If your vision of British cuisine consists of bland fish and chips or disappointing boiled vegetables, then you are missing out. From hidden gems to Michelin star experiences, here are the best restaurants in England that will leave you with napkin-stained memories.
“Little Beauty” of Covent Garden boasts the same bistro charm as Michelin-star Restaurant Story and boasts red leather banquettes and gleaming zinc bar surfaces reminiscent of an intimate bistro environment.
1. Hare & Hounds
The Hare & Hounds occupies one corner of this historic town’s two-block main street and serves as an inviting neighborhood pub during lunch or dinner hours, welcoming both regulars as well as those dropping by for an easy, delicious bite on their way home. Regulars enjoy sitting alongside newcomers who drop by just for the meal itself!
Chef Tom Watts-Jones’ talent as a chef speaks volumes: you would never guess he came from South Wales where there are far fewer restaurants offering this style of food compared to Central London where he worked at St John and Anchor & Hope; yet he managed to transform an unlikely location such as this rickety pub into something that looks and even tastes similar to one of Soho’s trendy eateries.
Watts-Jones stands out with her menu full of comforting dishes with occasional surprises like the roast duck leg topped with bacon and butter beans stew and an aioli-based dip. It is tender yet flavorful.
2. Le Manoir
Le Manoir looks like something out of a fairytale from afar. Although only an hour from London, its unique atmosphere feels otherworldly: an enormous star of tan and terracotta looms over Oxfordshire countryside as an impressive stately manor house boasting grand driveway leading up to handsome stone gates and weather-worn plaques.
At first glance, this restaurant seems unassuming; yet in person it’s an explosion of colour and delight. The dining room opens out onto lush gardens while many ingredients for its French-influenced kitchen come directly from these grounds.
Luke Selby is overseeing the kitchen at Blanc, while his signature style can still be seen throughout each dish. One of our favorites was a plate of courgette flowers filled with an aromatic herb-and-mushroom mousse paired with a rich Orkney hand-dived scallop poached in girolle liquor and finished off by pairing this exquisite meal with an aromatic Riesling Hohenrain 2016 from Schloss Reinhartshausen in Rheingau Germany that scored 3.8 out of 5, which provided perfect harmony of flavours and textures! We paired this dish with an aromatic Riesling Hohenrain 2016 from Schloss Reinhartshausen that scored 3.8/5 on Vivino.
3. Crocadon
Dan Cox certainly hasn’t made life easy for himself at Crocadon Farm Restaurant, a 120-acre Cornish farm he took over in 2017. Based near Saltash on the edge of Devon border and 11 miles away from Cornwall itself, he has applied himself tirelessly in developing a soil-centric farm operation focused on regenerative farming principles – featuring homegrown vegetables, herbs and meat as mainstays – while his former Simon Rogan lieutenant also built on site a brewery and ceramic workshop to further realize his dream of field-to-fork restaurant operations.
Food at The Ivy may be hyper-seasonal, incredibly pure and often adventurous – yet the experience never feels stuffy or stuffy due to the warm hospitality of its team behind the stove and dining room. Waiters led by Cat Kirkwood (formerly of Amass in Copenhagen) are knowledgeable of each dish served; furthermore they demonstrate genuine passion about what they serve – one of England’s premier places for experiencing genuine fine dining done right!
4. Sketch
Sketch Restaurant in Mayfair is an unusual and eccentric establishment featuring several distinct dining rooms for each type of meal, with the Gallery serving as the main dining space, featuring candy floss pink velvet banquettes and major art deco influences. Other rooms include The Parlour and East bar for cocktails; The Lecture Room & Library where three Michelin star Master Chef Pierre Gagnaire can unleash his creativity; as well as The Glade for afternoon tea service.
Menu offerings at The Gallery Restaurant feature modern European gastro-brasserie with an international flare. Decorations at The Gallery come directly from an early 20th century French postcard; designers enlarged and reversed its design before meticulously mapping it onto walls to give the illusion that one is actually inside an actual postcard.
Frederic Brugues has been the Wine Director at sketch since 2002 and has amassed an impressive wine cellar of over 950 wines that perfectly compliment their cuisine. Additionally, they can provide guidance as to which wines go with specific dishes best or offer tailor-made wine pairings upon special request.
5. The Three Horseshoes
William Sitwell writes for The Daily Telegraph that it can be “refreshing to find somewhere that is unapologetically independent”. Enter The Gaff, with its staff of “tattooed stove creatures”. Their menu offers trendy sharing plates as well as “dirty dishes” such as corn ribs.
Jay Rayner wrote of The Observer that this restaurant was “quietly confident, quietly seductive.” It serves up a menu which is delicate yet precise and good; sometimes even including ingredients from their garden! Crunchy radishes come topped with “whipped lardo”, while courgette flowers stuffed with baba ghanoush can be expertly tempuraed for added excitement!
At this restaurant, even the most ordinary dishes provide a powerful culinary experience and leave you in food-coma. A watercress soup provides “nothing more sublime than the taste of English spring”, while mince on toast becomes dreamlike when enhanced with basil and pommes Anna for texture and crunch. A slow-braised brisket dish arrives served with pommes Anna, kale and “hefty gratings” of Shepherd’s Store cheese for a luxurious finishing touch.
