Augustus - Taunton

It seems to me that Augustus is a very strange Restaurant, I found it by going to my room logging on to the Wifi and immediately conducting an internet search for my usual 'key words' which I'm sure you are relieved to hear are for 'best restaurant in <insert current town I'm stuck in this week>'. Augustus was not at the top of this list and nor was it included in my follow-up search 'recommendations for places to eat in <nearby town of vague interest>'. However when I followed a link through to Trip Adviser and started to scan the list offered to me, my eye passed cruelly over many a posh pub, cafe cum bistro and standard Indian/Chinese/Pizza takeaway only to stop on a terrible picture of an empty table.

I think I was intrigued by the fact that it refused to be characterised as conforming to any specific cuisine and that, I consider to be the fabulous crescendo of British food. Met at the door and told that there was no table available due to a over stuffed booking schedule, I was about to leave empty tummied when I was asked how fast I could eat. How fast can you cook? I countered, and with a grin was shown to a table at the back. It seems that the kitchen was on point because as soon as I made my choices, bread and some lovely nibbley seeds were presented forthwith.

I thought Celeriac Soup with Hazelnut oil would be a decent test of a chef's touch and while I remain unconvinced about it as a regular addition to my favourites list, I do know that this soup was light, creamy and packed with flavour. It coated the spoon with unctuous ease and was served as hot as lava - beautiful.

The pork that followed couldn't quite live up to this promise of the soup, but was only a little less delicious. The tenderised pork was wrapped in pancetta and laid over a lovely bit of veg, sauce and what I think was celeriac mash. Clearly the kitchen had got a great deal from their veg supplier that week. From the high of the soup, it was the mash that let this dish down, the texture was grainy and the flavour a little watery but with plenty of the reduced sauce it still went down a treat.

After two courses and a coffee, I was out and away within the time limit set by my very pleasant waiter, £35 for food and a couple of glasses of a half decent red. Honestly, don't let the terrible picture/website/location or name allow you to miss this gem - Augustus really delivers on the relaxed, satisfying atmosphere you (I?) want from modern British food.

Lovely job.

UPDATE - I'm pleased to say that when searching for 'best restaurant in taunton' Augustus is now prominently displayed! 

www.augustustaunton.co.uk