RESTAURANT
DINING DETAILS The Village café & bar, 3 – 4 St Saviours Road, Larkhall, Bath BA1 6RT. tel: 01225 312959; www.thevillagelarkhall.co.uk Opening hours Monday Thursday 8.45am – 5pm. On Friday & Saturday 8.45am – 11pm, with the kitchen re-opening at 6pm) Owned by Good friends Holly Bower and Kalvin Simmons who met 30 years ago when Kalvin was manager of the Theatre Vaults Restaurant and Holly was managing her mum’s place, the Paragon Wine Bar Established November 2024 Type of food Homemade and sourced locally Covers 28 with a further 18 outside on the terrace. Prices Start at £3 for sweet things at the counter, up to £19.50 for a main Recommendations For breakfast try home-made granola and yoghurt, then Croque Monsieur for lunch with the roasted vegetables and hummus plate; and in the evening Larkhall Butchers’ steak served with garlicky herby butter and frites Drinks Wines are sourced from Amathus Wines on Green Street Look out for Pop ups and supper clubs including Ben Tonks from The Seahorse in Dartmouth later this month
above us. Lunch continues the theme of classics done well, using seasonal ingredients and plated with love. Larkhall Butchers’ minute steak with garlicky herb butter and fries is deliciously hearty. If you’re looking for something lighter the salad changes every week – the roasted toms, fennel, beets, feta and lemon on sourdough on our visit is vibrant and colourful. Baguettes including Coronation chicken are served with, the crunchy, zingy, homemade Village Slaw, and there’s a great choice of bagels, including hummus and basil oil roasted peppers. If you’re in a rush, all baguettes, bagels and Croque’s can be made to takeaway. And if you’re not, then sit back, relax and enjoy Larkhall people watching on the bustling high street with a chai latte or something stronger. Ales come from Electric Bear, French cider is on tap and the house red wine is a light French blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes that’s far superior to most pub options. A perfect partner for the steak, and at £5.90 a glass, it’s tempting not to have another, it’s that kind of place. You may come for a morning cuppa with a friend, and end up merrily leaving many hours later, with a whole bunch of new Village friends. As daylight disappears and the candles are lit, evenings are not to be missed. On Friday and Saturday nights there’s an eclectic mix of pop ups featuring local foodie indies such as Raya’s Thai Thali and burger legends at Milk Bun (booking essential) On nights with no planned events, The Village serve their own evening plates – a hoi e of fo r or five offerin s in l din a i s i and perfectly crisp buttermilk chicken burger, or veggie plate of roasted a li ower and arrots with harissa h mm s and a tortilla. Perfect nibbles to accompany the weekly changing ‘Cocktail at Six’. On our visit this is a delicate Gin Sour featuring Scout and Sage Gin and that hard working plum compote we’d had with our granola. So much thought, care and love has gone into what was a big rebrand for this gorgeous corner-spot café. And whilst it’s still relatively early days, The Village already feels like it’s been here forever, and that’s a great sign. n
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 53