The Mint Room, Bath

Have you been watching MasterChef 2023? I have – and I’m all too aware that I’m watching it all too often as I have, apparently, started to channel MC judge John Torode, even if I’m eating eggs on toast, at home: “the whites are just set, the yolks are creamy, but everything is over-seasoned; if you’re using salted butter on the toast, you really shouldn’t need any more salt…” etc, etc, from breakfast to suppertime (“I can’t eat this chicken; the skin is lovely and crispy, but it’s still a little bit pink when you get closer to the bone…”). Not for the first time, I’m aware of becoming Very Annoying To Live With – so I’m deliberately dialling it down.

But when we go for dinner at The Mint Room, the channeling begins again and all of the Big Foodies, from John Torode to Rick Stein by way of James Martin and Grace Dent (but, thankfully, not Gregg Wallace), are commenting on the food: Torode can’t fault the seasoning; Stein is stunned by the seafood; Martin is congratulating himself for gracing the restaurant with his presence; Dent is saying that everything is exactly what she wants to eat, right now… and overall, they’re all loving the experience as much as I am. And why wouldn’t they? This place is full of all manner of sparkling surprises – not least of all for those who might judge this fabulous recipe book of a restaurant by it’s cover alone.

Situated as it is at the heart of an urban axis defined by a Holiday Inn Express and a Sainsbury’s garage forecourt, The Mint Room doesn’t initially look very promising. All credit to the Bath branch head honchos, then (there’s another branch of The Mint Room in Bristol’s rather more ‘salubrious’ Clifton Village) for turning what’s ostensibly a breeze block box into a subtly glamorous, urbane experience, all twinkly lights, shimmering bling, sparkly flourishes and super, superb service. Offering yet another surprising twist, the restaurant’s charms are supplemented by a super-smart rooftop cocktail terrace specialising in Champagne/premium liqueur-based mix-up magic-in-a-glass and offering urban cityscape views that make you feel like you’re in uptown NY rather than downtown BA2.

The Mint Room’s menus, meanwhile, represent a wholly authentic celebration of the massive culinary and cultural diversity of the largest subcontinent in the world; if you don’t know where to start that journey, the Tour of India Tasting Menu (an absolute bargain at £45pp, or £70 with accompanying Wine Flight) skilfully navigates diners throughout the whole voyage. On our most recent visit, though, we opted to go à la carte, albeit taking a little bit of advice from Adrian on board (Adrian! A hospitality superstar if ever there was one).

And so it came to pass that we took to our plush booth table (I am never happier than when I’m seated at a table in a plush booth) where, following elegant nibbles of crispy little down-in-one Pani Poori puffballs and three variations of papadums ranked according to spice level (!) and accompanied by a trio of complementary pickles, we started our feast with Bahar-e-machli: two massive, juicy salmon fillets marinated with roasted peppers, onions, tomatoes and all manner of gently enlivening spices, served with a silky honey-mustard yoghurt. The mellow richness of the salmon proved to be a lovely contrast to a second starter of a rather more boldly-spiced, mustard seed-laden Kasundi Murgh Tikka, richly creamified (please say that’s a real word) by hung yoghurt. We’d definitely started on a high…

…and we were in no fear of coming back down to earth any time soon. Behold the complex yet comforting Seafood Moilee: a silky dream of a fish dish bringing prawns, salmon, scallops and sea bass together in perfect, coconut-creamy harmony, subtly tantalising, sumptuous, extravagant and sophisticated. But his Keralan Halibut made a big splash too, putting generous slippers of crispy-skinned, pearlescent halibut in the spotlight and giving them a coconut sauce of their own to bathe in, with fresh mango, just-the-right-amount of red chilli and citrussy curry leaves highlighting the spice-balance and attention to detail in every mouthful. We weren’t just having a good time; we were, quite simply, in good food nirvana. And with all that… rice: of course! Simply steamed, so as not to detract or distract from the tastebud-party. Breads: buttery Peshwari naan; flaky Tandoori Lachha Paratha. But dessert? After all that, absolutely NO way! Gregg Wallace: the dessert sharing platter for two is all yours, mate.

Competent, confident and audaciously inspirational, The Mint Room kitchen team are masters of the art of modern Indian cookery at its very, very best. Take that, John Torode! The Mint Room is very definitely through to the next round of the competition for Bath’s Best Restaurant, time and again.