Bath's drinking scene has quietly built a genuinely strong reputation beyond its pubs, with two of its cocktail bars picking up national awards in the last year alone. Dark Horse and The Hideout are the pair to know for cocktails, and Beckford Bottle Shop is the strongest choice if wine is more your thing. Here's where to go and what sets each one apart.
Dark Horse: the local favourite
Dark Horse, at 7a Kingsmead Square, markets itself as "Voted Best Bar in Bath" and has been named among Imbibe's top three UK bars, a serious result for a single-city operation rather than a national chain. It's open from 5pm most weeknights (4pm on Saturdays) through to 12:30am or later, and books up on weekend evenings, so it's worth reserving ahead rather than turning up on spec if you're going as a group. It also runs a smaller sister bar, Blackbird, for private hire.
The Hideout: award-winning and steeped in history
The Hideout was voted 9th in the UK on the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list in 2025 and won Bar Team of the Year the same year, tucked away near North Parade in a stone building with a history locals will tell you involves smugglers and hidden goods, restored from a long-forgotten space back into one of the city's more distinctive bars. Whether or not you buy the full backstory, it's one of the more atmospheric places in the city for a proper cocktail rather than a quick pint, and it's earned its national ranking rather than just claiming one.
The Bootlegger: 1920s speakeasy
The Bootlegger, at 16-18 George Street, leans into a Prohibition-era speakeasy theme, with cocktails like a vodka-based Passionately Peach, a Charlie's Chocolate negroni and a rum and maple old fashioned, served with vintage decor and live music adding to the atmosphere. It's a good pick if you want a themed night out rather than a straightforward bar, particularly for a birthday or celebration where the room itself is part of the appeal.
Beckford Bottle Shop: wine, done properly
Beckford Bottle Shop, at 5-8 Saville Row, combines a wine merchant with a bistro carrying a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its sharing plates, alongside British cheese and charcuterie boards and more than thirty wines available by the glass. It's open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 11pm, and closed Sunday and Monday, which is worth knowing if you're planning a visit around the start of the week. It's the strongest option in Bath if you want to actually learn something about what you're drinking rather than just order a glass of house white.
The Botanist: a bigger, livelier option
The Botanist, inside an octagon-shaped building in Milsom Place, is part of a national bar and restaurant group rather than a Bath-only independent, but it's a genuinely good option if you want a bigger room, a livelier atmosphere and a menu that runs well beyond cocktails into full meals. It suits a bigger group better than the smaller, more intimate spots above.
How they compare
| Bar | Style | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Horse | Local cocktail bar | A well-earned local reputation |
| The Hideout | Award-winning cocktail bar | A national-standard night out |
| The Bootlegger | Speakeasy-themed | A themed celebration |
| Beckford Bottle Shop | Wine merchant and bistro | Serious wine with good food |
| The Botanist | Bar and restaurant chain | Bigger groups |
Getting there and booking
Kingsmead Square, George Street and Saville Row are all within a few minutes' walk of each other in the city centre, so it's realistic to combine two of these in one evening without much walking between them. See our best pubs in Bath guide if you want a more traditional pint alongside the cocktails and wine, and our things to do in Bath guide for how a night out fits around a wider visit. Book ahead for Dark Horse and The Hideout on Friday and Saturday nights specifically; the others generally take walk-ins outside of peak periods.