se7en, George Street, Bath

Friday evening, and Bath’s George Street “strip” is buzzing. The pleasure-seekers are out to play in force. Uber drivers, reluctant to stray too far from the peak fare action, are idling on every available kerb, and girls in too-high heels are doing a grand job of pretending to ignore the boys in too-tight jeans. And in the midst of all the big bar/little bar action, the fast-fix/linger-long food refuelling pitstops and the general brouhaha, there sits se7en.  

se7en is cool in a way that feels more downtown NoHo than uptown Bath. Beyond the chilled-out pavement terrace, there’s an instantly seductive bar with lighting bright enough to lift patrons out of a demi monde deadzone but soft enough to flatter. The aural backdrop is an elegantly modish mix of chilled-out toons; the artwork on the walls stylishly sassy. 

Jewel-coloured velvet armchairs and banquettes invite you to allow yourself time to peruse the very grown-up cocktail menu or a wine list that focuses on the best examples of tried-and-trusted classics and fascinating discoveries, while a range of upmarket beers maintain an uptempo pace for bar flies. And if all that’s not enough to capture your attention from the get-go, a tantalising strip-lit corridor leads to an understatedly chic dining room that looks straight into an exciting open kitchen, beyond which there’s another urban merrymaking zone outback. 

Dropping food into such an artfully vivacious yet serene environment could, in less competent hands than the proprietors at the helm here, bring the whole affair tumbling down; too many complicated menu options and the stress factor starts to kick the X-factor to the kerb; too few, and punters move along too quickly in search of solid satiation. 

But Kieran (the man with the cocktail bar plan) and Miles (the chef behind the menus) are clearly masters of the art of the currently on-trend mantra “we’ve got this”. They’ve ignited the flames beneath a live indoor charcoal grill/barbecue and complemented a selection of magnificent meats with a range of small plates packed with big promises: seared fresh fish, lively slaws, vegetables fresh from the season’s allotment catwalk. There’s whipped ricotta over here; fennel, cucumber and wasabi over there, and even a mac + cheese that you just know will arrive at your table elevated to something far removed from nursery food in the ‘Crispy’ section. Quietly, subtly and without grand fanfare, there really is something for all tastes and appetites here.

You could, for example, sit at the bar and accompany your Patience 15 cocktail (from a unique range of muddle-ups based on the Seven Deadly Sins) with a plate of Pork Puffs. Or maybe you’d care to opt for a dish of tiger prawns to make your glass of fizz feel less lonely? Perhaps, though, you’re in the mood to sit (comfortably) tight and hole up for an evening of haute excess — and okay, you know which direction we headed in.

If Miles isn’t in the Do Not Disturb chef-zone in the heat and intensity beyond the pass, catch his eye and ask him to double-up as a tour guide for your journey. He’s friendly, approachable, and as enthusiastic about his menus as his menus led me to believe he would be. He’s fluent in the language of good taste, and confident his dishes will captivate — and my goodness, his dishes captivate. 

Beef Tartare: a neat tumble of glistening, tender beef, the supporting cast of creamy egg yolk, truffle mayo, briny pickles and sharp pecorino all doing their supporting cast thing in rich, punchy, deeply umami harmony. A second dish of lesser-spotted gurnard in all its sweet, delicate, super-fresh glory, meanwhile, balanced the intensity of the tartare, the lively kick and tease of pickled ginger uplifting the senses with verve and sparkle. 

And then…

All hail the arrival of the showstopping sharer that is the Tomahawk steak: massive, buttery, intensely flavoursome; robust, smoky, powerfully characterful — cor! We drenched ours in kickin’ Cowboy Butters and vibrant Chimichurri and snaffled perfect fries on the side. We picked our way through a beetroot and butternut squash duo too, the earthiness of the roots luxuriated by whipped ricotta. But oh, Miles’ wild garlic gnocchi! Puffy pillows of bliss, featherlight but satisfyingly bitey and basking in the uniquely aromatic aura of the most heavenly “blink and you’ll miss it” taste of British springtime. By the time you read this review, this dish might have disappeared from Miles’ menu… but it’ll remain deeply embedded in my foodie memory bank for a very long time to come.

Fortunately, se7en isn’t as transitory as many of Miles’ super-seasonal ingredients are. It may have only opened its doors around a year ago, but it already feels mature, confident and established enough to be a dynamic, vital key player in Bath’s independent restaurant and bar scene… and cool in a way that only a place that isn’t trying desperately hard to be cool can be.