Where to eat in Frome: a local’s guide by food writer Hugh Thomas

Guest writer Hugh Thomas writes for the Wallfish Journal, runs the Somerset Farmers’ Market at the Boyle Cross and is a central figure in the Frome Food Network

As part of its ongoing recovery after centuries of post-industrialist decline, Frome is becoming something, among other things, of a gastronomic attraction.

It is second in that category only to Bath as far as Somerset is concerned and, in some areas, even surpasses it: to search anywhere else in the country for a Scandi-style sausage bar, izakaya, and Filipino comfort food in the same place would be an endeavour nothing short of fruitless.

A lot of the above is what you get when someone with experience in hospitality moves out of Bristol or London with an eye for somewhere quieter and slower-paced (if not considerably cheaper) in which to start a family, but cannot let go of that urge to serve or feed a broader audience too. In Frome, there are chefs and other alumni from such London institutions (former and current) as Moro, Monty’s Deli, and Quo Vadis.

All that being said, a number of these resulting new and new-ish eating places in Frome simply aren’t that well apparent on the map quite yet, and can easily pass by the casual observer. Which, subsequently, calls for a local’s guide to where to eat in Frome, and particularly one that speaks to any potential visitors.

A few things you should know

Though there are 25 restaurants, pubs, cafes, and other eating places without a similar description in this guide, Frome does have its quieter days. This is a town whose population is a little shy of 30,000, after all. Monday especially has a reputation for tumbleweed, though at this time of the week there are good options if you know where to look, such as Little Walcot, Nook, Bistro Lotte or Bar Lotte, Thai Spice at The Griffin, and Coop Kitchen at The Ship.

Some Friday nights notwithstanding, it’s fairly easy getting a table anywhere in this guide. That is, apart from The High Pavement – if you’d like to eat somewhere with very good service, a great menu, and in some of Frome’s most characterful surroundings, then you should have booked about three months ago.

If you’re looking to travel for something extra special, there are some alluring options towards the likes of Glastonbury, Sparkford, and Bruton – see my provisional ranking of Somerset restaurants (paywall) for some ideas.

If you’d rather eat at the budget end of the scale, good choices exist in Frome in that particular category too – particularly Lungi Babas, Coop Kitchen, and Rye Bakery’s pizza.

Breakfast and brunch

Is Frome, if the phrase had a more literal sense, a ‘sleepy town’? Its lack of breakfast options at what most would call an appropriate time would suggest as much. Nevertheless, from 8am Rye Bakery serves coffee, croissants, and financiers (among other patisserie) at the Station Approach. Half an hour later, vegetarian and vegan cafe Projects opens for Turkish eggs and suchlike, while at Nook there’s porridges, toasts, and granolas to be had. Expect, from 9am onwards, traditional and less traditional fry-ups at Little Walcot and River House, and pastries and light breakfasts in an old church at Rye Bakery’s Whittox Lane cafe.

Lunch

All the above are open for lunch too, and, with the exception of River House and Projects, with dedicated midday menus. Nook for instance brings in Hawaiian-inspired poke bowls, while one would do well to take note of Rye Bakery’s lasagna, salads, and stews at their church cafe that otherwise seem to cruise under many a radar. Meanwhile at Little Walcot, there’s familiar British staples and pub-adjacent food (ergo, Sunday roasts) in view of Frome’s most photographed landmark Catherine Hill.

On weekends, if not towards the end of the week more generally, you can include in that list refined takes on Japanese fast food, like bento boxes, at Inoshishi; Filipino rice bowls and noodle soups eaten on-the-hoof from Tondo; highly-coveted Moorish tapas at The High Pavement (Saturdays being their only lunchtime service); fried chicken at Keyford neighbourhood pub The Crown and Coop Kitchen at The Ship in Badcox (sauces and seasonings being their main point of difference); easily the best steak frites in town at Bistro Lotte; and, from September, Sunday roasts at Three Swans’ pop-up Frome At The Table.

Heading out of town (or not far at all if you’ve just alighted), Rye Bakery’s sourdough pizza made from their own milled flour is served out of their Station Approach site, and, from the Scandi-style sausage bar next door, Owen’s Sausages and Hams’ hot-smoked hot dogs and JJ’s Doubles (Trinidadian chickpea curry in a fried roti). Also at the Approach, find thalis, curries, and masala dosa on behalf of Lungi Babas. 

If you happen to be visiting town for The Frome Independent market, on every first Sunday of the month (excluding January and February), a dozen more lunch options – in kerbside format – exist at the mercy of the market’s circa 10,000 visitors. Traders tend to pop up on rotation, though Hakkō House’s maki-burritos and Ah-Mah’s Cantonese dumplings, both on Scott Road, are among the more regular highlights at the moment. Elsewhere on the market are scotch eggs, sausage rolls, creme brulee tarts, and choux buns aplenty.

Dinner

Back at the station, and on evenings towards the end of the week (particularly Friday), live music and good sunshine does bring the locals out. In addition to Rye Bakery, Owen’s Sausages and Hams, and Lungi Baba’s offerings as detailed above, supper’s arrangement is much the same (JJ’s, alas, is Saturday lunch only), but with the notable addition of The Cheese Lord’s locally-influenced cheese boards (summer), and heartier ogleshield raclette (winter), best paired with wines from Rye Bakery’s bar. 

In town, and on most evenings, the situation is thus: The Crown and Coop Kitchen serve up their respective versions of fried chicken (for example, Kai’s dry house rub for the former, Buffalo for the latter) on a more consistent basis; Bistro Lotte’s French offering also comes available at Bar Lotte next door; Inoshishi’s menu broadens its selection of small plates; Frome’s arguably favourite restaurant The High Pavement comes much more alive; Little Walcot provides a place to be for food of a British inflection and (50% off) bar snacks; while Thai Spice at The Griffin opens up peddling spring rolls, pad thai, massaman curry, et al.

Slightly further afield

Just out of town, but definitely necessitating a drive or at least cycle, are pubs and restaurants which could be considered on par with Frome’s general contribution. Gastro-oriented pubs include The Bath Arms at Horningsham – not to be confused with, but also not to be outdone by, The Bath Arms at Shearwater. Or, if you were to head north instead, the 627-year-old The George in Norton St. Philip. All the while, charming French delicatessen Mes Amis, and the cafe-restaurants at Farleigh Road and White Row farm shops are all in with a shout, especially for convenience in proximity to local walking routes and other attractions. The Talbot in Mells is about the only place you might try to eat that’s outside of town but within (very pleasant) walking distance of it.