Osip, located between Bruton in Somerset and the Wiltshire border, not far from Wiltshire’s National Trust spot Stourhead, has been ranked number one best restaurant in the UK in a new list of the top twenty published by Timeout earlier this month. It was also ranked the best restaurant for experimental foodies in the UK.
In the article, Osip, run by Merin Labron-Johnson is described as an award-winning “field-to-table paradise” – being the only restaurant in Somerset to have a Michelin star.
In February of this year, Osip was named Restaurant of the Year by the Good Food Guide and in a list of the top 100 restaurants in the UK compiled by SquareMeal in January 2025.
Reflecting on what makes Osip stand out, the Good Food Guide’s food and drink editor, Leonie Cooper wrote: “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 properly magical happening here; dishes are surprising without being confusing, and folksy without being arcane.
“It’s basically the culinary equivalent of The Wicker Man, but with a fresh-from-his-Third Space-workout Paul Mescal cast in the Edward Woodward role.”
Osip has also been rated as “exceptional” overall by the Good Food Guide and named in a list of best “design-led dining rooms”.
A spokesperson for the Good Food Guide wrote: “‘Absolutely delicious’; ‘the tasting menu was a delight for each of the courses’; ‘we loved every dish’ – just some of the praise that has been heaped on Merlin Labron-Johnson’s intimate restaurant.
“The flawless cooking, offered as a series of tasting menus, celebrates both the natural perfection of fresh ingredients.
“Whether you choose the lunchtime menu du jour or go the whole nine yards at dinner, every mouthful has purpose and contributes to ‘a slow crescendo of pleasure’.”
They added: “The simple decor fits right in: hues of cream and, occasionally, pale green with uneven, translucent handmade tiles covering the bottom half of the pale walls, plus dried flowers hung between a few boldly coloured paintings.
“Staff, too, are dressed in white, and provide spirited but immaculately professional service.”
