Upstairs at Landrace
Bath, Somerset
Entry
Up above the ground-floor Landrace Bakery in the centre of Bath, a block away from the Avon, is a small eatery that is one of the city's treasured all-day resources. Its doors open at 9am for coffee and fresh bakes straight from the oven; take out if you haven't time to loiter. Lunch and dinner service are well worth the loitering, though, for the inspired (and often astonishing) contemporary bistro cooking on offer. The Cheddar curd fritters are a popular way of priming the appetite, or consider a plate of Cantabrian bonito with butterhead lettuce, radish and egg. There's more than a hint of English tapas about many of the options, even when it comes to the larger dishes, such as turbot with white beans, agretti and aïoli. Mutton gets too rare an outing on the British restaurant scene, but here it is, the roast leg with courgettes, Jersey Royals and salsa verde, providing succulent sustenance or perhaps forming the base for a meaty version of puttanesca sauce with mafalde pasta and pangrattato. 'It's the kind of place you could eat at all day, every day,' enthuses a reporter, who would clearly never tire of the changes the kitchen rings, right down to finishing touches such as apricot and almond cream puffs or Neal's Yard cheeses and chutney. Classic cocktails use plenty of vermouth, beers are organic and there are some freaky wines to add character to the occasion.
Dining Information:
Separate bar, Counter seating, Family friendly, Credit card required
61 Walcot Street, Bath, Somerset BA1 5BN
01225 424722
