About

Tucked inside Root Bath in the heart of Shires Yard, Koji Izakaya is one of Bath's most exciting recent arrivals — and one of its best-kept secrets. Open only on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, this intimate Japanese residency transforms the ground floor of Root Bath into an homage to the izakaya; the home of after work drinking, eating and socialising.

It's the kind of place where you order a little of everything and end up talking to the table next to you. That's the atmosphere head chef Joe Fowler fell in love with on repeated visits to Japan, and it's what he's brought home to Bath.

Fowler grew up by the sea in Devon and trained classically in Somerset before Japanese food became his obsession. The menu he's built at Koji is a reflection of that passion and his time at Root: Japanese technique and philosophy applied to the best British ingredients he can find. Chalk-stream trout — from the same clear, cold rivers that run through Wiltshire and Hampshire — is pressed into elegant nigiri. Brunel mushrooms, grown just down the road in Bristol, stand in for Japanese varieties. The result is a menu that is unmistakably Japanese in spirit and unmistakably local in ingredient — food that could only exist here.

Don't leave without trying the tebasaki gyoza. A deboned chicken wing stuffed with gyoza filling, fried in potato starch and glazed until lacquered and glossy, it arrives looking deceptively simple and tastes extraordinary. It's the dish that best captures what Koji is doing.

The drinks list deserves equal attention. House sakes — ranging from sweet and sparkling to silky and dry — sit alongside Japanese whisky from Nikka and Yamazaki, highballs, and cocktails made with Japanese spirits. The menu is, Fowler will tell you, split evenly between food and drink: it is as much a place to come for a beautifully made whisky highball as it is for the nigiri.

Koji is a collaboration between Fowler and Josh Eggleton, whose Pony Restaurant Group is responsible for some of the South West's most celebrated cooking — including Root Bristol and Root Wells, both holders of Michelin Bib Gourmands. Koji represents something different: a passion project years in the making, finally with a home.

Find it on the ground floor of Root Bath on Wednesday and Thursday evenings only. Bookings by email. Walk-ins always welcome.

 

FAQs

Can you cater for dietary requirements?

Everyone is welcome at Koji and we're happy to cater to vegans, vegetarians, those with allergies and coeliacs. Please contact the team via telephone or email to inform us of any allergies before booking, to allow us the opportunity to cater to your requirements. We cannot guarantee we will be able to meet all requests without advance notice.

Are dogs allowed at Koji?

Both Koji and Root Bath welcome well-behaved dogs, who sit quietly while you enjoy the food and drink!

Can I come to Koji on a Friday or Saturday?

Koji is currently only open Wednesday and Thursday evenings. However if there is significant demand, we hope to increase our opening times. If you are interested in booking a private party or Koji catering for an event please contact our team.

 

Opening times

Wednesday and Thursday evenings