An open-plan haunt for the artistically inclined with a relaxed, classy air to it.

The Venue
The Watershed Cafe Bar is spread over two spacious rooms and a balcony. The theme is rustic with exposed wood and brick, dashed with autumnal colours.

Large windows fill the space with light, which is particularly useful for the many customers who are found tapping away on their laptops and comfortably doing a bit of work away from the office.

As you walk in, the bar lines the righthand side of the room, with food and drink scrawled on blackboards above, and adjacent is a cordoned off area specifically for dining customers. A very small balcony opposite juts out onto the river, giving an impressive view of the harbourside.

The People
If you’re a movie buff or in any way interested in culture and the arts then this place is likely to feel like a home away from home. Expect a good blend of geeky, bohemian and student types.

This a popular place so the tables are often full, particularly in the evening when people are waiting to see a film or chilling out after watching one. Even when it's busy it retains the sound of civilised chatter rather than the din of a crowd.

The Food
Picky bits for starters include indulgent cheesy nachos (£4.95, but more for extra toppings), soups, bread and dips, chips, plus the kitsch but very herby sardines on toast (£4.25).

Snacks include fresh baguettes for £5.95 and there are bigger meals such as jacket potatoes or a dish of the day which ranges from pasta and risotto to burgers, fish cakes, fish pie (£6.95) and roast lamb (£9.95). Prices range from £5.95 to £12.95.

The creams of the crop here are the salads which are oh-so-more than a bunch of leaves a plate. The baby leaf and bacon salad comes with soft new potatoes, broad beans, generous strips of smoky bacon and tantalisingly sweet and sour raspberry vinaigrette. Others include bulgar wheat (£7.45) and chicken caesar (£5.95).

The Watershed Cafe Bar can be commended for going all-out in the effort to provide ethical, organic and local produce as much as it can, with a ‘plot to plate’ policy which ensures delicious, healthy food that respects the land and the animals that it came from.

The Drink
As with the food, so it is with the drink – local and organic where possible. There are Arbor Ales (£3.20) and Bath Ales (£3.30) and stouts from the Bristol Beer Factory (£3.30), while ciders are from Orchard Pig and Bath Ales.

Lagers, however, are continental and vary in price from £3.20 (Becks Vier) to £3.80 (for the more swish white beers like Erdinger). Wines are almost all organic, well chosen, and range from £3.50 to £3.75 for a small glass and £4.70 to £4.90 for a large.

The Watershed Cafe Bar also serves organic bottled juices and provides a very decent cup of fair trade, organic coffee and tea, and a regular cappuccino costs £2.

The Last Word
A vibrant, sociable cafe bar with a laidback atmosphere. The Watershed is excellent for a good munch from morning until night.

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