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Bruton likes to keep its secrets tucked behind old stone walls, revealed only to those who know where to look. One of its brightest, Number One Bruton and Briar, sits in the very heart of this English town, a gathering of a Georgian townhouse, medieval forge and 18th-century cottages folded around a courtyard by the almost centurian landscaper, conservationist and plantswoman Penelope Hobhouse. The garden glows quietly in the Somerset light, a space that feels both cultivated and timeless.
The boutique hotel was a four-year act of devotion. Claudia Waddam and Aled Rees, the husband and wife team behind it, who together with interior desgin studio Frank & Faber restored the cluster of buildings into twelve rooms that balance intimacy with design clarity. Each space tells its own story: panelled walls and elm floors in the townhouse, quarry tiles and beams in the cottages, steel-framed windows and freestanding tubs in the forge and all rooms come with mattresses are handmade in Yorkshire by the Odd Company. Art, British craft and family heirlooms punctuate the interiors with names like legendary photgrapher Don McCullin, and British artist Candace Bahouth added her exuberant needlework and colourful mosaics, using found material from nature as well as fragments of porcelain china.
Briar sits at the centre, literally and in spirit, of the Michelin-recognised restaurant that opened in 2024. Founder Chef Sam Lomas, once under the wing of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, brings a field-to-fork fluency rooted in the West Country. The cooking is ingredient-led and celebratory: small plates to share, big dishes to gather around, puddings worth staying for. Sam’s menus change daily, led by what Somerset’s farms, fields and coastline yield. He is as much a voice as a cook, with his award-winning newsletter, Field Notes and his garden-to-table experiences that pull diners closer to the land.
Bruton has become a cultural constellation, from Hauser & Wirth Somerset to Osip, At the Chapel, and one-man legend Matt’s Kitchen. Number One Bruton and Briar belong firmly in this orbit, yet they also create their own gravity. They speak of craft and culture, thoughtful restoration, and generous hospitality. They remind us that Somerset is not only pastoral England but progressive, a place where design and food meet in quiet confidence.
Michelin-starred Osip in Bruton, Somerset, from chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, pairs farm-to-fork dining with boutique rooms. A soulful retreat where food, design and Somerset terroir create a singular cultural escape.
Founded by Natalie Jones, Caro in Bruton, Somerset is a boutique B&B, design store and creative hub. A rural cultural beacon where shopping, dining, art and events meet in style.
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My Greek Island Home by Claire Lloyd is always out of the bookcase, an ever-present friend that tells the tale of falling in love with a Greek island and finding that a simpler life is not so bad after all.
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The making of balsamic is said to have been created as far back as 1046, when Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, requested a gift of vinegar from the Tuscan marquis Bonifacio, father of Matilde di Canossa.
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Vienna’s oldest café dating back some 150 years is reborn, restaurateurs David Figar and Rubin Okotie who took over the institution after the previous owner retired, reopened Café Bellaria “as a modern way of life.
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If you’re a fan of the Dutch culinary scene then you may know the delicious and innovative dishes that this home turf duo create, helming restaurants 212, De Juwelier, La Mer, and coolest collab outpost De Mark - all in and around Amsterdam.
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From Port to Wine - a new generation of winemakers is working with old vines and native grapes on the region’s dramatic slopes to craft a new wave of wines that speak of this unique region.
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Flames, finesse and full-on Dutch flavour – De Mark is the culinary soul of De Durgerdam, led by Koen Marees and backed by Amsterdam’s Michelin powerhouses. Rural roots, coastal punch, bold plates.
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Gothenburg's foodie scene has sprung up to international attention in the last few years - check out this guide for the best on Sweden's cosy 'Little London' coast.
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Get your phone ready as you enter the Corsini Greenhouse, created in 1800 and named after the Corsini Palace which borders one side of the botanical garden, filled with the kind of succulents that will set your Insta on fire.
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Dendrophiles, or lovers of trees, will enjoy the diversity here with over 1,400 species – including rarely seen palms and ferns from across the world.
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The history of this urban green space dates back as far as 1780, when a plant trader used the fertile land to grow and trade in bulbs and plants - today there is a large dry collection – some 3000 diaspores of native plants.
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Get the insider news and lowdown on what we've been up to, where we've been, and who we've met along the way. Be the first to discover new places and get the scoop on our favourites.