Roth Bar

Based at the Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Bruton, Roth Bar & Grill is a blend of food, wine, cocktails and contemporary art. The restaurant occupies Durslade Farm’s old cowshed, complete with original roof trusses, chunks of exposed stone wall and a curated collection of food-related art, including Henry Moore’s fine drawing of lobster claws.

Menus are seasonal, but dishes are always sustainably and locally sourced, either from ethical, local producers who share the restaurant’s passion for quality British food, or from Durslade Farm itself. Breakfast options are scant, but generally include a couple of healthy options, such as grilled rhubarb with yogurt and granola or poached egg on toast, and a couple of heartier dishes like home-cured bacon and a fried egg in a brioche roll, or kedgeree. Lunch favourites include cured meats (dry-aged in the purpose-built salt room), colourful salads and Roth Bar & Grill’s signature tomahawk steaks, served with béarnaise sauce. For afters, there are sweet treats such as chocolate mousse with salted caramel, honeycomb and peanut brittle, almond and apricot tart with Somerset cream, and a selection of ice-creams and sorbets. Afternoon tea is also served from 2pm-3.45pm.

Friday and Saturday evenings see the adjoining bar – created by the son and grandson of artist Dieter Roth – at full tilt. As with the restaurant menu, you’ll find that most of the drinks list hails from local craft producers and distilleries, such as Black Cow Vodka from Dorset, and Somerset Cider Brandy from Julian Temperley’s distillery on the Somerset Levels, while fresh juices and cordials are made using produce from the kitchen garden and local hedgerows.

At Roth Bar Somerset, installation art and food and drink seamlessly blend in the second iteration of the bar, which was revamped in 2024 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Roth Bar first originated in Zurich in 1997 and has since had several versions all over the world which are now being replicated in Somerset. 

Located within the Hauser & Worth gallery at Durslade Farm in Bruton Somerset, at Roth Bar Somerset the bar itself is a work of art. Comprised of salvaged and reclaimed materials from the local area and adorned by video screens that imbue the work with life and toes the line between the practical and the aesthetic the bar is surely the focal point and highlight of the guest experience. The almost steampunk-esque and shabby chic decor of the bar is set within the bare setting of the repurposed threshing barn that reflects the building’s farming past. 

Local produce and close relationships with their suppliers are at the core of Roth Bar Somerset’s menu as reflected by the fact that almost all of the drinks on offer and ingredients used in their cocktails are sourced from the local area. This reflects the venue’s commitment to providing guests with ethical, sustainable and fresh British produce. This dedication extends even further with the wine,cider,cordial and beef on offer being  sourced from the farm itself. Guests can also enjoy classic, signature and non-alcoholic cocktails and hot and soft drinks. 

This impressive selection is served alongside light bar snacks and charcuterie sharing boards as well as some more substantial plates. Tuck into the likes of hot smoked trout with sourdough, horseradish cream and pickles, seasonal tomatoes with Somerset mozzarella or broad bean falafel and garden salad. Pastries and sweet treats are the perfect way to finish the evening, offering freshly baked scones and lemon and almond drizzle cake. These dishes spotlight local produce with charcuterie from Westcombe farm, mussels from the River Fowey and vegetables sourced from 12 Acres Farm as well as, of course, their own products.