Bath, England

The Grand Pump Room was officially opened by the Duchess of York on December 28, 1795.
The elegant hall still looks much the same as when it was first built, aside from the addition of tables and chairs.

In Victorian times, it was customary to drink a prescribed number of glasses of the curative mineral waters before breakfast, so the doors opened at 6am in summer and the room was fully packed by 8am.
The Grand Pump Room was the place to see and be seen; where Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey ladies "walked together, noticing every new face and almost every new bonnet in the room."

And of course, no visit to Bath is complete without a taste of the warm mineral water from the sacred springs (50 pence for a small glass) - the taste is indeed "objectionable" but has long been believed to cure all your ills.

The atmosphere of the Pump Room is elegant and historic without being intimidating (casually-dressed tourists are welcome) and the service is prompt and unobtrusive.

The Pump Room Trio entertains diners and water-drinkers with classical music Monday to Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons.
A solo pianist plays every lunchtime and afternoons in the winter.