Restaurant in Taunton, United Kingdom
Local sourcing, Michelin-noted, great value.
Augustus holds two consecutive Michelin Plates and a 4.9 Google rating at a ££ price point, making it the most reliable dinner option in Taunton by a clear margin. The kitchen runs a seasonal, locally sourced menu mixing Modern British and French dishes, with occasional Asian touches. Book here for a special occasion where warmth and quality matter more than formality.
At the ££ price point, Augustus is one of the most convincing arguments for eating locally sourced Modern British food outside a major city. Two Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) confirm what the 4.9 Google rating across 436 reviews already suggests: this Taunton bistro consistently delivers at a level that outperforms its price tier. If you want seasonal, ingredient-led cooking in Somerset without paying London prices, book here first.
The visual split between the two dining spaces is worth factoring into your booking. The cosy, intimate dining room suits a quieter dinner for two; the bright conservatory with its sliding glass doors and retractable roof works well for lunch, when natural light does most of the heavy lifting. Neither space is formal. The animated, relaxed atmosphere is part of the appeal, and the cheeses arriving tableside on a perambulating butcher's block is the kind of detail that makes a meal feel considered without feeling theatrical. For a special occasion where you want warmth over ceremony, this room delivers.
The kitchen's strongest argument is its calendar-driven approach. Ingredients are sourced on foot from nearby butchers, bakers and fishmongers, with Somerset's orchards and smallholdings filling in the seasonal gaps. That means the menu shifts with the harvest, and timing your visit around what's in season in the South West pays dividends.
In autumn, the vegetable tart with light, precise pastry has been specifically called out as a highlight — this is the season to visit if the kitchen's more delicate, produce-focused work interests you. The duck cassoulet is described as properly Gallic and properly rustic, the kind of dish that earns its place on a winter menu when it needs to. Brixham scallops with curry cream, raisins and pommes gaufrettes represent the kitchen's more confident technical register — Brixham is one of the South West's most reliable fishing ports, and when the scallops are good, this dish shows what the team can do. The seafood stew and aubergine teriyaki with plancha-style Asian vegetables and sesame signal that the kitchen is not locked into a single European register; those occasional Asian forays broaden the menu's range without feeling forced.
If you want something direct rather than seasonal, the sirloin steak with cauliflower cheese and French fries is there for exactly that purpose. Dessert runs to tarte tatin and Bakewell tart with custard , both well within the bistro idiom. The cheese course, paraded around the room on that butcher's block, is worth leaving room for regardless of what else you order.
The wine list is described as workmanlike and fairly priced, with a trio of West Country bottles alongside an international selection. Plenty of options by the glass and carafe make it easy to drink well without committing to a full bottle , practical for a weekday lunch or a two-person dinner where tastes differ.
The team is described as bright, breezy and welcoming, with service specifically noted as pleasant and efficient. For a special occasion, that matters: you get attentive without intrusive, which is the right register for a bistro at this price point. The owners, Cedric Chirossel and chef Richard Guest, have Taunton tenure behind them , longevity in a smaller city like this is a meaningful trust signal.
Against other Modern British restaurants in the South West, Augustus sits in a productive middle ground. For higher technical ambition in the region, Gidleigh Park in Chagford operates at a different price tier entirely and suits a blow-out occasion. hide and fox in Saltwood and 33 The Homend in Ledbury are useful comparators if you're assessing what ££ Modern British cooking looks like elsewhere in the country. Among national Michelin-recognised Modern British addresses, Moor Hall in Aughton, L'Enclume in Cartmel and Midsummer House in Cambridge all occupy a higher bracket in ambition and price. Augustus is not competing at that level, nor does it need to. What it offers , seasonal, locally sourced cooking, a genuinely welcoming room, and a price point that doesn't require an occasion to justify , is a different proposition entirely. If you're in Taunton and you want the leading meal the town has to offer, this is where to go. See our full Taunton restaurants guide for broader context.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustus | Modern British | ££ | An experienced chef and a bright, breezy team run this welcoming little bistro. Sit in the cosy, intimate dining room or the bright conservatory with sliding glass doors and a retractable roof. Hearty, unfussy cooking mixes French-influenced dishes with updated British classics.; Taunton veterans Cedric Chirossel and chef Richard Guest continue to keep things strictly local at this agreeable, laid-back restaurant nestled in a quiet courtyard not far from the town’s landmark Castle Hotel. Ingredients are often collected on foot from nearby butchers, bakers and fishmongers, while Somerset’s orchards and smallholdings provide a seasonal harvest. The result is a calendar-driven repertoire that mixes British and European influences with a few Asian forays. Many dishes have been mentioned in dispatches, from an autumnal vegetable tart with the lightest of pastry to cheese soufflé with a ‘marvellous salad’. Duck cassoulet is properly Gallic and properly rustic, while other highlights might include seared Brixham scallops with curry cream, raisins and pommes gaufrettes, seafood stew or aubergine teriyaki with plancha-style Asian vegetables and sesame. You can even drop by for a plate of sirloin steak, cauliflower cheese and French fries if you’re in the mood for something old school, with tarte tatin or Bakewell tart and custard for afters. Otherwise, home in on the cheeses paraded around the relaxed but animated dining room on a perambulating butcher’s block. ‘Pleasant, efficient service’ gets a nod of approval, while the workmanlike, fairly priced international wine list (including a trio from West Country vineyards) offers plenty of decent options by the glass and carafe.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
At ££, it is. A Michelin Plate in consecutive years (2024 and 2025) at this price point is a strong signal: you are getting calendar-driven, locally sourced cooking without paying London prices. The workmanlike wine list, with plenty available by the glass, keeps the total bill manageable. For the level of kitchen craft on offer, Augustus punches above its price bracket.
Booking in advance is advisable, particularly for weekends and seasonal menus when the conservatory fills. As a small bistro in Taunton rather than a major city, last-minute tables are more realistic mid-week, but do not assume availability on a Friday or Saturday evening without a reservation.
Augustus is a bistro, not a formal restaurant: the atmosphere is relaxed and animated, the cooking is hearty rather than precious, and the menu spans British classics, French-influenced dishes, and occasional Asian forays. The room splits into a cosy indoor dining room and a brighter conservatory with a retractable roof, so specify a preference when booking. Ingredients are sourced locally on foot, so expect the menu to shift with the season.
The split between the dining room and conservatory gives some flexibility, but Augustus is a small bistro, so large groups should check the venue's official channels to confirm capacity and any private dining options. Smaller groups of four to six are the practical sweet spot for a relaxed dinner here.
Yes, with the right expectations. Two consecutive Michelin Plates and a team noted for pleasant, efficient service make it credible for a birthday or anniversary dinner. The conservatory with sliding glass doors and a retractable roof is the better setting for a celebratory booking. If you need high technical ambition or a formal tasting menu format, look further afield in the South West, but for a warm, well-cooked special occasion dinner at ££, Augustus delivers.
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