Did you know that, if you put fresh spinach on a pizza base where you’d normally find tomato sauce, it brings a uniquely fresh, super-silky aspect to every bite? I had no idea! But the chefs in the kitchen at Bath Pizza Co know everything there is to know elevating pizza from prosaic to prodigious; little wonder, then, that their pizzas regularly scale the highest heights in the prestigious National Pizza Awards (the pizza-world equivalent of the Oscars), while many Bath pizza perfectionists rate them – against very stiff competition – as the best of the city’s pizza pack.
Up until very recently, the Bath Pizza Co played a vibrant supporting role in the heterogeneous life of its long-established big sister operation the Green Park Brasserie, popping up on the terrace towards the rear of the handsome former railway station site in 2016, the year before the Braz itself celebrated 25 years on the Bath food and drink scene. But part of the secret of GPB’s enduring popularity is that the venture as a whole never rests on its laurels, regularly moving with the times while still retaining all the original charms that made it so popular from the get-go – which is why, when I heard that GPB has undergone a rather transformative menu change, I felt a sense of optimistic excitement rather than any form of trepidation.
And so it came to pass that Bath Pizza Co and Green Park Brasserie menus have merged to become one and the same thing. Put ’em together and what have you got? A thoroughly tempting, tastefully dizzying array of plates in small or large format supplemented by, of course, those pizzas from the Margherita to the Marinara with specials, ‘make it your own’ and the white base variety (that I personally adore) grabbing our attention along the way.
There’s a lot to take in and a lot to consider, but the overall theme is consistent throughout: the harmonious selection is designed to put the diner in charge of how much they want to eat, spend and/or discover, in the ‘choose your mood’ environment that Green Park Brasserie established aeons ago.
Date night? There are plenty of cosy, candlelit tables-for-two within the contempo-historic former train station booking hall. Partying? Space is a flexible feast here – I recently had dinner at The Braz alongside a lively 21st birthday celebration and a gregarious brood of hens, and none of us impinged on the other. In the mood for a bit of live jazz/melodious funk/soul-soothing soul to make your dinner go with a swing? Book a table for any Wednesday-Saturday evening and the mellow grooves come as standard. And soon, you’ll be able to choose to chill out at GPB’s brand new ‘secret’ bar and kitchen (the aptly-named ‘Upstairs’) that offers a sophisticated speakeasy vibe and yet more of that mellow merrymaking appeal that the Braz excels at.
But on an end-of-summer night just before the leaves gave up their grasp on the trees altogether and there was still a hint of warmth on the soft breeze, we stayed put at the heated terrace table under the porte-cochere to the front of the building where we’d landed for pre-dinner cocktails (cocktails here, by the way, are a must that mustn’t be overlooked, especially during Happy Hour), amazed at how quickly the rush hour traffic gives way to a calm, unobtrusive trickle and enjoying the people-watching experience from our groovy little urban oasis.
We ate Cod Cheek “Scampi”: moist, chunky jewels of the freshest, fattest cod cheeks in perfectly crispy batter drizzled with a caper and lemon dressing and served with an exceedingly moreish tartare sauce; if you upgrade your portion from small (£9.50) to large plate (£14.50) and order a portion of fries to go with it, you’ll soon be waxing lyrical about how you’ve ‘discovered’ a whole new version of the best fish and chips in Bath. We had the small plate version of grilled chicken skewers too, all properly gnarly-chargrilled on the outside and super-soft within, accompanied by a masala-spicy/minty yoghurt, a sweet/tangy mango chutney and a mixed pepper salad. And oh, the Calamari! A starter/small plate tradition for me every time I visit the Braz that I’ve re-ordered multiple times for very good reason; ’nuff said?
I wanted to try the Hot Honey Buffalo Wings, while the roar of “come and get me” from both Garlic Bread corner (the Maple Leaf? The G.O.A.T? Bring ’em on!) and the Sexy Fries was almost unbearable. But the pizzas won the battle for our attention, which is how I know that fresh spinach on a white base (the Pizza Special on the evening we visited) creates a magnificent, magical melange. We went White for our second pizza too: the Truffle and Goats’ Cheese, which comes fully laden with roasted mushrooms, mozzarella and – the star of the show – an abundance of uniquely pungent white truffle oil which we supplemented with yet more intensely complex fungi fabulousness courtesy of a little pot of truffle-infused dip to smother our crusts in. See why I resisted the temptations of wings, fries and garlic bread too? Except my resistance wasn’t only based on a fear of over-indulgence; I simply wanted a good excuse to return.
But then again, nobody needs ‘a good excuse’ to return to the Green Park Brasserie. After 30+ years of flying the flag for the independent food and drink scene in Bath, this lively, welcoming, versatile business knows how to make – and keep – people happy in all the best possible ways, the new menu being just one (albeit vital) cog in a well-oiled wheel that always, always keeps the good times rolling.
The Prandial Playground, Bath and Beyond... 
