The Good Food Guide has crowned a tiny venue as its Restaurant of the Year.
Nestled in Bruton, Somerset, the farm-to-table eatery Osip is the brainchild of Merlin Labron-Johnson and prides itself on a menu centred around home-grown vegetables, wild herbs and local game from a nearby farm.
Rather than offering a set menu, the kitchen whips up a series of dishes for each guest based on the day’s fresh produce from the farm.
Osip earned its Michelin star in January 2021, a mere eight months after opening its doors. The winners of the Good Food Guide 2025 were announced at the annual awards ceremony held on Monday, February 3, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in central London.
The event was hosted by TV presenter and food enthusiast Richard Bacon.
Chloë Hamilton, editor of The Good Food Guide, revealed that the decision to award Osip came after several anonymous visits and was “down to the wire”, reports Somerset Live.
She praised Merlin’s cooking for its “sense of place that leaps off the plate with a stunning clarity of flavour”.
She said: “Our decision was down to the wire but the latest of our multiple (anonymous) visits to Osip’s new home in January was a showcase of style and confidence; totally aspirational but without unnecessary frills or a huge price tag.”
The guide’s experts said “the menu felt ever so slightly less ambitious than our last visit” but added that “there’s no doubt this is flawless, delicious, inspiring food”.
The fermented potato brioche cooked in lamb fat was “tremendous and perfectly complemented by a sour whipped kefir butter”.
Other contenders for the Restaurant of the Year title included Restaurant Jericho in Leicestershire, St John in London, Opheem in Birmingham and The Ritz Restaurant in London.
The complete roster of victors for The Good Food Guide Awards 2025, in association with OpenTable, is as follows:.
Restaurant of the Year sponsored by OpenTable saw Osip, Somerset emerge as the winner, beating Restaurant Jericho, Leicestershire; St John (Smithfield), London; Opheem, Birmingham; and The Ritz Restaurant, London.
Best New Restaurant sponsored by Tripleseat was won by Skof, Manchester. Other nominees included Lyla, Edinburgh; Briar, Somerset; Row on 5, London; Albatross Death Cult, Birmingham; and Native, Worcestershire.
Drinks List of the Year sponsored by Richard Brendon was clinched by Timberyard and Montrose, Edinburgh, with KOL and Fonda, London; Osip, Somerset; and Cornus, London also in the running.
Chef to Watch sponsored by Champagne Billecart-Salmon was awarded to Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson – Dongnae, Bristol. Other contenders were Jake Dolin – Manteca, London; Elliot Hashtroudi – Camille, London; Sam Lomas – Briar, Somerset; Maria Close – Rockliffe Hall, County Durham; Meedu Saad – Super8 Restaurants, London; and Philip Mcenaney and Katie Austin – Previously Boath House, Nairn.
Best Value Set Menu was taken home by The Devonshire, London, with Josephine Bouchon, London; The Palmerston, Edinburgh; Dilsk, Brighton; Pompette, Oxford; and Wilsons, Bristol also nominated.
Most Beautiful Restaurant was won by The Dover, London. Grace and Savour, West Midlands; Hearth, Hampshire; The Park, London; Woven by Adam Smith, Berkshire; and Wildflowers, London were also shortlisted.
The Russell Norman Award for Restaurateur of the Year went to Jason and Irha Atherton, The Social Company. David Carter, DCCO group; James Gummer, Olivier van Themsche and Phil Winser, Public House Group; and Guirong Wei, Master Wei, X’ian Impression, Dream X’ian were also nominated as well. as Florence Mae Maglanoc of the Maginhawa Group, Dom Hamdy from the Ham Group, and Jonathan MacDonald and Daniel Spurr from Scoop Restaurants.
