Verdict: Root is the place in Wells most likely to change somebody’s mind about what a vegetable-led restaurant means. ‘More veg, less meat’ is the organising idea, not a restriction, and the kitchen builds small sharing plates around seasonal produce with enough meat and fish in the mix to avoid ideology.
The menu changes daily with local suppliers, so individual dishes move around. Recent diners repeatedly highlight the bread, cheese puffs, mushroom dishes, burrata and inventive vegetable plates, while Michelin currently gives the restaurant a Bib Gourmand for good-quality, good-value cooking.
The room is relaxed and the format encourages ordering across the menu. Four people with different diets can eat here without anybody feeling they received the compromise option.
Best for: curious eaters, vegetarians dining with meat-eaters, date night and people who like ordering half the menu for the table.
Worth knowing: if you measure value primarily by portion size, the small-plate format may initially feel expensive. The quality-to-price ratio makes more sense once you eat across several dishes.
GW&B rating: 4/5. Clever without being smug and one of the strongest reasons to eat in Wells.