Restaurant Review: Emberwood, Bath

Genna Ash-Brown heads to Emberwood in Bath for an evening of quality British bites and seasonal serves

Bath is a city that oozes class. Its deep-rooted Roman roots echo through its clean streets as the grace of its Georgian architecture emanates from above, all while its well-dressed residents peruse high-end and boutique shops, or sip wine and spritzes alfresco in the summer heat. While it’s not quite the colourful melting pot of its grittier neighbour, Bristol, what it lacks in edge it certainly makes up for in beauty.

So, what encouraged this recent balmy evening jaunt to the famous Somerset city? Emberwood, of course, a new British brasserie in the four-star Francis Hotel.

Keeping it local

Led by general manager Shaun Bowles and created in partnership with Alex Ghalleb, restaurateur and managing director of Five Graces Hospitality, Emberwood is a fire-led concept inspired by the culture and heritage of Bath. Every dish is designed to reflect its founders’ pride in the city, with produce sourced from local farmers and producers, highlighting the rich agricultural landscape of the region. Cooked by fire and sourced with care, every ingredient has a story to tell, deepened with a charcoal kiss – from day-boat Cornish hake to sun-ripened Isle of Wight tomatoes to crispy Porthilly oysters.

Fire away

Much like the city in which it resides, Emberwood’s interior is suitably pristine and elegantly styled. We were led to the marbled countertop at the far end of the dining space and seated on stools in front of a grill, which takes centre stage in the open kitchen. Our ancestral lifeblood meant we couldn’t help but feel enthralled at the flicker of the fire, and as the busy team constructed plates around us that looked both generous and artfully crafted, it’s fair to say our appetites had well and truly kicked in.

As we were browsing the menu, we kicked things off with a bowl of marinated gordal olives (£4.50), the perfect way to get our taste buds whirring into action. We went for the coal-roasted Cornish scallops with garlic butter and gremolata (£19) to start, along with the burnt aubergine with goat’s cheese curd, confit tomatoes and green beans (£14). As a sucker for a scallop, I was fully ready to doff my figurative cap to that classic winner of a dish – and while those succulent, butter-soaked pillows certainly didn’t disappoint, it was the aubergine dish that brought it home – flavoursome, clean and fully in season.

Emberwood, Bath

Onto the mains, for which my partner chose the 220g Wagyu bavette, served with green chilli salsa and Koffman fries (£26). The steak was not only perfectly cooked, but enhanced by the lick of the natural flame, while the fries hit the spot with an initial crisp that coated a delightfully fluffy middle – what more could you ask for in this gold standard of sides? For me, the red mullet with crab bisque, shellfish, crab mayo and charred sourdough (£27) was a win, satisfying this seafood fanatic with an abundant fishy feast. But with choices like the garden pea risotto with tenderstem broccoli and sweet herb Kewpie mayo (£18), roasted pork belly with spiced black pudding, borlotti beans and salsa verde (£23) or the charred courgette cacio e pepe (£19.50), we could have gone with any main on the menu and left full-bellied and content.

When it came to dessert, we were once again spoilt for choice, with dishes including strawberry and pomegranate molasses with custard, white chocolate and mint (£8), miso custard tart with vanilla pod ice cream (£8) or any number of indulgences from the sweet trolley. A selection of local cheese is also offered for those with a more savoury bent (£15).

But, after much deliberation, we shared the chocolate mousse and cocoa nib brownie, served with raspberries and tarragon ice cream (£9), along with the rum baba with vanilla Chantilly and chargrilled pineapple flambé (£9). I could have eaten an entire portion of that delectable grilled fruit and the baba packed a punch, but we were both utterly enticed by the brownie, fighting over the last bite.

All this was accompanied by a couple of balanced and eye-pleasing cocktails – A Surgeon’s Dark and Stormy for him (El Dorado 8yr rum, pineapple and ginger shrub, ginger beer and spiced bitters, £13) which was both tropical and peppery; and an Emerald Highball mocktail for me (long pepper verjus, lime juice, cucumber and soda, £9), which was fragrant, green and entirely refreshing. All in all, we couldn’t fault the food at Emberwood and the service was top-quality to match. We just wish we could have sampled more of the offering – but luckily it’s right on our doorstep, so you can bet we’ll be back!

You may also be interested in…