Roth Bar & Grill
Bruton, Somerset
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One of the first restaurants to put Bruton on the culinary map – it opened alongside the Hauser & Wirth gallery in 2014 – this bustling, cosmopolitan brasserie (named for contemporary artist Dieter Roth) is still highly popular and for very good reason. The sophisticated, modern dining room, sympathetically converted from an old cowshed, is stuffed with colourful art from the Wirths’ private collection, as well as previous gallery exhibitees. The fully covered courtyard ‘orangerie’ provides more seating and a buzzy, informal atmosphere. A straightforward, seasonal menu makes the most of excellent produce from Durslade Farm, where the restaurant and adjoining art gallery are based. Beef and lamb are reared and butchered on site and hung in the kitchen's purpose-built salting room before being cooked (to perfection) over a wood-fired grill. Vegetables are grown in the farm’s walled garden or sourced from Somerset’s bountiful producers. The result is a raft of simple but intensely flavourful dishes that sing – perhaps plump smoked haddock croquettes (crispy on the outside, creamily delicious within) or deeply meaty beef ragù on a bed of saffron risotto with cavolo nero. Puddings, such as pomegranate and passion fruit pavlova are large enough to share and wickedly moreish. Drinks include a wide selection of cocktails, several local beers and cider, plus a wide-ranging wine list (including some representatives from the nearby Durslade Vineyard). Try to persuade someone else to drive, as it’s hard to get here other than by car; also book an early table to make sure your favourite dish doesn’t run out.
