Everyone has their favourite coffee shop, but not all are up to the standard of discerning coffee lovers – such as Bath’s many Italian visitors and residents, for example. If you really want to get the very best beans and smoothest blends, you’ll need to be a little picky about where you go.

Here’s our top picks for the best coffee in Bath, according to locals, coffee experts and public votes.

Local resident’s pick: Colonna & Smalls

The Telegraph’s Fred Mawer has lived in Bath for over 15 years and last year, produced this list of top recommendations for eating, drinking and days out in the city.

His pick for the best quality coffee in Bath? Colonna & Smalls on Chapel Row, a short distance from our charming Queen’s View apartment, which steals the top spot on many a coffee lovers list. This contemporary café offers, according to Mawer: “a very superior cup of coffee, prepared by passionate baristas.”

If you love your coffee, make a beeline for Colonna & Smalls to taste your way through their unique range of speciality coffees.

The team are all about exploring the flavour of coffee and each member has taken part in national coffee competitions. The baristas at Colonna & Smalls have won a good deal of them too, with accolades including UK Barista Champion 2012 and 2014 for Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood and UK Brewers Cup Champion 2014 for Seb Stephenson. It’s safe to say, these guys really do know their stuff when it comes to coffee.

The people’s vote: The Bath Coffee Company

The Bath Chronicle ran a poll in February 2018 to ask its thousands of readers their views on where to find the best quality coffee in Bath. Several of Bath’s best-loved cafes were listed, from Hunter & Sons to The Green Bird Café, and hundreds of people voted. The winner, with 19% of the vote, was The Bath Coffee Company.

The Kingsmead Square café won because of its ‘smooth, flavoursome coffee’ and shared passion for coffee throughout its dedicated team, but customers also rated it for its friendly, welcoming customer service. Coming second in the public vote was Picnic Coffee, while Colonna & Smalls and Mokoko came joint third.

Expert’s recommendation: Mokoko

One name that has been regularly mentioned in awards nominations and expert reviews is Mokoko, a couple of small but popular coffee shops in Bath. Mokoko’s two locations are on Dorchester Street, Southgate and the Abbey Churchyard.

Mokoko was just pipped to the Best Coffee Shop title at the Bath Good Food Awards 2017 by Colonna & Smalls and received glowing write-ups in the Independent Coffee Guide and foodie publications such as Olive Magazine.

Both branches of Mokoko are rapidly becoming known as the places to go for expert knowledge, passion and dedication to the art of coffee making.

If you’re on a mission to try all of these exceptional quality coffee shops in Bath, make sure you’re staying nearby at one of our Bath self-catering apartments.