Ynyshir in Wales was once again crowned best restaurant in the UK at the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards this year. Moor Hall in Ormskirk came second and was given the kudos of best restaurant in England.
The awards are overseen by Restaurant magazine (formerly Big Hospitality) and are seen as a reliable barometer of hot kitchens UK-wide. Only 15 of the Top 100 are in the North of England with the highest entry after Moor Hall being Pine in Northumberland.
While Manchester restaurants Higher Ground and Climat were both nominated for the best new opening category, that gong was taken home by Bouchon Racine in London.
However, Higher Ground was the highest rated Manchester restaurant on the whole list, hotfooting it in after barely six months in business at number 51. That’s 20 places higher than the Michelin starred mana, which is the second highest Manchester restaurant at number 71. No other Manchester restaurants made the list – which might come as a surprise to fans of Climat and the many other fantastic Manchester restaurants.
Higher Ground is the second restaurant from Joseph Otway, Richard Cossins and Daniel Craig Martin who also run Flawd at Islington Marina. Its true nose to tail menu punctuated by lush produce from their own Cinderwood Market Garden has been impressing critics and diners ever since it opened. Its place on this list is well deserved sitting alongside the likes of Brat, Kiln and St John.
The Awards said the following about Higher Ground: “Impeccable sourcing, creative cooking and low intervention wines come together at this modern and thoughtful Manchester bistro.”
They had this to say about mana: “Simon Martin’s high-reaching restaurant won Manchester its first Michelin star in 42 years, and with good reason.”
Kenny Atkinson from Newcastle’s House of Tides was awarded Chef of the Year while Parkers Arms in Newton in Bowland – still on a high after being named the UK’s number one Gastropub at the Top 50 Gastropub awards – took home the award for Gastropub of the Year.
The list of National Restaurant Awards 2023 winners in full is below
(North of England restaurants are highlighted in bold)
1 Ynyshir
2 Moor Hall
3. Daterra
4. The Ledbury
5. Bouchon Racine
6. Restaurant Pine Northumberland
7. The Ritz
8. Core by Clare Smyth
9. Frog by Adam Handling
10. Kol
11. Kitchen Table
12. The Parkers Arms
13. Sabor
14. Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
15. The Sportsman Kent
16. Claude Bosi at Bibendum
17. Solstice by Kenny Atkinson
18. A Wong
19. Brat
20. Kiln Soho
21. Ikoyi
22. Alchemilla
23. House of Tides
24. Ospi
25. Roots York
26. Fallow
27. Angel at Hetton
28. Seahorse Dartmouth
29. Bibi
30. L’Enclume
31. French House Soho
32. Noble Rot Soho
33. Paul Ainsworth at No 6 Padstow
34. Trinity Clapham
35. The Clove CLub
36. The Glenturret Lalique
37. The Fordwich Arms
38. Endo at the Rotunda
39. Benares
40. Sola Soho
41. The Palmerston
42. Chez Bruce
43. Maison Francois
44. The Black Swan at Oldstead
45. Quality Chop
46. Dorian Notting Hill
47. Hide
48. Luca
49. Allegra
50. Humble Chicken
51. Higher Ground
52. The Man Behind the Curtain
53. Opheem
54. Brawn
55. Wilson’s Bristol
56. Launceston Place
57. The Speedboat
58. 40 Maltby Street
59. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
60. The Forest Side
61. Cafe Cecilia
62. Angelas of Margate
63. Hjem
64. Humo
65. Restaurant Sat Bains
66. The Smoking Goat
67. Apricity
68. Northcote
69. Manteca
70. Rochelle Canteen
71. Mana
72.Session Arts Club
73. Singburi
74. St John
75. Grace and Savour
76. River Cafe
77. The Unruly Pig
78. Updown Farmhouse
79. The Ox, Belfast
80. Inver
81. Aizle
82. The Raby Hunt
83. Quo Vadis
84. Carters of Moseley
85. LIsboeta
86. Lyle’s
87. Mangal 2
88. Restaurant 22 Cambridge
89. Etch
90. Strakers
91. Upstairs by Tom Shepherd
92. Joro
93. The Kitchin
94. Frenchie
95. Dew Drop Hurley
96. SY23
97. The Pem
98.The Tamil Prince
99. Cafe Deco Bloomsbury
100. Manifest Liverpool
