Food & Drink: Must-visit tables for early 2026

Brother Thai, Bristol
One of the UK’s finest examples of pad kra pao is crossing the bridge from Cardiff to Bristol. Brother Thai already has a loyal following in the city from their days serving the flakiest umami-loaded beef rotis at the Harbourside Market, but the onset of the pandemic forced a retreat to their base in Cardiff. Now they are back, set to bring their Thai delights to the Carriageworks in Stokes Croft, opening in the early new year.

Nomads BBQ, Midsomer Norton
You’ll smell Nomads before you see it. Despite building a cult following for their mouth-watering low-and-slow smoked meats for almost five years, Nomads still feels like a secret you’re lucky to be let in on. This year, the business moved to a new spot and started opening on weekends, serving Mexican-inspired birria tacos, burgers stacked like building blocks and loaded fries.

The View at Wraxhall Vineyard
Farm-to-table is all the rage, but it’s far rarer to be able to eat and drink among the vines on which that award-winning, fresh, hedgerow-y Bacchus you’ve been sipping was grown. Charlie James, who earned his place as a darling of Bristol’s food scene with Jamaica Street Stores, can be found in the kitchen here, often cooking over fire. Need we say more?

Sambol, Bristol
Bristol is well served when it comes to Sri Lankan food, but news of new rotis, devilled pork and kottu always gets our hearts racing – especially when it comes from experts like Ceylon & Beyond. The beloved street food stall has set up a permanent home on East Street, in Bedminster, in the form of Sambol, which opened at the tail end of 2025. 

Solina, Bath
Few things in life bring as much joy as a bowl of perfectly executed pasta. There are great spoonfuls of that joy to be had at Solina, now in its second year, where glorious plates of sauce-slicked carbs can be enjoyed in a modern, colourful restaurant that evokes a grand, high-ceilinged hall with a real sense of history. 

Chicken Lunch Club, Bristol
In a move straight out of every food-obsessive’s wildest dreams, Jan Ostle of Michelin-starred Wilson’s has teamed up with Tristan Hogg from Pieminister to start a rotisserie chicken lunch club. In very typical Bristol fashion, the once-a-month extravaganza takes place in Tristan’s house with just 22 seats – so advance booking is essential. 

At the Station, Frome
Named in The Times and National Geographic as one of the best food halls to visit in the UK, Frome’s ever-evolving At the Station welcomed new food and drink producers this year, including Saddle Goose Wine, which joined the already well-established Rye Bakery, Owen’s Sausages and Hams, and The Cheese Lord. Its series of pop-ups and events is well worth adding to your calendar for 2026.

The Prickly Pear, Bruton
The rolling hills of rural southwest England are pretty much the last place you’d expect to find a Mexican fusion restaurant with an impressive selection of mezcal, but the Prickly Pear 2.0 is just the spot to delight and surprise. It may look like a pub, but don’t be fooled – inside, decorated chef George Barson is soon to join the team, serving grilled fish with salsa verde, pork carnitas tacos, oysters and other treats.