Best Restaurants near Royal Crescent Bath 2026
Georgian grandeur meets independent dining
Updated weekly
About Crescent
Bath's western side is defined by its Georgian architecture - the Royal Crescent, The Circus, and the elegant crescents and squares that make Bath a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was 18th-century Britain's most fashionable address, and the dining scene retains that sense of occasion.
Kingsmead, tucked between Queen Square and the river, has quietly become Bath's independent restaurant hub. Away from the tourist trails around the Abbey, it's where ambitious chefs - many who relocated from London post-2020 - have opened the kind of neighbourhood restaurants that reward repeat visits.
Milsom Street and the Upper Town add smart-casual dining to the mix. Pre-theatre menus serve the Theatre Royal crowd, wine bars cater to the shopping set, and side-street restaurants offer some of Bath's most refined cooking.
The London Effect
Post-2020, Bath saw an influx of ex-Londoners seeking a better quality of life without sacrificing metropolitan dining standards. Many brought restaurant industry experience. Kingsmead in particular has benefited - its cluster of independents feels like a curated neighbourhood restaurant scene, not a tourist trap.
Heritage Dining
Bath has attracted notable residents for centuries - from Jane Austen to modern-day media figures drawn by the Georgian architecture and Bristol proximity. The Crescent-side restaurants cater to this crowd: understated quality over flashy branding.
How to Get There
From Bath Spa station:
- Walking:15 mins uphill to Royal Crescent, 5 mins to Kingsmead
- Bus:City Sightseeing or local buses from station
- Train:Bath Spa - 90 mins from London Paddington, 15 mins from Bristol
First Bus Ticket Info
Single bus fare cap. Most of Bath is walkable - the Crescent zone is a 15-minute walk from the station.
Local tip: Walk up through Queen Square to The Circus and Royal Crescent for the full Georgian experience. Stop in Kingsmead on the way for lunch - it's the sweet spot between station and Crescent.
Crescent Venue Map
The Crescent Hot List
Week of 22 February 2026
This Week
Welcome back to the Crescent Hot List, where we count down the very best places to eat and drink right here in Bath! And this week, taking the coveted number one spot, it's Olé Tapas! They're sizzling their way to the top spot, up a massive eight places! What a climb!
But the action doesn't stop there! Charm Thai Restaurant is cooking up a storm, rocketing six places to a brand new peak at number two! And Giggling Squid - Bath are laughing all the way to number three, a massive leap of fourteen places - this week's highest climber! Talk about a splash! The Circus Restaurant also puts on a show, climbing six places to a new peak at number five. And Pintxo de Bath are right behind them, scaling ten places to hit number nine! Menu Gordon Jones is also hitting new heights, up six to number ten!
And let's give a warm Crescent welcome to La Terra, making a spectacular debut, straight in at number twelve! What an entrance!
Will Olé Tapas hold on to the top spot next week? Will we see even more new entries? Tune in next week to find out, right here on donde-onde-where.com!
Fresh Arrivals
1
new entry this week
Rankings updated weekly based on composite scoring methodology · Only positive movements shown — every venue here is winning
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Crescent FAQs
This is donde-onde-where's editorial grouping of Bath's western and upper town. It includes the Royal Crescent & The Circus (Georgian architectural icons), Kingsmead (Bath's independent dining hub), Milsom Street & Upper Town (upmarket shopping street restaurants), and the Queen Square area near Theatre Royal.
Yes. The streets around the Royal Crescent and The Circus have several quality independents. But the real concentration is in Kingsmead, a 5-minute walk south, where a cluster of ambitious restaurants has emerged - many run by chefs who relocated from London.
It's the slightly more upscale side of Bath. Expect £18-35 for mains at the better restaurants, £12-18 for lunch menus. Kingsmead has more accessible options than Milsom Street. Several restaurants offer excellent value pre-theatre menus for the Theatre Royal crowd.
Kingsmead is the area between Queen Square and the river, centred on Kingsmead Square. Over the past few years it's become Bath's independent dining hub - a tight cluster of quality restaurants away from the tourist trail. Think of it as Bath's answer to Bristol's Wapping Wharf.
Milsom Street itself is primarily a shopping street, but the side streets and lanes off it have some of Bath's best restaurants. The area attracts a well-heeled crowd and the restaurants reflect this - smart casual, wine-focused, with seasonal menus.
Still have questions? The best answers come from locals at the venue.
Rankings recalculated weekly from live Google review data. Our Hot Score weighs review velocity, recency, rating trend, and baseline rating — no editorial picks, no paid placements. We prioritise independent venues offering distinctive experiences in Bath's Georgian quarter.