The prestigious awards ceremony launched in 2007, showcasing the greatest of the UK’s eating out scene. The awards handpick the very best chefs, front of house staff and restaurants that the country has to offer. It is the ultimate badge of honour and indicator of top picks you must try across the UK (with London’s restaurants making up over half of the list!).
On the night of the awards, a list of the 100 best restaurants in the UK is revealed which is voted for by the biggest names in food: an academy of chefs, food writers and restauranteurs- definitely a vote you can trust with years of professional experience! You can also expect plenty of special awards including the all-important unveiling of the National Restaurant of the Year.
The Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards are an annual summer celebration held at Patrick Powell’s restaurant on the seventh floor of the Stratford Hotel and involves a delicious banquet of meals and the opportunity to network within the industry.
The Top 3
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Moor Hall
This Lancashire restaurant is owned by Mark Birchall and has been named the Estrella Damm National Restaurant of the Year for the second year in a row. The restaurant already holds an impressive two Michelin stars and is recognised for its creative cooking style and fresh ingredients grown within its five acres of gardens.
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The Angel at Hetton
This gastropub in North Yorkshire has a heavily debated title as the UK’s first ever gastropub that offers pub food ‘reimagined’. It is equipped with a Michelin star and considered to be:
“A place where unsurpassed levels of service, outstanding food and the warmest of welcomes, meet North Yorkshire’s most beautiful landscape,” says its website.
Michael Wignall and his wife Johanna took charge of the gastropub since 2018, with Wignall showcasing his expertise as a Michelin star-decorated chef, mixing immaculate service with impeccable pub food.
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Core by Clare Smyth
This fine-dining restaurant in Nottinghill, London was opened in 2017 and is described as a fine-dining restaurant for modern times. The restaurant has been awarded a grand total of three Micheline stars and puts emphasis on natural sustainable food.
Northern Irish Chef, Clare Smyth, is an internationally renowned Michelin-star chef who has paved her own way in the industry after her departure from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Symth remains the first and only female chef to run a restaurant with as many Michelin stars in the UK.
Other award-winning entries
Chef of the Year- Andrew Wong
Chef to Watch- Tom Booton
Restaurateur of the Year- Tommy Banks
Outstanding Contribution award- The Hands & Flowers chef-patron
Outstanding Achievement Award- Tom Kerridge
