Duende in Taunton Deane

I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a while and they didn’t disappoint. I booked for my birthday 2 days before Christmas for the tasting menu which we all really enjoyed. The food was imaginative, cooked really well and was extremely tasty. The staff were truly lovely and it was nice to see Tim come out into the restaurant and interact with the customers. Thank you for making my birthday special … and many thanks for the Prosecco 😊

We had a wonderful taster menu at Duende. Chef Tim Zekki had put together a really innovative menu with locally sauced produce. One course led you to the next one with the flavours getting steadily stronger as we went through the meal. The five courses started with delicate goats cheese curd with pickled pear and slithers of beetroot on a bed of butternut squash puree. The courses moved through beautifully seared tuna (probably the only non local ingredient) with pickled fennel root and pink grapefruit before guinea fowl breast with the most amazing chicken liver. The fourth course was beautifully seared duck breast. The meal finished with the most amazing ginger bread with home made vanilla ice cream with thyme. The service was very friendly and informal. Tim came and chatted with us telling us about the menu and the techniques he used including how he had made such amazing pickled pears. A wonderful meal. A lovely restaurant. We will be going again.

First visit to Duende but it won’t be the last!! Front of house very friendly and courteous! They didn’t have Prosecco so I enjoyed a cocktail and he said that next time we come he’ll be sure to get some in!! Scallops to die for - next time I’m having them as a main!! I had the Guinea fowl which was so succulent, the best I’ve ever had and my husband chose the tandoori monkfish with prawns and thoroughly enjoyed it! I couldn’t resist the lemon posset with blackcurrants but I failed to finish it!! I was so full! Decor I thought was a bit bizarre when I arrived but to be honest it was all about the food and their friendliness to all their customers and I soon warmed to the surroundings and realised it was just as it should have been! Tim, the chef, carried out a very old fashioned tradition of going to each table to greet his guests and enquired if they had enjoyed their evening!! It’s been a while since I’ve seen that but it was great that he did so!! I shall definitely be returning as soon as I look up the next dates they will be open!! Well done Tim and all the staff! Maggie Machin. Ham. Taunton

Very disappointing. Duende do mostly home catering, but once a month or so offer a couple of nights restricted a La carte menu. After reading all the hype around the website, I took my husband for a special birthday treat. We and 5 other couples sat in a cold room and we waited an hour and 5 minutes for our starters. Nothing else was offered except some bread, without butter or any kind of dip. Both starters arrived lukewarm - and while tasty, were nothing to write home about. My Guinea fowl main was a small overcooked piece of breast and slightly burned potatoes. Also not very hot. My husband had monkfish and dahl with a tough prawn. Quite upset we paid over £80 for two courses and a beer. Only redeemed by the pleasant guy who was front of house.

Chef Tim Zekki, came out of his restaurant to cook for nine of us at the beautiful barn we had rented in Milverton for my husband's 70th birthday. He created a five course tasting menu that was beyond my expectations. Every course was delicious & totally superb, I’ve eaten at many Michelin starred restaurants & this incredible dinner was up there with the best. I would have expected to pay more for such skill & creativity. I really wish that we lived nearer to Duende, it would be my go to restaurant every time. Thank you Tim & Linda for organising such a memorable evening for us.

Booked and paid up front for 5 course tasting menu with the theme of game. Not going to spoil the event by detailing the menu! Suffice to say each course was splendid . We were going to share a “ wine flight” In the end we had one each & booked a taxi. Not cheap and what an experience ! Will save up and do it again! Valentines? Ps g & t as birthday present at start of meal lovely gesture. Made it special from start

What an amazing meal we had last night!. Tim Zekki the chef has impressed us yet again with his incredible late Summer tasting menu. Imaginative and creative - the best in Somerset.

I have eaten in various restaurants locally but Duende is in a league by itself. Michelin star quality food in Wiveliscombe!!

This second visit to duende for a tasting menu was just as good as the first. Based on a seafood theme the food was right up our street. Flavours and presentation were excellent throughout and we loved every course, but the mackerel with garlic served on a crunchy bed of almond and parmessan was delicious. The fourth course was the best dessert we have eaten in a long time and paired with the Elysium just blew us away (and everyone else in the restaurant judging my the comments coming from every table). The pre-selected wines were well chosen and an excellent accompaniment to each of the five courses. To top it all off the service was lovely once again and never overly pretentious. duende is a fine dining treat.

I v just arrived home from THE MOST DELICIOUS dinner, if you’re in the area or not , add this to your bucket list, fabulous!

Myself, daughter and 2 grandsons went for lunch on Mothers Day. We were seated in a very dark corner - I could not easily see what I was eating. Our starters were fine, but the main courses, beef, 2 ducks and a veggie option, only the beef came with vegetables, the ducks and veggie dish were just a small portion in the middle of a large plate. The ducks were on a bed of lentils, but no sign of any fresh vegetables or potatoes and were very small portions whereas the beef came with a good selection of fresh vegetables and roast potatoes. The other dishes were a third of the size by comparison. Only 3 of us had desserts and the 2 chocolate delices were very salty and again very small portions. The service was attentive, but slow - we were there for over 2 hours and visibly waiting for the next course when we had finished the last. We came home for coffee as we thought it would be quicker. The meal was I thought expensive for what we received and I came home not feeling either full or that I had had value for money. The restaurant was not only very poorly lit, but cold, and we all huddled round the fire on our return.

Little Wiveliscombe has a real gem in Duende, but it's well worth the drive wherever you live. We received a warm welcome to this quirkily decorated and moodily lit restaurant, where the ambience is friendly and relaxed. We chose the five course tasting menu and enjoyed every dish so much that we really couldn't choose a favourite. We started with tasty goats curd with beetroot. The second course provided the best piece of mackerel I have ever eaten. A main of sliced sirloin steak on a bed of the creamiest of creamed potatoes. The rhubarb accompanying a creamy panna cotta was cooked to perfection (and thank you, chef, for the instructions!) A piece of soft Bath cheese was drizzled with the most delicious honey (I meant to ask for the supplier, but forgot) and sprinkled with crumbs with a subtle hint of fennel. Each course was a confection of layers of flavour and texture. We chose a nice bottle of Tempranillo to accompany, which at £21 was good value by restaurant standards. It was a lovely evening in all regards and we will be returning soon. It's worth saying that having read some previous reviews which mentioned small portions, I wondered if I should eat a large lunch. In fact, my day was so busy that I'd hardly eaten at all. I still left Duende feeling fully sated, and didn't even eat breakfast the next day. And I would consider myself to be a fairly greedy person. I think some people confuse quality and quantity. To my mind, quality is the more important factor, but Duende certainly left this greedy girl very happy in both respects.

This is our first visit to Duende and won't be our last. We had a lovely lunch in this small and friendly restaurant. The place was buzzing and full on a Friday lunchtime, admittedly it was during the Exmoor Food Festival period but still a good sign. The tables are rustic, with canteen type cutlery and glasses but that didn't detract from the meal. Staff were friendly, efficient and we were made to feel very welcome. The food was excellent, full of flavour and nicely presented. We had the cured salmon, with lots of small flavours hits to go with it, it was light a really tasty. My husband had the Mediterranean vegetable terrine, which was bursting with fresh flavours. I had the confit duck with a very crispy skin, the meat fell off the bone and was lovely with the wilted spinach and fondant potato. We both finished with the chocolate delice and vanilla parfait....yum, the chocolate was a smooth, mouth-watering rich flavour. Altogether a very enjoyable lunch.

I went in last Saturday night to have a meal with my friends and family and I could not have asked for a more pleasant environment or a higher standard of food. The service was excellent with one waitress in particular being extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The food was of the highest standard and extremely delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Also the selection of wine and beer was admirable with again, very quick service. The atmosphere was bubbly and very charismatic without being too loud. I would be very quick to recommend it to anyone that asked for a lovely place to eat at with a very reasonable price for such a high standard of food.

After several recommendations we chose the 5 course set menu thinking we would get a culinary feast. A feast it wasn’t not 1 of the 5 courses hit the spot well you couldn’t tell how nice it could have been by it’s size. As it was my Birthday I was hoping for a nice selection of local beers to try (well you do have a brewery round the corner) I chose a beer only to be informed on a Saturday at 7:30pm that’s the only one we have!! 🤨 A couple of warm Ciders was on offer not everyone wants to drink wine this was a massive disappointment to all in our party & we would of spent more alas we couldn’t due to the poor poor quality of service offered! Definitely better places to eat around Somerset in my opinion! At least the Bear had a decent 🍺 and a good selection of crisps & nuts to fill the emptiness left behind!! Milverton resident

After a delicious al a carte meal last year we decided to give the 5 course tasting menu a go. Whilst not wishing to detract from the superb flavour combinations and the obvious complexity of the food preparation, the portion sizes were minuscule to see the least! When you need a cheese and pickle sandwich on arrival home to fill a gaping hole in your ravenous stomach, there is something far wrong in the portion control department, feel like a piglet admitting this, but truly my whole party felt the same.

Been for lunch today we all had a fab meal and the service was excellent 5 stars all around good local seasonal produce

We have had a lovely evening sampling the fine food and wine that Duende has to offer. The restaurant was busy giving a great atmosphere and the food we all could not fault. It’s refreshing to find someone who in this somewhat uncertain climate has opened a lovely restaurant in the quaint town of Wiveliscombe.

Came here to celebrate Valentines day with my lovely wife. We had not had a " fine dinning" experience" for a while but had read the reviews and as an ex Wiveliscombe resident thought it would be good to try. We had the Saturday night taster menu. We arrived at 7.30pm as instructed and was shown to our table and drinks orders were taken. The first course of home made focaccia bread did not arrive for half an hour, which we found a little frustrating. The food itself was excellent, with a combination of flavours and textures. The staff were very good and friendly. We had a little trouble hearing the detailed explanation of each course due to the amount of back ground noise as the place was almost full. As with most "fine dinning" it is a very fine balancing act between quality, quantity and value for money. We certainly had no issue with quality of the food but the quantity and value for money, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

We visited for a post Valentine lunch to try out Duende during Exmoor Food Festival.Food is very well presented and beautifully cooked - I really cannot fault the standard of cooking here. Service however is 'work in progress', nothing major but a tweak here and there is needed to match the standard of the food. Inside the restaurant, small changes like fixing the wobbly tables, giving the windows a good clean and changing the flickering light bulbs will enhance what is a very good dining experience. Don't let these things put you off - the food really is so good and we will be returning.

We walked past Duende at first as it looked like a semi-derelict, closed shop. (No fairy lights as at night) We had to peer through the steamed up windows to see if it was open and the rather dirty brown paintwork was not very welcoming.We booked for lunch as part of the Exmoor Food Festival offer, so the menu was possibly less extravagant than the full al la carte. Nonetheless, the service was slow and rather amateur, for example, not having the cutlery relaid between courses BEFORE the next course arrived.The first course was more akin to an amuse bouche as it would have easily fitted into a tablespoon. Feta curds with pickled beetroot, compressed pears and hazelnuts consisted of three tiny blobs of albeit tasty, cheese, a slice of ordinary pickled beetroot and three tiny cubes of pear dressed with three raw hazelnuts straight out of the packet. Nice flavour combinations, bemused by the three naked hazelnuts.The mackerel fillet mains was a plain fillet, sitting on a pleasant but under seasoned pile of potatoes and leeks. My partner's belly of pork was very pleasing with good crispy skin. The roast potatoes were leathery.The accompanying vegetables were, again, under seasoned and rather bland: cabbage, carrots and pea puree tasting more like mushy peas. The cauliflower cheese looked promising but failed to deliver any cheese taste and yet again could do with a shake of salt. Since the waiter did not return to our table to check if we were happy I had no opportunity to ask for some salt, and I am not someone who piles salt on all my food!The chocolate torte was very pleasing and the rhubarb compote, ginger ice cream and custard was a delightful collection of flavours presented as three runny blobs on a plate!If the Food Festival offer was meant to entice us back for the full monty, then I'm afraid it has not worked. The barely sufficient portions were just adequate for lunch, but I was roving the fridge by mid afternoon!

An excellent, if short, menu of local produce to choose from. The food was superb as was the service. This was the restaurants first week of opening at lunchtime, and our second visit - there will be a third if only for the home made bread! Outstanding.

I don’t normally write reviews but my husband took me to Duende last night for my birthday with some friends. It was the tasting menu of 7 courses it was fabulous. We could not fault the food or the service. The food is really excellent people shouldn’t hesitate to go. I can’t wait to go back!

I wrote the first ever review of Duende. We've been back 5 or 6 times and have just made another three reservations for the rest of 2018. Enough said really. The other reviews will give you the idea.Just some comments to add:Mind you head on the way to the gents. It bloody hurts when you hit it !They are doing a lot of tasting menus recently. They are good, interesting and varied and I guess they help control costs without sacrificing quality. It must be tough starting a restaurant of this type in an area where none has existed previously. A minor comment though. I also like the idea of mixing wines with the dishes. The 'wine flight' offered includes sherry and port, neither of which I like. The alternatives for two people to mix red and white with the meal is either very costly or very intoxicating. A 'wine only' flight option would be perfect.

We have previously greatly enjoyed dining at Duende. This was our first experience of their Tasting Menu but will certainly not be our last.Let me, from the outset, say that in our opinion Tim Zekki is an outstanding chef. His combinations of textures and flavours coupled with the best of local ingredients and exquisite presentation marks him out as a very accomplished cook.The seven course menu: Six of the courses were outstanding with our particular favourites being the Citrus Glazed Mackerel, tartine of almond, Parmesan and micro herbs and the Pickled Beetroot, butternut squash purée, pickled pear and roasted pumpkin seeds. In saying that we also hugely enjoyed the Crab and mango, the Guinea Fowl, the Lamb with pea purée and a eucalyptus sauce and finally the Kumquat with gingerbread crumbs and clotted cream ice cream.The one course not to our personal taste was a grilled duo of cheeses with shortbread and a plum sauce. We are not fond of cooked cheese and the sharp plum sauce rather dominated the dish.The wine flight was also enjoyed. The surprise was a Vino Verde chosen to accompany the Mackerel. Initially we thought this would be too dry a wine but the citrus in the dish‘sweetened’ the wine and it was an inspired choice.Service was explemporary. Attentive, professional, courteous, efficient, informative, knowledgeable - and all done with a smile and a pride in ‘their’ restaurant.The cost: £45 a head for the seven course menu. For the quality this is remarkably good value.

So fortunate to have experienced the Tasting Menu, where each of the seven courses are served and explained. The flavours were exquisite. One hundred per cent quality food, cooked to perfection. Would return in a heartbeat. Wiveliscombe cherish this fabulous restaurant.

This lovely restaurant is a true Somerset dining gem, which I really can’t recommend enough. From the front of house warm welcome & friendly staff to the beautiful decor, great G&Ts, delicious food, well chosen wines and attention to details - it’s all simply the best. The tasting menu with wine flight was such a special experience & the tastes were incredible - just excellent!

I treated work colleagues to the tasting menu event at this fabulous little restaurant and I wasn't disappointed from the moment we sat down to the moment we left. The ambiance from the lighting to the tables and decoration and music set the scene for the fantastic 7 courses that were presented to us. We had the option of a wine flight to have alongside our courses but didn't take this up because of driving and work the next day, but on my next visit to a tasting event I will certainly take up on this option and I will most certainly be back to visit on the non-tasting event days as well. The service was also excellent with each course explained to us and its provenance by 2 delightful servers who couldn't be more helpful. All in all an excellent experience I will be recommending to anyone, although expensive I would still rate it value for money for the special experience and the food.

Visited this fairly new restaurant last night to get in before their August shut down. What a revelation! Absolutely excellent high end dining in Wiveliscombe. Reminded me of the old Shaun Hill Merchant House in Ludlow which I always thought nicer than the Walnut Tree Abergavenny where he went onto and where we’ve also been a couple of times. Had the five course tasting menu and wine pairings. The combinations are inspired and delicious - crab with mango and fermented black bean which set off the sweetness of the mango, the guinea fowl with umeboshi glaze was nothing less than delicious. The only thing I could possibly say I would have preferred is instead of the manchego cheese three ways to have different cheeses and home made biscuits/crackers - if they weren’t home made - happy to be corrected about that. Also the waiting staff tend to talk to you like you’re a bit slow on the uptake - maybe it’s a general trend or just me as I seem to get that a lot lately. NeverthelessI I don’t give a fig compote covered piece of cheese about any of that as the food was just so so good. There ought to be hordes of food crazy people bored of all the established places making the journey to West Somerset to sample this.All at reasonable prices too. Looking forward to the reopening in September.

My wife and I booked in for the five course tasting menu experience on a Thursday evening. My wife being vegetarian and happy to share the food experience meant that I actually had a 10 course tasting experience! What an absolute joy the whole thing was. The food is fantastic and I really mean that. In a past life I used to review top restaurants in London and the food experience at this wonderfully designed local restaurant would score as high as many Michelin starred establishments requiring a small mortgage to dine there. If you are looking for great food with all the expected accompaniments; service, great wines, decor, to make your experience a memorable one, I can't recommend Duende highly enough. A great deal of love and thought has gone into this establishment, which ends up on a plate for you to enjoy - perfect, well done.

This must be one of the best restaurants in Somerset! A fantastic taster menu from the tuna starter, to the guinea fowl and lamb course not to mention the cheeses with various chutneys. Really looking forward to another visit soon!

I do like great food, as my other reviews might indicate, Duende is my nearest great location, and I have had a number of meals here in the short time they have been open, well this last meal, just this past week has told me that the place has really come of age. I will not wax eloquent at length, suffice it to say the feta and bean starter (sorry that sounds boring) was a taste sensation, and the duck main with an unusual, perfectly based pastry accompaniment was a revelation. Now my best ever duck, surpassing a restaurant on the right bank in Paris by some margin. It seems Duende have come of age very quickly....it's all about the taste.

We came across this restaurant whilst staying in Wiveliscombe and what a find.My wife and I both really enjoyed the dining experience, the food was excellent, the service was first class and atmosphere was wonderful.I would highly recommend this place but I would suggest you book as they are only open three nights a week.

A sure sign of Duende’s popularity is that we were unable to book a table for Saturday night. However we were advised that the restaurant is now open for lunch on Saturdays, so we booked that instead. The restaurant itself is beautiful: dark, painted wood panelling in a gorgeous Farrow & Ball hue, distressed original beams and beautiful handcrafted light fixtures. It is a classy look, but not intimidatingly so. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and go out of their way to find out if they don’t have an answer to something (we now know how to make beetroot powder!). But the reason I’m here is the food. Oh, the food...I started with the fillet of mackerel with a beetroot and fennel rémoulade. Not only was the presentation absolutely superb but the flavours were beautifully judged. If I hadn’t had better manners I would have licked the plate. The main, monkfish cheeks with butter beans was also excellent. Simple, high quality ingredients cooked to perfection. We ended up sharing two desserts between 4 as both starter and main were generous portions. Strawberry bavarois was gorgeous, but the real gem was the Pot au Crème with maple syrup and lava salt. The most more-ish riff on salted caramel I’ve eaten in a long time. At £22 for three courses for lunch, this is phenomenal value. A restaurant of this calibre in London would charge significantly more, and the quality of the cooking is first class. A real gem. I’m torn between shouting about it to the world and keeping it as Wiveliscombe’s best kept secret! They deserve every success.

This was our fourth visit. Three previous times for dinner. The restaurant now opens for for Saturday lunch so we booked for this.Two courses for £17.00 (three for £22.00). Without exception the food was truly outstanding. Warm mackerel with beetroot, beetroot purée and beetroot powder was finely judged and equisite. Mains of monkfish cheeks with butter beans and rump of lamb were also excellent. Perfect portioning, beautifully presented and delicious.Puds of Roasted strawberry bavarois and Pot au Creme were delicious.I cannot recommend Duende enough. The service is professional, attentive and warm.The food exceeds all expectations. More than fair value for the quality of the food, service and surroundings.I just hope the local populace appreciate just what a gem of a restaurant they have on their doorstep.

We had wanted to visit Duende for ages and finally went last night in a party of 10, a test for any restaurant. Well, we loved it. Having read a couple of poor reviews, scattered amongst loads of great reviews, we are firmly on the side of the totally satisfied. We all like different things when eating out. I want to eat food I can’t match at home. I don’t want huge plates of food. That said, I wasn’t in the least hungery at the end of my dinner.I enjoyed everything I ate, as I think did our entire party. A special mention for the pot au creme. It was one of the best desserts I have had in a long time. The saltiness might sound a little odd, but it was fantastic. Really, really good. We will certainly go back.

Being a local I so wanted to enjoy dining here but sadly that was not the case as there was more to be disappointed then pleased with our visit. On arrival we were met by a waitress who seemed a bit lacking in how to welcome paying customers and was the same throughout the meal not even saying goodbye or acknowledging our departure which we found a bit rude after paying nearly £100 with tip (which upon reflection was not deserved ) maybe a bit of training wouldn't go amiss as when we ordered a bottle of wine she just brought it to the table and without even showing me the bottle just poured it out in both our glasses and departed. The first course was Scallops for my wife and the Asparagus for me which was flavourful but not hot enough and small portions. The second course was the roasted veg for my wife and the lamb for me. My wife enjoyed her veg but the lamb was way to pink for me with blood coming out ( I was not asked how I would like it when I ordered it ) so could not eat it all and again the food was not hot enough and not massive portions so we had to have Dessert to fill us up. My wife had The pot au crème which seems to have been brought in rather than made by the chef and I had the cheese board which was ok but I've had better selection and more of it. So all in all not a great experience and more akin to eating in a pub then a restaurant. The front of staff need to be trained in meet and greet and how to serve the customers as this could make or break a restaurant. I don't think we will be returning

The snow fell gently outside the window but inside we were transported to the warmth of Southern European sunshine. What was once a pop up restaurant has taken permanent, and very welcome, residence in Wiveliscombe.When we arrived I think we had the appetite for two courses but after the delicious starters of scallops and asparagus, followed by mains of duck and lamb the temptation of dessert was too great.The only niggle was an outdated website, which should be easily rectified. Otherwise, I hope the pop up has found a long term home. Highly recommended.

We had a lovely meal here: each of our three courses was equally delicious and the combination of flavours chosen was outstanding. The wine was also perfect, although they had run out of prosecco, which was my first choice. The problem was that after strolling home, we still felt hungry, having paid more than average for our meal. There was no bread offered with the first two courses and the quantities of each dish were small: two scallops for example seemed a little mean, in my opinion, given that they were quite small and definitely not "king-sized" as described. The chocolate torte was nice but was hardly bigger in size than the one scoop of ice cream it was served with. Although we are delighted that such a lovely restaurant has opened in Wivey, I think they should consider their local clientele, who may not wish to break out the crisps when they get home next time, given the amount of money that has exchanged hands. I would also say that we were disappointed that the chef came out to speak to two reviewers who were at the restaurant that evening, but did not feel the need to speak to anyone else: it is so nice when the owners/managers of a restaurant go to the trouble of asking their customers for feedback.

We went with another couple of close friends and enjoyed the most delicious meal. The portions were just right, and the flavours, texture and combinations of ingredients were a complete delight. Highlights for me were the beautifully cooked scallops and a very special pot au creme with maple syrup and delicious little crunchy salt flecks. Fantastic. Top notch cooking and friendly, quietly attentive service. Couldn’t fault it.

Quality of food to be found in a 5 star restaurant. The use of different flavours popping up as we ate through the courses was a joy. We had scallops, they were small but bursting with flavour. Chicken livers on brioche, imaginative use if ingredients. The lamb was as tender as fillet steak, full of luscious flavours and the duck equally exciting. For pudding we had the chocolate torte with ice cream, torte very good but the ice cream could, perhaps have been richer. The pot au creme is a must as well. The service was very good and we seriously appreciated the time allowed between courses giving us time to talk and build ourselves up for the next course! Wish more restaurants in the area would consider this comment.Perfect for a very special occasion or just a lovely evening out. Thank you.

My parents have been raving about this restaurant since it opened, so I went along with them and was not disappointed. The food was delicious - chicken liver starter and lamb main, the atmosphere was lively and welcoming, the staff were great and the personal touches given to the place by the owners are lovely. I will find it hard to visit Wivy without booking myself in!

A wonderful evening with phenomenal food! Melt in your mouth textures with perfect combinations of flavours. The atmosphere was spot on with service that was attentive but not overwhelming. Absolutely delighted to have Duende on our doorstep and we can’t wait to go back!

Had another amazing meal with friends last night we all had fabulous meals. Scallops were delicious, the duck amazing, every mouthful was an explosion of flavours and the chocolate torte was SO good. Great atmosphere, looking forward to our next visit!

The food was wonderful, unusual combinations and just delicious flavours. Good service. Menu has limited number of options, only the one if you are vegetarian, but I am not complaining as the one choice was really good.

This restaurant was new to me and we booked it for a birthday meal. We are very short of good restaurants locally and we were very pleasantly surprised.The food was excellent. We all had 3 courses. Mediterranean vegetabl timbale, followed by Seabass then a pot au Creme. The flavours were outstanding. I didn't read the wine list but we did have a couple of bottles of an excellent Albariño.On a negative note, the restaurant is very noisy when full, with guest conversations reverberating around the room. Too many hard surfaces and nothing to absorb the noise. They could do to install some acoustic panels.The food took quite some time to deliver after ordering but the restaurant was full. I think the biggest disappointment was the staff. The young man that waited on our table barely interacted with our party, he poured wine for 2 of us then but the bottle down ignoring the 3rd. Never asked if we had everything we needed, were enjoying our meal etc. A huge disappointment, but not surprising. Somerset restaurants very rarely train their staff correctly. It's not difficult but so very important.

We just had a main and desert as we arrived late. The food was absolutely delicious. Duck and pork belly, both served in an interesting way. Pot au Creme, also very yummy. Recommended. Great addition to our lovely town.

We were not disappointed on our first visit to this newly opened restaurant in Wiveliscombe. Very good food from a small but balanced menu. The inflict steak was particularly delicious. We hope the word gets out as there were a number of empty covers, and we want to hold on to this little gem.

Our first visit to this gem tonight ....superb food especially the venison starter & lamb main. Simple menu with a twist using excellent local produce that packs a punch. Stunning decor...loved the light fittings. Fully booked which is great to see. Can't wait to return.

Fantastic addition to food in Wivvy. Lovely service, delicious food. Hope it will be great success Looking forward to our next visit

Our first visit for a significant birthday. Very friendly welcome and service. Pleasant environment with no intrusive noise/music so able to converse easily. Innovative menu with food well presented and all locally sourced. Reasonably priced wine and local beer. Barry

Had a lovely meal with friends last week. Delicious food! The twists with flavours just make the difference. The lamb was superb. Looking forward to more visits in 2018.

To go just before Christmas and not have to drive into Taunton to eat was a real treat. The stylish simplicity of decor was delightful. Not surprisingly as it is early days it was quiet and whilst it didn't bother us we hope for their sake it will become popular in the New Year. And if word gets around it will I have no doubt.We must not lose this gem. And the food was amazing. 10 out of 10. All the courses were truly delicious but our favourite was the creme brule type dessert with lava salt and maple syrup. Inspired!

Excellent meal, unusual dishes, good wine menu. Very good chef with ideas outside the 'box'. I had the best duck dish ever, cooked to perfection.

Duende joins a very, very small group of restaurants in the ten parishes area that produce first class cooking at a reasonable price. The chef has a passion for good, fresh ingredients, locally sourced wherever possible and presented with panache. Wine list is fine. Service was considerate. Tables were comfy. What more could you want?Duende deserves to flourish. I hope it does.

The meal was lovely, with a good selection of wines and beers. Very fresh and tasty ingredients. Excellent decor and the service wasn't bad either

Absolutely outstanding food! Nice atmosphere too. Let’s hope they survive, as Wivey is unaccustomed to class cuisine - and with 3 waiting staff for 3 occupied tables, it’s not likely to last! But let’s hope as, with food like this, it should attract folk from many miles around - and it’s great little town, on the up & up.

Had the vegetarian starter and main course and it was mouthwateringly delicious. Certainly food to stimulate the senses. The combination of flavours and the portion size was perfect and clearly lots of time and effort had gone into it, rather than the token veggie dish you often get in restaurants where you think you could have made it at home. It was also lower priced than the non veggie courses which always keeps vegetarians happy!Our friends loved theirs too, a guinea fowl starter and venison main course. There's one meat, fish, poultry and veggie dish on each course so the menu will need to change fairly frequently but I shall certainly be going again. Cost just over £30 each for 3 courses and a bottle of wine between 4 of us.

This was Duende's third day and obviously still finding their feet. First impression of the interior was that it was a tad on the sombre side which was in part due to the rather unusual but rather low level lighting and a lot of dark colours used in the decoration. The service was reasonably prompt once it got going and certainly very friendly. But the food is the important thing and there were no reservations here. For starters the guinea fowl with fig relish was really good as were the scallops but the pan roasted duck breast with celeriac I had to follow was really outstanding - probably the best I can remember. An excellent jus and a very generous portion. Delicious! Good cheese to follow - a little bit more of that please! - and a truly delicious salted pot au crème with a maple syrup. Sensible wine list too. So, all in all, a great start and heartily recommended. We will certainly come again.

We attended the second 'soft' opening night at Duende, a brand new restaurant in the area.You can't judge a place on its second night, but it seemed likely to be a very positive addition to this friendly country town. The food was excellent ... the duck being the best I've ever had, anywhere, the service was somewhat slow, but not unbearably so (which I guess was inevitable as they get themselves sorted out) and the atmosphere good (we had a great chat with the couple on the next table).A couple of minor points for Tim. The decor is a little sombre ... personally I would add a little lighting. I hate overly effusive welcomes, but, especially for an opening event, the welcome was very perfunctory ... not rude, just very ,matter of fact' rather than welcoming.We are looking forward to returning... soon !