Bright Field Cafe

Philip and Karen moved to Oldfield Park eight years ago after years working with the RUH, the University of Bath, Bath Spa and local charities, and opened Bright Field as the neighbourhood cafe they thought the area was missing - somewhere longtime residents and newcomers could actually get to know each other. It's built on a "fabric first" design that keeps energy use down, sources locally and uses fairtrade ingredients where it can, and the layout is deliberately accessible, with room for wheelchair users, parents with young children and anyone who just wants somewhere quiet to sit.

The menu mixes firm favourites with seasonal specials shaped by what's coming out of local allotments, recipes the pair have been refining over seven years. There's a bookable private space for groups, meetings or a table of friends, alongside the regular cafe seating. At 30 Shaftesbury Road, it functions as much as a community hub as a place to eat - somewhere set up for people to linger rather than turn tables quickly.