A pub in the heart of Glastonbury isn’t the first place you’d expect to find some of the best Middle Eastern food in the country, but Queen of Cups by chef Ayesha Kalaji has cemented its reputation as an award-winning restaurant that surprises and delights.

Leiths graduate Ayesha Kalaji relocated to the Somerset town from London (where she cooked at Bubala, The Good Egg and The Palomar) to establish her own restaurant with friend and business partner Mary-Elizabeth O’Neill.

The duo poured their creative energy into the historic pub on Northload Street, creating a beautiful space to match Ayesha’s innovative cooking. Drawing on her Jordanian heritage and French training, she craftft s unique dishes that dazzle with their bold flavours and bright colours.

Ayesha’s creative cooking won her a place on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2023 and saw her included in CODE Hospitality Women of the Year 2024. The restaurant also holds Michelin Bib Gourmand status. Sourcing seasonally and locally is vital to this mostly female kitchen team, and dishes include the likes of confit duck leg with rose, air-dried and cured duck, walnut and wild garlic gremolata, sour pomegranate jus, sahawiq-spiced carrots and herb salad.

Desserts are equally innovative – think jasmine and mastic pannacotta with pistachio kataifi, with fermented strawberry and honey consomme and Cheddar Vale strawberries.

Trencherman’s tip

The restaurant is one of the first in the UK to stock Jordanian wine and arak.