Best Pubs in Bath: Top 12 Historic, Garden and Sports Pubs
Twelve of the best pubs in Bath, sorted by what you want: historic interiors, real ale and craft beer, beer gardens, football on big screens and pubs with rooms, each checked on its own website on 21 October 2026.
In short: the best pubs in Bath depend on what you want. Go to The Star Inn for history (first licensed in 1760, beer still served from the jug), The Raven for real ale and pies, The Locksbrook Inn for a riverside garden and Victoria Pub & Kitchen for football on six screens. The Raven and The Grapes take no bookings; book ahead to eat at the weekend.
Twelve of the best pubs in Bath, sorted by what you are going for: history, real ale, a garden, football or a bed for the night. Every pub is in our directory, and we checked each one's own website on 21 October 2026. Pubs whose websites we could not read are left out for now.
| Pub | Best for | Area | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Star Inn | History | Walcot | No jukebox or gaming machines |
| The Crystal Palace | History, garden | City Centre | Dogs and families welcome |
| The Grapes | History, live music | City Centre | Open to 2am Fri and Sat |
| The Raven | Real ale, pies | City Centre | Open from 8am, no bookings |
| The Hop Pole | Craft beer, garden | Weston | Happy hour 4pm to 8pm |
| The Locksbrook Inn | Garden, sport | Weston | Car park, dogs everywhere |
| The Hare and Hounds | Views | Lansdown | Soup and sandwich £8, Mon to Thu |
| The Marlborough Tavern | Food, courtyard | City Centre | Two AA rosettes |
| Victoria Pub & Kitchen | Football | Weston | Kitchen closed Mon and Tue |
| Assembly Inn | Football, pool | City Centre | Comedy club downstairs |
| The Griffin Inn | Rooms | City Centre | No breakfast, no parking |
| The King William | Rooms | Combe Down | Eight en-suite rooms |
Which are the most historic pubs in Bath?
The Star Inn, whose 18th-century interior CAMRA calls of outstanding historic interest. The Crystal Palace and The Grapes sit in buildings older than the pubs.
The Star Inn
A multi-roomed pub with four separate drinking areas, its original bar fittings and wooden benches, and beer poured from the jug. It is on the National Inventory of Heritage Pubs and was CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2022.
- 🕰️ First licensed 1760
- 🎲 Dominoes, cribbage, shove halfpenny
- ⏰ 12pm to midnight, Sun to 10.30pm
- 📍 Vineyards, Walcot
The Crystal Palace
A Fuller's pub a few steps from the Abbey, in what was the Three Tuns Lodging House in 1654. It became a pub in the early 1850s, named after the Great Exhibition, and a Roman mosaic found in the cellar in 1981 is still preserved there.
- 🔥 Real fire and a garden
- 🐕 Dogs and families welcome
- 🍽️ Food 10am to 9pm (Sun from 12pm)
- 📍 Abbey Green, City Centre
The Grapes
An independent freehouse in a building that appeared on a map of 1694 as a lodging house and became a pub in 1792. Upstairs, the Living Room keeps a plaster ceiling from 1612; downstairs there is live music five or more nights a week.
- 🎷 Jazz session every Wednesday
- 🍺 Real ales, craft beer, wine on tap
- ⏰ To 1am Mon to Thu, 2am Fri and Sat
- 📍 Westgate Street, City Centre
Where can I drink real ale and craft beer in Bath?
The Raven pours its own Raven Ale and Raven's Gold, and The Hop Pole pours its own brewery's beers. The Assembly Inn serves Abbey Ales, brewed in Bath.
The Raven
Two house beers, Raven Ale and Raven's Gold, plus an ever-changing selection of guest real ales. The food is pies, with at least seven fillings on at any time, and sausage and mash.
- 🍺 Two house ales, changing guests
- 🥧 Pies, vegan and gluten-free options
- ⏰ From 8am daily, food to 9pm
- 📍 Queen Street, City Centre
The Hop Pole
Good Chemistry Brewing's taphouse, in a Grade II Georgian building of about 1820 to 1830 opposite Royal Victoria Park. It has a courtyard garden, a skittle alley and pub food from smashed burgers to Sunday roasts.
- 💷 4 pints for £10, 4pm to 8pm daily
- 🐕 Dogs welcome, kids' menu
- ❓ Quiz Tuesdays, 8pm
- 📍 Upper Bristol Road, Weston
Which Bath pubs have the best gardens?
The Locksbrook Inn for a riverside garden, The Hare and Hounds for the view and The Marlborough Tavern for a courtyard in town.
The Locksbrook Inn
A St Austell Brewery pub by the water in Lower Weston, with a riverside garden, pizzas, sharing plates and a Sunday roast. Dogs are allowed in every part of the pub, and it shows Premier League football and Bath Rugby.
- 🌳 Riverside garden
- 🐕 Dogs in all areas, on leads
- 🚗 Own car park
- 📍 Locksbrook Road, Weston
The Hare and Hounds
A stone inn high on Lansdown Hill with views across the Charlcombe Valley and outdoor tables overlooking the hills. Worth the climb for a long lunch; a bus stops outside, and there is a small car park.
- 💷 Soup and sandwich £8, Mon to Thu
- 🦪 Moules night Thursdays
- 🐕 Dogs in the bar and garden
- 📍 Lansdown Road, Lansdown
The Marlborough Tavern
A pub behind the Royal Crescent. The kitchen has held two AA rosettes for over ten years, so this is the pick for a proper meal, with a courtyard garden for a drink first.
- 🍽️ Sunday roast beef £27
- 🐕 Dogs welcome, highchairs
- 📅 Bookings for dining only
- 📍 Marlborough Buildings, City Centre
Which pubs in Bath show football?
Victoria Pub & Kitchen and the Assembly Inn, both with Sky and TNT on several screens. The Locksbrook Inn shows Premier League football too.
Victoria Pub & Kitchen
A local across the road from Royal Victoria Park with six screens and both Sky Sports and TNT Sports. Kids and dogs are welcome, and most of the menu can be made gluten free.
- 📺 Six screens, Sky Sports, TNT Sports
- ⏰ From 3pm Mon to Wed, 12pm Thu to Sun
- 🍽️ Kitchen Wed to Sun
- 📍 Upper Bristol Road, Weston
Good to know: to sit in front of a screen for a big match, phone the pub to book a table.
Assembly Inn
A sports pub with five large screens and a projector, two pool tables, a dartboard and a courtyard garden. The bar pours Abbey Ales, including Bellringer, and the basement holds a comedy club.
- 📺 Sky, TNT and Amazon Prime
- 🎱 Two pool tables, darts
- ⏰ From 12pm daily, Fri and Sat to midnight
- 📍 Alfred Street, City Centre
Which Bath pubs have rooms?
The Griffin Inn puts you in the centre and The King William in Combe Down, 1.5 miles from the city centre. The Grapes also has three guest rooms upstairs, called Pococks Lodgings.
The Griffin Inn
A Georgian inn just off Queen Square that has welcomed guests for nearly 300 years, with real ale, craft beer and rooms upstairs. Each room has its own shower room and a coffee machine.
- 🍺 Flight of four local and Cornish ales, £10
- 💷 Two mains £28, Mon to Thu, 12pm to 6pm
- 🛏️ No breakfast, no parking
- 📍 Monmouth Street, City Centre
The King William
A Grade II listed pub built in 1824, now with eight en-suite rooms in the pub and courtyard. Expect steak and ale pie by the fire and wood-fired pizza on the terrace in summer.
- 🛏️ Eight en-suite rooms
- 🍺 Ten brews on tap
- ⏰ From 5pm Mon to Thu, 12pm Fri to Sun
- 📍 Combe Road, Combe Down
Frequently asked questions
What is the most historic pub in Bath?
The Star Inn, first licensed in 1760, is on the National Inventory of Heritage Pubs and keeps its 18th-century bar fittings. The Grapes is in a building on a map of 1694 and has been a pub since 1792.
Which pubs in Bath show football?
Victoria Pub & Kitchen (six screens, Sky Sports and TNT Sports), the Assembly Inn (five large screens and a projector) and The Locksbrook Inn, which shows Premier League football and Bath Rugby.
Which Bath pubs have a beer garden?
The Locksbrook Inn has a riverside garden, The Hop Pole and The Marlborough Tavern have courtyard gardens, and The Hare and Hounds has outdoor tables overlooking the hills.
Which pubs in Bath have rooms?
The Griffin Inn on Monmouth Street (no breakfast), The King William in Combe Down (eight en-suite rooms) and The Grapes (three guest rooms upstairs, Pococks Lodgings).
Do I need to book a pub in Bath?
Not for a drink: The Raven and The Grapes take no bookings. Book ahead to eat at The Marlborough Tavern, or to watch a big match at Victoria Pub & Kitchen.