Feature: Cheap Eats in Bath

Bath can be a daunting place to find a quality meal for a diner on a budget.  When a fast food burger and fries combo can easily cost you over £5, it’s difficult to know where to spend to get the most for your money.

Not all restaurant meal deals are equal – you can get that scampi and chips for £3 at the corner pub, but if they seem to resemble reheated frozen food from Iceland, all you’ll be tasting is disappointment.  Luckily, food quality and taste don’t have to be sacrificed if you know where to look. With a little research and a willingness to be flexible on your meal times, there are plenty of places to eat out in Bath that will satisfy both your wallet and your appetite.

Here are five great options for good food that won’t break the bank:

1.            Tramshed Pub
The former converted tram shed is bright and colorful, with an alfresco dining patio fantastic for warm afternoons and summer evenings.  And for those on a budget there are a number of great options.  From 3-6PM they have two-for-one gourmet pizzas, £10 for the two.  The pizzas are filled with good quality toppings and are a decent sized portion.   Also there’s a fixed price menu, available midweek until 7PM, with one course for £7.95 or two courses for £10.95.  Again, lots of good options, everything from a salmon and caper fishcake starter to mains of pork cacciatore calzone. The pre-fixe menu changes weekly.  Great atmosphere and lots of space, it has larger tables for groups or smaller seating for more more intimate dining.

The Tramshed Pub, Beehive Yard, Bath, BA1 5BD, 01225-421200

2.            Hole in the Wall
An elegant restaurant with a roaring fire set in the former vaults of two Georgian townhouses, The Hole in the Wall’s £10 lunch and pre-theatre three course meal is a steal with style.  Served from every day from 12-3pm and 6-7pm, the pre-fixe menu includes a number of mouth watering options for each course such as a chicken liver parfait starter with toast and apricot and cinnamon chutney, mains of a roasted pork loin with mash and peppercorn  sauce and a dessert of buttermilk and and honey panacotta.  Decent sized portions made from quality food products with vegetarian options available.  Some menu items are considered “upgrades” for a small fee, but plenty of non-upgrade choices.

The Hole In The Wall Restaurant, 16 George Street, Bath, BA1 2EN, 01225-425242

3.            The Raven
A family owned and operated, award-winning free house, The Raven sits a block off the main shopping area of Milsom Street.   Pies are handmade exclusively for the Raven by Pieminster Pies using their own dark Raven Ale and local meat and vegetables  There are always at least nine pie options, with seasonal variations and vegetarian choices, and include the Raven Ale pie made with West Country beef, the Matador pie made with beef and chorizo, and Mr. Porky Pie with west Country pork, apples and cider.  At £8.80 for a generously portioned pie with mash or chips and gravy, it’s a filling bargain.

The Raven of Bath, 7 Queen Street, Bath, BA1 1HE, 01225 425045

4.            Sally Lunn’s
Housed in one of the oldest houses in Bath, Sally Lunn’s can seem like a potential tourist trap, but its quirky decor and the huge size of these traditional brioche-style buns makes it a filling respite for afternoon tea.  Menu items generally are offered with “half a bun” and sound deceptively small, but each bun is the size of a regular salad plate and, sliced in half lengthwise, almost 2 inches thick.  At £6.18, the Sally Lunn Cream Tea, with half a toasted and buttered bun, jam, clotted cream and a pot of house tea, only the heartiest of eaters will go away wanting.  Many savory sandwich options available as well in a similar price range.  Includes admittance to the small museum in the basement showcasing the original bread ovens.

Sally Lunn’s, 4 North Parade Passage  Bath, Bath, BA1 1NX, 01225-461634

5.            The Bath Sausage Shop

For a mere £3.90, the takeaway package sausage and mash from Bath’s Sausage Shop is a bargain in a box.   Each serving includes your selection of one of the featured gourmet sausages of the day over a sizeable helping of real potato mash and gravy.  Most sausages are additive-free; many are locally sourced and from free range products.

The Bath Sausage Shop, 7 Green Street, Bath, BA1 2JY, 01225-318300

Thanks to Kirstie Bingham for this feature.