Goodfellows
5 Sadler Street, BA5 2RR.
Tel. 01749 673866.
www.goodfellowswells.co.uk
Whilst it’s famous for fish, Goodfellows has something for everyone with its restaurant’s two dining rooms: upstairs for tranquility, downstairs for hustle and bustle and the on-site pâtisserie. Chef-proprietor Adam Fellow’s cooking is just lovely, beautifully presented and delicious. Highlights include the home-cooked breads, especially the Sharpham spelt bread, and those fish dishes, of course. The downstairs dining room is built around the kitchen, so there’s the built-in theatre of watching Adam cook while you eat.

The Old Spot
12 Sadler Street, BA5 2SE.
Tel. 01749 689099.
Sadler Street is clearly the place to be for
fine-dining in Wells, with The Old Spot just across the road from Goodfellows. Chef-proprietor Ian Bates comes with great credentials, and worked with Simon Hopkinson of Roast Chicken and Other Stories fame when he headed-up London’s Bibendum in the early nineties. The Old Spot is a stylish joint with high-quality classic French and British cooking, that’s great value, especially at lunchtime with the £12.50 for two courses and £15 for three price-tag. A strong wine list supports the food, courtesy of Ian’s wine supplier wife Clare, and all this great eating and drinking is further complemented by the tables at the back of the restaurant with views of the Cathedral.

The Good Earth
4 Priory Road, BA5 1SY.
Tel. 01749 678600.
This seductive veggie and vegan enclave is a chilled out antidote to the stress of modern living with its relaxed café, and adjoining food store and interiors shop. The food is good home-cooked veggie fare, with the likes of salads, tarts and soups served up to customers on pine tables indoors, or out in the sunny courtyard. Husband and wife team Andrea and Mark Harrington own and run the business - Mark was previously head chef at Holbrook House and Ston Easton Park, so the quality is assured. After eating, diners can pick up organic fruit and veggies, flours, chocs, herbs and more at the shop, and mosey round The Potting Shed with its jewellery, homewares and range of beautiful pottery such as the Tierra Negra cookware from Columbia.

Beah
2 Union Street, BA5 2PU.
Tel. 01749 678111.
www.beah.co.uk
English meets Moroccan and Mediterranean fusion cooking in a homely restaurant setting. Head chef-partner Noureddine headed up the Moroccan kitchen at London’s Momo previously and he and partner Nicola have brought their own feel to the old Andre's Restaurant. Diners can order a traditional tagine made with roast shoulder of lamb with apricot, ground almonds and sesame seeds, or go local with a dish such as slow-cooked pork belly with celeriac and cider. 'These are proper tagines as you would have them in Morocco,' says Noureddine. 'Even the spices are imported directly from Morocco where they are ground by my sister.'

Pickwick’s Café
25-27 Broad Street, BA5 2DJ.
Tel. 01749 676697.
A friendly, airy café serving coffees, freshly-made sandwiches, cakes and treats. A popular choice with local families, there’s room at the back to relax with the kids without worrying that they’ll bother other people. Alternatively, grab a newspaper and escape everyone else’s brood with a cappuccino in the window seats.

Cafe Romna
13 Sadler Street, BA5 2RR.
Tel. 01749 670240.
For Bangladeshi fusion food in a modern setting, the Romna is a popular choice, with its on-tap Cobra and Kingfisher beers. Classic dishes sit next to some unusual specials, and many of the dishes can also be ordered to take-away.

The Swan Hotel
Sadler Street, BA5 2RX. Tel. 01749 836300. www.swanhotelwells.co.uk
This lovely 15th century hotel is the height of good taste and many rooms come with views of the cathedral, particularly the cathedral suite with its hyper-glam decor that includes a free-standing gold bathtub and seriously fabulous wallpaper. All of the rooms are contemporary and stylish though, and great value at £72 per person per night for dinner, bed and breakfast. Dining options include the beautiful panelled dining room or sunny garden room, and when the weather is good there are few more tranquil spots to escape busy summertime Wells than the walled garden. Food at the two AA rosette restaurant comes courtesy of head chef Paul Migo-West.

Miller’s at Glencot House
Glencot Lane, Wookey Hole, BA5 1BH.
Tel. 01749 677160.
www.glencothouse.co.uk
This is a unique establishment, with its theatrical dressing of object d’art and antiques. It's the brainchild of proprietor Martin Miller, of
Miller’s Antiques Price Guide, and the Jacobean-style house is set in some lovely grounds three miles outside of Wells. Miller has owned the property for a few years, and it's a sister to his London hotel Miller’s Residence, but the new element here is the appointment of general manager Marcos Kapulno from Bond Street hotel The Westbury, who has some big plans to turn the hotel into one of the gems of the South West. Chef Laurent Courtois heads up the kitchen and has created a menu that features accessible modern classics, so that although the place is wonderfully over-the-top décor wise, diners can relax knowing that stuffed peacocks stay firmly on the wall and off the menu.

The Crown at Wells
Market Place, Wells, BA5 2RP.
Tel. 01749 673457.
www.crownatwells.co.uk
Hot fuzz! this place looks familiar. Yes, the traditional 15th century hotel, inn and bistro was ‘The Crown at Sandford’ in the British hit comedy Hot Fuzz starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Remember the shoot-out at the end of film? Yep, this was the place. It’s a cheerful and friendly establishment that’s got lots of period features and West Country charm, which is probably what makes it a fave with the BBC crew who stay each year during Glastonbury Festival; who wouldn’t want a cosy four poster when the alternative is a campervan in a field? Relax in the bar, or outside on the terrace in the summer, or head into Anton’s Bistrot for a modern British menu in attractive surroundings.

Queen Street Delicatessen
Queen Street, BA5 2DP.
Tel. 01749 679803.

Dan Holland has made a successful business of the deli he opened just over a year ago, and developed a lovely range of high quality local products that includes well-loved local brands such as Mendip Moments, Orchard Pig, Hobb’s House Bakery and James’ Chocolates. The cheese range is developing all the time too, with new Whitelake goats’ cheeses joining the established range that includes both continental cheeses and cheddars such as Montgomery’s and Godminster. Anything you fancy can be incorporated into sarnies to take away too, and thanks to the homemade salads such as pasta, bean and pecorino, the deli is a fave stop for local workers for lunches. Commit it to memory as the place to stock up for the Glastonbury Extravaganza.

Wells Farmers’ Market

Head over to Wells Market Place on a Wednesday morning to get your fix of locally produced high quality food and drinks. Runs 9am-2.30pm.

Kitchenmonger
17 Market Place, BA5 2RF.
Tel. 01749 676044.
www.kitchenmonger.co.uk
A cornucopia of high quality kitchenware that has everything you could conceivably ever need. There’s cute stuff, fully functional stuff, kitchen gifts and local products such as divine local Mitrehouse wooden chopping boards. Manager Sally Jones is a font of all knowledge cookware-wise, and can help any despairing cook find the solution to a pressing problem.

Red Hot Chilli People
66 High street, BA5 2AJ.
Tel. 01749 672545.
www.redhotchillipeople.com
This emporium of global cooking ingredients stocks products locals wouldn't otherwise find outside of Bristol, and the huge array includes coconut oil, Chinese black vinegar and ghee, as well as the popular toasted sesame oil, fish sauce and a huge range of soy sauces. Proprietors Richard and Jane Daniels grow their own chillies and sell fresh halapenos, naga, Thai red chillies and habaneros in the shop, as well as bunches of curry leaves, fenugreek, lemongrass and coriander. Bring your empty jars and packets back for filling at the eco-friendly refill bar too.

Santé Wine Imports
Tel. 07872001876.
www.santeimports.com
Santé is a relatively new addition to the High Street and the cosy cellar like store offers wine lovers the chance to buy a special bottle with the help of proprietor David Schroetter. David grew up in the Loire valley and specialises in French wine, working with vineyards in France. He supplies wines to the trade as well as to the wine-loving public at the shop.

F W Griffiths & Son Butchers
57 High Street, BA5 2AE.
Tel. 01749 672319.
A top-notch butchers shop of the old school variety, with everything beautifully displayed for the customer. There’s been a butchers shop on the site for over a hundred years with F W Griffiths having been here since the 1950s, and the traditional emphasis on good sourcing is as strong as ever. Manager Gerry Morris says, 'We buy meat from local farms which has gone through a nearby, low-throughput abattoir in Bridport.' Recommended items include the artfully-created cushion of lamb which is a boned, rolled and stuffed shoulder that would look a fine sight on any dinner table.

This feature first appeared in Somerset, Bath and Bristol's May-June 2009 food magazine.