Vegetarian restaurants can be dull places, very earnest and uninspiring. But this lovely little bistro is a total joy. It’s a very Bath sort of a place, in that cereal magazine kind of way. The interiors are understated but stylish and the owners have a very progressive of approaching things. Everything is organic and sourced from fields that haven’t been over-cultivated on farms that prioritise the health of the soil. But they don’t make a huge fuss about that; the whole thing is very relaxed and calm, with charming mismatched furniture and even a little booth for a more intimate meal.
We went at lunchtime for the ridiculously well-priced set menu – three courses for £20 – with a glass of excellent orange wine from a list that’s full of biodynamic wines and natural ciders. The menu is very seasonal and hyper-local (they grow as much as they can at their small market garden just outside Bath), so it changes all the time. We had some mouthwatering homemade bread with olive oil and za’atar, a warming beetroot soup, some delicious arancini, wild mushroom ravioli and a fantastic main course of whole roasted pumpkin with pesto and a chickpea stew. At night, the five-course feast is £49 and the food is so good that you never once think about meat.
Oak, 2 North Parade Passage, Bath, BA1 1NX; oakrestaurant.co.uk/
By Dan Annett, Photo Director, Secret Trips. Dan is a British photographer and director specialising in fashion, portrait and lifestyle images. danannett.com
