Celebrated table

The High Pavement

A family-run tapas bar in Frome’s St Catherine’s quarter, celebrated by the Good Food Guide for its rich Spanish-Moorish menus and extensive sherry selection.

The story

The High Pavement in Frome: Moorish Spanish Tapas & Garden Dining

The Kitchen Philosophy

The High Pavement delivers a focused interpretation of Spanish tapas to the heart of Frome. This family-run kitchen draws directly from the robust flavours of Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East to shape an ever-changing menu. Critics noted the steady popularity and reliable execution when the restaurant received a Good Food Guide accolade. Guests encounter a straightforward model built around seasonal produce and time-honoured spice blends.

Signature Flavours

Cold starters set the tone for the meal, beginning with a spicy red pepper and walnut dip served alongside flatbread. Marinated anchovies dressed in Moscatel vinegar carry bright notes of thyme and orange zest. Hot plates arrive from the charcoal grill, featuring slow-cooked pig’s cheeks accompanied by celeriac purée and thin parsnip crisps. A saffron and yoghurt marinade transforms chicken thighs into a fragrant main, while roasted broccoli finished in romesco rounds out the table.

Interior and Garden Space

Colourful tiles and woven carpets line the walls of the cosy indoor room, creating a lively backdrop for evening service. Tables spill outward onto a terraced garden where summer evenings feel distinctly Andalusian. The layout keeps the space intimate despite its steady popularity among locals and visitors alike. Natural light fills the courtyard during afternoon hours, offering a quiet contrast to the bustling main dining area.

Sherry and Wine Cellar

An extensive sherry collection anchors the beverage programme, ranging from nutty manzanilla to deeply sweet oloroso. The cellar also features modern Spanish wines sourced directly from small independent growers across the peninsula. Staff guide diners through these selections to match the varying intensity of the tapas. Every bottle arrives ready to complement the region’s complex flavour profiles.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026
The Good Food Guide
Good

Details

At a glance

The Good Food Guide 2026 — Good
Cuisines Spanish
Services Dinner, Gluten-Free, Outdoor Seating, Pets Allowed, Vegetarian

History

On the record

2026
The Good Food Guide — Good

The St Catherine's Quarter is an Insta-pretty part of town, above which sits this 'fantastically popular' tapas joint specialising in the Moorish side of the Spanish culinary heritage. Colourful tiles and carpets give the dining room a 'great feel', but head for the garden tables on balmy evenings, where Frome might just morph into a suitably sherry-enhanced vision of Andalusia. Appetising cold offerings include muhammara (a spicy red pepper and walnut dip that's perfect when dredged with flatbread), as well as boquerones in Moscatel vinegar, sprinkled with thyme and orange zest. The meatier hot dishes are also a treat, especially pig's cheeks with celeriac purée and parsnip crisps or Persian-style joojeh-spiced chicken dressed in yoghurt and saffron. Scents of the charcoal grill will prove hard to resist, even if it's simply for a vegetable side of sprouting broccoli in romesco. Finish with pistachio tart flavoured with orange and cardamom or a plate of Spanish cheeses. The wine list offers an encouraging picture of modern-day vinous developments in Spain, but it's the sherries – in all styles, from peanutty manzanilla to treacle-dark oloroso –  that invite the most thorough exploration. Takeaway menu available Thu-Sat.

Established

Location

Find us

8 Palmer Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1DS
Frome, United Kingdom
07967 222682
thehighpavement@gmail.com
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Map showing The High Pavement