SquareMeal’s annual ranking of the top restaurants in the UK is more than just a list; it's our opportunity to celebrate long-standing culinary icons and shine a spotlight on emerging talents, acknowledging the grit, graft and determination of remarkable chefs and hospitality teams who work tirelessly to create unforgettable dining experiences.
With each year that passes, we're amazed by the exceptional quality of the UK dining scene. 2024 has presented significant hurdles for restaurants, but passionate hospitality pros across the country continue to supersede all expectations.
This year’s UK Restaurant of the Year is a name that needs little introduction from us. Restaurant Sat Bains is a two Michelin-starred fine dining powerhouse that has been right at the top of the UK restaurant game for 25 years now. Incredibly, it might just be the best it has ever been right now – a testament to Sat Bains’ relentless drive to innovate and evolve.
SquareMeal Managing Editor Ellie Donnell says: 'Sat's creative tasting menus are brave and unique - taking risks that pay off and interweaving clever surprises - but more importantly they celebrate the joy of eating thanks to a deep-rooted understanding of flavour developed over decades.'
Narrowing down the UK dining scene to just 100 outstanding restaurants always proves to be a formidable challenge - it’s a job that takes many months of meticulous planning, excruciating deliberation, and collaboration with you, our readers.
We take great care in ensuring that this list represents the cream of the crop, and that requires the input of SquareMeal readers. Our Top 100 Restaurants lists combine in-house critic experiences with thousands of public votes from diners up and down the country.
As a result, you’ll see some of the UK’s most famous restaurants rubbing shoulders with lesser-known local spots, and a host of exciting new openings. We think this list represents the hundred most exciting places to go and eat in 2024, with every corner of the UK covered.
From special occasion dining to neighbourhood haunts our list of the best restaurants in the UK has considered them all. The same is true for our run-down of London’s Top 100 Restaurants for 2025.