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On Bruton’s High Street in England's West Country, a 500-year-old pharmacy has found new life. Once a place of tinctures and remedies, it now serves its own form of medicine: food, wine and the pleasure of gathering.
The Old Pharmacy restaurant holds its history close. The frontage, rebuilt with stone salvaged from Bruton Abbey, sits proudly above walls that trace back to the 16th century. Inside, the original roof structure was revealed during restoration, its beams carrying centuries of weight. Narrow stairs curl to what were once servants’ quarters, now lived-in spaces. At the rear, a contemporary burnt-timber extension folds around a quiet courtyard, offering privacy for the home entwined within. The architecture listens, finding balance between preservation and modern life.
By day, shelves brim with provisions from Somerset’s farms: sourdough, cheese, cider, and fresh vegetables. By night, the space hums as a candle-lit wine bar and bistro. Menus are written in chalk: Westcombe saucisson, crudités with smoked cod’s roe, landrace sourdough, plates that change with the day’s harvest. It is food that feels grounded, celebratory in its simplicity. The soundtrack, perhaps old-school hip hop, adds a wink of irreverence to the historic walls.
Created by chef Merlin Labron-Johnson (of OSIP fame), The Old Pharmacy began as a pandemic pantry, a place for locals to find what the supermarkets could not supply. It has since grown into something larger yet still intimate: a pantry, a parlour, and a neighbourhood table all at once.
The Old Pharmacy is Bruton distilled. It is a building that honours its past, a kitchen that celebrates its land, and a spirit that makes every guest, whether they come for a loaf, a glass, or a lingering supper, feel part of its story.
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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.