My friend is heading down for a hen weekend and is staying around 20 minutes form Bath in an old farmhouse and is looking for a good restaurant in Bath and also maybe a few recommendations of good bars/pubs in the town. Any suggestions?

Pub – The Salamander, John Street (Behind Queen Sq)

Yep, The Salamander's good…as is The Raven. Stick to the little side streets..there are wonderful pubs to be found. Look for any pubs with a picture of a hare on the pumps – they'll likely be good. Bath itself, being very touristy, has a dearth of good restaurants…this is all IMO, and I'm sure there are a few somewhere, but I've yet to visit one I'd recommend. Whereabouts is your friend staying that's 20 minutes from Bath?

Whereabouts is your friend staying that's 20 minutes from Bath?

Pass, I'm afraid but can find out.

Thanks. Keep them coming!

the restaurant at hartham park near corsham is v nice and not too pricey

Well, if you're up at Corsham, you have to pop in to the Two Pigs!

The Pear Tree at Witley (also out of town a little) is a great place for beer and food. Very good food indeed.

Pass, I'm afraid but can find out.

Because, as CFH says, places like the Two Pigs in Corsham, are all twenty minutes from Bath…also plenty of places up the A46 towards Stroud. There's a multitude of pubs serving good beer and even better food just outside, but just inside, good food is bloody expensive.

I'll find out but don't reckon 14 30 something girls into real ale but now I wish i was going for a good bit of food and good beer.

Sounds like your friend could be staying at my friend Caron's hotel at Fosse Farmhouse at Nettleton. There are loads of good restaurants in Bath, Jamie Oliver's is excellent, according to friends, but you have to book well ahead. I'm trying to remember all the names of places I've eaten at in the city, but I'm struggling at the mo'.
Fishworks in Green Street is very good, and there's another excellent one not far away in Broad Street, just up from Rossiters, that I've enjoyed quality meals in a number of times. Van Morrison seemed to be enjoying it as well on one occasion that I was there with friends.

good call CFH, The Two Pigs is fab

The King William http://www.kingwilliampub.com/

A perfect beer list. Apart from the London Pride that is! Swill, Lighting, Brains and Tanglefoot! Lovely.

the northy is nice for food, on the way out of bath to corsham

yak yeti yak in Manvers street

Here is a link to the website she has booked it through.

It is in the Chew Valley, south west of Bath, in between Bath, Bristol and Wells.

Keep the suggestions coming 🙂

+1 for Yak Yeti Yak.

My sis lives in Bristol & we were down there last weekend, but decided to spend Fri night in Bath before getting to theirs on the Sat morning.

We booked a table at Yak Yeti Yak & it was excellent. It's Nepalese food and it's really nice. The Ghurka lager they do is great as well.

We went from there up the hill to The Huntsman for a couple of drinks and that was nice too.

I don't think you can book at Jamies Italian.

I've been a few times and always managed to get served however. The best trick is to turn up just before peak time and you can normally get seated within 20 minutes.

Sometimes you have to queue for a while, however they come out and hand round finger food to make the wait as painless as possible.

Oh and it is a great place to eat, and not at all expensive either – I'd recommend the chicken cooked under a brick!

The Salamander and the Raven for a hen do? Seriously guys!

There's a bit of a hidden gem of a bar under Pulteney Bridge called Opium, which the girls will love if you can find it – kind of bohemian, all the furniture and eclectic antiquey stuff in there is for sale and it smells of inscence. Good for cocktails and champagne early on in the night. Opium

Food wise – Jamie's Italian is great, you can book if you have a group of 8 or more, but you need to do it well in advance. Hudson's grill is good too, but fairly pricey. And another +1 for Yak Yeti Yak!

The Walrus and Carpenter is an excellent and fun place to eat, homely, lots of choice and a great atmosphere. Not posh, but the food is fully up to scratch and reasonable.

I'll give a plus 1 to the Raven too, that's a great pub.

+1 for the Walrus and Carpenter – only went there the once on a visit but it was great. Might need the whole basement for a group that size though.

any more ideas people…thanks so far