York hits heights with Harden’s guide

The UK’s best towns for foodies and top 100 Restaurants are revealed today in Harden’s Best UK Restaurants 2019. Harden’s 28th annual poll surveyed 8,000 diners who contributed 50,000 reviews, which, as analysed and curated by the editors, form the basis for Harden’s inclusions, ratings and reviews. This year saw a surge in interest in the York dining scene, whose dining culture has been transformed in recent times with the arrival of a slew of ambitious modern openings.

Amongst the UK’s main restaurant cities York entered the top-20 list in terms of its number of top-scoring destinations, ranking at 8th=: on a par with more established foodie destinations such as Bath; and ahead of big cities such as Leeds, Oxford and Newcastle. With Le Cochon Aveugle (at 91), it also has a representative amongst the Harden’s 100: the country’s culinary crême de la crême.

The guide’s editor and co-founder Peter Harden said:

“During Harden’s 28 years of reviewing, York has hitherto been one of those charming British cities with inspiring medieval architecture, but, by contrast, a middle-of-the-road selection of pubs, tea-shops and bistros. But in the last year or two, the city has shot to prominence as a foodie-magnet, with an assortment of Shoreditch-worthy arrivals in recent times such as Arras, Le Cochon Aveugle, Skosh and the yet-to-be-rated Roots.”

Of the Harden’s 100 Best UK Restaurants, the No. 1 slot went to the Sanchez-Inglesias family’s Casamia in Bristol (up from No. 2 last year). With tickets to eat in the restaurant sold four months in advance, the Harden’s review applauds “an attention to detail you don’t see in other fine dining restaurants” but notes that “it’s the theatre and introduction by the chefs that really rounds off the experience”.

North of the border, Edinburgh (with 51 listings), is still unrivalled outside London in terms of quality, with 13 restaurants amongst the guide’s top scorers. Of these, four are in the Harden’s 100: Restaurant Martin Wishart (at 18), Castle Terrace (at 53), Number One (at 71) and Kitchin(at 95).

Scotland put in a strong performance accounting for 7 entries on the top-100 list. Outside of those Edinburgh restaurants noted above, Scotland’s representatives in the Harden’s 100 were Andrew Fairlie in Auchterarder(at 55), The Peat Inn Cupar (at 58) and The Torridon Restaurant in Annat (at 94). Glasgow again put in a strong showing as the 5= city outside London in terms of top scorers and 6= in terms of the total number of entries.

Wales achieved a respectable 3 rankings in the top-100 list, with The Walnut Tree at Llandewi Skirrid (at 34), Gareth Ward at Ynshir in Eglwys Fach (at 44), and Tyddyn Llan in Llandrillo (at 47). Cardiff maintained its position in the top-20 in terms of total number of entries (at 20=).

The Harden’s 100 ranking of the UK’s best restaurants in full

1. Casamia, The General, Bristol (2)
2. Texture, London (33)
3. The Araki, London (1)
4. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac (4)
5. The Ledbury, London (3)
6. La Dame de Pic, London (90)
7. Fraiche, Oxton (12)
8. Winteringham Fields, Winteringham
9. Waterside Inn, Bray (7)
10. Hambleton Hall, Hambleton (43)

11. Core by Clare Smyth, London
12. Aulis London, London
13. The Five Fields, London (28)
14. Bubbledogs, Kitchen Table, London (27)
15. Sushi Tetsu, London (16)
16. Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Great Milton (25)
17. The Fat Duck, Bray (5)
18. Restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh (9)
19. The Box Tree, Ilkley (39)
20. Lympstone Manor, Exmouth (54)

21. Sorrel, Dorking
22. Adam’s, Birmingham (32)
23. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham (13)
24. Indian Accent, London
25. Le Gavroche, London (22)
26. Morston Hall, Morston (36)
27. Quilon, London
28. Artichoke, Amersham (61)
29. Black Swan, Oldstead (8)
30. Moor Hall, Aughton (30)

31. L’Enclume, Cartmel (18)
32. Yorke Arms, Ramsgill-in-Nidderdale (19)
33. The Feathered Nest Inn, Nether Westcote
34. The Walnut Tree, Llandewi Skirrid
35. The Clove Club, London (10)
36. Brat, London
37. Pétrus, London (41)
38. Midsummer House, Cambridge (21)
39. Hedone, London (42)
40. L’Ortolan, Shinfield

41. Hunan, London (56)
42. Simpsons, Birmingham
43. Mãos, London
44. Gareth Ward at Ynyshir, Eglwys Fach (15)
45. Freemasons at Wiswell, Wiswell
46. Lucknam Park, Luckham Park Hotel, Colerne
47. Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo (38)
48. Hakkasan Mayfair, London
49. The Sportsman, Seasalter (85)
50. The Neptune, Old Hunstanton (44)

51. Raby Hunt, Summerhouse (29)
52. Fera at Claridge’s, Claridge’s Hotel, London
53. The Castle Terrace, Edinburgh
54. The Clock House , Ripley
55. Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder (35)
56. Gidleigh Park, Chagford (11)
57. The Square, London
58. The Peat Inn, Cupar (94)
59. Purnells, Birmingham (88)
60. Pied À Terre, London (23)

61. Lumière, Cheltenham
62. Verveine Fishmarket Restaurant, Milford-on-Sea
63. Min Jiang, The Royal Garden Hotel, London (99)
64. Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham
65. Cotto, Cambridge
66. Zuma, London (79)
67. Nobu, Metropolitan Hotel, London
68. Amaya, London
69. The Greenhouse, London (20)
70. Hide, London

71. Number One, Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
72. The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Marlborough (83)
73. Lickfold Inn, Lickfold
74. La Trompette, London (71)
75. Roux at Parliament Square, RICS, London (46)
76. Roganic, London
77. Chez Bruce, London (53)
78. Story, London (17)
79. Jikoni, London
80. Hélène Darroze, The Connaught Hotel, London (37)

81. Yauatcha Soho, London
82. Marcus, The Berkeley, London (75)
83. Pollen Street Social, London (77)
84. Elystan Street, London (69)
85. Dinings W1, London
86. Chutney Mary, London
87. Outlaw’s at The Capital, London
88. Trinity, London (97)
89. Duddell’s, London
90. Roux at the Landau, The Langham, London

91. Le Cochon Aveugle, York (40)
92. Trishna, London (64)
93. Murano, London (48)
94. The Torridon Restaurant, Annat
95. The Kitchin, Edinburgh (47)
96. Paris House, Woburn
97. The Ritz, London (45)
98. The Frog N1, London
99. Little Fish Market, Brighton
100. Wilks, Bristol (65)