It’s a lot nicer than some other instantiations of this chain, but it’s still not a real pub.

A large and impressive looking venue just around the corner from Pultney Bridge, it also offers views over the abbey from it’s high arched windows. It is however much more of a restaurant with bar than your traditional pub, and it’s unlikely that many people would just pop in for a pint. It’s set over two floors, each with high ceilings and a pale wood strip floor. Some of the upper floor is balcony style with views over the lower level. In some ways it has something of a colonial feel with tall pot plants in the corners and fans on the ceiling. A fire-place with a pile of logs was off to one side, although I suspect this was decorative rather than functional. Staff seemed friendly and helpful. The menu offered various dishes divided in to sections such as classics, pasta/salad and burgers, with most of the main courses in the £10 - £14 price range. A starter of baked camembert with a rhubarb and tomato chutney was very tasty, although if I were being critical I’d say it was perhaps slightly over-baked and the rhubarb was a little too sharp. A crab and king prawn linguine with a lime chilli and a coriander pesto was a decent enough dish and quite tasty, although it was perhaps a little light on the prawns. Whether it was really worth £12.25 I’m not sure, but then crab is not a cheap ingredient so I’ve no real complaints. Unfortunately there were no ales on tap, real or otherwise. I’m starting to think that this is perhaps the norm in Brown’s outlets, as although there Bristol branch has several to choose from, that’s the second one I’ve been in now that doesn’t have any. The solitary draught cider was Aspall’s Suffolk. Wine prices seemed steep with the menu only showed the price for a 175ml glass, and some of these were £9 or more. When ordering you were asked if you wanted regular or large, with no indication of the price of a large glass. Food wise I quite liked this, but it’s unlikely to be a destination of choice for the pub aficionado.