The directory
Places to put on the list.
A considered starting point for eating across the UK. Browse by region, then read the full review before you book the table.
Region
London
The capital’s full spectrum: Michelin-starred rooms, hotel dining, serious grills and lively neighbourhood tables.
- Core by Clare Smyth9.7Notting Hill, London · Modern BritishA masterpiece of modern British fine dining, where precision never becomes cold. Core turns exceptional ingredients into a quietly emotional, deeply memorable experience.
- Fallow9.2St James's Market, London · Modern BritishFallow’s ingredient-first cooking is inventive without becoming precious. It is a room with a point of view, generous portions and a genuine sense of fun.
- Starling Bistro9.1London · Modern BritishA one-Michelin-star neighbourhood bistro cooking excellent British produce with respect for provenance, clarity and the people gathered around the table.
- Lutyens Grill – The Ned Hotel8.9The Ned Hotel · City of London · Fine DiningTucked inside The Ned, Lutyens Grill pairs an opulent setting with confident classics. Refined technique and warm hospitality make the room feel indulgent rather than stiff.
- Sael8.8London · Modern BritishHigh ceilings, leather banquettes and Britpop in the background set the stage for a modern brasserie with energy, confidence and a reassuringly broad menu.
- Ssam Ssam8.7Merton · Korean BBQAn absolute standout in Merton: lively without being chaotic, generous without losing focus, and built around the pleasure of cooking at the table.
- Firepit @ Cave8.3London · Sharing platesA dark, confident room where live-fire cooking gives a broad menu of global influences a convincing centre of gravity.
- Fazenda – Bishopsgate8.2City of London · South American grillA polished City dining room where the theatre of the rodizio is matched by a serious approach to fire, meat and hospitality.
- Lurra8.6Marylebone, London · Basque charcoal grillA persuasive Basque grill where exceptional produce, old-cow beef and a serious fire make simplicity feel like a luxury.
- Ekstedt at the Yard8.9Great Scotland Yard, London · Nordic wood-fireA beautifully controlled wood-fire restaurant where Scandinavian technique gives seasonal British ingredients both drama and clarity.
- Le Petit Beefbar – London8.1Chelsea, London · SteakhouseA glamorous Chelsea steakhouse that softens its luxury with a cosy multi-level room and a menu built for indulgent occasions.
- El Pastor – Soho8.0Soho, London · Mexican tacosA lively Soho taquería with properly made tortillas, bright salsas and the sort of mezcal-fuelled energy that makes a quick meal stretch out.
- Kinjo7.7London · Japanese restaurant, bar and grillA polished Japanese restaurant, bar and grill where a broad menu and lively room make it an easy choice for an informal London evening.
- Restaurant KÖD – London7.9City of London · Danish steakhouseA dark, handsome Danish steakhouse that keeps the brief pleasingly simple: good beef, well-made sides and a room worth lingering in.
- Toriton Izakaya7.5London · Japanese izakayaA welcoming Japanese izakaya with a strong personal story, generous portions and a menu that rewards sharing across the table.
- The Harwood Arms – London8.7Fulham, London · Michelin star gastropubLondon’s original Michelin-starred pub remains a persuasive celebration of British game, proper hospitality and a room that never loses its ease.
- Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay8.8Belgravia, London · Michelin star modern FrenchA composed Belgravia dining room where modern French cooking, a remarkable wine cellar and polished service make the occasion feel properly complete.
Region
Surrey & Kent
Country inns, gastropubs and destination restaurants where local produce and a warm welcome do the heavy lifting.
- Cattle & Cocktail8.4Oxted, Surrey · SteakhousePart modern steakhouse, part lively cocktail bar, Cattle & Cocktail balances serious beef with a relaxed, sociable atmosphere made for settling in.
- The Grumpy Mole – Tadworth7.6Tadworth, Surrey · Country innA leafy Surrey inn with a warm welcome, local-supplier instincts and the kind of generous cooking that suits a long country lunch.
- The Victoria Oxshott7.9Oxshott, Surrey · GastropubA confident Surrey pub revival with elevated British classics, a generous garden and a serious commitment to making the room feel communal.
- Branded – Sevenoaks7.8Sevenoaks, Kent · Modern eateryA relaxed modern brasserie with a broad menu, lively room and genuinely attentive team that makes mixed-group dining easy.
- The Kentish Hare8.4Bidborough, Kent · Two AA RosettesA stylish village restaurant with local produce, a welcoming bar and the technical confidence to make a country meal feel properly special.
- The Fordwich Arms8.6Fordwich, Kent · Michelin star pubA deeply appealing Michelin-starred pub where Kentish produce, old-room atmosphere and exacting cooking are held in unusually good balance.
- Rocksalt Folkestone7.8Folkestone, Kent · Harbour-front seafoodA dramatic harbour-front room that puts the Channel in the frame and local seafood at the centre of a confident, accessible menu.
- Number Eight7.6Sevenoaks, Kent · Restaurant and barA friendly Sevenoaks restaurant and bar built around seasonal small plates, a flexible room and the pleasure of ordering for the middle.
Region
Sussex
Landscape-led dining, from a great country house to a garden restaurant and Brighton’s generous smoke-led cooking.
- Gravetye Manor9.5East Grinstead · Fine DiningGravetye makes the grand-country-house experience feel natural. The cooking is exacting, the service quietly assured, and every course feels tied to the landscape.
- Salt Shed8.5Brighton · SteakhouseBold, vibrant and unapologetically centred on exceptional meat cookery. Salt Shed delivers the kind of generous Brighton energy that makes a long lunch disappear.
- Restaurant Interlude8.8Leonardslee, West Sussex · Michelin starA rare garden-led dining experience where Sussex produce and foraged ingredients make the surrounding estate part of the menu.
Region
Rest of UK
A wider table beyond the South East, including the full-flavoured Caribbean cooking that makes Portsmouth worth the trip.
Region
International
Occasional journeys further afield, judged with the same attention to welcome, pleasure and what actually arrives on the plate.
The leaderboard
The tables we’d book again.
Scores are a guide, not a shortcut. The detail behind each one is in the review.
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