7–8 St John's Place · Bath
Beside the Theatre Royal
Dinner before the curtain.
Homemade British food and an ale brewed for this house alone — poured in a Georgian building on St John's Place, a flower's throw from the playhouse doors.
Theatre Royal next doorPre-theatre tables, the whole evening
A Georgian originalBuilt for Beau Nash around 1720, Grade II* listed
Cooked here all dayFood daily · 10:00–21:00
Dogs & families welcomeIndoors, and on the terrace year-round
The building
Built for Beau Nash.
Around 1720, Bath's great master of ceremonies put up the grand house you now walk into from St John's Place — a building locals once called a palace, and a listed Georgian landmark ever since.
Two and a half centuries on, the same address keeps snug dark-green rooms, a long wooden bar and a kitchen that cooks British classics from breakfast until the evening service. The bread comes from Hobbs House Bakery, the eggs from Southview Farm, and behind the bar the house ale is brewed for Garrick's Head alone by the Danish master brewer Stig Anker Andersen.
c.1720Built for “Beau” Nash
Grade II*Listed Georgian frontage
20+ · 23Wines by the glass · whiskies
The pre-theatre hour
Before the curtain.
The playhouse doors are a few steps down the street, and the booking form carries a Pre Theatre option for exactly that reason.
01
Book inside
Reserve an indoor table and pick the Pre Theatre option. Bigger parties go through the same form; for a table today, call 01225 318368.
02
Eat at your pace
An unhurried plate from the daily menu — the famous shortcrust pie when it's on — with the house ale or one of more than 20 wines by the glass.
03
Walk next door
Down the street to the Theatre Royal's doors, with the flower baskets glowing on your way out. The terrace lamps will still be lit when you come back.
The kitchen
Cooked here, morning to evening.
Breakfast lands at ten, lunch and dinner run through till nine, and the day's cards come out of one kitchen — fryer, grill and pastry section. The shortcrust pie has its own reputation in this town.
From the fryer
Battered fish off the daily menu, with the pub's own ale two steps behind it.
Morning tables
Proper plates from ten o'clock — before the working day, or before the performance.
Burgers
Burgers and the trimmings, including the Garrick's Wagyu burger from the daily menu.
Coffee & cake
Barista coffee and a slice between acts — or with the morning papers.
A taste of the daily menu
Breakfast
Full English Breakfast
Smashed Avocado
Small plates
Salt & Pepper Squid
Cornish Mussels
Mains
Garrick's Wagyu Burger
Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Burger
Fish & Chips
Sunday Roast Rump of Beef
Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pudding
See the current menu
Cards change with the seasons — the pub's own menu page carries the latest.
The rooms & the terrace
The green rooms.
The dining rooms keep their Georgian bones and their dark-green paint — brass, wood and low lamplight doing the rest of the work.
Out front, the terrace runs along St John's Place under the hanging baskets; food and drink are served outside all year round, and dogs and families are as welcome as the theatre crowd. On a fine day you can often move your indoor booking out into the open air when you arrive.
Visit & book
Your table's waiting.
Booking is the easy way — especially at weekends and on theatre nights. Same-day tables are a phone call away.
Book a table
The pub's own booking form takes advance tables, Pre Theatre bookings and group bookings. For today, ring the bar directly.
Find us
7–8 St Johns Place,
Bath BA1 1ET
Bath BA1 1ET
On the street beside the Theatre Royal, in the heart of Georgian Bath.
Hours
- Food — every day10:00–21:00
- Breakfastfrom 10:00
- Lunch & dinner12:00–21:00
- Drinks & barfrom 10:00 till close
Good to know
- Payment by card throughout the pub.
- Access — the indoor rooms are not wheelchair accessible, owing to the nature of the listed Georgian building.
- Outside tables — full table service for food and drink, all year round; advance bookings cover the indoor rooms, and you can often move outside on arrival.