Rosanna Spence takes shelter from the rain at Montagu’s Mews restaurant at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, trying the Fixed Price Winter Menu for lunch and melting into the warm, comforting flavours served.
It feels like 2026 has got off to a fairly shaky start – let’s turn the news off for a moment, shall we? – leaving many of us seeking comfort and certainty in the last of the dark winter days. And what better way to satisfy that desire than to book yourself into a fixed price menu gleaming with comforting winter flavours, where no unwelcome surprises wait around the corner.
Look no further then, winter-weary pilgrims of Bath seeking to brighten up a dull lunchtime (and escape some of the tourist bustle outside) by retreating to the sanctuary on the other side of the most-photographed façade in the city, settling into your seat at Montagu’s Mews, the signature restaurant at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa set in one of the buildings that’s the main reasons our city is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its incredible architecture.
Foodies are in good company here: the restaurant was one of 12 specially picked by the Michelin Guide to illustrate the city’s reputation as one of the world’s top food destinations
It’s this heritage status that protects the front of the hotel from too much signage and development, so you very much feel like you’re slipping into an exclusive blink-and-you’ll-miss-something-very-special place. Your journey extends into a chic, almost clandestine world of hotel luxury as you cross the internal, gorgeously manicured gardens (that looked lovely even on the miserably rainy afternoon we visited), where warm and friendly smiles were waiting to take our damp coats and welcome us inside.
Foodies are in good company here: the restaurant was one of 12 specially picked by the Michelin Guide to illustrate the city’s reputation as one of the world’s top food destinations. The décor is equally delightful, still feeling fresh from its total refurbishment a few years ago.
I’ve seen 18th-century women’s education advocate and writer Elizabeth Montagu (who lends her name to The Royal Crescent’s restaurant thanks to it being in the old carriage houses of her former home – she was in fact the building’s original resident) described as a lady with ‘independent ideas in a world where men monopolised intellectual debate’, who used her ‘privileged social position to advance the status of women’. Quite the force to be reckoned with, by the sound of it, and someone who I’d happily welcome to my lunch table for interesting conversation.
The current limits of time travel however, meant that my lunch partner was instead very much of these times, and agreed with me how refreshing it was that despite the impeccably chic interiors of Montagu’s Mews – who doesn’t want to imbibe delicate aperitifs in a blushing room adorned with dusky rose hues? – there were no demands for formal dress in the restaurant. Much like Montagu herself, it’s a forward-thinking approach that can really help people feel more comfortable, and puts the food at the forefront.
Ah, the food. The menu has been devised by head chef Martin Blake, a Somerset chap himself who’s well placed to create dishes that let local ingredients from nearby producers really shine. He joined the team in late 2021 (and at that point already had around 15 years’ experience at some of the South West’s finest hotel kitchens) and has confidently been elevating the food offering across The Royal Crescent with his modern British flair ever since. And this is good value food that’s impeccably prepared and presented to boot: two courses of the winter set lunch menu cost £35 per person; add a third course to make that only £39.
So, what did we eat? To start: smoked cod’s roe mousse, beetroot and chardonnay vinegar; and winter mushroom velouté, hazelnut and apple. The smell from the velouté epitomised cosiness; the delicate taste opened my palate, priming me for more – best enjoyed from the warmth of our table watching the rain trickle down outside.
To follow: Cornish fish of the day, parsnip (three ways: puréed, roasted and tempura), sesame and chicken jus; and Dingley Dell pork belly, carrot escabeche, white beans (with a nice amount of bite to them) and pork jus. I was expertly recommended a glass of light red to accompany the fish (which was a rich, meaty cod on our visit) and its initial gentle smokiness straddled the two meats perfectly, with no flavours left fighting for attention; a glass of chardonnay from Ardèche was suggested to complement the pork – its delicately honeyed aftertaste nicely highlighted the soft caramelisation of the meat.
Our deserts were picture perfect: a dark chocolate crémeux with coffee and mascarpone; and honey parfait, with lemon and sorrel. Both were melt-in-the-mouth marvels, not too overpowering and were an ideal sweet pairing to the coffees needed to bring us back to reality. Back to the drizzle and bustle beyond the sanctuary of Montagu’s Mews.
The Winter Fixed Price Menu at Montagu’s Mews is available from midday until 2.30pm, Monday to Thursday until 31 March. Two courses cost £35 per person and three courses cost £39. The menu
is also available for dinner between 6-9pm, priced at £38 for two courses and £45 for three. For more information and to book, visit royalcrescent.co.uk