Chequers

Chequers is the sort of pub every city wishes it had. Just a short stroll from Bath’s Royal Crescent, it fuses the warmth of a proper local with cooking that’s earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for four consecutive years.

Head chef Sam Stone and team build their menus around exceptional produce from trusted South West suppliers. Increasingly, whole-animal butchery plays a central role in the kitchen, and lesser-used cuts sit comfortably alongside more familiar favourites.

The cooking strikes a confident balance between generosity and refinement. Dishes such as Westcombe ricotta-stuffed courgette flower with salsa roja and smoked almonds; Wye Valley asparagus with fried duck egg, wild garlic and black pudding; and roasted spring lamb rump with confit potato terrine and braised shoulder reflect the kitchen’s thoughtful, seasonal approach.

Inside, church pew banquettes, sash windows and well-worn wooden floors create the atmosphere of a community pub where locals return again and again.