The story
The Tytherleigh Arms, on Chard Road in Tytherleigh, Devon EX13 7BE, runs a Modern British kitchen that holds 2 AA Rosettes (2026). The 16th-century coaching inn sits between Chard and Axminster and pairs its restaurant with six courtyard bedrooms.
Head chef Nick Topham leads the kitchen, and the menus reinterpret classic British flavours with a light touch. The Good Food Guide (2026) lists it as Good, and singles out miso-glazed king oyster mushroom with kohlrabi rémoulade and cep soil. Grilled, tartared mackerel comes with compressed apple and beer-vinegared beetroot. Cod is rolled and set beside roasted cauliflower in cockle velouté.
The menus change with the seasons. The autumn menu has included hake in a rich chowder, honey-glazed duck with roasted root vegetables, and cider-battered haddock and chips. Puddings have ranged from blackberry sponge with golden syrup sauce to dark chocolate delice with whisky ice cream. The restaurant is open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday and dinner Wednesday to Saturday, with Sunday evenings added from July to September.
Recognition
Details
History
The Tytherleigh could be another whitewashed roadside inn, briefly glimpsed along the A358 as you hurtle towards the Dorset border. But halt. Within its 16th-century walls, there is plenty more going on than pub grub. In the kitchen, there's a firm commitment to West Country supply lines, and the menus speak a language that big-city escapees would recognise. Start with miso-glazed king oyster mushroom with kohlrabi rémoulade, mushroom ketchup and cep soil, a fungal exploration full of umami wallop, or consider grilled and tartared mackerel with compressed apple and beer-vinegared beetroot. Dishes have the sturdiness of flavour to back up their smart looks: cod is rolled up and set beside roasted and puréed cauliflower with a bit of burnt lemon in cockle velouté. A daring ingenuity for combining sees crispy pork belly appear with smoked eel, along with caramelised onion and hispi cabbage. Those in the market for fish and chips or a steak will find themselves rather more royally served than they were expecting. Chips with the latter are, in the modern manner, truffle-oiled and tweaked with Parmesan. Finish with matcha and pistachio cake garnished with white chocolate Chantilly. Wines start at £22 for Italian house selections.
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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