Dorset, Somerset &amp; Bristol

Feeling peckish? With the timing perfection of an expertly cooked fillet steak, along comes <a href="https://www.top50gastropubs.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The&nbsp;Estrella Damm</a> list of the country’s finest gastropubs, compiled by 350 of the UK’s top foodies and pub pros. The top spot was nabbed by The Unruly Pig in Woodbridge, Suffolk (again) but five local places made it into the Top 100, with a host of other West Country pubs also getting gongs. Race you to the table…



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-7-the-three-horseshoes-batcombe-somerset">No 7: <a href="https://thethreehorseshoesbatcombe.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Three Horseshoes</a>, Batcombe, Somerset</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1081" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/three-horseshoes-Screenshot-2025-01-27-at-18-38-39-The-Three-Horseshoes-@thethreehorseshoesbatcombe-•-Instagram-photos-and-videos.png" alt="three horseshoes batcombe somerset" class="wp-image-104998" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/three-horseshoes-Screenshot-2025-01-27-at-18-38-39-The-Three-Horseshoes-@thethreehorseshoesbatcombe-•-Instagram-photos-and-videos.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/three-horseshoes-Screenshot-2025-01-27-at-18-38-39-The-Three-Horseshoes-@thethreehorseshoesbatcombe-•-Instagram-photos-and-videos-740x800.png 740w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/three-horseshoes-Screenshot-2025-01-27-at-18-38-39-The-Three-Horseshoes-@thethreehorseshoesbatcombe-•-Instagram-photos-and-videos-925x1000.png 925w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/three-horseshoes-Screenshot-2025-01-27-at-18-38-39-The-Three-Horseshoes-@thethreehorseshoesbatcombe-•-Instagram-photos-and-videos-370x400.png 370w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/three-horseshoes-Screenshot-2025-01-27-at-18-38-39-The-Three-Horseshoes-@thethreehorseshoesbatcombe-•-Instagram-photos-and-videos-768x830.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



A massive uplift from last year&#8217;s placing at No 25, chef hats off to <a href="https://thethreehorseshoesbatcombe.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Three Horseshoes</a>, a 17th century pub with bar, two dining rooms, outside space and rooms to stay, in the pretty village of Batcombe, just north of Bruton. Acclaimed New Zealand chef <a href="https://dorsetsomerset.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/whats-cooking-margot-henderson-of-the-three-horseshoes-in-batcombe/">Margot Henderson</a> (The French House in Soho, Rochelle Canteen) is at the helm, serving no-nonsense, unpretentious earthy food, expertly done.



You could be eating: 



<ul>
<li>Starter: fried pigs head and brown sauce (said it was earthy)</li>



<li>Main: lamb faggots, mash and onion </li>



<li>Dessert: ricotta stracciatella</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-68-the-bittescombe-inn-taunton">No 68: <a href="https://www.thebittescombeinn.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Bittescombe Inn</a>, Taunton </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1876" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-bittescombe-inn-.jpg" alt="bittescombe inn somerset" class="wp-image-105018" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-bittescombe-inn-.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-bittescombe-inn--640x800.jpg 640w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-bittescombe-inn--800x1000.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-bittescombe-inn--320x400.jpg 320w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-bittescombe-inn--768x961.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-bittescombe-inn--1228x1536.jpg 1228w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



In a delicious jump up from No 95 last year, Olivier Certain – a French chef who&#8217;s worked in some of the South West&#8217;s finest for over 20 years (I remember him at Clavelshay Barn) – serves up delectable dishes made with produce from the Bittescombe Estate, in a former 17th century farmhouse turned recently restored village pub. Fellow Exmoor man William Sitwell has put together the wine list. Can&#8217;t be fagged to go home? Stay over in five cosy rooms.



You could be eating:



<ul>
<li>Starters: mushroom and gruyère arancini</li>



<li>Mains: Bittescombe venison sausages and mash</li>



<li>Desserts: sticky toffee pudding</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-70-the-clifton-bristol">No 70: <a href="https://thecliftonbristol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Clifton</a>, Bristol</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="742" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-the-clifton-bristol-.png" alt="" class="wp-image-92414" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-the-clifton-bristol-.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-the-clifton-bristol--800x594.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-the-clifton-bristol--400x297.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-the-clifton-bristol--768x570.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



The team behind wonderful Welsh watering holes The Heathcock and Hare &amp; Hounds have come to Clifton Village, where head chef Cory and his team cook super seasonal sharing and feasting nose-to-tail dishes over fire, using produce from local artisan suppliers and their own smallholding. Menus can change twice daily! 



You could be eating:



<ul>
<li>Starter: devilled whitebait and aioli</li>



<li>Main: mustard marinated rabbit with watercress and radish</li>



<li>Dessert: burnt apricot and gooseberry Eton mess</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-76-queen-of-cups-glastonbury">No 76: <a href="https://queenofcups.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen of Cups</a>, Glastonbury</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n.jpg" alt="queen of cups glastonbury somerset top 100 gastropubs" class="wp-image-105030" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-queen-of-cups-474037511_18034587098581872_5759852059025260944_n-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Ayesha Kalaji serves up modern Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, often cooked over fire and inspired by her Jordanian heritage and Welsh upbringing (hence laverbread falafel with sumac, lime fennel and tahini), in a 17th century coaching inn. Come with friends and choose the sharing plates or The Queen&#8217;s Feast, a selection of daily dishes. 



You could be eating:



<ul>
<li>pumpkin mutabal, pumpkin seed crunch, red shatta</li>



<li>mussels Gazawiya – mussels with Gazan spices, White Lake Fetish, fermented tomatoes, Arak Haddad </li>



<li>pressed hogget, mulukhiya, celeriac puree, chantenay carrots, dukkah</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-92-the-barrington-boar-near-ilminster-somerset">No 92: <a href="https://www.thebarringtonboar.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Barrington Boar</a>, near Ilminster, Somerset</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-barrington-boar-jan-25-471632128_18265807537267714_4533703232185039119_n.jpg" alt="barrington boar ilminster somerset" class="wp-image-105019" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-barrington-boar-jan-25-471632128_18265807537267714_4533703232185039119_n.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-barrington-boar-jan-25-471632128_18265807537267714_4533703232185039119_n-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-barrington-boar-jan-25-471632128_18265807537267714_4533703232185039119_n-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-barrington-boar-jan-25-471632128_18265807537267714_4533703232185039119_n-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/dorsetsomerset/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/01/00-barrington-boar-jan-25-471632128_18265807537267714_4533703232185039119_n-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Husband and wife team chef Alasdair Clifford (formerly of the Michelin starred Chez Bruce and The Harwood Arms) and Victoria Collins (hot on design and hospitality) serve up &#8216;refined&#8217; Modern British dining at The Barrington Boar in the village of Barrington, between Langport and Ilminster. Eat downstairs in the pub or upstairs in their elegant dining room. Stay over in four en suite rooms. The food is inventive, super locally sourced, beautifully presented and the bar&#8217;s stocked with a good array of West Country booze. 



You could be eating:



<ul>
<li>Starter: grilled gurnard with St Austell Bay mussels and Thai green sauce</li>



<li>Main: loin of sika venison with venison and bacon sausage roll, venison fat mash, braised red cabbage with red wine and peppercorn sauce</li>



<li>Dessert: toffee apple and croissant mille-feuille with pecan and cinnamon ripple ice cream</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-over-the-border">OVER THE BORDER</h2>



No 5: <a href="https://www.paul-ainsworth.co.uk/the-mariners/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Mariners</a>, Rock, Cornwall 



No 9: <a href="https://www.thecornisharmstavistock.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cornish Arms</a>, Tavistock, Devon, where chef John Hooker was named Chef of the Year



No 30: <a href="https://www.thelongsarms.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Longs Arms</a>, South Wraxall, Wilts 



No 63: <a href="https://www.masonsarmsdevon.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Mason&#8217;s Arms</a>, Knowstone, Devon



No 69: <a href="https://www.exclusive.co.uk/the-castle-inn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Castle Inn,</a> Castle Combe, Wilts



No 81: <a href="http://gurnardshead.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Gurnard&#8217;s Head</a>, St Ives, Cornwall







Want the lowdown on more lush locals? See the Muddy guide to <a href="https://dorsetsomerset.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The best places to eat in Dorset, Somerset &amp; Bristol.</a>

Lovely local pubs make it into the Top 100 Gastropubs 2025 – but which ones?

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