our story

The Prickly Pear has always been about bringing people together - it's in our bones, woven into the very fabric of who we are. We first opened these doors with a dream of creating something different in Bruton, a place where exceptional food and genuine hospitality could build real community connections.
What started as an ambitious vision quickly became something beautiful: late-night conversations over mezcal, Monday gatherings where the hospitality industry could finally let its guard down, knitting circles that plotted world domination in comfortable silence. We watched strangers become friends, saw creativity flourish in unexpected corners, and felt the magic that happens when everyone truly feels welcome.
After extensive renovation, we're back - but we've never really left. Our market garden has been growing, our recipes have been perfecting, and our hearts have been planning all the ways we can serve this community even better. The bones of our building are stronger, our kitchens more professional, our vision clearer than ever.
We're still the same people who believe that Mexican fusion cuisine can find its perfect home in Somerset, that vinyl DJ nights and cult movie screenings matter just as much as perfectly aged steaks, and that the most important ingredient in any dish is the care with which it's made.
This renovation isn't just about better facilities - it's about honoring what we've built together while creating space for even more stories, more connections, more of those moments that make life richer. We're back because this community deserves a place where creativity meets comfort, where everyone has a seat at the table, and where the best is yet to come.
Welcome back to The Prickly Pear. We've missed you.

  • We're not trying to be everything to everyone - we're trying to be exactly what Bruton needs. Most restaurants focus on either food or community, but we believe they're inseparable. Our market garden doesn't just supply our kitchen; it connects us to the land we're cooking from. Our no-phones knitting club isn't just quirky programming; it's genuine social medicine for a lonely world. We age our own steaks and ferment our own drinks because we believe in doing things properly, but we also know that the best meal in the world means nothing if you're eating it alone.

  • Because flavor doesn't have borders, and neither does good hospitality. Somerset taught us about seasonal cooking and honest ingredients, while our love for Mexican and Spanish cuisines showed us how food can bring joy and celebration to everyday moments. When you taste our lamb cooked pink on lentils with house-made salsa verde, or our market garden vegetables transformed through Japanese techniques, you understand that fusion isn't about confusion - it's about conversation. The best conversations happen when different worlds meet over a shared table.

  • That's the beautiful tension that keeps us honest. Every decision we make - from pricing our drinks to programming our events - has to serve both masters. We can't be sustainable without being profitable, but we can't be authentic without being accessible. So we plan conservatively during tough economic times, we hire locally and pay fairly, and we remember that our success is measured not just in revenue but in the connections we facilitate. When someone tells us they met their best friend at our vinyl DJ night, or that our Monday industry gatherings helped them through a difficult time - that's when we know we're getting it right.

  • Genuine hospitality is radical. It means everyone - truly everyone - feels welcome at our table, whether they're ordering our most expensive bottle of mezcal or nursing a single drink all evening. It means our Monday nights for hospitality workers aren't just networking events; they're recognition that the people who take care of others need somewhere to be taken care of themselves. It means when we say "make yourself at home," we actually mean it. In a world that's increasingly divided, we believe breaking bread together is still one of the most powerful things humans can do.