ST201902

What we ate

The smart, inviting restaurant

continues the theme of eight with

t he sa me number of dishes on t he

menu, including a smoked quinoa

salad (pictured). Each is between

starter and main course in size (the

idea being you choose two or three).

Following the advice of Adrian, the

charming, helpful front-of-house,

we chose four dishes, which, with

recommended wines by the glass,

were ample for two (we shared a

pudding). A delicate ravioli of

roasted field mushrooms and

mascarpone reminded me of pasta

you rarely find outside of Italy while

the slow-cooked short rib of beef

was a sophisticated melt-in-the-

mouth winter treat. In the cellar

bar, with its dark walls and dim

lighting, we sipped night caps in

the comforting knowledge that

bed was just a few (steep) steps away

up the winding stone staircase.

What we did
Wa k ing up to blue sk ies a nd f ull of
eggs Benedict, we donned trainers
and embarked on the Bath skyline
walk. The initial steep climb was
worth it for the stunning city views
and the Smallcombe Vale cemetery
h idden away in a va lley w it h t wo
redundant chapels (pictured, above
right). We exchanged rosy-cheeked
hellos with local dog walkers who
pointed us in the direction of rolling

The best thing

Feeling like we were jumping

between past and present in our

gem of a hotel in an incredible

historic building and city while

enjoying top-notch modern

European food and excellent shops.

Andmakingthemostofthegreat

location where countryside meets

city,andit’sperfectlypossibleto

enjoy both in just a couple of days.

Somehow, the long British winter

seems a lot more bearable now.

We also liked

Walking along the canal enjoying

the sounds, sights and smells from

the houseboats and peering into the

gardens of the fine Georgian houses

that back onto the water. Making a

lucky escape from the rain into the

Fashion Museum with its collection

of100objectsfromthehistoryof

fashion, before dashing to the

Beckford Bottle Shop across the

road for an indulgent glass of

champagneinabeautifulcutglass

flute. Getting up early and being

amongthefirstofthedayatthe

Thermae Bath Spa where we bathed

outdoors in the naturally warm

water gazing over the city’s rooftops

Rooms at Eight in Bath cost £155

for a superior double and

breakfast; eightinbath.co.uk

landscapes of National Trust’s Prior

Park Garden. By the lake there we

drank coffee, admired the Palladian

br idge (one of on ly four of t h is t y pe in

the world) and stately mansion house

built by Ralph Allen in the 1800s. For

somewhere so close to the city it was a

plea sa nt sur pr ise to f ind we had t he

Garden almost to ourselves.

Back dow n t he h ill into tow n we

pot tered a round some of t he ma ny

independent shops for clothing and

homeware and had a late lunch at

Koffman and Mr White’s (a recent

collaboration between Pierre Koffman

and Marco Pierre White) which

serves English and French bistro

classics such as French onion soup

and shepherd’s pie.

watching the rising steam merge

with the morning fog and

wandering between the various

heat and steam rooms.

ESCAPE (^) | A PLACE TO STAY