The story
Beckford Bottle Shop, on Saville Row in Bath, is both a contemporary wine merchant and a welcoming bistro. The space blends a stylish wine shop with an adjoining dining room featuring tin-clad ceilings, Chesterfield sofas and a marble-topped window seat. It’s a place to buy a bottle to take home, or to settle in for a glass and a plate of food.
Head Chef James Harris leads the kitchen, bringing experience from Michelin and AA Rosette kitchens. His cooking is Modern British in style, focused on sharing plates that make use of Somerset produce. The restaurant also tends its own allotment on a dairy farm just outside Bath, where Kitchen Gardener Ben grows courgettes, tomatoes, radishes, squash and rhubarb. That first harvest of courgette tromboncino became a jam used across savoury and sweet dishes; Chioggia beetroot has appeared alongside pork chop; and tomatoes from the plot have become a salsa for lobster.
The bistro menu is built around those sharing plates, alongside British cheese and charcuterie boards. Bar snacks are available throughout the day, designed to pair with any glass of wine.
The wine list is extensive and thoughtful, with more than thirty wines available by the glass. The shop itself stocks hundreds of bottles from around the world, and the team – led by Wine Shop Manager Ben – is on hand to help customers find something new, whether they are seasoned drinkers or just beginning to explore. The hospitality is warm and knowledgeable, with a team that spans experience in wine shops and restaurants.
The quality of the cooking has been recognised with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an award for good quality, good value food. It is a fitting acknowledgement of the straightforward, well-executed Modern British cooking that comes from the kitchen.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
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