United Kingdom 2026

The Architect

The Architect is a lovely bar and restaurant along the River Avon, located in the Empire Hotel just steps away from Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths in one direction and Pulteney Bridge in the other. The bar has over 50 gins, which made for a fun evening, but the food was great too. We started with the Crispy Beef Bao Bun, a delicious surprise on a generally British menu. After that I went all England with the Beer Battered Fish and Chips. I particularly enjoyed the minted mushy peas. My wife had the Buttercross Farm Pork and Apple Sausages, which were great, but the greens that came with it were the only miss of the meal. Just eat around them. Dessert was delicious, Hot Waffle with caramelised banana, salted caramel sauce, and honeycomb ice cream. Overall we had a wonderful meal.

The Architect
Bath, England

The Pump Room

The Pump Room has been serving guests for over 200 years, including literary figures such as Austen and Dickens. Austen features the room heavily in her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Part of the Roman Baths, visitors have the opportunity to sample the warm mineral water from the fountain which gives the room its name. They serve both breakfast and tea with live music to entertain diners.

We visited for breakfast, which came with tea, even though I was most excited to drink from the fountain. The water is warm and viscus. It is slightly salty and though I enjoyed it, my wife and son both said it was gross. Whether you like it or not, to drink from the same fountain that so many people traveled log journeys for is a bucket list experience.

The Pump Room has their own tea blend which was very nice. Even nicer were their excellent Eggs Benedict offered in a variety of styles, but I enjoyed them in the traditional way. They also offer slices of cake for breakfast, which shouldn’t be surprising given the number of bakeries, chocolate shops, and cookie stores all around Bath. While my wife adored her Victorian Sponge, I found the carrot cake a little dry. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend a stop at the Pump Room for any visitor to Bath.

The Pump Room
Bath, England

Sally Lunn’s

Sally Lunn’s boasts that it is the “Oldest House in Bath, c. 1482”. The lower part of the house dates back to the reconstruction of Bath after the Great Fire which destroyed the town in 1137. But the rest of the history is suspect. Was there really a Sally Lunn? It’s claimed that she was a baker who was a tenant of the building in 1680, but no sources confirm it. Either way, the restaurant really didn’t begin until about 1934. Today they are famous for their buns which are served at tea.

Tea service consists of a pot of tea and two servings of Sally Lunn or Bath Buns. The buns are big and fluffy, similar to brioche. The first serving was savory buns: egg salad, smoked salmon with dill cream cheese, salt beef with honey mustard, and melted Brie with cranberry. The second serving was sweet buns: milk jam with crushed honeycomb, chocolate butter with chocolate shavings, lemon curd with raspberry, cinnamon butter with candied orange peel.

We had a lovely time at Sally Lunn’s. The egg salad, salt beef, and lemon buns were particularly good. Even if the history is a little suspect, you feel transported back in time to eat there.

Sally Lunn’s
Bath, England

Cardiff Bakestones

Don’t be intimidated by the long line in Cardiff Market stretching around Cardiff Bakestones. It moves fast, and even if it didn’t, it would be worth waiting in because at the other end are some of the best little cakes you can get. I can’t say I’m an expert on Welsh Cakes, but the people in line assured me these were the best, and I really can’t imagine they could get better. The lemon and the jam filled ones were delicious, but the best were the traditional, still warm and dusted in sugar.

Cardiff Bakestones
Cardiff, Wales

Thomas, the brasserie

The best meal I had on this trip was at Thomas, the brasserie. Everything was delicious, but the side of creamed spinach was particularly beautiful. Maybe it was because I wasn’t eating a lot of vegetables on this trip, but the last time I remember having creamed spinach this good was at Folk Folly in Memphis almost ten years ago.

1. Short Rib & Suet Pudding – baked potato mash, beef jus & Creamed Spinach – garlic, nutmeg, lemon
“Fish & Chips” Cornish cod, curried scraps, crushed peas, warm tartar sauce, Tom’s chips

2. Fillet of Beef Tartare – house dressing, Tom’s crisps

3. Tom’s Fried Chicken – lime mayo, sesame, coriander

4. Sticky Toffee Pudding – vanilla ice cream, custard

Thomas, the brasserie
Cardiff, Wales

Haunch of Venison

What do you eat at a pub called Haunch of Venison? Ok, don’t answer that. This pub, founded in 1320 is the oldest in Salisbury. It leans towards the street something fierce and the floors in the dining room are seriously sloped. There is a wood burning fire going, a little smaller today than the one that used to be the sole source of warmth.

The best thing I ate was a curried pheasant, but I didn’t get a picture. Luckily, the venison was great too. They make a wonderful scotch egg with venison and black pudding. Almost as good was the night’s special, venison carpaccio. I ended the night with a traditional sticky toffee pudding. It was a brilliant meal in an fantastic, historic pub.