Situated in a people-pleasing location on the Milsom/George Street crossroads and featuring an airy dining room of epic Georgian proportions, Loch Fyne offers broad, sparkly appeal from the off. Staff are dynamic and friendly, and your fellow diners are likely to be subtly stylish (men in fashionably crumpled linen suits, girls in posh frocks – heck, even the students are well dressed; forget gap year – this dining room is straight from a Gap ad).

On the menu, impeccable sourcing further ups the easy going, good times ante. The LF company started with oysters before it grew to embrace a range of seafood suppliers, all of whom work to strict environmental and ethical policies. Organic freedom fish proliferates, alongside naturally smoked varieties and free range Scottish beef and lamb. Salmon is, of course, a speciality, smoked to varying degrees or at its plain and simple best. If this menu had been put together by an up and coming kitchen god with a PR-driven media profile, we’d be into the realms of triple figure dining. As it is, a ‘when the boat comes in’ feast is likely to come in at under £70 for two, while a plethora of regularly updated offers keeps the shoals coming back for more. On the downside, the acoustics in such a grand, spacious space ain’t gonna be great; even a soft giggle can, if it catches a wave, reverberate around the room and turn into a harsh cackle by the time it assaults your ears, and lord help us all if that cute little babe in arms suddenly raises a complaint. Staff too can get a bit fractious if the pressure is on but, generally speaking, Loch Fyne offers a pretty fine experience for contemporary foodies in search of an upmarket quick fix at wallet friendly prices.

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A-Z of Bath Restaurants • Business restaurants • Family-friendly restaurants • Lunch-time destinations • Party venues