In every city with a tourist trail, the main square is usually populated with ugly restaurants charging small fortunes for the simple privilege to sit in the middle of the action. Pasty Presto gives you a great view of the Abbey and for a couple of quid you can get one of their pasties or a simple coffee.

The Venue
This small cafe would be far from remarkable if it was not for the enviable location. There are no seats inside, as the place is a take-away, but you can take a table outdoors and sit looking at the ornate facade and maybe do some people watching.

Pasty Presto is part of a developing chain of pasty makers. The most striking things are the modern setting and the very clean environment. The room is small, there's exposed brickwork and the bar is brushed steel. Everything is spotlessly clean and the place comes out as less impersonal than most chains. The square is vibrant with life and it is easy to rest here for half an hour before continuing with the sightseeing or the shopping.

The People
It's filled with shoppers who've stopped for a snack, families and tourists drinking coffee. The other cafes and restaurants located on the square are overpriced, loud and overcrowded. Pasty Presto seems mostly known by locals rather than by the tourists, but this means you are likely to find a seat at most hours of the day rather than queue to find a free chair.

The Food
The pasties are surprisingly fresh, even at the end of the day. They are also exactly the right temperature, heated evenly and large enough for an ample lunch. The surprise is that they are also handmade with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and free from preservatives or artificial flavourings.

Check out the Cornish pasties. They serve two types, either crimped or uncrimped. The latter has 20 per cent less pastry. The selection goes from traditional meat, cheese and onion, bacon, cheese and leek stuffing to more interesting varieties like Thai and Indian chicken and Thai salmon.

The vegetarian variety is particularly good, as it includes stuffing like spicy chickpeas and curried parsnips. They also serve sweet pasties, like the sweet chocolate and banana or apple rhubarb and custard. The prices are quite fair at £2.15 to £3.15 each. Alternatively, you can get a croissant, muffin or other breakfast treats, all through the day.

The Drink
You can choose between all the usual coffees (around £1.90) including latte, cappuccino, espresso and mocha. They are freshly brewed and even good value for money. Alternatively, they serve all the regular soft drinks and many juices as well.

The Last Word
This small chain’s location in Bath makes it an attractive stop, with a pretty view right in the middle of the city. The pasties are good too.

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