Bear Flat in Bath is famed for its stunning park and beautiful views of the town. It began life as an early medieval settlement – or berewick – which might be the place it acquired its title, historical past buffs say.
Now, this pleasant neighbourhood is having one thing of a renaissance because of the Good Bear Cafe, a cosy Italian eatery on Hayes Place. Owner Mauro Matta hails from Sardinia and spent his youth working in hospitality throughout the Channel Islands and Ireland.
When his pals determined to settle in Bath, Mauro got here too and rapidly fell in love with the town’s foodie tradition. Although he has now lived in Bear Flat for twenty years, his first Italian restaurant was on George Street.
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Then he determined to carry his scrumptious meals nearer to dwelling, and the place higher to open a cafe than in his personal neighbourhood? The 47-year-old defined how it began.
He stated “The area is lovely, it’s a nice community. This building used to be a cafe and when the opportunity came to expand, I took it. Our breakfast and brunch are a bit international, but the lunch menu definitely has Italian influences – like the Good Bear Toast, which has parmesan and truffle oil.”
Although he has owned the Good Bear for 3 and a half years, it wasn’t till the pandemic hit that Mauro actually got here into his personal. “Doing takeaways during Covid was great. It made it so much better for people to have somewhere to go. I met loads of new people with their masks on and now when I see them without one I don’t recognise them,” he stated.
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Lockdown habits die onerous and even now individuals flock to the little cafe each morning simply to seize a espresso and skim the paper. “Some even come twice a day,” Mauro laughed.
(Image: The Good Bear Cafe)
With the outside seating, it is a excellent suntrap earlier than 12pm, and you may be in an Italian piazza as you savour your eggs benedict and Tuscan espresso. Or when you’re extra of a evening owl, be happy to drop by on considered one of Mauro’s “Sardinian nights” when he brings a little little bit of his heritage to the Bear Flat locals.
Ravi Acharya, a professor in biology on the University of Bath, stated the cafe was a “real hub” for the neighborhood. The 65-year-old has lived in Bear Flat for greater than three many years and has seen the bustling greengrocer and butcher get replaced by a number of property brokers.
Do you reside in Bear Flat? Tell us what it is like in the feedback part beneath.
Even now, as you drive up Wellsway, you may be forgiven for considering this thriving neighbourhood is not more than a busy junction. But look a little nearer and you will find a close-knit community of pals, acquaintances and colleagues – all revolving across the cafe.
Sylvia, 82, lives on Bruton Avenue and stated Bear Flat was “the best place in Bath to live”. Over the years, she has felt drawn again to the neighbourhood 3 times and stated it was a “beautiful area”.
“At first, I lived near the park, on Shakespeare Avenue, in a little house that cost just £3,000 when we bought it. It was in a terrible state but we managed. Then we moved to another house in Bear Flat and then to here, Bruton Avenue.
“I’ve been right here for six years now and it’s simply very pleasant. We have sufficient retailers to handle and a bus straight into city. It’s a very good neighbourly place. And after all there’s the cafe now, everybody goes there and you’ll ensure of a good chat,” she said.
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