UK Top 100 Restaurants 2018

Congratulations to our Best UK Restaurant 2018, Casamia in Bristol. It has been 12 years since brothers Peter and Jonray Sanchez-Iglesias transformed their parents’ suburban Italian into something altogether more individual; two years since it moved location to slick, ultra-urban new premises on Bristol’s historic waterfront, with a reduced number of tables; and less than a year since it launched a ticketing system for its tasting menu-only offering, with opening hours restricted to dinner Wednesday to Saturday, and lunch on Friday and Saturday.

The seasonally inspired dishes are served, often by the chefs, in an elegant room that blurs the boundaries between kitchen and customers, and where stunning attention to detail is apparent at every stage of a deeply impressive dining experience.

Jonray died of cancer in 2015, but the ambition of the brothers’ vision has well and truly paid off and Peter’s restaurant is winning plaudits by the sack-load. “Inventiveness taken to a new level in a perfect room,” says one SquareMeal reader; “a phenomenal experience” involving “consistently excellent food that exceeds expectations” chimes another, with further support for “enthusiastic service,  relaxed atmosphere and a top-class wine list”.

On hearing the news of his win, Peter said, “We’ve always thought outside the box and questioned everything, down to the last little detail, to be able to make the restaurant into the dining experience we want it to be. This award shows that what we’re doing could be even more incredible in the future, and it should encourage everybody to believe that you can have a number one restaurant based in Bristol.”

We’ve no doubt that Casamia will get even better in the future – but we urge you to visit now.

Click here to read our full interview with Peter Sanchez-Iglesias.

A place anywhere on the list is a major achievement – congratulations to all of the restaurants in our top 100. The full list is below, but you can also find more information on each individual restaurant in our SquareMeal UK top 100 selection.

 

Restaurants 1 - 10

1. Casamia, Bristol (pictured)

2. L’Enclume, Cartmel

3. The Sportsman, Seasalter

4. Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire

5. The Fat Duck, Maidenhead

6. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow

7. 64 Degrees, Brighton

8. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham

9. Midsummer House, Cambridge

10. The Waterside Inn, Maidenhead

Restaurants 11 - 30

11. The Artichoke, Old Amersham

12. Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac (pictured)

13. Fraiche, Wirral

14. The Elephant, Torquay

15. Matt Worswick at The Latymer, Bagshot

16. Isaac At, Brighton

17. Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, Padstow

18. The Kitchin, Edinburgh

19. Little Fish Market, Brighton

20. Benedicts, Norwich

21. The Black Swan at Oldstead, York

22. The Whitehouse Restaurant, Lochaline

23. André Garrett at Cliveden, Maidenhead

24. Salt Room, Brighton

25. Stovell’s, Chobham

26. Moor Hall, Aughton

27. Raby Hunt, Darlington

28. The Three Chimneys, Colbost 

29. Ynshir, Powys

30. Pony & Trap, Bristol

 

Restaurants 31 - 50

31. Ondine, Edinburgh (pictured)

32. The Woodspeen, Newbury

33. The Man Behind the Curtain, Leeds

34. Cin Cin (Brighton), Brighton

35. The Seahorse Restaurant, Dartmouth

36. Where the Light Gets In, Stockport

37. Lake Road Kitchen, Ambleside

38. Sticky Walnut, Chester

39. The Coal Shed, Brighton

40. Adam’s, Birmingham

41. The Hinds Head, Maidenhead

42. Restaurant Mark Greenaway, Edinburgh

43. Pascere, Brighton

44. Orwells, Henley-On-Thames

45. The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow

46. Forest Side, Grasmere

47. L’Ortolan, Reading

48. Morston Hall, Holt

49. Whatley Manor, Malmesbury

50. Salt, Stratford-upon-Avon

 

Restaurants 51 - 70

51. The Jetty, Christchurch

52. Beckford Arms, Warminster

53. The Pig, Brockenhurst

54. The Hardwick, Abergavenny

55. Nut Tree Inn, Kidlington

56. Y Polyn , Carmarthen

57. Bohemia, St Helier

58. Freemasons at Wiswell, Clitheroe

59. Adam Reid at The French, Manchester

60. The Crown at Burchetts Green, Maidenhead

61. Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead

62. The Walnut Tree , Abergavenny

63. Rogan & Co, Cartmel

64. Sorrel, Dorking (pictured)

65. Purnell’s, Birmingham

66. Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham

67. The Coach, Marlow

68. Castle Terrace, Edinburgh

69. Craig Millar @ 16 West End, Fife

70. Alimentum, Cambridge

 

Restaurants 71 - 100

71. The Idle Rocks, St Mawes

72. The Gingerman, Brighton (pictured)

73. Sir Charles Napier, Chinnor

74. Leaping Hare Vineyard Restaurant, Bury St. Edmunds

75. The Greyhound on the Test , Stockbridge

76. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Perthshire

77. Bulrush, Bristol

78. Northcote, Blackburn

79. Coombeshead Farm, Lewannick

80. Hambleton Hall, Oakham

81. Skosh, York

82. Restaurant James Sommerin, Cardiff

83. Terre a Terre, Brighton

84. JSW, Petersfield

85. Restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh

86. Simpsons, Birmingham

87. Read’s, Faversham

88. The Star Inn (Harome), Harome nr Helmsley

89. Roger Hickman’s Restaurant, Norwich

90. Burnt Truffle, Heswall

91. Maison Bleue, Bury St Edmunds

92. Chapter One, Locksbottom

93. World Service, Nottingham

94. Timberyard, Edinburgh

95. Luscombe’s, Henley-On-Thames

96. The Beehive, Maidenhead

97. The Whitebrook , Monmouth

98. Lympstone Manor, Exmouth

99. The Dining Room at Chewton Glen, New Milton

100. The Pointer , Brill

 

Congratulations to all at Casamia who join last year’s winner The Sportsman in our SquareMeal Hall of Fame.

We conducted our survey in April and May this year, so you can rest assured that this is the freshest UK list there is. Don’t forget, you can find out more information on each individual restaurant in our SquareMeal UK top 100 selection.

Portrait images by Dominika Scheibinger