Budō in Bath and North East Somerset

What a great place! They're friendly and knowledgeable and the sake is excellent. We only (!) had the three different sake flights, all of which were very drinkable and interesting, with a really surprising variety of flavours. I definitely want to go back with friends soon to try the food. For Japanese food in Bath, Robun on George Street is good but expensive and stuffy. The vibe at Budo is relaxed but obviously really passionate about what they do. It must be so hard to run an independent business in Bath, given what must be exorbitant rents, and they deserve your custom, if you're looking for good food and drink.

Delicious Japanese food, lovely atmosphere, great menu and incredible Sake! Next time, It is a 'must' to have a Japanese whiskey, thanks

Fantastic food and friendly service. Can recommend the plum beer, the kimchi pancakes, duck aorta skewers, and both the matcha yuzu and miso caramel tarts. Only downside is that some of seating is a little uncomfortable, and the decor in certain areas isn’t as nice as others (sit downstairs in the exposed stone wall area for the best surroundings). A fantastic place to grab a drink and some interesting food as a group, couple or solo! Budget around £40 - £50 per person for enough food, dessert and drinks for a full meal.

Lovely place - I'd say it's the most authentic Japanese place in Bath (although there isn't really much adequate competition in the city). The staff are super friendly & the drinks and food selection are good. I'm particularly keen on the edamame which is super authentic and delicious. The sake & whisky selection are great too. The only thing I find a tad odd is the big towel in the bathroom. It's merely not hygienic - I'd suggest the owner invest in a hand dryer or tissues.. This is not Japan after all and I'd prefer not to dry my hands in a towel used by hundreds of people daily.

Delicious Japanese food (beyond sushi). Delicious Japanese drinks. 100% recommend, I honestly can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love this.

Highly recommend: Gyoza - Pork and Coriander, Skewers - Pork Belly with Miso/Yuzu. Gyoza is truly delicious!!😋 It doesn't taste like something sold in an Asian supermarket, unlike other restaurants. Also, when you take a bite of the Pork Belly, there's a rich scent of yuzu, complemented by the perfect fusion of Miso flavors.

Only liked the drinks and music 🎶

We enjoyed the food (best was the salmon and pork skewer) and found everything we ate was tasty but for this price the portions are way too small. To the point that is borderline offensive. Spent 80£ for 2 with alcohol and then had to get a burger on the way home. Service and the overall ambience were exactly too the point, no complaints at all.

Excellent food, atmosphere, drinks. A refreshing change to the usual bath restaurants. You won’t regret it! Delicious!

Came here for a birthday dinner with some friends. The food, atmosphere and service are spectacular. Totally worth the price. We had Rory as a waiter and he gave top-tier service the whole night. Would definitely recommend

Oh wow! The food was fantastic, the rice beer was delicious and the service was wonderful, what a lovely team of people! The building is atmospheric & fascinating : in the renovation they had revealed sections of Georgian wallpaper and the Georgian stove. Wonderful evening!

What a lovely place! The staff were so helpful and friendly and went well over and above to make sure everyone was looked after. I’m Coeliac, which is often a nightmare when I go out to eat..not here! Highly recommend this fantastic little place.

Had a wonderful evening out with friends. Loved the downstairs decor. It had a great vibe. Delicious kimchi pancake and Sakura sour. Can't wait to go back.

Early days for this restaurant..minimal menu.

Incredible. Ate here last night after many months of wanting to check it out and it did’t disappoint. Every dish was banging, we had to order some twice as they were that good. Service also amazing, def new fave spot in town.

A quiet Sunday afternoon meal was special, mainly due to the delicious food. A friendly, relaxed atmosphere and an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients. One of us followed a Plant-based diet and there was plenty of choice. A bar which serves great food, rather than a restaurant.

That was a great restaurant serving very delicious food from Japanese cuisine. We have tried almost all options in their menu and you would never be disappointed on any of them. The dessert, Matcha Yuzu Tart, is the one I liked most.

Absolute gem of a place. Incredible food, fantastic drinks list, great atmosphere, friendly staff. Can't wait to go back.

Delightful evening, charming staff and supurb authentic Japanese dishes - we'll be back for sure!!

This Japanese bar is a real jewel, beautifully decorated interior, great staff and of course excellent food & drink. The list of specialist sakes and beers is comprehensive, I was so busy enjoying my drinks I forgot to take any photos! The Izakaya small plates are authentic and very tasty. My personal favourites are the pickled mushrooms and kimchi pancakes, and I’ll be back for the miso crème caramel soon!

Incredible atmosphere especially downstairs and the staff are so fast and attentive. We absolutely love coming here and will be back! The food is also out of this world and a fair price. As a local I can say place is a credit to Bath

Lovely place! Great food and friendly service. Shall definitely be returning.

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit! Delicious food, friendly staff and great venue. We plan on returning time and time again. Can't recommend it enough!

Selfishly I don't want to review this place as I want to keep it to myself...but this one of the few restaurants in Bath that is actually doing great and unique food. Each small plate feels considered and simple at the same time. Tasty and not overly fussy. Be aware this is more like a bar where plates come out piecemeal so it's not a sit down family restaurant, but great if you want a chilled drink and food with friends over a few hours!

A unique, fun and memorable destination in Bath. Whether for a meal, snacks, or just drinks, this friendly bar is worth a visit. A huge range of interesting drinks including Japanese options not often available elsewhere. Delicious hot and cold food including vegetarian/vegan options. Take a look inside for the decor!

Loved the place , staff is friendly and helpful , great options on the menu , the atmosphere is amazing Personal favourite was the: Cozenshu Yuzushu ( if you like sweet and lemony flavours it’s for you) All the food was amazing, you can taste that they pay attention to the flavours The place has a true secret gem feeling to it

This is easily the most painfull review I have had to leave, the selfish side of me wants to give Budo a 1 star review just so I can keep it to my self, but that would. Be unfair to say the least!, So onto the Review unquestionably the most authentic Japanese food I have had outside of Japan. No questions asked easily the best Japanese food I have had in the UK. With some Quick maths it was roughly £95 to order one of every dish on the menu and about £125 to order every dish (specials included) when I got my bill I kind of felt like I was stealing from the place. In short food is unreal get your self there!

Fantastic drinks and atmosphere. Generally it's hard to find anywhere for a drink in Bath which isn't stuck up, but this place is just really relaxing with a great sake selection and good staff.

Wonderful food, drinks, atmosphere and service, I'm a huge fan of the pickled mushrooms & kimchi pancakes, and the specials are always interesting & delicious.

Awesome experience. When we arrived, they had no table avaliable, but still we got a nice place to wait and we ordered some drinks. Later we were able to order food, and it was amazing. Also, great staff, great service and generally a great place.

The atmosphere was good and the staff was super nice. I didnt like the food when I compare it to other Izakayas I have been to. The food seemed kind of simple. Also rice was overcooked. Another negative was very slow service. We waited long for drinks but also for food.

Oh my goodness this was fantastic! Good relaxed atmosphere, food was absolutely amazing- so fresh & delicious, would highly recommend. Great staff genuinely helpful for recommendations on drinks & food, definitely don’t miss out on this one, wish I lived in bath & could go more!

My favourite restaurant in Bath! I used to frequent Budo when they were above the Grapes. Quality, ambiance, and service at this new location is just as good, if not better! I recommend coming with 3-4 friends and ordering everything on the menu. Or come with your partner for a romantic night out!

Very nice place with many options. Service was super quick and staff were attentive. Decor is cool and vibey, you'll love this place. Give it a try.

Refreshing to see something a little different in Bath in form of an Izakaya bar. The small dishes are incredibly moreish. I personally recommend the skewers and grilled dishes, in particular the daeji bulgogi and the chicken hearts. They have an extensive sake menu and it’s nice to see a lot of their ingredients, such as their meat and seafood, are sourced locally. Service is friendly and attentive and the dining area is an intimate setting. It would also make a great place for a date night.

ren is a great chef (updated may 2022)

Amazing food and amazing service! Cosy room on top of the busy pub with unbelievable food and amazing service to go with it. Had both vegetarian and meat options all of which were so good, can’t wait to go back!

A truly wonderful place to drink some sake or shochu and let the evening drift away as you pair it with some absolutely amazing food! You could order anything on the menu and would not be disappointed. I simply can not praise the staff or the food highly enough! If you're looking for authentic Japanese food and an absolutely amazing atmosphere, then look no further!

Amazing little place serving a much-needed niche (non-sushi Japanese) in Bath. It's tucked away above the Grapes bar, so you have to go into the bar then find the stairs on the right hand side past the entrance. The menu is small but focused, so you may want to look at it beforehand to make sure everyone in your party can find something to eat. Over two visits we've probably tried 75% of the entire menu and have enjoyed every single thing we ordered. A few particular highlights were the miso-glazed aubergine and the Korean-inspired pork bulgogi. There's also a good saké selection and they're very willing to provide recommendations if you're new to the drink or just a bit overwhelmed. All in all, Budo Ba is a great find in the area and well worth going if you're looking for something a bit more interesting and different than the typical Bath restaurant scene.

Food was disgusting. Staff friendly

Amazing service and delicious food

Best Japanese meal I've had in ages!!

We came across this by accident, after we d eaten, but intend to return for food. We had Sake (plum) and it was lovely, very friendly staff

Great tasting food but very over priced & seems disorganised. I came here with my partner and we ordered 4 dishes (2/3 veg options for me) and (1 meat for him). Unfortunately although my meals came relatively quickly my partners didn't and I'd finished my food before his had even been made which completely defeated the object of going out and eating 'together'. The other major negative was the price. I paid £6 for half an aubergine and £6.50 for 4 very teeny butternut squash hash browns. The menu on the website which has dishes for around £4' is old and isn't the menu you get given in the restaurant - all dishes apart from the rice start at around £6's. I spent £15's (not including a drink and felt like I'd eaten a starter rather than a main and I'm not a big eater! The restaurant was also quite cold which meant I had to keep my coat on which wasn't great. It also has an air bnb above it so it feels a bit like a tourist trap...on the basis of the prices and the disorganisation I'd sadly never go back. The only positive was that the food was well cooked, well presented and tasted great.

They update the opening hours after we visited the place. When I got there it’s all dark and no one was there but on google maps it claimed that they were running.

A definite hidden gem in Bath serving great Japanese food in a chilled environment. The staff were lovely and offered many food and drink recommendations. Would definitely visit again. Try the shitake mushrooms, sea bream tartare, aubergine, pork bulgogi and yuzu tart.

Amazing authentic Japanese food in a lovely chilled out environment. Staff were very friendly and gave us some great menu recommendations. Will definitely be back!

Absolutely amazing experience. My partner and I were only in Bath for a night and decided to try out this izakaya place. We were not disappointed! Amazing experimental food on Thursday, lovely chef and others talking about food and sake, it was a great experience. Highly recommend!

Proper Authentic Japanese food. It was amazing! A Gem Everything was amazing You have to try the butternut squash!!

What a cute little find - think the only way to get through is to go through the pub. Attentive staff and great food. Will definitely visit again !

Absolutely wonderful meal, very inventive menu and loads to choose from. Brilliant Saki list too. The food was delicious and perfect for ordering things to share. I couldn't get over how inexpensive our meal was. A real jewel and well worth visiting.

Wonderful place. The food is delicious and creative. The staff is friendly and happy to make recommendations from their impressive sake menu. The small plates are great if you've had a heavy lunch and want a lighter, more flavorful dinner. I would go out of my way to visit again the next time I'm in Bath.

Amazing Japanese food. Very authentic. The seafood options were outstanding the best I’ve ever tasted. Definately recommend.

Everything we ate was delicious. Can’t wait to return. A hidden gem!

Every dish we tried was amazing - especially the clams. Planning another visit soon.

We've been twice since they reopened and absolutely love this place. Incredible food, amazing sake - you won't be disappointed!

Authentic Japanese food, with a nice atmosphere and incredible Sake. Highly recommend a visit to Budo Ba if you are in Bath! 10/10

What a great experience. Highly recommended Will be heading back there soon

Probably very unlikely to get better Japanese food in Bath. This place has a really cosy izakaya atmosphere, and not too expensive.