Tea in the Pump Room, Bath 
The famous Pump Room in Bath has the best afternoon tea in Britain (in my opinion) and is right next door to the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.
The Grand Pump Room was officially opened by the Duchess of York on December 28, 1795. The elegant hall still looks much the same as when it was first built, aside from the addition of tables and chairs.
The Grand Pump Room was originally left empty of furnishings, leaving visitors to mingle about in spacious elegance. The room was heated by two large fireplaces and musicians entertained guests from the west apse (as they still do). Hot mineral water from the springs was pumped to a fountain where an attendant filled glasses for those who wished to drink it.
"I'm afraid it will be very objectionable," I overheard a lady saying as she entered the Grand Pump Room, obviously for the first time in her life, intent on drinking some of the water.
"Not at all, madam," the uniformed attendant reassured her. "It is a little warm and has a slight taste; that is all."
-- H.M. Bateman, Bath, Past and Present, 1939
In Victorian times, it was customary to drink a prescribed number of glasses of the curative mineral waters before breakfast, so the doors opened at 6am in summer and the room was fully packed by 8am. The Grand Pump Room was the place to see and be seen; where Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey ladies "walked together, noticing every new face and almost every new bonnet in the room."
Tea in the Pump Room doesn't come cheap (£23 for two), but as a one-time splurge it is really worth it. I highly recommend the Traditional Pump Room Tea pictured at right. The clotted cream is divinely rich (just a step away from butter), the scones are moist and fresh, and the tiny sandwiches are perfection. Then there are the sweets, which are very rich and very good.
And of course, no visit to Bath is complete without a taste of the warm mineral water from the sacred springs (50 pence for a small glass) - the taste is indeed "objectionable" but has long been believed to cure all your ills.
The atmosphere of the Pump Room is elegant and historic without being intimidating (casually-dressed tourists are welcome) and the service is prompt and unobtrusive.
Interesting items of antique furniture line the walls of the room. The clock was given to Bath in 1709 by Thomas Tompion, England’s best known clockmaker.
The Pump Room Trio entertains diners and water-drinkers with classical music Monday to Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. A solo pianist plays every lunchtime and afternoons in the winter.
Tip: Your indulgence in the Pump Room is probably best left until after your sightseeing, as it is so rich that you may not feel too energetic afterwards (at least we didn't)!
Tip #2: You don't have to dine at the Pump Room to try the mineral water.
Map
Location map of the Pump Room in Bath (white marker). Using the slider on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. You can explore all of Bath on our much larger Bath Map.
Quick Facts
| Names: | The Pump Room; The Grand Pump Room; Pump Room Restaurant |
| Type of site: | Restaurant |
| Dates: | 1795 |
| Address: | Abbey Churchyard Bath BA1 1LZ |
| Phone: | +44 1225 44 4477 |
| Website: | http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/index.cfm?UUID=8AC46D2A-7E5B-45A9-8359609A424E2697 |
| Hours: | Open daily. Morning coffee: 9:30-12 Lunch: 12-2:30pm Afternoon tea: 2:30pm-close |
| Cost: | Free admission; Traditional Pump Room Tea £23 |
Sources
- Personal visit (September 2005)
- The Authorised Guide Book to the Roman Baths at Bath
