Brasserie Beau Review: A Bath Restaurant Punching Above Its Weight
I’ve lived within a ten-minute train ride from Bath for much of my life, and yet stepping out at Bath Spa station and wandering amidst the honey-coloured Georgian grandeur of the city still somehow feels like a treat every time.
Small it may be, yet there are plenty of reasons why people have been flocking here since Nero decided to plant his flag in this corner of Britannia – and whether you’re seeking to live out a Jane Austen fantasy, indulge in the same hot springs the Romans wallowed in or get up to speed on the city’s burgeoning fine dining scene, you’re sure to uncover something to delight the senses.
Elevated Gallic rusticity on display at Brasserie Beau
First Impressions: A Boutique Brasserie Setting Inside Hotel Indigo Bath
Brasserie Beau, situated on the ground floor of the Bathstone-clad 18th century building which houses the Hotel Indigo, fits the bill very nicely indeed. I’ve written before about how hotel restaurants seem to be turning a significant corner in 2026, and this rather convincing Gallic bistro imitation adds to the growing heap of supporting evidence. Launched a little over a year ago, Brasserie Beau cossets its diners in an array of intimate boutique dining rooms, each festooned with mismatched (but utterly charming) oil paintings and vintage advertisements, plush banquettes and low golden lighting. A rather grand central bar area is propped up by resting day trippers or excited theatre-goers awaiting opening time, and there’s a steady cloud of garlic, cheese and butter in the air. There are certainly worse first impressions to make on a hungry restaurant critic.
Dish of the evening: Bath Soft Cheese souffle
I’m told – by the affable and pristinely-suited restaurant manager, one of two highly attentive Frenchmen taking care of the front of house in a manner that suggests no lack of pride in their position – that a brand new menu and concept had been launched the day before. The Spring concept for Brasserie Beau is to make things a little more casual, a little more internationally-focused and a little more broad-ranging than the previous ‘go French or go home’ approach. Bavette steak had been replaced with a full menu of differing cuts, sea bass with slow-cooked vegetables took the place of skate wing with capers, and a smattering of pasta dishes had made it onto the list. It’s arguably a sensible move for a city centre hotel to take, and I’ve no doubt it wasn’t a decision taken lightly.
Ingredient-Led Cooking That Showcases West Country Produce
While the menu was brand new, the attention to detail and quality of produce used was clearly a long-standing tradition. Brasserie Beau clearly takes its standards very seriously indeed, with the dishes being constructed around superb ingredients and hints of some serious training and finesse in the kitchen. Even the signature cocktail – Beau’s Fizz – tasted like a manifesto in the glass; elderflower gin, foaming bitters and sparkling wine spoke of the kind of love affair between English and French flavours I’m never not going to wave the flag for.
Burrata with squash and candied pumpkin seeds
The meal kicks off with a pair of starters which continue the theme with real panache. A sizeable bolus of burrata – immensely creamy and falling apart under the fork – is prettily plated with pickled squash and candied pumpkin seeds. The cheese souffle, far from being a retro throwback, championed the character of multi-award winning Bath Soft Cheese (a local treasure that’s reminiscent of a good brie) and showcased some real skill. Seriously, it may well have been the dish of the evening, all nursery-esque softness and height, and packing a deeply delicious savoury thwack that had us scooping up every last trace. Our neighbouring table was tucking into pork rillettes, game terrine and a trio of beetroot with homemade ricotta, and from the various ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ being emitted, I’ve no doubt they were equally hitting all the right spots.
Main courses at Brasserie Beau come from a satisfyingly limited menu primarily dictated by produce plucked from local suppliers. Those seeking an encounter with high-quality cuts of beef would surely be delighted by the ribeye or sirloin on offer, and some patriotic pride swelled in my chest at the notion of a ‘pie of the day’ – this evening’s selection being a chicken and ham creation or a vegetarian alternative packed with celeriac and cheese.
Simple fish cookery done well: Sea bream at Brasserie Beau
I am, however, always going to gravitate towards the aquatic side of a menu, being far more tempted by the surf than the turf. Alongside their seabass mainstay, the restaurant always offers a fish of the day (which was, at the moment of ordering, a lemon sole) and a market choice of fish to be shared by two diners. We opted for the latter – a hefty whole sea bream, whose pearlescent flesh slid from the bone and which was cooked in a simple, rather rustic style that allowed the quality of the catch to shine. It came with a vivid green heap of al dente green beans and a pot of sliced new potatoes – nothing pretentious here, just a collection of tried-and-tested ingredients that we all know go together perfectly – and a jug of melted butter for pouring that was absolutely stuffed with tiny brown shrimp, samphire and a generous handful of capers.
Several satisfying mouthfuls of this winning combination in, the restaurant manager’s claim that Brasserie Beau had decided to move on from classic French dining suddenly seemed a little unconvincing. I certainly wasn’t complaining.
Desserts That Balance French Patisserie and British Nostalgia
A charming spot in which to while away an evening
Brasserie Beau’s dessert selection presented a rather delightful conundrum: pretty much everything on the menu sounded really rather irresistible. A coffee-spiked creme brulee and a raspberry mille feuille promised more Francophile pleasures, while rhubarb and apple crumble and sticky toffee pudding represent exactly the kind of English finishing flourish I crave on a chilly February evening.
My companion and I decided to opt for the sticky toffee pudding – a suitably decadent, squidgy affair served with an exceptionally smooth homemade vanilla ice cream which I’d gladly eat with a ladle. We followed this with the cheese selection, which again featured Bath Soft Cheese as well as a nutty Morbier and a trio of others, served with a rhubarb chutney and wafer-thin homemade crackers. It didn’t hang around for long, and the world felt a little brighter as a result.
As a city centre restaurant offering up comforting, well made and plated food with a contemporary European angle, Brasserie Beau more than holds its own. As a hotel restaurant in a location which doesn’t really have to do more than the bare minimum to pull in punters, Brasserie Beau absolutely punches above its weight. Once again, I felt rather lucky to live in the West Country, and I imagine it won’t be long before I make my return.
Book a table at Brasserie Beau here.
