The Salamander — Restaurant in Bath

Much as in the same way that one may expect a biography of Peter Andre to be consistently mind-numbing and dull, one can expect a visit to The Salamander to be the polar opposite: a consistently interesting and enjoyable experience, perhaps on a par with trying a hundred different types of cheesecake. I recently had the pleasure of visiting and had a thoroughly enjoyable time indeed. I was a little drunk, and failed rather spectacularly in my efforts to ingratiate myself with a girl I believe may have later described me as 'particularly annoying and crass'. Still, this did not have a significantly negative impact on my friend and I enjoying ourselves as we soaked-up the welcome, the atmosphere, the overall good-humour, and rather more booze-laced drinks than were otherwise good for a declaration of sobriety.

By way of a statement of the almost-obvious, Bath's Salamander is a boozer... and a rather good one at that. It is a clean and civilised establishment with a dollop of sophistication and something of a gloss of elegance, the combination of which successfully repels any ill-educated, tracksuit-wearing chavs intent on honking about football while simultaneously attempting to explode their own kidneys. It is one of Bath's more appealing bars in which to sit and engage in the consumption of booze-laced beverages, the selection of which, courtesy of Bath Ales, is particularly splendid and appreciated even by men without beards.

Sadly, I have yet to find anyone interested in buying me lunch or dinner at The Salamander. This is particularly disappointing because even a cursory glance of the menu is enough to make one drool like some kind of pest. That said, I did try the 'proper chips' not too long ago, and while I think the name 'proper' is somewhat misleading since they are priced at three quid, are not wrapped in newspaper and not swimming in four gallons of fat or served by a bearded twenty-stone grandmother in a hairnet, they are some of the best I have ever had the pleasure to gobble down too quickly, scalding my epiglottis as I did. Fear not though, for The Salamander is not your typical gastropub filled with estate agents and too-highly-paid council executives squawking into Blackberries and babbling about shoes. Sure, the chips err on the side of 'a little bit pricey an' that, innit', but they are good value. And judging by the menu on the screen of my laptop I happen to be drooling upon right now, the same should be said of the 'chorizo, fried egg, garlic and parsley frittes (sic)' priced at a paltry 'almost-eight quid'.

Overall, all things considered and to conclude... The Salamander is an awesome pub. Clearly not the place to meet girls while a little on the drunk side of sober... or Me, but great for consuming good booze, dining on what appears to be well-produced and drool-satisfying comestibles, avoiding oiks, and having a thoroughly pleasurable time indeed. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and care about what they do, and the decor is very much on the right side of pleasant. I recommend The Salamander much as in the same way I quite...

My initial experience with this restaurant was highly anticipated, driven by the stellar Google reviews we had come across. However, upon our arrival for our afternoon reservation, we encountered an unexpected turn of events. Regrettably, the kitchen could not open, leading to the cancellation of our booking. It was brought to my attention that they had attempted to contact us, albeit only four minutes before our actual arrival whilst we were walking in the rain to get to their pub! This unforeseen situation left us in quite a predicament, as we found ourselves without a dining destination. While it's understandable that unforeseen circumstances can arise in any establishment, I must express my disappointment with the situation. I believe that a more proactive approach to communication and managing reservations could have mitigated this unfortunate outcome. They admitted they knew the kitchen could not open well in advance of our arrival but could not give a reason why they did not try to contact us in the morning as soon as they were aware! They apologised, but made zero attempt to mitigate the effect of this, not even offering a drink or a place to sit so we could dry off!...

The food was all great, except for the steak. It was so thick that it was completely uncooked in the middle. It was supposed to be medium rare, but it was way underdone. I am aware there are debates about this but I eat steak out quite often and worked in restaurants. Because it was so underdone it was also impossible to cut or chew. So after a few attempts I politely asked for something else. The waitress was lovely - couldn't have been more helpful. She took my plate away, only to reappear with it to 'check' if I'd ordered it medium rare. I said yes but that is underdone. She said something about differing opinions etc. So, the chef decided to send a sent-back dish back to the customer - I wonder what the purpose of this was, really. Just seems a bit unnecessary and made me feel uncomfortable. Was I supposed to take it back again and eat it? Just odd. If someone complains about food, the only good resolution is to offer a replacement (and I can't remember the last time I sent something back). When we left, the chefs had a good look out, clearly having a look for the 'offender'. Just odd and unnecessary. It's a great pub, but I probably wouldn't eat...