Quiet times and good food

If the Saturday night crowds are getting you down, a bit of boutique hotel dining might be the answer as PIP LARKHAM finds in Bath

- PIP LARKHAM

BATH gets busy on a summer Saturday evening. But once you've waded through the hen parties, groups of lads, hand-in-hand couples, people watchers and pushchairs, you'll be glad to find the oasis of calm that boutique hotel Roseate Villa offers. Tucked away on Henrietta Road, just off Laura Place at the end of Great Pulteney Street, you're just a few minutes walk from the hustle and bustle of the city, but you may as well be in the countryside, opposite the beautiful and tranquil Henrietta Park.

We were here to sample the new summer menu in the hotel's aptly named Henrietta Bar. Crisp, white tablecloths and single white roses adorned the carefully laid tables in the modest-sized room, all among the Georgian splendour everyone knows and expects in the city. Soft jazz and soul music wafted through the speakers as we were shown to our seats by the window. A few other diners were dotted around the room, whether they were actually staying at the hotel I don't know, as the Henrietta Bar is open to both hotel and non-hotel guests.