OAK Restaurant — Restaurant in Bath

I took my veggie boyfriend out to OAK for a special meal, and while the concept of a vegetarian-only restaurant is fantastic, there were a few things that didn’t quite meet expectations.

We opted for the tasting menu, which promised an exciting variety of flavors, but I feel that OAK doesn’t quite live up to its premium pricing. The space is very intimate, with only 10 tables spread across two small floors. For some, the coziness might be appealing, but we found it a bit cramped. Our table had a severe wobble, which was more than just a small inconvenience, and I would strongly recommend that they inspect all tables for stability. Considering OAK charges premium prices for its dishes, it’s disappointing to encounter such basic issues like uncomfortable chairs and a table that detracted from the overall experience.

As for the food, the tasting menu started with spiced nuts that were pleasant, with a honeyed quality that was quite nice. However, the fermented vegetables that followed were tough to cut and had a very sour flavor that didn’t quite hit the mark for us.

The soup was next, and it had a lovely nutty base with sweet red onion on top, which added a nice contrast to the richness. The hummus had oil on top and tasted quite fatty—perhaps too much so—and I thought a touch of honey could have really balanced it out. The focaccia, however, was a highlight – it was fresh, flavorful, and comforting, a perfect bread to accompany the meal.

The fried sprouting broccoli was pleasant but could have used more seasoning. While it was well-cooked, the lack of salt made it feel a bit underwhelming compared to the other dishes. The Jerusalem artichoke in white sauce was decent but served too cold for my liking, which somewhat dampened the overall experience.

The ravioli was one of the standout dishes – the cheese and smoky flavors were perfectly balanced, and it was absolutely delicious. If there had been more of it, I would have been thrilled. The portion size was just right for the tasting menu, but I couldn’t help but wish for a bit more of that flavor-packed ravioli.

For dessert, we had the dark chocolate tart, which was rich and indulgent but also quite salty—so much so that it became a bit overwhelming for me. I understand that some might enjoy the contrast, but it was a bit too much on the salt side for my personal taste. The sourdough ice cream that accompanied it was an interesting, experimental choice, but for me, it didn’t quite hit the mark. It tasted more like rice pudding than ice cream, and the texture, with the breadcrumbs, was not something I was fond of. It’s a unique idea, but it didn’t quite come together in a way that was pleasant for me.

My boyfriend had the wine pairing to accompany the tasting menu, and I have to say the waiter was incredibly knowledgeable about the wines. He was able to provide great insights into each selection, which really enhanced the...

I used to visit a lot when this place was Acorn. I’m a good cook (as I think a lot of vegans and veggies are) so I like to eat foods I wouldn’t necessarily make at home when I go out. I loved that Acorn had foams etc. which made food exciting and that I’d never bother with at home and their dishes were always quite inspiring. My fiancé took me to Oak for the first time for a birthday treat. I was excited to go and I knew they’d wound back the fanciness a little which I don’t think is a particularly bad thing. We were seated at the smallest table and immediately wondered where our food would go. It was explained to us that each dish was a sharing plate, which we hadn’t realised, and to order 5-6. We had bread to start. The bread was amazing but it came with a tiny amount of olive oil which seemed a bit strange without balsamic or dukka like there used to be. I had a glass of sparkling wine which was also really delicious and my fiancé had a homemade plum drink that tasted of literally nothing. We ordered 5 sharing dishes. The waitress took away our water bottle, realising that the plates had no chance of fitting on our table. The first dish came promptly which was a spelt and beetroot thing. There were probably 3 dessert spoons full of food… for £7+. We weren’t told this, but the food arrives in a really staggered way. We’d finished it a while before the next plate, 5 little carrots on some tahini arrived. Also for £7+. We finished those (5 carrots between 2 people is annoying) before the final 3 dishes arrived together. One of the dishes, potato pavé, didn’t come with the carrots on top so they reduced it to about £9. It was probably 3”x3”. We actually laughed afterwards about how we’d just paid £9 for a cube of potato. Ridiculous. Dessert was fine but took ages to come and no one acknowledged that at all. So we paid around £38 for a couple of spoons of spelt, 5 small carrots, 1.5 small courgettes, a quarter of a small cabbage and a very tiny square of potato. 2 drinks, the bread and desserts took the bill to £74. The food was fine but it was nothing that couldn’t easily be made at home. The portions were sooooooo tiny and literally just a vegetable with virtually no carbs or protein to fill you up. The markup on each dish must easily be 800%, probably 1000%. If there was skill or something to make it special I wouldn’t have minded but it really was basic stuff. This concept just doesn’t work. The tables aren’t even big enough for it! If it isn’t Acorn fine dining anymore, they shouldn’t still be charging those prices. Sadly won’t...

Very impressed with the food - probably the best vegan culinary experience I've ever had. Reading the other reviews, I would highly suggest to look up the pictures of the dishes on the internet before ordering to avoid disappointment - not all of them are as you'd expect based on the description on the menus.

We tried seven dishes in total, both from the lunch menu and from the classics menu. We both were very impressed with the flavour combinations and the presentation. The best dish was definitely the mushroom parfait with hazelnut cream, pickled cabbage, roasted king oyster mushroom, slow cooked celery and chicory (see picture). The Jerusalem artichoke risotto was very impressive, too. I think the only dish I wouldn't buy again was my dessert (quince with walnut parfait) - that was more like a savoury/neutral dish rather than a sweet dessert. The staff was very polite and they gave a very detailed explanation about all the dishes (the menu sometimes states only the ingredients and not how they are actually prepared, so when they say "hazelnut" it can mean whole hazelnuts, hazelnut crunch or hazelnut cream etc.) So I would encourage everyone to ask before ordering.

Our overall experience was really good (my partner is a meat eater and a foodie, but even him was really impressed) - the only reason he gave 4 stars and not 5 was because the glasses and cutlery weren't spotless/polished as you would expect from a Michelin star restaurant. Other than that, we both were really happy with our meals and had a good time. We also arrived an hour early and could change our booking because they weren't fully booked. Regardless, booking in advance is recommended (they told us Friday evenings are the busiest.)

Really good overall experience, although a bit pricey, but definitely would recommend. (Edit: looks like in some browsers/on some devices my photos are not showing while they are showing twice/duplicated on others and I can't seem to be able to edit them anymore or be able to delete the duplicates... sorry about that. Hope my review is...