RootSpice, Argyle Street, Bath

A Japanese Izakaya and a modern French bistro. A supercool lounge experience and a superb steak house. An Italian trattoria, a traditional pub, a ‘boutique co-working space‘ – Argyle Street/Pulteney Bridge has quietly morphed into a distinctive modern Bath ‘quarter’ all of its own of late; heck, you could move from office to late-night partying via sunset cocktails and a superb supper here without ever having to cross the boundary into the city centre ‘proper’.

It would be easy, however, to inadvertently leave several Argyle Street experiences undiscovered on your Argyle Street Big Night Out as it’s not immediately apparent to the average flaneur that the doorways wedged between the more obvious shop and restaurant frontages on the south side of the street lead on to all manner of hidden gems twixt street level and weir-side itself. Blink as you’re strolling and you could miss, for example, the menu for RootSpice: an elegant contemporary Indian restaurant that secured a foothold on the Argyle Street scene just a short handful of weeks ago.

Despite the fact that we’re going (sorta) underground, RootSpice has an airy, brasserie-like feel about it, with elevated tables towards the rear of the restaurant next to pretty little windows that offer unique weir views and allow natural light to supplement the softly-lit main bar/dining room where scrubbed-up, historic stone walls bring a sense of history and heritage to the surroundings, polished brass and subtly lively artwork bring fresh, contemporary cheer, and plush velvet banquette/comfy chair seating add to the seductive warm welcome that prevails.

The set-up all acts as the perfect backdrop to chef Soyful Alom’s vibrant, meticulously-crafted menus that celebrate the rich culinary heritage of Indian sub-continent cuisine from the UK concept of the ‘traditional’ (masalas, jalfrezis, bhunas, et al) to lesser-spotted, imaginative spice route forays wrought from locally-sourced ingredients; I’ve rarely – if ever – spotted Chattinad-inspired venison dish on an Indian restaurant menu, nor a roast cabbage masala, nor a Devon duck breast in a Lucknowi sauce. Those dishes are all there waiting for us to try, which we will do at a near-future date. But on this visit, Soyful presented us with a feast that he chose for us.

Behold, the Kid Goat Shammi: neat, sweet, gamey patties delicately seasoned with cumin, nutmeg and ginger – a tasteful, tasty little opening act indeed. We had juicy lamb chops too, gnarly and chargrilled from the tandoor, quietly infused with lamb-friendly spices and served with chutney and yoghurt. But oh, the Chowk Tikka Chat! If you’ve ever wondered if the humble spud and the cheerful chickpea could be elevated to a rich, sumptuous, showstopping dish, addictively tamarind-laden and prettied up by pomegranate jewels, herein lies your answer.

For mains, Soyful presented us with a whole, grilled, filleted mackerel, the super-rich, distinctive essence of the fish offset by a vibrant tomato salsa and a delicate tandoori masala that made its presence felt without overwhelming. The Chicken Musslam was equally personality-laden too, but in a quieter, ‘grows on you’ kinda way: soft, moist slivers of chicken in a thick, creamy sauce more complex than a korma and much perkier than a pasanda. Both dishes worked together in convivial harmony, their contrasting characters resulting in a fabulous fusion of flavours.

You know how, when we talk about a Sunday lunch, we talk about ‘all the trimmings’ – and we all know how important they are to the main event? For me, in Indian restaurants, I think about those must-have extras – the rice, the breads, a side dish or two – in exactly the same way. At RootSpice, those trimmings most definitely hold their own: brazenly hot, fresh naan freckled with tantalising little air pockets of of charred dough; funky dhal; fluffy steamed rice… and creamy, treatsome Kulfi to round everything off at the finale.

Soyful’s RootSpice is a soulful haven of good taste indeed. The menus are intelligently, thoughtfully conceived, dishes are beautifully presented, service is lovely, prices are accessible and the overall vibe stylish, mellow and welcoming – the perfect addition, then, to Bath’s Argyle Street quarter.