Top tips for Bath

[intwrferingma]

I have my first real life shopping trip
In about three years - to Bath - coming up. To save me time (I only have a scant day) and hat top
Shop tips can locals give me? Any treasure troves aside from the usual suspects? I love Jigsaw for reference

Start at the top of Milsom street and walk down. Towards the bottom there is a cluster of shops you may like - jigsaw, Anthropologie, the kooples and some more of that ilk.

Jollies the department store is small but had some reasonable concessions. My dad used to live their coffee shop - it's hidden at the back so he used to get a seat and a big coffee whilst he waited for my mother.

As you walk down to the Baths the shops get cheaper and not particularly great iirc.

The TK Maxx always used to be quite a good one but I haven't been in for s couple of years.

Start higher than Milsom street! Start at the top of Bartlett street.

This great. Thanks!
And can you recommend any great restaurants? Preferably not chains. Love tapas, Middle Eastern etc

Pintxo is great for tapas.

Dough does great pizza with unusual crusts not cheap though

Sally Lunn’s tea shop - have a Sally Lunn bun 😋

Comptoir Libanais is lovely for Lebanese food www.comptoirlibanais.com/restaurants/bath Its near the bus station, so at the bottom of the town, so works well for lunch if you're walking from the top. I know you're after clothes, but its also a town with the most brilliant bookshops - Persephone Books and Mr B's Emporium Bookshop, to name just two!

Small plates and fabulous wine at Beckford Bottle Shop.

agreed with @lugeforlife re shops.

There's a really nice small boutique contained of 2 shops if you go away from main town centre past Loch Fyne - cross the street.

Shoon is good for footwear.

Agreed re the Southgate Place shops - they're much the same as anything in any city centre. If I recall they do have 2 H&Ms there.

Circus is a good restaurant.

The spa is a glorified leisure centre - the pool on the roof is nice but otherwise so not worth the money. The Gainsborugh hotel has quite a nice spa if you're that way inclined though.

Last week I went back to my hometown of Bath, first time in 2 years. What a disappointment! Loads of empty shops for rent, more beggars than before, it was like a different town to the Bath I knew. I wanted to go to Jigsaw (I live abroad) but it's closed down.

@LittleGwyneth

The spa is a glorified leisure centre - the pool on the roof is nice but otherwise so not worth the money. The Gainsborugh hotel has quite a nice spa if you're that way inclined though.

@LittleGwyneth - Gainsborough Hotel isn't doing spa days unless you're a resident, been there and it's nice.

I agree re Bath Thermae Spa - it's not great - but to experience it if it's hot etc it's actually not bad value, I think. I don't really rate their treatments though!

Thai Balcony for food

Jigsaw is still in Bath it’s just moved. Grace & Mable is a really nice shop at the top of Milsom Street and along on the right and Maze on Green Street.
Cafe Luca further up on Bartlett St is good for lunch, it does get busy. Toast is opposite.

You have to get brownies from the good day cafe. They do take away.

Oh thank god @Stroppypants - was concerned I'd have a wasted joinery of Jigsaw wasn't there! And thanks for the smaller boutique recommendations too.
In fact thank you everyone!

The Good Day cafe is amazing if you want something sweet!

The scallop shell is also really nice if you like seafood.

Opa is great for tapas!

Don't forget Toast, Found is also a nice but small indie boutique.

If the sun is out Corkage have a lovely little garden and serve delicious small plates

Go up Walcot Street/London road for nice second hand shops. And the Thai place by the Lebanese place is great too.

I am dragged to Bath most weekends by one or other daughter, I do get amazed that there is not more here in terms of designer or interesting shops considering what a rich city it is.

@intwrferingma

This great. Thanks! And can you recommend any great restaurants? Preferably not chains. Love tapas, Middle Eastern etc

Vino vino - next to the theatre or champagne + Fromage. Or Beckford Bottle Shop. All very good

I thought I'd feedback. Sorry to say I had a hopeless time shopping in Bath. Sure enough the route from Toast down through Milsom St was the best. But I found d nothing. Is this me or is it the shops? I fear the former!
That said I lived wandering around and gazing at the buildings.

Oh what a shame! I went to Bath recently but didn’t have a chance to go in the shops - I was waking past looking longingly in at all these shops I don’t have near me at home thinking I was missing out! So maybe I feel less bad now . There was very good charity shop near our hotel, I didn’t really have to do that properly either.

Hope you still managed to find some good restaurants / bars (I did have time for that )

@intwrferingma

I thought I'd feedback. Sorry to say I had a hopeless time shopping in Bath. Sure enough the route from Toast down through Milsom St was the best. But I found d nothing. Is this me or is it the shops? I fear the former! That said I lived wandering around and gazing at the buildings.

Ah I'm sorry but that was my experience of the shops too. Did you find Jigsaw? Notwithstanding Bath is still a lovely city to wander around. Just not as interesting as it used to be (for me as an ex pat)

I did find Jugsaw but alas it was lacking :(

If your preferred aesthetic is the clean lines of Jigsaw, then the current fashion climate wont be for you. Current trends dictate frills, ruching, bows, lacing, pintucks, blouson and smocking with an over reliance on florals. Most shops offerings at the moment are dire and look like fancy dress.

I went to Bath last year and agree that its gone downhill. The Bath Spa rooftop pool now resembles a municipal swimming pool with over crowding and litter the norm. The Circus restaurant was wonderful though.