The Ledbury wins National Restaurant Award hat trick

By Emma Eversham

- Last updated on GMT

Last night's winners gathered on stage at The National Restaurant Awards 2012
Last night's winners gathered on stage at The National Restaurant Awards 2012
The Ledbury has been voted the UK's best restaurant for the third year running at the National Restaurant Awards, beating Pollen Street Social and The Hand and Flowers to the top spot. 

Ledbury head chef Brett Graham took to the stage for the third time in as many years to take the top prize at the awards' new location of The Brewery in Chiswell Street, London earlier this evening.

Now in their fifth year, Restaurant magazine's awards, hosted by editor William Drew, are designed to highlight the best restaurants currently in operation in the UK and celebrate and reward the nation's top chefs and restaurateurs. 

High achievers

It was a good night for Rex Restaurants Associates who saw all three of their cafe restaurants currently open make the list. Owners Chris Corbin and Jeremy King were voted Personalities of the Year while Brasserie Zedel came in at 95, The Wolseley at number 71 and The Delaunay at number 62.

Galvin Restaurants also scored a hat trick of awards with Galvin La Chapelle (18), Galvin at Windows (58) and Galvin Bistrot de Luxe (76) all making the top 100. 

Winner of third place on the list, Tom Kerridge, owner and head chef at The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, received a standing ovation when he went to collect his special award of Gastropub of the Year.

Special Awards

Special awards were also given to The River Cafe (Front of House) and Texture (Wine List) while Lima London was voted the One to Watch. Phil Howard of the Square was voted Chef's Chef and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was awarded Hotel Restaurant of the Year.

This year also saw the introduction of the Sustainable Restaurant of the Year award, given in conjunction with the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).

As part of the initiative all restaurants on the list were invited to complete the SRA's sustainability rating with the winner being the restaurant scoring the highest in the areas of sourcing, environment and society. The inaugural winner was The Pig at Brockenhurst.

Industry votes

For restaurants to make it onto the top 100  list, they must be voted for by members of the National Restaurant Awards Academy. Made up of 150 restaurateurs, chefs, food critics and journalists across 12 regions, the rules state that members of the voting panel can vote for up to five restaurants in their own region with two remaining votes for restaurants outside their region.

Nobody is allowed to vote for their own restaurant or restaurants they have a commercial interest or formal involvement with and voters must have eaten in the restaurants they have nominated within the last 12 months.

The Top 100 Restaurants in the UK: 

  1. The Ledbury, London
  2. Pollen Street Social, London
  3. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow
  4. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
  5. The Fat Duck, Bray
  6. The Sportsman, Seasalter
  7. The Square, London
  8. The Kitchin, Edinburgh
  9. Quo Vadis, London
  10. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London
  11. L'Enclume, Cartmel
  12. 10 Greek Street, London
  13. Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxford
  14. Zuma, London
  15. Alyn Williams at The Westbury, London
  16. The Waterside Inn, Bray
  17. The Hardwick, Abergavenny
  18. Galvin La Chapelle, London
  19. The Walnut Tree, Abergavenny
  20. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, St Endoc
  21. Roganic, London
  22. St John, London
  23. Bocca Di Lupo, London
  24. Ondine, Edinburgh
  25. L'Anima, London
  26. Hibiscus, London
  27. Zucca, London
  28. Pizarro, London
  29. The Pig, Brockenhurst
  30. Chez Bruce, London
  31. Dabbous, London
  32. Brawn, London
  33. Texture, London
  34. Castle Terrace, Edinburgh
  35. Koya, London
  36. Paul Ainsworth at Number 6
  37. The River Cafe, London
  38. Yauatcha, London
  39. Medlar, London
  40. The Elephant, Torquay
  41. Midsummer House, Cambridge
  42. Restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh
  43. Viajante, Lodnon
  44. The Royal Oak Paley Street, Paley Street
  45. Hawksmoor Seven Dials, London
  46. Arbutus, London
  47. Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, London
  48. Hakkasan Mayfair, London
  49. The Chilli Pickle, Brighton
  50. Upstairs at The Ten Bells, London
  51. The Dock Kitchen, London
  52. Hedone, Chiswick, London
  53. The Seahorse Restaurant, Dartmouth
  54. St John Hotel, London
  55. Burger and Lobster, London
  56. Corrigan's Mayfair, London
  57. Aumbry, Manchester
  58. Galvin at Windows, London
  59. La Petite Maison, London
  60. Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo
  61. Theo Randall at the InterContinental, London
  62. The Delaunay, London
  63. Le Gavroche, London
  64. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles
  65. Bar Boulud, London
  66. Casamia, Bristol
  67. Hix Soho, London
  68. Gidleigh Park, Chagford
  69. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
  70. The Latymer at Pennyhill Park, Bagshot
  71. The Wolseley, London
  72. The Star at Harome, Harome
  73. Roka, London
  74. Koffmann's, London
  75. MeatLiquor, London
  76. Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, London
  77. Bistrot Bruno Loubet, London
  78. The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
  79. La Becasse, Ludlow
  80. Barrafina, London
  81. Moro, London
  82. Cut at 45 Park Lane, London
  83. Umu, London
  84. Alimentum, Cambridge
  85. Shu, Belfast
  86. Pitt Cue, London
  87. The Pass at South Lodge, Lower Beeding
  88. Polpo, London
  89. The Pipe and Glass Inn, Beverley
  90. Purnell's, Birmingham
  91. The Potted Pig, Cardiff
  92. Racine, London
  93. Helene Darroze at The Connaught, London
  94. The Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye
  95. Brasserie Zedel, London
  96. Goodman, Mayfair, London
  97. Loves, Birmingham
  98. Northcote Manor, Lancashire
  99. Mourne Seafood, Belfast
  100. Fraiche, Oxton

Special Awards:​ 

  • Wine List of the Year - Texture, London
  • Front of House Award - The River Cafe, London
  • Personality of the Year - Chris Corbin and Jeremy King
  • Chef's Chef - Phil Howard
  • One to Watch - Lima, London
  • Hotel Restaurant of the Year - Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London
  • Highest New Entry - Quo Vadis, London
  • Gastropub of the Year - Hand & Flowers, Marlow
  • Sustainable Restaurant of the Year - The Pig, Brockenhurst
  • Best Restaurant Wales - The Hardwick
  • Best Restaurant Scotland - The Kitchin, Edinburgh
  • Best Restaurant Northern Ireland - Shu, Belfast
  • Best Restaurant England - The Ledbury

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