Osip: This Michelin-starred ‘restaurant with rooms’ in England’s West Country is a celebration of locality

It’s all rather bucolic Britain this.

Lowering a sash window to frigid February morning air and a brightening Delft Blue sky, a babbling stream announces itself from across the lane as a skein (yes, that’s the correct collective) of pink-footed geese performs a raucous westward fly-over.

That’s what I would have penned anywhere else — but this is ROAM, and, well, the EIC doesn’t stand for such travel wankery. So let’s plough on, shall we. Osip is the wondrous realisation of sharp ambition for chef-patron Merlin Labron-Johnson, who left London in 2019 with the dream of creating a remote destination dining experience. Know he’s done so – and then some.

While wending down narrow roads towards the 17th century former hostelry in the Somerset hamlet of Hardway evokes Withnail And I wilderness vibes, the journey to nearby Bruton is merely two hours from London by train, 30 minutes longer by car (with the bonus of a Stonehenge drive-by).

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Approaching the property’s unassuming entrance at dusk, a blazing brazier guides guests to the door. And, once within, the outside world is shuttered out as you’re immediately cocooned within Osip’s alluring farmhouse ambience.

Its centuries-old interiors have been remodelled by local architects, Bindloss Dawes, with the brief of flooding the rooms with light.

The addition of a modernist glass annex to the rear being the most evident achievement of that goal, housing an open kitchen that’s adjoined to the dining area.

The building’s original charm is retained, but its aura is elevated via contemporary touches, an accomplishment that extends to the accommodation.

Each of Osip’s four guest rooms blends soft textures with hard flooring and locally made furniture. Our lodgings proved a sanctuary in which to truly unwind, the walk-in shower room a welcome nod to modernity.

A (well) hung painting of a particularly thickset bull that adorns the wall was salvaged during the renovation of the building, and further speaks of the space to the building’s past.

Labron-Johnson equally holds a storied history. As one might expect from a chef owner who, a decade ago, at 24, was the youngest UK recipient of a Michelin star, Osip’s dining proposition is the main event with the 10-course tasting menu changing daily to reflect local ingredients available to the kitchen.

By farming two nearby parcels of land, a seasonal offering is guaranteed. On ROAM’s visit, late-winter delights included a root vegetable tea; pumpkin, bread miso, smoked whey and a warm fermented potato brioche (with 2022 Yellow Perry from Somerset’s Wilding Cider); maitake mushroom and stuffed thigh of guinea fowl with cep and liver sauce (washed down with a particularly fine 2022 Domaine Bartschi red). Not done, the concluding salted ewe’s milk ice cream with bergamot and olive oil came perfectly aligned to a 2023 Muscat de Rivesaltes and petits fours.

“I like to think of the menu as an ever-evolving piece of work,” Labron-Johnson tells ROAM. “But which is ultimately a reflection of the local landscape. You must be creative to work with almost entirely local ingredients. And we believe the same philosophy should extend to the overall design language and tableware.”

This, indeed, is the clincher, with tableware handmade by Bruton-based ceramicist, Collette Woods. Wooden spoons are crafted by local artist Mark Reddy, whose sculptures also adorn the wall of the dining area, part of an ongoing program of installations by regional and world-renowned makers.

At the time of our visit, exhibited works included Florian Gadsby and Ken Eastman ceramics, with photography by Jonty Sale.

“If you were to pick up Osip and drop it in London, it wouldn’t make sense because everything is so tied together,” adds Labron-Johnson. “It’s not just about the food; it’s about every touchpoint you experience when you’re in the space.”

Those locally focused touchpoints are many, the atmosphere homely yet luxuriously enveloping. And the abiding experience of a rural stay under Osip’s exposed beams is restorative. Considered, grounded, effortlessly elevated, this is one of the UK’s most unmissable outlying treasures.

OSIP25 Kingsettle Hill, Hardway, Bruton, UKPRICERooms from about $480 a night; tasting menu about $315 (plus $180 wine pairing)

THE INSIDEROsip is between the delightful National Trust gardens of Stourhead and the small town of Bruton, whose many independent shops, eateries, and unspoilt character make it ripe for a day’s exploration. At the foot of Dropping Lane, the main road between Osip and Bruton, lies one of the county’s gems — Hauser & Wirth Somerset, a far-flung outpost of the contemporary New York and London gallery, showcasing regular exhibitions and artist residencies. osiprestaurant.com