Green Park Brasserie
Green Park Station | ££–£££ PER PERSON | candlelit brasserie classics + live jazz
Straight out of a rom-com, Green Park Brasserie is set in a huge Victorian railway station, with arched ceilings, warm lighting, and a background buzz that makes everyone talk a bit louder (in a good way). By day, it’s more cafe-and-kitchen; by night, there’s a different energy: candles on tables, a busy bar, and live music. Expect sax-led trios, hot club jazz, and upbeat soul covers that are sure to get you ready to boogie. It’s not wild, but it is cosy with good music and great pizza.
Verdict: 10/10 for atmosphere — bring a friend who loves a soundtrack.
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Drinks value ★★★★☆
Hen-friendly ★★★★☆
Good to know: Walk-ins are very doable at the bar tables, and they’ve got two covered, heated terraces for overflow (or “we’re not ready to go inside yet” smokers-with-wine energy).
6 Green Park Station, Bath, BA1 1JB
Solina
Grand Parade | ££ PER PERSON | handmade pasta + cocktails on tap
For the pasta lovers, Solina is the one. Bright-but-warm, busy from the minute you walk in, and decor that wouldn’t look out of place in Architectural Digest. It’s a cool-girl spot in The Empire on Grand Parade, right by the river, with a gorgeous view while you fawn over the ragu. Pre-warning, there are no reservations (ever), so you join a live queue, and they’ll text you when your table’s ready, giving you 5 minutes to confirm and 10 minutes to arrive. The perfect opportunity to have a pre-dinner drink. It’s small, so avoid it if you are any larger than a group of eight.
Verdict: Pasta that tastes like someone’s been thinking about it all day.
Atmosphere ★★★★☆
Drinks value ★★★★☆
Hen-friendly ★★★☆☆
Good to know: Walk-ins only. If it’s busy, they’ll add you to the live queue and text when you’re up; you need to confirm quickly and get back fast.
The Empire, Grand Parade, Bath, Somerset, BA2 4DF
OPA Bath
North Parade | £49.99 PER PERSON | Greek mezze + plate smashing
OPA is exactly what you would expect for a traditional Greek tavern. Early evening, it’s a dim, drapey, candlelit Greek dinner in a vaulted cellar; later on, you’re dancing, you’re smashing plates, and you’re swinging a napkin above your head. 10/10, no notes. The room feels theatrical, the souvlaki is sublime, and you can really go mezze-heavy without too much thought. You’ll spot a veil (or four), and the staff will go above and beyond for celebrations.
Verdict: Start it as mezze, end it as a story. Proceed accordingly.
Atmosphere ★★★★☆
Drinks value ★★★★☆
Hen-friendly ★★★★☆
Good to know: They have a Bath hen package for £49.99, which includes champagne on arrival, the Greek dining experience, and a cocktail to finish. This can’t be booked online, so get in touch with them directly.
14 North Parade, Bath, BA2 4AJ
The Botanist
Milsom Place | ££–£££ PER PERSON | hanging kebabs + botanical cocktails
When you think of The Botanist chain, you think of beautiful, leafy interiors, and Bath’s outpost delivers exactly that and then some. You’re eating inside the Octagon Chapel, which is as grand as it sounds, but it feels far from stuffy. The location is used as the restaurant for First Dates, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s buzzy, bright, and feels relaxed from the get-go. They have a really great set menu for groups for just £26.50 for two courses, which makes it a go-to for Bath hen weekends that need some semblance of structure. Add in a big cocktail list (served with a bit of theatre), and live music every Friday and Saturday from 8 pm ‘til late, and you’ve got the perfect place.
Verdict: If you want Bath-at-night with maximum atmosphere per minute, this is it.
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Drinks value ★★★★☆
Hen-friendly ★★★★☆
Good to know: Happy Hour is weekdays 4–7 pm (prime for an early table that “accidentally” becomes late). Live music is on Fri/Sat evenings.
The Octagon, Milsom Place, Bath, BA1 1BZ
Cosy Club
SouthGate | ££–£££ PER PERSON | all-day classics + strong cocktails
You can never go wrong with a Cosy Club for a girls’ weekend, and Bath is no exception. Set inside Bath’s old Beau Nash Cinema, the decor is eclectic and gloriously OTT: jewel-toned velvet, gilded mirrors, hundreds of framed portraits, and an ambience that’s… well, cosy. You’ll find a mix of weekenders, after-work drinks, and the occasional tense first date, and the food is dependable brasserie comfort. With a good playlist, strong, fun cocktails, and a £26.50 two-course set menu, it’s a reliable option that ticks most boxes for a girls’ night.
Verdict: Go here when you need a safety-net dinner that still feels like a night out. 9/10, no notes (except: book peak times).
Atmosphere ★★★★☆
Drinks value ★★★★☆
Hen-friendly ★★★★☆
Good to know: Open 9 am–11 pm Sun–Wed and 9 am–12:30 am Thu–Sat; they’ll take bookings, but also welcome walk-ins if you chance it.
Unit R4, SouthGate Place, Bath, BA1 1AP
Emberwood
Queen Square | £74 PER PERSON | fire-led British brasserie + serious cocktails
Inside the newly revamped Francis Hotel, Emberwood is Bath’s splurge dinner. Low lighting, glittery chandeliers, and a live charcoal hearth that brings the room to life. The cooking is proudly local — coal-roasted scallops with garlic butter, plus a Côte de Bœuf that will ruin other steaks for you. If that’s not enough, a martini trolley rolls tableside (yes, really), with signature drinks devised by a mixology pro. Yes, she’s more expensive — and she’s not the one for loud, shouty tables — but for a celebration or milestone night, it’s bang on. And if you are going big, do it the way it’s meant to be done: the £74 four-course group tasting menu.
Verdict: Yes, she’s expensive, but for a dressed-up celebration dinner (especially on the tasting menu), she’s worth it.
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Drinks value ★★★☆☆
Hen-friendly ★★★★☆
Good to know: Card-only payments. If you want the full theatre, ask for seats where you can see the hearth.
No. 5 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HH
Sotto Sotto
North Parade | ££–£££ PER PERSON | candlelit Italian in a stone cellar
Sotto Sotto is a Bath classic for a reason. You drop down from street level, and suddenly you’re in a candlelit, vaulted Bath-stone cellar that feels like an Italian grotto (but make it polished). No DJ, no playlist doing the most — the atmosphere comes from that low, happy hum of conversation bouncing off the stone. The food is unfussy in the best way: great ingredients, proper pasta, and a pace that gently insists you stay for another glass. Also: the complimentary post-dinner shot is weirdly top tier. Call me easily pleased, but lychee + vodka + Blue Curaçao is a chaotic little finale that somehow works.
Verdict: Romantic lighting, reliable food, and the kind of place where everyone quietly agrees it was the right choice.
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Drinks value ★★★☆☆
Hen-friendly ★★★★☆
Good to know: They’re open Tuesday–Saturday, 12–2 pm and 5–10 pm (closed Sundays + Mondays). Booking is strongly recommended.
10 North Parade, Bath, BA2 4AL
Noya
St James’s Parade | ££ PER PERSON | Vietnamese pho + curry nights
Noya’s is the antidote to same-same chain dinners. It’s a small Georgian townhouse that feels like someone’s cooking for you — because she is. Noya preps everything daily: fresh herbs, punchy sauces, and broths that taste like they’ve been lovingly tended all day. The best way to do it is Supper Club: a five-course set menu revealed on the night, running Fridays 7–10 pm. It’s a different kind of “night out” — less sparkle, more flavour — and it’s forever booked, which tells you everything.
Verdict: If your group loves food and doesn’t need theatrics to have fun, build the night around this one.
Atmosphere ★★★★☆
Drinks value ★★★★☆
Hen-friendly ★★★☆☆
Good to know: It’s small — don’t wing it at peak. Supper Club dates vary, so check their booking page.
7 St James’s Parade, Bath, BA1 1UL
Walcot House
Walcot Street | ££–£££ PER PERSON | dinner upstairs + cocktails downstairs
Bath isn’t exactly known for its boozy nights, so you’re hard-pressed to find a dinner that can deliver it. Your best bet is Walcot House, the Bath hotspot that keeps shape-shifting. Set in an old bakery split over floors, during the day it’s coffee and cafe; by night, you’ve landed somewhere people actually go out in Bath. Start upstairs for dinner — lively room, fun energy, with a menu where everyone finds something. Then you pop downstairs, and suddenly you’re in Bread & Jam, their vaulted basement bar, with cocktails and DJs on until the early hours.
Verdict: This is the one for the group that wants to go out-out, because they’re open until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Drinks value ★★★★☆
Hen-friendly ★★★★☆
Good to know: It’s open late Friday & Saturday until 2 am, which is doing God’s work in Bath.
90B Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG
The Beckford Bottle Shop
Saville Row | ££–£££ PER PERSON | Michelin Bib-Gourmand small plates
Beckford Bottle Shop is dangerous in the best way: it’s part wine shop, part bistro, and designed for nights that start with one and end with three small plates, a new favourite grape, and someone leaving with a bottle. It’s got that relaxed wine-bar feel with cosy sofas and understated decor, but the food is far from it. You’ll find Michelin Bib-Gourmand-winning sharing plates, plus artisan cheese and charcuterie. It’s intimate, grown-up, and quietly buzzy.
Verdict: If your group loves wine, this is the one that makes everyone feel like a main character with taste.
Atmosphere ★★★★☆
Drinks value ★★★★★
Hen-friendly ★★★☆☆
Good to know: They don’t take reservations for the sofa/drinks space — walk in for that, book if you want a proper table.
