This festive season, The Pig is mostly…
CHILLING out with a cocktail (or two) at the Broad Street Townhouse: a super-seductive, super-civilised bolthole offering an overall vibe of refined bonhomie that wraps you up in the atmospherical equivalent of a cashmere shrug (www.broadstreettownhouse.co.uk)
MAKING time to indulge in a contempo-elegant afternoon tea served in The Grapes (Westgate Street) stunning Jacobean upper-level dining room to the accompaniment of a live Swing band. The unique afternoon events are hosted by Bath’s very own Secret Tea Party fairies over two sittings a day on selected dates between Thursday 28 November-Thursday 12 December – pinkies at the ready! (www.thegrapesbath.co.uk)
URGING Piggies in search of a unique New Year’s Eve experience to make a booking at tantalising Turkish restaurant and bar Cappadocia (Newmarket Row) where £35pp get you a 3-course Turkish feast, a glass of Prosecco… and exotic entertainment courtesy of a belly dancer while you dine! (www.capparestaurant.co.uk)
HUGELY impressed by the multiple festive cheer opportunities on offer at The Abbey Hotel (North Parade), where the pop-up Ski Bar, Christmas Party options at The Escape, exceedingly merry cocktails at the ArtBar, treatsome afternoon teas and elegantly celebratory menus (including very special Christmas Day/New Year’s Eve feasts) at Koffmann and Mr White’s restaurant combine to create a one-stop Christmas shop for all (www.abbeyhotelbath.co.uk/christmas-new-year-2019/)
GIFTING good friends with (and treating ourselves to!) a Freshford Food Co Seasonal Festive Box, which brings locally sourced and/or hand-crafted charcuterie, game terrine, mushroom parfait, festive pork pies, pretzels, melba toast, apple and chipotle Jelly and a massive 1kg Christmas cake direct to your doorstep for £65… and lightens Santa’s workload in fine style (www.freshfordfoodco.com)
FLOCKING along to the ultimate party zone that is the Christmas Tavern pop-up at The Bird (Pulteney Road) where snow-capped mountain scenes, tree-lined walkways, a cosy fireplace, opulent decorations and twinkling fairy lights at the heart of the log cabin-style venue offer a cosy-but-chic Christmas vibe… and there’s no shortage of Christmas cheer on the food/bar menu either! (www.thebirdbath.co.uk/the-christmas-tavern/)
CASHING in on the fabulous Festive Lunch experience at the glamorous Dan Moon at the Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel restaurant on any day of the week between now and Christmas Eve, where a 2-for-1 deal gives two diners the opportunity to indulge for just £20 each… and enjoy mulled wine on arrival to kickstart proceedings in fine style. If that’s not a very big deal indeed, we don’t know what is! (www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk)
PUTTING our feet up, giving the kitchen a break and tucking into a takeaway from The Oyster Shell (Moorland Road) where comforters such as home-cooked beef stew and dumplings, faggots with onion gravy and the sublime bubble and squeak Scotch Egg snuggle up alongside classic fish supper faves (www.theoystershell.co.uk)
PLANNING on avoiding the Boxing Day slump by heading over to The Chequers (Rivers Street) where a special Boxing Day brunch/comforting lunch brings spirit-lifting delights from Full English Breakfast to Fish Pie by way of Eggs Benedict, Florentine and Royale and the classic Chequers Burger to the table between 10am-4pm (www.thechequersbath.com)
SPREADING the lurve! While you’re out and about having all that fun, please remember those for whom party season just doesn’t exist at all. Join The Pig Guide in supporting the Bath Foodbank (www.bath.foodbank.org.uk), the Genesis Trust (www.genesistrust.org.uk), Julian House (julianhouse.org.uk), Bath Food Cycle (foodcycle.org.uk) and the StreetSmart initiative (www.streetsmart.org.uk/bath/) over the festive season.
Cheers, Piggies!
For more news, views and food-related chat, visit The Pig Guide at www.thepigguide.com and follow The Pig on Twitter @ThePigGuide.
