Somerset Restaurant Guide

The “personal service” provided by Adam & Martine Fellows’ “family team” for more than two decades has established their “very enjoyable” French-inspired bistro as one of the best local dining options. “Food and service are as good as ever since their move to new premises” a couple of years ago, and “the open kitchen is most entertaining”. Top Menu Tip – “very good duck”.

“Excellent food in a nicely converted old bank” make this three-year-old a “very handy stopover in an attractive Somerset village off the A303”. Fans of chef-patron Nicholas Balfe’s previous projects, Salon and Levan in south London, are happy to report “it didn’t disappoint – the set lunch came at a good price and à la carte just added to the experience”: “the roast was excellent, the starters precise and pretty, and even the bread was perfect – soft, moist and warm, wrapped in a crunchy crust”.

The more formal, oak-panelled dining room at “stunning” Georgian estate The Newt, which was launched by billionaire Koos Bekker and wife Karen, a former Elle Decoration editor, five years back. On the menu, a “sensational” three-course set (£95) which makes the most of “carefully sourced ingredients” spanning heritage-breed meats and catch from the West Country’s ports. Also on the grounds are more casual eateries the Farmyard Kitchen, in an old threshing barn, and the “pleasant” Garden Café (see also). There is the odd naysayer for whom the cuisine is more “sensible” than sensational, but there’s no denying the “atmosphere is chic”, and “after a lovely meal” you can “walk around the beautiful grounds” (“for a while, I felt I was in heaven!”).

“As good as it gets in Taunton”, this “exceptional” French bistro (sleek, with a glass-walled extension) is a “gem of a place” that remains utterly “reliable” well into its awkward teenage phase (it was founded in 2011 by Richard Guest and FOH Cedric Chirrosel). It was praised this year for its “unhurried and relaxing atmosphere” and “wonderful food” – not least the prix fixe (“we were amazed when we saw the plates coming out…such generous portions and much more interesting than run-of-the-mill set menus”).

On the high street of this trendy town, this strikingly converted listed chapel has been a staple of lifestyle mags since it opened in 2008 – not least for its bedrooms, where you wake below your own stained-glass window. Now under the Stay Original Company, the multi-tasking restaurant, artisan bakery and wine shop continues to deliver winning wood-fired pizzas and British plates with a Mediterranean twist – and, despite the odd slightly underwhelmed report of late, it remains “great after a walk at The Newt” country estate, with the Hauser + Wirth gallery also close by.

“A truly exciting experience where the menu belies the fascinating twists and complexity of the food” – Merlin Labron-Johnson inspires adulation for his “genius cuisine” at this hitherto tiny (but see below) operation. “Ingredients are honoured by being beautifully cooked, alongside other seasonal dishes, all with a mouthwatering and surprising approach that’s elegant yet not at all pretentious”. “It’s not solely vegetarian but many courses are meat-free and a real eye- opener for what an ultra-talented chef can do with a plant!”. Until recently, it inhabited “basic and tiny” premises at 1 High Street, but in August 2024 – following a successful kickstarter campaign – Merlin moved the operation to new, larger premises a few miles out of town. We’ve maintained last year’s (high) ratings, on the bet that any adjustments will likely be on the upside.

For a “very good French meal” (chef Paul Merrony trained at Le Gavroche no less) that’s “relatively inexpensive and with personal service”, try this bistro-with-rooms – “the exemplar of a local restaurant”, where the “fantastically fresh food” (ranging from ratatouille to rillettes and rabbit blanquette) makes you feel like you’re in France only “without the ferry journey”.

This “brilliant neighbourhood Italian” from chef Pegs Quinn (ex-River Café) and his wife Mary Glynn is “so friendly and welcoming, it’s like being a guest in someone’s home” – “the room is nothing to speak of, but that doesn’t matter as it’s about the conviviality and the awesome cooking”. Top Tip – “the set lunch is tremendous value for cooking of this quality”.

“An amazing little place in a shipping container in Bristol docks, with one chef and one waitress serving up great food” – former L’Ortolan head chef Elliott Lidstone and his wife Tess have run this 14-seater in the Cargo development for six years. Their “excellent, imaginative food and wine” – consumed in “an unpretentious if not overly comfortable setting” – represents “extraordinary value for money”, with a seven-course tasting menu at £55 per person. “It’s very busy, so you must book”.

Occupying a series of old shipping containers on the wharf, this contemporary, veg-led (but not just) sharing-plates spot opened in 2017, and has become a favourite among the city’s foodies. In December 2022, owners Josh Eggleton and Luke Hassell teamed up with chef Rob Howell and Meg Oakley to launch a sibling venue in Wells, Somerset.

“Imaginatively prepared seafood dishes – Spanish but each with a twist – make a trip to this dockside container in Bristol a real pleasure”; like its sister Bravas, the formula is tapas, and at this “lively”, “good value” spot there’s a particular focus on fish (the headline prawns but also a “truly delicious” seafood salpicon). The owners’ hospitality group Season and Taste added a Mexican venue Condesa, on Whiteladies Road, to their now four-strong portfolio in March 2024, having received six-figure funding from the South West Investment Fund.

What does it say about the culinary tastes of the British middle classes that this spin-off chain, with about 40 locations based on the original Theatreland icon, has been such a rip-roaring success? True, there’s some “great people-watching” at the “always buzzing” Chelsea Garden venue (which has one of SW3’s best gardens). And, without doubt, those branches in Kensington, Tower Bridge and Kingston also particularly stand out amongst the rest for their “super atmosphere”. In general though, the knock-off look of their locations “isn’t a patch on the original on West Street, yet pretends to be exactly the same”. And when it comes to their brasserie dishes: although its many followers tout them as “acceptable, albeit nothing special”, their rating-average identifies them as “underwhelming tick-box fare”; all offered by service that’s very “indifferent”. And yet they are “always busy”! In June 2024, it was announced that billionaire Richard Caring had successfully sold his entire Ivy restaurants stake. Now that he is laughing all the way to the bank, it will be interesting to see if ratings reverse, continue or deepen their southward trend.

This “well-above average gastropub in a beautiful Somerset village” – from Exmoor-born chef Alasdair Clifford (ex-Chez Bruce and Harwood Arms) and his wife Victoria Collins – excels for its “refined cooking”: “Alasdair concocts amazing results from local ingredients” and from a “changing seasonal menu”. “Service is friendly and professional” and the “environment is open and spacious” – “never had a disappointing meal here”.

A farm-to-table restaurant led by chef Sam Lomas on the former site of Osip (see also), which has moved to new out-of-town premises. It features a daily changing menu of small plates, snacks and sharing dishes that celebrate hyper-local produce and foraged ingredients. The collaboration with Claudia and Aled Rees aims to offer affordable and approachable Somerset fare, focusing on seasonal ingredients from local suppliers.