UNUSUAL THINGS TO DO IN BATH
From the Journal · Hidden Bath
Everyone knows the postcard Bath, the Abbey, the Roman Baths, the sweep of the Royal Crescent. But the most rewarding unusual things to do in Bath are the ones the guidebooks miss: the hidden bars in Bath behind unmarked doors, the curiosity shops full of taxidermy and oddities, and a candlelit speakeasy buried in the vaults beneath the streets. This is the city for the curious, and below is where we'd send a friend who already knows the famous sights and wants the secret ones instead.
The Star Entry
Descend into Opium, Bath's Hidden Speakeasy
If you only do one thing from this list, make it this. Hidden in the vaults beneath Grove Street, just off Pulteney Bridge, Opium is the speakeasy Bath keeps to itself, Bath's best known secret. You descend a stair into low candlelight, oxblood velvet and shelves of curiosities, where bartenders pour bespoke craft cocktails alongside carefully chosen wine, gin and beer.
It's the sort of place that turns an ordinary evening into a story. There's even a private Secret Room for up to fifteen, with its own bartender and karaoke, and you can learn the craft yourself at a private cocktail masterclass. Rated 4.6 stars across 505 Google reviews, it's the hidden bar in Bath that locals quietly send their favourite people to.
More Curious Corners of Bath
A speakeasy makes the perfect finale, but the best evenings build slowly. Here's how to fill the hours beforehand, the quirky, off-the-beaten-track Bath that rewards anyone willing to wander.
Hunt for the city's hidden bars
Bath wears its Georgian elegance on the surface, but the best cool bars in Bath keep their doors deliberately quiet. Look for the unmarked stairwell, the candle in the window, the queue that seems to dissolve into a wall. The reward for the curious is always better than the obvious.
Browse the curiosity & antiquarian shops
Tucked down Walcot Street and the lanes off Pulteney Bridge, you'll find taxidermy, apothecary jars, foxed maps and oddities that belong in a Victorian collector's cabinet. It's the perfect afternoon of theatrical browsing before an evening underground.
Wander Bath after dark
The honey-stone crescents are lovely by day, but they turn cinematic by candlelight. A slow evening walk past Pulteney Bridge and down toward the river is one of the most underrated, and free, unusual things to do in Bath.
Take a cocktail masterclass
Skip the standard tour and learn to build a bespoke drink with your own hands. A private cocktail masterclass is part theatre, part skill, and far more memorable than another guided shuffle past the Roman Baths.
The Best Secrets Are the Ones You're Let In On
Bath rewards the curious. Skip the obvious itinerary, follow the unmarked doors and the candlelight, and you'll find a city far stranger and more romantic than its postcards let on. When you're ready to be let in on the best of them, we'll leave a candle burning in the vaults for you. Discover more about who we are, browse the journal, or simply step inside.
Descend Into the Vaults
Ready to tick off the most unusual thing to do in Bath? Reserve a candlelit table at Opium and let the evening unfold. Open Mon-Wed until midnight, Thu-Sat until 2am.
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