Archangel, a restaurant with rooms that is being renovated from an ancient coaching inn, will open early next month in the Somerset town of Frome.
The restaurant will feature a large dining room and two further private rooms as well as a bar spread over several rooms and a large garden.
Head chef will be John Melican, who has worked in London for seven years, including with Simon Hopkinson at Bibendum, Richard Neat at Pied à Terre and also with Sean Hope at The Olive Branch in Rutland. He plans to introduce a large menu “without pomp or pretension”. He said, “I don’t want to put the food on a pedestal. Simply, I hope it will be great fun.”
Six en-suite bedrooms will encourage diners to stay over and make Archangel a destination restaurant, according to owner Simon Waterfield.
“Frome has been crying out for something like this. I have no doubt that we will have something very special to offer locals, Londoners and international visitors alike,” he said.