Acorn

Acorn sits in a Georgian cellar in the centre of Bath, stone walls and low light making it one of the city's most naturally romantic rooms. Richard Buckley took over the kitchen in 2013 and, over time, turned a vegetarian room fully vegan, quietly enough that the Michelin Guide kept its recognition through the change. That made Acorn the first vegan restaurant in the UK to be listed by the guide.

The cooking treats a single vegetable as the whole dish rather than a side. Mike's roast beetroots arrive as wedges of golden and red beetroot over a cumin-scented dukkah, with blackcurrant sorbet cutting the earthiness, a plate that depends on the roasting being judged to the minute. The salt-baked celeriac is the other tell: the root cooked slowly inside a salt crust so it steams in its own moisture, then sliced into soft, savoury layers. The menu changes with the season, so the dishes rotate, but the discipline does not.

The wine list is organic and biodynamic, strong on natural producers from the Jura and the Rhône, and the service is warm about the food without preaching. Acorn made Bath's plant-based dining something to seek out rather than tolerate.

A small Georgian cellar: exposed stone, candle-low light, tables close enough to feel intimate without crowding. The sound sits at an easy hum, the dress code is smart-casual, and the seating is limited, which is why the booking window runs two to four weeks for a weekend. It is built for a slow, quiet dinner.

Book Acorn for a first date because the room and the menu both do the work. The cellar is intimate and flattering, the fully plant-based menu removes any negotiation over what each person eats, and the cooking is interesting enough to give you something to talk about. Take the five-course tasting, sit in a corner of the cellar, and let the kitchen set the pace.

Skip Acorn if you want meat, a quick bite, or a large lively group. The menu is entirely vegan with no off-menu compromise, it is a set tasting that takes its time, and the cellar is small and quiet rather than loud and casual.

Is Acorn vegetarian or vegan? Fully vegan. Richard Buckley took over in 2013 and turned what was a vegetarian room entirely plant-based, doing it quietly enough that the Michelin Guide kept its recognition through the change. Acorn was the first vegan restaurant in the UK to be listed in the guide. There is no meat, dairy or off-menu compromise.

What should I order at Acorn? It is a set seasonal tasting menu, so the order is chosen for you, but the vegetable cookery is the point. Mike's roast beetroots with blackcurrant and cumin dukkah and the salt-baked celeriac show the kitchen's control of a single ingredient. The five-course menu is the standard way in, from around £48.

How much does dinner at Acorn cost? The five-course tasting starts around £48 per person, with a longer seven-course option above that and shorter lunch menus from about £21. The wine list is organic and biodynamic. For a Michelin-listed kitchen this is fair value, and the Georgian cellar is part of what you pay for.

Is Acorn good for a first date? Yes. The stone-walled cellar is one of Bath's more romantic rooms, and a fully plant-based menu sidesteps any awkwardness over what each person eats. Book two to four weeks ahead for a weekend table.

Beyond Acorn, Bath rewards deeper exploration. See all restaurants in Bath, or compare with The Olive Tree and Menu Gordon Jones. Our First Date guide ranks the best tables across every city.