I was so looking forward to Rooted Cafe! An independent, family-run vegetarian and vegan cafe serving up creative takes on classics?! Yes! Even though it was a long walk from where we were staying, we decided to book a table for a Friday night. When we arrived there were no other customers. And during our allotted time at our table only one family of six arrived (who had not made a reservation*).
They weren't serving the vegan fish and chips (nori beer battered banana blossom, double blanched chips, masala coconut smashed peas, and fresh tartare sauce) that I had been coveting for months (and was still listed on their menu on their website the day of). So, instead, we ordered...
- Korean BBQ Cauliflower Wings (£6.95): while these were delicious, it was literally one cauliflower floret split into two so we each had a bite. Seriously, look at the photo!
+ Indian Poutine (£6.95; skin on fries, melted vegan cheddar served with mums dhal topped with mango masala mayo, tamarind, and fresh chopped green chilis): THIS. This was one of the best things we ate while in Bath. So many rich flavors and interesting textures all layered on top of the fries. If you come here, you HAVE to get this (and don't share, get your own!).
+ the Caesar Salad (£11.95; chick'n, cos lettuce, avocado, fennel and rosemary croutons, lemon, cashew caesar dressing, vegan parm): this was unexpectedly a huge hit! the chick'n was plentiful, the croutons were fragrant, the dressing had a nice tang to it. My partner absolutely loved this, and had previously not been a Caesar Salad fan at all!
- the Railway Curry (£14.95; vegan lamb curry, brown basmati rice, tomato patcha chutney, brinjal pickle, and poppadom): this was my main, and it was underwhelming both in flavor and portion-size. essentially, it was four or five tiny pots of food with a scoop of each ingredient inside... did I mention how much I loved the Indian Poutine and was glad we got it and that my partner let me eat most of it?!
- Banoffee Pot (£5.95; lotus biscoff base, caramelized banana, whipped coconut cream, thick lotus caramel sauce): it was nice! it was mostly a jar of coconut cream, definitely no "thick" layer of caramel, and maybe one slice of banana? I've had far better banoffee pies, but for my partner - with this being his first - he thought it was lovely.
(NOTE: most of these items are no longer on the menu)
*While the front of house seemed pleasant enough, overall the staff wasn't entirely friendly. The bathroom is adjacent to the kitchen, meaning you can hear absolutely everything the staff is saying about you. And they were loudly bad mouthing the family of six ("why didn't these people make a reservation?" and "ugh, do they have to keep ordering everything?" and "can't they just leave already?"). Yikes. We probably came on an off night, it happens, but still: yikes.
I wouldn't come here again. Which is a shame, because I really wanted to try their brunch options at some point which I have read are amaznig! read more