You could quite literally spend a whole weekend exploring the best coffee shops in Bath, each one having a unique take on the beverage taste and many featuring wonderful interior settings to make you comfortable and relaxed.
Having lived in Bath for almost 30 years, I have tested a lot of the cities cafés, and have come up with a list that I think features the best of the best.
I also went to our Twitter community to ask you what your favourite coffee shops are, so I have added in a few that our community has recommended to our readers.
1. The Colombian Company
In my opinion The Colombia Company is the best coffee shop in Bath, hands down.
During the pandemic it was my go to for takeaway coffee while I walk the lonely streets of Bath to keep myself out of mental breakdowns.
Once things lifted and the public could sit outside, this was my go to location to work from, so for that reason, it has a special place in my heart, as if it somewhat “looked after me” during those hard times, so to the coffee shop and to the lovely staff, I am very thankful!
Why am I in love with this coffee shop? Well, it has the best tasting coffee in the city, with great outdoor seating (that is luckily covered overhead), and incredible sweet snacks to partner with their powerful coffee.
They authentically source the coffee beans directly from Colombia, which helps support local farmers who struggle against the larger scale industrial farms.
That combined with the Colombian vibes in-store, delicious snacks, superb location and competitive prices, it’s a must visit for those wanting one of Bath’s best coffee spots.
Address: Abbey Gate St, Bath, BA11NP
2. Good Day Cafe
If you’re like me and have an uncontrollable sweet tooth, then you’ll be glad to know that Good Day Cafe is one of the best coffee shops in Bath that features a wide number of cakes, cookies, milkshakes and brownies.
It’s an independent small business ran by a talented team of bakers and coffee shop makers. They have created an incredibly vibrant, fun coffee shop that also serve food, making it a great spot for brunch too!
Downstairs features a handful of tables and the long counter, allowing you to drool at their selection of sweet treats before being escorted upstairs where they serve food and have tables for larger groups.
When the weather is good they have outdoor seating to accommodate more customers and it’s a nice place to sit while you devour one of their creative brookies… that’s half brownie, half cookies if you’re wondering!
It’s one of those small business that i am always happy to see booming in popularity, and it’s for good reason. It has superb customer service, great coffee and amazing sweet treats for you to grab while you explore the city.
Their Instagram page will show you exactly what they have to offer, you won’t be able to resist!
Address: 12 Upper Borough Walls, Bath, BA11RH
3. Mokoko
Mokoko has one of the best locations in Bath. It’s situated right outside of the abbey, and right next to the entrance to the Roman Baths, allowing you to watch the world go by while you sip on great quality coffee.
Mokoko are renowned for being a two in one coffee shop and bakery.
One of their unique selling points is that fact that their coffee actually changes taste throughout the year. This is because they source their beans from over a dozen countries including Indie, Ethiopia, Uganda, Brazil and Peru when they are in “season”.
So every time you visit, you may get a new hint of coffee that you weren’t expecting. If you visit the coffee shop you’ll also be greeted with a wide selection of bakes and sandwiches.
This is because Mokoko also specialise in baking incredible foods to pair with your coffee, making it a great spot to grab lunch, and as our community member Jeff Barrie states “great views of the hustle and bustle of the pump rooms & Roman Baths upstairs plus cinnamon buns”.
It might not be the cheapest coffee in Bath, but it’s certainly one of the best tasting. If you pair it with the superb location and good food, it’s a must visit when you’re exploring around the Abbey.
Make sure to ask where they have sourced their coffee from, because it could be different the week after, which is always a welcome surprise, not many coffee shops in Bath do this!
Address: 6 Abbey Churchyard, Bath, BA11LY
4. Society Cafe
There’s a couple of Society Cafes in Bath and both are great places to grab coffee in the city. One is located in Kingsmead Square, and the other in The Corridor closer to Pulteney Bridge.
Kingsmead Square is the bigger of the two with lots of seating inside and out, making it a great location if you’re looking to stay warm, or to work in.
The Corridor location is great for takeaways and grabbing fresh snacks on the go. In the past I typically worked in The Corridor shop because I previously lived on Pulteney Street, and I just loved watching the world go by as I worked on my laptop, especially in the cold winters.
Society Cafe is an independently owned brand which makes delicious coffee for the city, all while creating minimalist, modern interior locations to enjoy it in. They also sell some of the best banana bread that I have ever tasted, so good in fact that I grab a slice almost every couple of weeks!
They have incredibly lovely staff that are always open to conversation, they have a wide selection of tasty treats but most importantly, and something that is very underrated in most independent coffee shops, is the speed that they serve you.
It’s very rarely that I am waiting around for my coffee to be made, which makes it a great spot for quick, high quality coffee for when you need to get somewhere.
Address: 19 High St, The Corridor, Bath, BA15AJ
5. Mjolk
If you’re looking for another great location to relax at with great coffee then Mjolk is your go to, as it’s located right under the Abbey making it the best location for those who are fans of the incredible architecture.
Mjolk has been around for a few years now, and has a great little story behind it. It’s a passion project from a couple named Chris (Somerset-raised) and Hanna (Swedish-born), they lived in Sweden for a couple of years before returning to the UK to take over their mothers gift shop in Bath.
They transformed it into their dream coffee shop known as Mjolk. They now source local ingredients around Bath and create incredible sandwiches, sweet treats and many other Scandinavian delicacies.
It’s a small coffee shop, but packs a large amount of outdoor seating area, which happens to be covered in the summer and heated in the winter, making it a great all season coffee shop.
Be sure to try one of their almond croissants when they’re fresh out of the oven, you’ll be drooling in no time, especially when partnered with their warm, homely coffee.
Address: 13 Abbey Churchyard, Bath, BA11LZ
6. WatchHouse
WatchHouse coffee shop opened in early July 2023, and perfectly located itself in the middle of the high street on Old Bond Street.
You can’t miss it. With its large windows, outdoor seating, and modern minimalistic vibes it’s a fresh take on creating coffee, and it somehow feels “different” even though it’s surrounded by some of the best coffee shops in town.
WatchHouse have locations throughout London, but Bath is their first step outside of their comfort zone and we couldn’t be happier because their coffee tastes great, and there’s a good selection of bites to pair it with.
If you’re a big fan, there’s even products to take home with you, including coffee pods should you have a pod machine at home.
There’s not a lot of seating inside, so from what i can tell, in the winter it’s going to be very much a coffee shop you got too for a takeaway, but in the summer there’s plenty of outdoor seating for you to enjoy.
It’s not the cheapest coffee shop in town, but it’s certainly one of the best.
Address: 8-10 Old Bond St, Bath, BA11BL
7. Cascara
Cascara in Bath is one of the best vegan-friendly coffee shops that the city has to offer, and it’s located smack bang in the middle of the city.
Inside you’ll find warm vibes alongside a big selection of vegan food to choose from. They sell soups, cakes, sandwiches, yoghurt bowls and large salads.
This coffee shop is small but theres a good amount of seating outside that gives it a very lively feel, and more often than not when you’re outside you will bump into someone you know who is passing by!
They sell great quality coffee, and just like society they serve them very quickly, making it another great spot if you’re passing by or heading to work.
If coffee isn’t your thing, do not fear! Cascara also sell smoothies, giving you a nutritional kick inside or on the go.
Address: 3 Upper Borough Walls, Bath, BA11RG
8. Colonna & Smalls
Colonna & Smalls was the most popular coffee shop recommended by our readers on Twitter, and that’s for good reason.
This store opened up back in 2009, being ran by Maxwell and Lesley, two very talented individuals who found their passion for coffee while in Melbourne. While mastering their skill for many years they were known as one of the best independent coffee shops in Europe.
The owners would enter competitions, visit expos, and would often collaborate with experts and scientists to nail down the magic of making good coffee.
They created a place in Bath where you can engage in conversation about coffee and test liquid masterpieces that you won’t find anywhere else in the UK.
Still to this day it makes impressive coffee that seeks quality over quantity. The shop is modern, spacious, has high ceilings and even features a little outdoor space for summer.
I often come here to work all while having the thrill of experience truly wonderful coffee that is hand crafted by professionals.
It truly is one of Bath’s secret wonders.
Address: 6 Chapel Row, Bath, BA11HT
9. Cortado
Cortado is a coffee shop just off of Pulteney Bridge, and situated just a stones throw from the weir, in fact you can actually hear the weir roaring if you sit outside.
This lovely coffee shop is owned by Fran and Sophie, they met when they were backpacking in Peru and after sharing their love of coffee they decided to open up a small cafe in Bath. Fran is very hands on and you’ll see him doing the day to day running of the coffee shop, while Sophie does the creative bits online and the marketing side.
This shop has South American vibes all throughout the interior, constant smiling faces, great coffee and even better empanadas according to our community member Matthew Bates!
Cortado are also very conscious about their impact on the environment, so they’ve made a wide number of sustainable choices to help with their footprint.
For example all of their coffee shop energy is provided by green energy suppliers only, they work with sustainable coffee suppliers and they don’t sell any of their drinks in plastic packaging.
It’s one of the cities best independent coffee shops and is always busy, so you know it’s good coffee!
Address: 7 Bridge St, Bath, BA24AS
10. Cafe Au Lait
Cafe Au Lait was featured in our best places for bottomless brunch in Bath article, but it’s also a great place to grab a coffee and a bite to eat.
It’s located just outside of the train station, making it a great place to grab brunch before your train, or to quickly grab a delicious warm drink before heading to work.
It’s a family ran independent coffee shop that is known in the city for being one of the best breakfast spots in town, coupled up with freshly made coffee that tastes incredible.
The chefs know exactly what they are doing and the staff are always very welcoming. They often have seating outside so you can witness the lively train station and inside has a comfortable setting with great seating arrangements. They also offer luggage storage should you want to explore the city without carrying around heavy bags!
Cafe Au Lait only source their ingredients from local independent businesses, so you know every time you visit your helping a wide number of businesses all around Somerset and Wiltshire.
If you want good coffee and a full belly, this is the place to go.
Address: 12-14 Dorchester St, Bath, BA11SS
11. Forum Coffee House
Forum Coffee House is located on the side of the forum, a stones throw away from the bus station and just over the road from South Gate meaning it’s a great spot to relax at before or after your shopping spree!
I’m a big fan of this coffee shop because of how open it is and the fact they have lots of tables, opening up possibilities for big groups or individual space for those of you that like to work in coffee shops.
Like many coffee shops on this list Forum Coffee House source their coffee locally from a small business just a few miles down the road but at times they’ll get guest coffee in to suprise their customers and support even more local businesses.
This is the coffee shop to go to if you want space, are in big groups and want to taste great coffee while you’re shopping around the city centre.
Address: 1A Forum Buildings, St James’s Parade, Bath, BA11UG
Brandon has lived in Bath his whole life, exploring the local food, testing far too many pubs and even building his own media company just outside of the city. He has years of experience travelling the world and now he wants to help the city flourish using his content building experience.
