Melissa

The Griffin Inn, Monmouth Street, Bath

The Griffin Inn – the smart little hostelry on the Monmouth Street/Princes Street axis with a history that dates back to 1730 – is thriving again… and I know for sure that I’m not the only Bathonian to say cheers to that! In recent years, history hasn’t been kind to this mellow oasis of cityContinue reading “The Griffin Inn, Monmouth Street, Bath”

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; ifContinue reading “The Mint Room, Bath”

The Marlborough Tavern, Bath

I’ve lived in Bath long enough to remember the bad old days when The Marlborough Tavern was a rather tatty, unloved boozer, most definitely not in-keeping with its lovely location just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Royal Crescent, directly opposite the green lushery of the Royal Victoria Park golf/footgolf meadows. I’veContinue reading “The Marlborough Tavern, Bath”

The Architect, Orange Grove, Bath

If you’re a fan of grand designs, The Architect – formerly (and for way too long) a rather unloved branch of the rather unloved British casual dining chain Garfunkel’s, that dominated the ground floor of the former Empire Hotel in Orange Grove – has got it all going on. If the approach – a massive,Continue reading “The Architect, Orange Grove, Bath”

PLATE at The Bird Hotel, Bath

Plush crushed velvet; juicy pulled pork bonbons; friendly faces. Cool contemporiana; cosy nooks and crannies; coffee salted caramel. An alfresco terrace offering splendid cityscape views; sticky jus; a sparkly bar specialising in sparkly cocktails: gosh, there’s so much going on PLATE – the deliciously quirky, super-stylish, flamboyant yet still somehow distinctly down-to-earth restaurant on theContinue reading “PLATE at The Bird Hotel, Bath”

Bandook Kitchen, Milsom Place, Bath

Milsom Place – the heart of Bath’s ‘Milsom Street Quarter’, don’cha know, and currently at the heart of a major B&NES remake/remodel/refurb discussion too – could be described as the Bath equivalent of, say, London’s Covent Garden, or Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter, or Edinburgh’s Stockbridge: an ancient-meets-modern urban sanctuary (in Bath’s case, based around a historicContinue reading “Bandook Kitchen, Milsom Place, Bath”

Pieminister, Westgate Street, Bath

I don’t really trust people who says they don’t like pies. Okay, fair enough, if they’re referring to potato- or meringue-topped versions, or latticed pies, or flaky, lid-only aberrations that, to me, are pies in name only, I get their point – there’s a fair debate to be had here. But real, proper, actual piesContinue reading “Pieminister, Westgate Street, Bath”

Review: Tandoori Garden, Keynsham

And so it came to pass that we ended up in Keynsham. Not, you understand, “ended up” as in that “end of the line”/”what the hell are we doing here?” kinda way; more, just, well, we were meandering back from an early evening tour of various branches of Lidl (long story), and we were suddenlyContinue reading “Review: Tandoori Garden, Keynsham”

The Scallop Shell: “super-fresh, super-accessible dishes focus on the sheer joy of well-priced, cleanly presented, responsibly sourced fish and seafood… and no catches.”

It’s a typical Tweet: ‘The grilled seafood plate to share has been flying out! Skate wing, sea bass, gurnard, mussels, scallops, white prawns, day boat squid, courgette salad, salsa verde and fresh cut chips… come and get it!’ And suddenly, you’re transported to a seafood shack on the Dorset coast, or one of those high-endContinue reading “The Scallop Shell: “super-fresh, super-accessible dishes focus on the sheer joy of well-priced, cleanly presented, responsibly sourced fish and seafood… and no catches.””

Hello, and welcome to my very first post for The Prandial Playground, the former Pig Guide’s brand new home.

Yes, it’s been a long time coming! And yes, it’s still very much a work in progress, so there’ll be lots of tweaking to digest as the days, weeks and months roll along. But I firmly uphold the opinion that diamonds in the rough have much more value than even the most highly-polished fakes… soContinue reading “Hello, and welcome to my very first post for The Prandial Playground, the former Pig Guide’s brand new home.”