What’s the vibe?
A field-to-table, foragers paradise, it’s no stretch of the imagination to call Osip the best restaurant in the UK right now. Unsurprisingly for a place run by a chef called Merlin, there’s something magical happening here; dishes are surprising without being confusing, and folksy without being arcane. It’s the culinary equivalent of The Wicker Man, but with a fresh-from-his-Third Space-workout Paul Mescal cast in the Edward Woodward role.
The historic inn now resembles a 1970s Scandinavian art school
In 2021, two years after opening, Osip was awarded a Michelin star. Then, in 2024, Merlin Labron-Johnson’s uber-acclaimed restaurant upped sticks from its cosy Bruton high street location to a 16th century inn about 10 minutes drive from The West Country’s Most Artsy VillageTM. As Bruton becomes more or less indistinguishable from north-east London’s lah-di-dah De Beauvoir neighbourhood, Osip’s plan to extract itself from the red-trousered rahs of Bruton makes it even more a place of pilgrimage. That’s now even more possible with the recent addition of four bedrooms above the restaurant, meaning you can devour Osip’s immaculate tasting menu then roll into an extremely comfy bed (or a rolltop bath), before waking up to a locally-plucked breakfast of figs, blackberries and pears, alongside sticky cardamom and pear rolls, pungent local cheeses, cured ham and trout, fresh eggs and Chemex coffee, while gazing out onto the misty fields though dreamy picture windows.
The historic inn now resembles a 1970s Scandinavian art school, all white-washed brick columns, stone-tones and unobtrusive art on the walls. Six small tables sit directly across from the stainless steel open kitchen, where zen-like chefs float about during service in greige boilersuits, preparing super seasonal and immaculate British cuisine.
What should I order?
Osip offers a tasting menu, so you don’t have much choice. Happily, every single dish is exceptional, veering on just the right side of experimental, ready to take you by surprise and challenge you a little, but not so much that it’ll put you off your fermented potato brioche. Food here is wilfully obscure, dictated by the spoils of local foragers and growers. On my mid-October visit, this meant a harvest festival-adjacent offering heavy on mushrooms, game and murky, earthy textures and flavours. In fact, Osip enjoys toying with the expectations of your traditional tasting menu. Sure, some of the dishes are dainty, good-looking offerings dotted with sunset-shaded nasturtium, but others are simply weird; there’s a shimmering gateau made with layers of celeriac and scallop which is unlike anything I’ve ever seen or tasted before; a shell-coloured slab of savoury pie that’s at turns sloppy and solid, served with a hazelnut splodge, and absolutely unforgettable. Pure alchemy. There’s also a majesticly medieval venison and quail pithivier, which when sliced in half resembles a meaty Rothko, pinks fading into purples, surrounded by crisp, burnished pastry. Other bangers include a beetroot taco, and an almost unsettlingly fronded grilled maitake mushroom that gives Grimms Fairy Tales, but is pleasingly pastoral, humming with cep marmalade and crunchy roasted yeast. Then there’s a merrily indulgent fried parsnip slice that comes topped with crispy slices of black garlic and upbeat togarashi, and looks like something you might find hidden behind a toadstool guarded by a friendly imp. Let’s not forget the cheese course - simply a giant wedge of Bath soft cheese oozing on a similarly sized nugget of toasted malt loaf.
What are the prices like?
The Osip tasting menu is £150 a head, with a lunch version at £95. Newly introduced in autumn 2025 is a slightly fancier signature menu, which adds a couple of extra dishes (ours includes grilled Cornish lobster with moreish pumpkin satay) for £190. Wine starts at £45 a bottle and a pairing is also available. Cocktails are £12-15 and you simply must try the preserved tomato martini.
What’s nearby?
Pay a visit to nearby Bruton, which is full of posh things to do, from the fancy Hauser & Wirth gallery, to a walk to Bruton’s most iconic landmark, the Dovecote. If you’re not too full from your epic Osip adventure, then go for a delightful meal inside an atmospheric converted church, At The Chapel.