GETAWAYS • Bruton
Merlin Labron-Johnson has been a key player in the explosion of Somerset’s food scene. Five years after opening Osip in charming Bruton in 2019, the chef has launched version 2.0 of his farm-to-table restaurant in much larger premises just a 10-minute drive away.
In many ways, the new Osip still has the feel of the 300-year-old coaching house it sits inside, with low ceilings, wooden beams and mind-your-head entranceways. But the difference is evident in the main dining room, where a modern extension houses a slick open kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the rolling fields.
With the team growing all their own vegetables, the emphasis is very much on the produce. Raw carrot, tomato, and radish are served with fresh flowers and dip, in the style of upstate New York’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The menu changes based on what the land brings, but courses might include a soft beetroot taco with smoked crème fraiche and grated venison heart, or a ricotta dumpling with yellow courgette and smoked whey. This is prime Somerset apple country, so it’s worth trying the cider (or at least a glass of crisp apple juice, the best I’ve ever tasted).
Though tables are laid with white linen, the service feels relaxed, the 15 courses arriving in just the right amount of time. The menu hits the right balance, too — I walked away feeling happily full but not stuffed.
At just two and a half hours from London by train, it’s easy to visit in a day. There are also brand new guest rooms for an overnight. It's worth visiting Somerset for many other reasons, like The Newt hotel and Briar, the restaurant now occupying Osip’s old site. But (at least in Somerset) Osip continues to stand alone, as a true destination restaurant that connects the land and the plate. –Laura Price
→ Osip (Bruton) • 25 Kingsettle Hill BA10 0LN • Thur-Sun 12-230p, 6-930p / Tue-Wed 6-930p • £165 per • Book.