Ynyshir in Wales claims title of UK’s Best Restaurant for the second time

The restaurant with rooms on the west coast of Wales claimed the title at last night’s awards ceremony, held by Restaurant magazine, in a gathering of the UK’s best chefs and restaurateurs.

Located in a traditional country house hotel that has since been painted black, Ynyshir provides a culinary experience that combines a thumping soundtrack with a succession of tiny plates, cooked over fire and served directly by the chefs to the diners’ tables.

“Ynyshir really is a restaurant like no other – where fun and fine dining combine for a truly remarkable experience,” says Restaurant editor Stefan Chomka.

“Gareth Ward’s singular vision for what a restaurant can be, and his willingness to break down boundaries, are to be applauded. He leads by example by never missing a service, and he and his team are very worthy winners of this title again.”

As in 2022, second place goes to Mark Birchall’s Moor Hall in Lancashire, which took home the title of the Best Restaurant in England, while third place was awarded to Rafael Cagali’s Da Terra in east London, with a climb of 18 places.

This year’s list shows the return of the capital’s dominance in the restaurant scene, with 66 restaurants from London in the top 100 list and only three in the top 10 located outside of London.

The highest new entry at number five and the winner of the Opening of the Year award, sponsored by Tripleseat, was awarded to Henry Harris’ Bouchon Racine, which opened in a small dining room above a pub in Clerkenwell earlier this year.

Individual winners

Other award winners were The Ledbury, which won the Service Award, sponsored by Liberty Wines and Rathfinny Wine Estate. The restaurant’s 29-year-old sous chef April Lily Partridge was named this year’s Chef to Watch, sponsored by Belazu Ingredient Co. Kenny Atkinson, chef-patron at Newcastle’s House of Tides and newly-opened Solstice, was named this year’s Chef of the Year.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Nespresso, went to Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver of London’s St John. Since the opening of their ground-breaking Smithfield restaurant in 1994, Henderson and Gulliver have been recognised as pioneers of nose-to-tail cooking, with the restaurant becoming one of the most influential internationally in terms of cuisine, design and philosophy.

“Fergus and Trevor could have won this lifetime achievement award years ago, but the indefatigable pair continue to make their mark on Britain’s – and the world’s - dining scene. In 1994 when they launched St John, British food was still largely maligned by the rest of the world and serious restaurants tended to follow a very traditional dining model. St John changed all that,” adds Chomka.

The Sustainability Award went to Pensons, located on the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border, which was recognised for its creation of an on-site laundry powered by solar panel and using collected rainwater, leading to a huge reduction in energy use and water consumption.

“Not only does the development of an on-site laundry have significant environmental benefits – that Pensons have measured and quantified – but it shines a light on the growing issue of water scarcity and has even created a new employment opportunity. This initiative demonstrates the importance of taking a holistic and creative approach to sustainability to find solutions that work for your business,” says Juliane Caillouette Noble, managing director at The Sustainable Restaurant Association, which judged the award.

The Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards is Restaurant’s annual countdown of the top 100 restaurants in the UK as voted for by the UK’s leading chefs, restaurateurs and food writers.

“Estrella Damm has always been proud to support the National Restaurant Awards and each year we are amazed at the array of incredible talent, who are all fully deserving of this recognition of being the very best in the UK,” says James Healey, UK head of on-trade for Estrella Damm.

“We are honoured to share our passion for brewing with the best restaurants in the UK, who also clearly share our devotion to quality and taste in all that they do. We hope this list encourages everyone to get out and support each and every one of these restaurants and join us in celebrating the success of the industry.”

To see the list of the UK’s Top 100 Restaurants, visit the National Restaurant Awards website here.