The National Restaurant Awards 2016 – Which NW Restaurants Made The Top 100?

DURING a shindig at The Hurlingham Club in London on Monday 27 June, the great and the good from the UK’s hospitality industry got together to hear this year’s list of top 100 UK restaurants put together by Restaurant Magazine.

El Gato Negro jumped straight into the list at no 81

These awards are voted for by a panel of 150 industry experts, made up of chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, food critics, industry experts and gastronomes. They are each allowed to cast seven votes, based on their best UK-wide restaurant experiences, serving any style of cuisine, over the previous twelve months. Restaurant magazine simply add up the votes to create the list, which they believe ‘provides a credible annual snapshot of the UK restaurant scene and celebrates the success and skills of chefs and restaurateurs.’

So which restaurants from the North West made this year’s list?

Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria made the top ten by coming in at number 8 (dropping down one place from last year), while Lake Road Kitchen in Ambleside picked up the Highest Climber Award after moving up a whopping 62 places from last year to 15^th place.

Leeds’s Man Behind The Curtain might not be in the North West, but we thought their placing at number 27 might be worth a mention, as chef Michael O’Hare has been appointed Creative Director of GG Hospitality, who recently acquired the former Stock restaurant on Norfolk Street with plans to open a boutique hotel and trio of restaurants later next year.

Manchester House climbed 48 places

Aiden Byrne’s Manchester House climbed significantly from last year’s 98^th position to a respectable 50^th place, beating The French at The Midland Hotel who were placed at 79^th (a rise of fourteen places from last year’s 93rd).

El Gato Negro (pictured) jumped straight into the list at no 81 – only 2 places beneath The French, which is encouraging news for the relative newcomer.

Another notable North West inclusion is Fraiche in Oxton on The Wirral at number 65, which didn’t appear on 2015’s list. The final two regional restaurants which made the list are Sticky Walnut in Chester, which slipped down 44 places from last year to number 74, and The Parkers Arms at Newton In Bowland, another newcomer to the list, which made it to 88^th place. The folks behind Sticky Walnut will be opening a third restaurant, Hispi, in Didsbury soon.

The Parkers Arms was another newcomer to the list

Michelin starred Northcote Manor, in The Ribble Valley, owned by Nigel Haworth, which has consistently been named as Best Restaurant in various other recent national awards, was placed at number 38.

The Michelin starred The Sportsman in Seasalter, Kent was named as the UK's Best Restaurant this year, topping the list in the number one spot. It’s worth noting that over 50% of the restaurants listed are based in London.

Congratulations to all those who made the top 100. Awards like these are very useful as a mark of quality and an industry snapshot, but it just goes to show how much lists such as these need to be taken with a pinch of salt and a shot of Tequila.

Top 100 UK Restaurants 2016:

1. The Sportsman, Kent

2. Barrafina Adelaide Street, London

3. The Ledbury, London

4. Hedone, London

5. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac

6. The Clove Club, London

7. Piquet, London (Highest New Entry)

8. L'Enclume, Cartmel

9. Lyle's, London

10. The River Café, London

11. The Walnut Tree, Abergavenny

12. Casamia, Bristol

13. The Dairy, London

14. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham

15. Lake Road Kitchen, Ambleside

16. 64 Degrees, Brighton

17. Hoppers, London

18. Le Gavroche, London

19. A Wong, London

20. Frenchie, London

21. Noble Rot, London

22. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Auchturader

23. The Waterside Inn, Bray

24. Black Axe Mangal, London

25. The Quality Chop House, London

26. Bells Diner and Bar Rooms, Bristol

27. The Man Behind the Curtain, Leeds

28. Fera, London

29. Duck & Waffle, London

30. 40 Maltby Street, London

31. Hibiscus, London

32. The Elephant, Torquay

33. The Hand and Flowers, Marlow

34. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London

35. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London

36. Hawksmoor Seven Dials, London

37. Birch, Bristol

38. Northcote, Blackburn

39. Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

40. The Hardwick, Abergavenny

41. Portland, London

42. The Palomar, London

43. Midsummer House, Cambridge

44. Bao, London

45. Gymkhana, London

46. Pollen Street Social, London

47. The Seahorse, Dartmouth

48. Ellory, London

49. Alyn Williams at The Westbury, London

50. Manchester House, Manchester

51. Paul Ainsworth at Number 6, Padstow

52. Pitt Cue, London

53. Brawn, London

54. Otto's, London

55. Smoking Goat, London

56. Simpsons, Birmingham

57. The Manor, London

58. Oldroyd, London

59. The Coach, Marlow

60. Ondine, Edinburgh

61. The Ninth, London

62. Bocca Di Lupo, London

63. Kitchen Table, London

64. Social Eating House, London

65. Fraiche, Oxton

66. Restaurant Story, London

67. Marcus, London

68. The Fat Duck, Bray

69. The Wolseley, London

70. Wright's Food Emporium, Llanarthney

71. Chez Bruce, London

72. Lurra, London

73. Primeur, London

74. Sticky Walnut, Chester

75. The Kitchin, Edinburgh

76. Tyddyn Llan, Corwen

77. Colony Grill Room, London

78. Castle Terrace, Edinburgh

79. The French, Manchester

80. Darsham Nurseries, Darsham

81. El Gato Negro, Manchester

82. Snaps and Rye, London

83. Deanes EIPIC Restaurant, Belfast

84. The Wild Rabbit, Kingham

85. Ynyshir Hall, Machynlleth

86. Theo Randall at The InterContinental, London

87. Bentleys Oyster Bar & Grill, London

88. The Parkers Arms, Newton in Bowland

89. The Chilli Pickle, Brighton

90. The Pipe and Glass Inn, Beverley

91. Carters of Moseley, Moseley

92. The Flitch of Bacon, Dunmow

93. Silo, Brighton

94. MeatLiquor Marylebone, London

95. Sartoria, London

96. Wilks Restaurant, Bristol

97. Berners Tavern, London

98. Café Murano St James, London

99. House of Tides, Newcastle

100. Driftwood Hotel