10 Best Coffee Shops In Bath (From an ex Local barista)

As a local to Bath, former barista and being a person with a severe coffee addiction I am probably well placed to give you some firsthand insight into my top 10 best coffee shops in bath, why I love them and why you should give them a try.

TL;DR: The best coffee shops in Bath

After 10+ years living in the Bath area, working as a barista, and drinking an unreasonable amount of flat whites, here are my honest top 10 coffee shops in the city:

1. Colonna & Small's — the most serious speciality coffee in Bath, full stop.
2. Coffever Coffee Roastery — Hong Kong-rooted micro-roastery doing light roasts on site.
3. Cortado Café — Argentinian-British brunch and arguably the best empanadas in the South West.
4. The Green Bird Cafe — award-winning brunch on Bath's prettiest street.
5. Sonder Coffee & Events — newest spot in town, coffee by day, drag nights by evening.
6. Rooted Cafe & Supper Rooms — the most exciting vegetarian and vegan food in Bath.
7. One Café — wellness-first speciality coffee with genuinely good protein lattes.
8. The Bath Coffee Co — reliable, central, beautiful Georgian building on Kingsmead Square.
9. Good Day Cafe — best brunch and bakery in central Bath, brownies that'll ruin you.
10. Jane's Espresso Bar — hidden Turkish espresso bar inside the historic Guildhall Market.

Key takeaways

• Bath punches way above its weight for coffee. For a city this size, having a former UK Barista Champion's roastery (Colonna's), a Hong Kong micro-roaster (Coffever), and a Turkish espresso bar (Jane's) all within a 10-minute walk is genuinely ridiculous.
• Most of these are walkable from each other. Eight out of ten sit within a tight central triangle between Kingsmead Square, Pulteney Bridge, and the Royal Crescent. A proper coffee crawl across three or four spots is one of the best ways to spend a morning in Bath.
• Pick your spot based on what you actually want. For the most serious coffee, go Colonna's. For brunch, go Cortado or Good Day. For atmosphere, go Jane's. For something different, go Sonder or Rooted.
• Skip the chains. Every shop on this list is independent, and every one of them is run by people who genuinely care about what's in your cup. Bath's high street has all the usual suspects, but with options this good, there's no reason to bother.
• Check opening hours before you go. Several of these are closed on Mondays, Tuesdays or Sundays. Coffever closes for a few weeks each January–February. Sonder is brand new with evolving hours. Don't get caught out.

A Google Map of best coffee shops can be found here.

Bath is a gem for artisanal coffee and has know shortage of options. This list offers something for everyone, from great coffee and treats to views and ambiance, I have spent way too much time in Bath, finally an opportunity has come for me to share my experiences. So, let's dive into it…

1) Colonna & Small's

If you're going to talk about coffee in Bath, you have to start here, and honestly, anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. Tucked away on Chapel Row, just off Queen Square, Colonna & Small's has been the beating heart of the UK speciality coffee scene since 2009, and as a former barista I can tell you, the hype is absolutely deserved.

Walking in for the first time, what struck me was how unfussy it is. Whitewashed walls, pale blue tiles behind the counter, wooden floors and a long wooden bar. It's bright, it's calm, and it's the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think (rare in a city centre coffee shop, trust me). There's a small courtyard out the back when the weather plays ball, and a chalkboard menu that changes constantly because they rotate their single-origin coffees regularly, usually three on espresso and three on filter.

Here's the thing though, this isn't a coffee shop for everyone, and that's part of why I love it. Founded by Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, a multi-time UK Barista Champion, the focus here is unapologetically on the bean. You won't find caramel syrups or a vanilla latte. What you will find are baristas who genuinely care about what they're pouring, will happily walk you through the tasting notes on the wall, and will make you a flat white that ruins every other flat white for you forever (sorry in advance).

Go for: the most serious cup of coffee in Bath. Skip if: you just want a hazelnut latte and a quiet corner to scroll Instagram. Their freezer menu of limited releases is also worth asking about if you want to geek out properly.

Personally, I am huge fan of the place because I love coffee and when I am really wanting to get a nice cup, I head here.

Quick info: 6 Chapel Row, Bath BA1 1HN. Open Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:30pm, Sat 9am–5:30pm, Sun 10am–4pm.

2) Coffever Coffee Roastery

If Colonna & Small's is the established legend of speciality coffee in Bath, Coffever is the exciting new chapter, and as someone who's tried pretty much every flat white this city has to offer, this is the spot I find myself sneaking back to most often.

Tucked down Northumberland Place, a tiny cobbled alley between Union Street and High Street that you'd walk straight past if you didn't know better, Coffever is genuinely one of Bath's hidden gems. Husband-and-wife team Bob and his partner originally ran a coffee shop in Hong Kong from 2018, and after relocating to the UK, they opened up here in April 2023. In 2024, they took the next big step and started roasting their own beans on site, which is exactly when this place went from "really good" to "essential" in my book.

What you need to know: the focus is firmly on light roasts, which is the right call if you actually want to taste the bean rather than the burn. They typically have two espressos available for milk-based drinks and a rotating selection of filters (V60), and as a former barista I genuinely appreciate that they let you choose. The seasonal Colombian flat white is a regular knockout, and I'd strongly recommend trying whatever Ethiopian they've got on batch brew.

The shop itself is tiny, simple, and unpretentious, with a few seats outside in the alley which is honestly one of the loveliest spots in central Bath on a sunny morning. The cakes and brownies are excellent too.

Go for: light-roast speciality coffee in Bath done properly, beans roasted on site, and a genuinely warm welcome. Skip if: you're after a big café to camp out in with a laptop, this place is small and made for enjoying the coffee, not endless refills.

Quick info: 14 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR. Open Mon, Thu & Fri 8am–4pm, Sat–Sun 9am–4pm (closed Tue & Wed). Heads up, they typically close for a few weeks each January/February to visit family, so check before you go.

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Bob and the team are lovely and a great place to go and hangout, I love trying new coffee shops and honestly, this one is a gem, if you are in bath for a few days then I recommend giving it a go for at least one, if you live there, go tomorrow, you won't regret it.

3) Cortado Café

Now for something a bit different. If you want a Bath coffee shop that pairs a properly good flat white with arguably the best brunch in the city, Cortado Café is where you need to go. This place has become a bit of a personal weakness of mine, both for the coffee and for the empanadas, which is not a sentence I ever thought I'd write.

Sat right on Bridge Street, just a few steps from Pulteney Bridge and the weir (so you genuinely could not pick a more central spot in Bath if you tried), Cortado is run by an Argentinian-British couple, Fran and Sophie, who bonded over coffee while backpacking through Peru. Fran runs the day-to-day, Sophie handles the creative side, and the love they've poured into this place is honestly tangible the moment you walk in.

The coffee itself is excellent. They use Easy José as their house roaster, a small ethical roastery, and as a former barista I can tell you the cortado here lives up to the name on the door, properly balanced, no scorched milk, none of the nonsense you get elsewhere. The pistachio latte has a bit of a cult following on Instagram and I'd recommend it if you've got a sweet tooth.

Most people come for the food. The Argentinian empanadas are the speciality and they're brilliant, but the fluffy pancakes and the Romesco fried eggs on sourdough are what keep me coming back. They source locally, cook fresh to order, and it shows.

The only possible issue, if it even is an issue, It's tiny. There are only a handful of tables, walk-ins only, and at weekends you will queue. I'd advise you to get there before 9am on a Saturday or come midweek if you want a relaxed sit-down.

Go for: the best brunch in Bath, speciality coffee with proper care, and Argentinian empanadas you'll dream about. Skip if: you want a big café to work in or you can't be bothered to wait for a table at peak times.

Quick info: 7 Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AS. Open Mon–Fri 8am–4pm, Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–4pm. Walk-ins only.

4) The Green Bird Cafe

Tucked away on Margaret's Buildings, the gorgeous little pedestrianised street that runs between The Circus and the Royal Crescent, The Green Bird Cafe is the kind of place I find myself recommending to literally every visiting friend who asks "where should we go for breakfast?". You honestly couldn't pick a more picture-perfect spot in Bath, and the cafe more than lives up to its postcard setting.

You'll spot it instantly thanks to the bright green shopfront (no surprises with the name), and the inside has that slightly rustic, lived-in independent café vibe that you just can't fake. It's warm, it's friendly, and it feels properly local even though half the people in there at any given moment are tourists who've just walked down from photographing the Crescent.

The food is the main event here, and they've earned it. Henry and the team source locally, make everything fresh on the premises, and the breakfast menu has a serious cult following, deservedly so. The bespoke breakfast is the move if you can't decide, you pick your eggs (fried, poached, scrambled) and then build it out with chorizo, avocado, crispy bacon, morcilla, smoked salmon, whatever you fancy. The Turkish eggs and the pancakes with maple syrup and bacon are also genuinely brilliant. Bread comes from Bertinet, which if you're not local, is one of the best bakeries in the South West.

Coffee-wise, it's well-made, consistent, and goes perfectly with whatever you're eating, exactly what you want from a café where the food is the star. Cakes are made in-house and worth saving room for.

A few things to know: they don't take bookings, just turn up. They're closed on Sundays now, which catches a lot of people out. And in summer, the outdoor seating on Margaret's Buildings is one of the loveliest spots to sit with a coffee in the entire city.

Go for: an award-winning Bath breakfast, a properly independent café feel, and one of the prettiest streets in the city to sit on. Skip if: it's a Sunday (they're shut), or you need to book ahead.

Quick info: 11 Margaret's Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP. Open Mon–Fri 9am–4pm, Sat 9am–5pm, closed Sunday. Walk-ins only.

5) Sonder Coffee & Events

This one is for the early adopters and maybe a risk take? Just kidding, its Sonder Coffee & Events is the newest spot on this list, and as someone who has way too much fun being the friend who "discovered" places before everyone else, I'm telling you now, get in early.

Sat on Green Street right in the heart of Bath (literally a two-minute walk from the Abbey, you genuinely can't miss it), Sonder is doing something a bit different from your standard Bath café. It's a coffee shop and an events space. By day it's a place to grab a coffee, by night it's hosting drag shows, cocktail nights and the kind of events Bath has been quietly crying out for.

If you're not familiar with the word, "sonder" is that lovely concept of realising every stranger you pass has a life as rich and complex as your own, and honestly, that ethos comes through. The vibe is welcoming, the cocktails are properly affordable (which in Bath is a small miracle in itself), and there's a real sense that the team are here to build something a bit different from the usual Bath café template.

Now I'll be honest with you, because that's the deal we have, this is brand new. They've only just opened and properly launched events in March 2026, so the full picture of their coffee programme, food menu and signature drinks is still finding its feet. That said, every time I've popped in the welcome has been warm and the energy genuinely buzzing. Follow them on Instagram (@sonder_bath) for what's on, because the events calendar is where this place really sets itself apart.

Go for: a proper coffee in the day and something genuinely different in the evening, drag nights, cocktails, events you won't find anywhere else in Bath. Skip if: you're after a long-established speciality coffee institution with a decade of barista pedigree, this place is just getting started.

Quick info: 14 Green Street, Bath BA1 2JZ. Check @sonder_bath on Instagram for current opening hours and upcoming events.

6) Rooted Cafe & Supper Rooms

Now this one is a bit of a journey from the city centre, but trust me on this. Rooted Cafe & Supper Rooms is the only spot on this list where the food is genuinely as much of a draw as the coffee, possibly even more of a draw, and as someone who's spent way too many lazy weekend mornings here, it's earned its place purely on merit.

Sat at the bottom of the lovely Chelsea Road, is Newbridge Road, where you will find Rooted Cafe & Supper Rooms, about a 25-minute walk from the centre or a quick bus ride, Rooted has been doing its thing since July 2018. It's a family-run independent set up by Nick and Mich (who also ran The Grocer on Locksbrook from 2011), with Georgina running front of house and making everyone who walks through the door feel like a regular within about 30 seconds.

It's a vegetarian and vegan café, and even if you're a hardcore meat-eater (I am), this place will absolutely change your mind about what veggie food can be. The menu is heavily inspired by Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, and the Full Rooted Breakfast and Mumbai Butty are properly memorable. The Keralan Curried Eggs, the Korean Kimchi Hot Dog, the Rooted Muffin... I've yet to order something that hasn't been brilliant.

The coffee is genuinely good too, served as a double shot as standard (which I appreciate). Add to that an in-house deli range of mango masala mayo, banana ketchup and green chilli achar that you can take home, and you've got a café that punches way above its weight.

The "Supper Rooms" bit isn't just for show either. They host monthly supper clubs with a "Taste of Cities" theme in 2026, exploring different food cultures around the world. If you can get a seat at one, do.

The kitchen typically closes at 4pm even on the late nights, the space is small so booking for evenings is sensible, and parking on side streets is your best bet (it's outside the central paid zones).

Go for: the most exciting vegetarian and vegan food in Bath, a genuinely welcoming family-run vibe, and a chai latte that'll ruin every other chai for you. Skip if: you want to stay in the centre or you're after a coffee shop you can perch in for a quick laptop session.

Quick info: 20 Newbridge Road, Bath BA1 3JX. Hours vary by day (broadly Mon–Sat from 8:45am, Fri/Sat with later evening service, Sun 9am–4pm). Kitchen closes at 4pm most days, so check the website before you go.

7) One Café

If you've ever finished a workout in central Bath and thought "I want a proper coffee but also I'd quite like to not undo the last hour of my life with a slab of carrot cake," then I have very good news for you. One Café is the spot.

Tucked away on John Street, a quiet little corner just a couple of minutes' walk from Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths, One Café has carved out a really distinct niche on the Bath coffee scene: speciality coffee that takes itself seriously, paired with genuinely good wellness-focused food. The tagline "you only get one body, one life" tells you everything you need to know about the philosophy here.

The coffee itself is exceptional. They're working with independent roasters, the espresso menu covers all the classics done properly (the flat white is excellent), and there's a rotating single-origin filter on batch brew if you want to actually taste what's in the cup. As a former barista, this is exactly the kind of place I respect.

The Signature Protein Lattes, I was sceptical at first, I'll admit, but the salted caramel one is dangerously good and you walk away with around 20g of protein in your cup. The vanilla and the matcha versions are both worth a try too. Beyond drinks, you've got overnight oats, chia puddings, raw cacao brownies and protein balls that are all vegan and gluten-free as standard.

It's a small, calm space (they double as a gallery for local artists under their "Culture at One" programme, which is a nice touch), so it's not somewhere to camp out for four hours, but it's perfect for a quick coffee meet-up or a grab-and-go on the way to wherever you're heading next.

They're closed Mondays and Tuesdays, which has caught me out more than once.

Go for: speciality coffee with a wellness twist, the best protein latte in Bath (genuinely), and proper grab-and-go food that doesn't feel like a compromise. Skip if: you want a sticky toffee pudding kind of café, or you're after somewhere to settle in with a laptop for the afternoon.

Quick info: 1 John Street, Bath BA1 2JL. Open Wed–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–5pm. Closed Mon & Tue.

8) The Bath Coffee Co

For the days when you want a properly good coffee in a properly nice setting and you don't want to have to think too hard about it. The Bath Coffee Company is one of those reliable, lovely independent spots that I find myself recommending whenever someone says, "I just want somewhere central with good coffee, not a chain."

Sat right on Kingsmead Square (one of Bath's prettiest little spots, full of buskers and pavement seating in summer), The Bath Coffee Company is housed in a stunning 18th-century Georgian townhouse, the kind of golden-stone, sash-windowed building you only really get in a city like Bath. The inside is light, airy and unfussy, and there's outdoor seating for warmer days that's genuinely one of the best people-watching positions in the city. They're also right next to the Thermae Bath Spa, so this is a brilliant pre or post-spa stop if you're treating yourself.

Beans here are roasted by their sister business, Square Root Coffee over in Wiltshire, which means they have full control of the supply chain from roaster to cup, and you can taste it. As a former barista, I really appreciate places that have this kind of vertical integration, the consistency is noticeably better than your average independent. The flat white is excellent, the espresso is well-pulled, and they've got a small but well-curated selection of cakes if you fancy something with it.

The vibe here is genuinely relaxed. They actively encourage you to bring friends, hang out, play board games, catch up. A properly central café that doesn't feel like it's trying to turn your table over. Service is friendly, the baristas know their stuff, and the whole place just works.

Kingsmead Square has Society Café, Boston Tea Party and a few others all within about 30 seconds of each other, so it can be tempting to default to whichever has a queue. Don't. Bath Coffee Company is the one I'd send you to.

Go for: speciality coffee in a beautiful Georgian building, a properly central spot to relax, and outdoor seating in summer that's hard to beat. Skip if: you want big breakfast plates or a packed brunch menu, this is a coffee-and-cake spot, not a sit-down meal one.

Quick info: 14 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AD. Open daily 8am–6pm. Walk-ins only.

9) Good Day Cafe

If you've ever been hungover in Bath and needed a brunch that genuinely makes you feel like a person again, Good Day Cafe is the place. This is one of those café-bakeries that has earned its reputation by consistently nailing the basics and adding a serious range of sweet treats to help you get past that hangover.

Sat on Upper Borough Walls, about 90 seconds' walk from Bath Abbey, Good Day Cafe was set up by Steph back in 2018 and has quietly become one of the most-loved independents in the city. Their tagline says it all: "good days start with good coffee; the best days start with the best coffee", and as someone who genuinely lives by that principle, I'm fully on board.

The space itself is small but clever, with seating on the ground floor and an upstairs area that's perfect when the weather turns and you want to camp out for a bit. The vibe is warm, friendly, and just a tiny bit chaotic in the best possible way, the kind of café where the staff actually remember you if you go regularly.

Now, the food. The Loaded Hash Browns are the signature dish for very good reason, the avocado and mushroom version has a properly devoted following and the seasonal Brie one is even better. The Cinnamon and Vanilla Brioche French Toast with Nutella is dangerous. The Full English is one of the best in Bath. They also do a serious gluten-free menu, with separate tongs for gluten-free brownies and clear allergen knowledge from the team, which is rarer than it should be.

The bakery is where things go from "great café" to "I'm coming back tomorrow." The brownies are the stuff of Instagram legend (their @gooddaycafe feed is genuinely a hazard to the willpower), and the cookie sandwiches and seasonal specials are worth a trip on their own. The coffee is well-pulled, consistent, and exactly what you want with food this good.

Weekends are busy, the queue is often out the door by midday on a Saturday, and they don't take walk-in bookings (DM via Instagram for a table). Get there early or come midweek.

Go for: the best brunch in central Bath, brownies that'll ruin every other brownie for you, and a properly warm independent café feel. Skip if: you can't be bothered to wait at peak times, or you want a third-wave speciality coffee experience over a brunch one.

Quick info: 12 Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RL. Open daily, broadly 8am–5pm (Sundays slightly different, check ahead). Bookings via Instagram DM only.

I have a great picture of this place. It's a tiny family-run espresso bar tucked inside Bath's historic Guildhall Market, with a Turkish/Mediterranean angle (Turkish coffee, Efes beer, Mythos), a 5.0 Tripadvisor rating, lemon drizzle cake that's apparently legendary, and a really warm vibe. Here we go:

10. Jane's Espresso Bar

Saving one of the most charming spots for last. If you want to drink a properly excellent coffee in arguably the most atmospheric setting in central Bath, you need to know about Jane's Espresso Bar. This place is a genuine hidden gem in every sense of the phrase, and I love sending people here.

Tucked inside the Guildhall Market (Bath's historic indoor market with entrances on the High Street near the Abbey and another opposite Pulteney Bridge), Jane's is a tiny, cosy family-run espresso bar that you'd genuinely walk past unless you knew it was there. Walking into the Guildhall Market itself is half the experience, the building dates back to the 18th century, the air smells of old wood and fresh coffee, and it feels like stepping into a Bath that the Instagram crowd haven't fully discovered yet.

What you need to know: this isn't a full-on third-wave speciality coffee shop in the Colonna's mould, this is a properly old-school espresso bar with a Turkish and Mediterranean twist, and that's exactly why I love it. The espresso here is rich, oily and properly extracted, the kind of cup that makes coffee chains feel deeply embarrassing by comparison. The Turkish coffee is the real specialty though, made authentically and worth ordering even if you've never had it before.

Beyond coffee, they've got a cracking little menu, Mediterranean-leaning treats, homemade cakes (the lemon drizzle is recommended by my mother), and they've recently introduced a simple lunch offering. They also serve cold Efes and Mythos beers and a cheeky 2-for-£10 gin deal, so it works as an afternoon watering whole too.

Some of the warmest people you'll meet in Bath hospitality will be found here, the kind who'll remember your order on your second visit and chat to you like an old friend. A 5.0 rating on Tripadvisor doesn't happen by accident.

It's tiny, so seating is limited, and they're closed Sundays. The market itself closes by 5pm so this is a daytime-only spot.

Go for: properly authentic Turkish coffee in Bath, lemon drizzle cake worth a detour, and one of the most genuinely warm welcomes in the city. Skip if: you want a big space to settle in or a third-wave speciality coffee menu with single origins and tasting notes.

Quick info: Inside Bath Guildhall Market, High Street, Bath BA2 4AW. Open Mon–Fri 9:30am–5pm, Sat 9:30am–5pm. Closed Sunday.

Final thoughts on where to drink coffee in Bath

The brilliant thing about Bath is that you genuinely don't have to choose. The whole city is walkable, most of these spots are within ten minutes of each other, and a proper coffee crawl across two or three of them is one of the best ways to spend a morning in Bath. If you're visiting for a weekend, do yourself a favour and skip the chains entirely, every single shop on this list is independent, every single one supports local roasters or runs their own, and every single one is run by people who actually care about what's in your cup.

If you've got a favourite I've missed, or you think I've ranked someone unfairly (I can take it), let me know. Bath's coffee scene moves quickly, new places open, old ones tweak their menus, and I'm always on the hunt for the next great cup. In the meantime, my advice is simple: pick one, go this week, and tell them I sent you.