The Good Food Guide 2025: UK's Best Restaurants — Page 5

Westerns Laundry is a Michelin Bib Gourmand seafood kitchen in Highbury running a daily-changing blackboard menu at a ££ price point that is hard to beat in North London. Connected to sister bakery Jolene, the kitchen prioritises seasonal British seafood with Spanish-influenced touches. Book a weeknight dinner or Saturday lunch; the rum baba is a fixture worth ordering.

Bayte is a good St Leonards-on-Sea choice for a calm date, small celebration, or low-pressure dinner when conversation matters. Booking difficulty is easy, Good Food Guide 2025 recognition adds a useful trust signal, but order seasonally rather than chasing a named signature dish.

Chishuru holds a Michelin star for Adejoké Bakare's Nigerian-rooted cooking in Fitzrovia, with a five-course dinner at £75 making it one of the better-value starred meals in central London. Booking is hard; the room is small, there is no weekend service, demand is steady. Plan three to four weeks ahead minimum.

Annwn is Narberth's most technically serious restaurant: a solo-chef tasting menu built on Pembrokeshire foraging, Welsh grain, Preseli Hills lamb, with Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025. At ££££, it earns its price through hyper-local precision and personal service rather than luxury theatre. Book well ahead; availability is hard to come by and the format rewards those who plan for it.

The Longs Arms holds a Michelin Plate for two consecutive years and delivers traditional British pub cooking; fishcakes, steak and kidney pie, homemade ice creams; at an accessible ££ price point. Set opposite a medieval church in South Wraxall, it is the clear first choice for a hearty, well-executed lunch in the Bradford-on-Avon area. Booking is easy; a week ahead is usually enough.

A Michelin Plate neighbourhood bistro in Hove delivering precise seasonal cooking at ££ prices. The weekly-changing menu, strong small-producer wine list, a sub-£30 set menu make this one of Brighton and Hove's most compelling value propositions. Book for weekday lunch to catch the set menu and a quieter room.

Socius is the strongest Modern British option at the ££ level in north Norfolk, with back-to-back Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) and a sharing-plate format that rewards group bookings. The open kitchen, two-floor layout, evolving menu make it the go-to for a special occasion in Burnham Market without London prices.

Donia is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Filipino restaurant (2024 and 2025) on the top floor of Kingly Court, Carnaby Street. At ££, the sharing-plate menu, which draws on Filipino flavour traditions underpinned by British produce, delivers one of central London's clearest value propositions. Book a few days ahead; arrive early if noise is a concern.

A Michelin-starred seafood tasting menu in a 15-seat 15th-century harbourside cottage in Port Isaac, at £99 per person for an evening set menu that changes with the daily catch. Book weeks ahead; it fills fast, the room is genuinely small. A stronger special occasion choice for two or a small group than Outlaw's New Road if you want intimacy over formality.

Inn at the Sticks works for a relaxed, food-led stop in Llansteffan, especially if external recognition matters: it appears in The Good Food Guide 2025 with a GFG Good listing. Treat it as a credible village meal rather than a dedicated wine-bar destination, compare it with nearby pub peers if the choice comes down to atmosphere and ease.

Erst is a natural wine bar and small-plates restaurant in Ancoats, Manchester, holding a Michelin Plate in 2024 and 2025 and consecutive Opinionated About Dining recognition. Chef Patrick Withington's menu runs from beef-fat flatbreads to ras el hanout lamb skewers, with a natural wine list that the team knows thoroughly. At £££, it is the strongest informal special-occasion choice in the neighbourhood. Book two to three weeks ahead for weekend evenings.

Gunpowder Soho is a good pick for a lively Soho dinner or casual celebration, especially if the group wants sharing-style momentum rather than a formal tasting-menu feel. The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition adds credibility, but the smarter comparison is practical: choose it over quieter Greek Street peers when energy matters more than polish.

Pazzo works for a relaxed Redland dinner when ease matters more than ceremony. The Good Food Guide 2025 nod gives it credibility, but the smarter play is to use it as a calm neighbourhood booking rather than a big-event restaurant.

Gees is a practical Oxford pick for a first meal when flexibility matters: all-day hours, an easy booking profile, a polished-but-relaxed setting in Park Town. Choose it for mixed groups, dates, or low-stress occasions; compare with Parsonage Grill for formality, Branca for a livelier neighbourhood feel, Cherwell Boathouse when the setting is the main draw.

HIDE holds a Michelin star and sits on Piccadilly opposite Green Park, with a wine list of 10,000 references drawn from Hedonism Wines available at any service; including breakfast from 7 AM on weekdays. The eight-course tasting menu runs £165 per head. For a Mayfair fine dining morning, it is the strongest option in the area by a significant margin.

GaGa in Glasgow's Partick holds back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024 and 2025) for its Malaysian-inspired small plates and cocktail programme; all at ££ per head. The room is lively and bar-forward, so go with a group, book a booth, order more than you think you need. One of Glasgow's clearest value cases at this price tier.

The Woodspeen is the strongest Modern British option in Berkshire at the £££ tier, with a Michelin Plate, consecutive OAD recognition, a 540-selection wine list that outperforms most peers in its price bracket. Chef Peter Eaton's seasonal kitchen, built around an on-site garden and a dramatically designed rear dining room, makes it a clear choice for a special occasion within reach of the M4 corridor.

Stow is Manchester's tightest argument for open-fire cooking as a full evening format. The counter-led dining room behind a cocktail bar seats a small number of diners close to the flames, a regularly rotating menu means seasonal timing affects what you will actually eat. Book 1–2 weeks ahead; the room is small and the counter fills first. Best for two diners who want cooking to be the main event.

Koya Soho is a strong pick for a focused Soho lunch or casual dinner when the priority is credible food over ceremony. The Good Food Guide 2025 nod gives it more weight than a convenience booking, but the room is better for solo diners and pairs than for large groups or formal occasions.

Book Number Eight for a polished independent meal in Sevenoaks when you want flexibility, a comfortable room, broad appeal for family or low-pressure celebrations. It makes more sense as a dine-in choice than a takeaway play, with the value strongest at weekday lunch and the atmosphere better at dinner.

20 Stories is the Spinningfields pick when the setting, central address, late-evening energy matter. It is better for celebrations, visitor meals, business-adjacent plans than for diners chasing a tightly defined cuisine or chef-led format. Booking is listed as easy, Good Food Guide 2025 recognition adds a useful quality signal.

The Water House Project delivers an 11-course Modern British tasting menu from a Michelin Plate kitchen in a deliberately relaxed, communal setting in Cambridge Heath. It is one of the stronger arguments for ££££ spending in East London; serious produce, considered drinks pairings, atmosphere that works for both solo diners and small groups. Book several weeks ahead; this is a hard table to get.

Furna is the clearest answer for a special occasion meal in Brighton. The 28-seat room near the Royal Pavilion holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and won Drinks List of the Year 2024, with an eight-course chef's selection at £85 and a set lunch at £35. Chef Dave Mothersill's cooking draws on seasonal British produce with enough technical ambition to justify the spend.

Pompette is Oxford's most convincing neighbourhood brasserie: a Michelin Plate (2025) French kitchen in Summertown with honest bourgeois cooking, weeknight specials, a patriotically French wine list with particular depth in Alsace. At ££ with a prix fixe option, it delivers more consistent value than anything else in its Oxford price tier.

A 23-seat Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in a Belgravia Georgian townhouse, Muse by Tom Aikens is one of London's most intimate fine-dining rooms. Booking difficulty is high; aim four to six weeks out minimum. Best for food enthusiasts who want biography-driven creative cooking; less suited to those seeking a la carte flexibility or a lower entry price.

Book The Holcombe if you want a recognised village dining option in Holcombe rather than a bar-led night out. The Good Food Guide 2025 listing is the main trust signal, but menu style, pricing, outdoor seating should not be assumed; it suits first-timers looking for a relaxed meal more than a high-detail destination booking.

Osip is a farm-to-table restaurant in rural Somerset near Bruton.

The Old Pharmacy is a practical Bruton pick for a relaxed daytime or evening meal, with a Good Food Guide 2025 nod giving it useful credibility. Choose it for convenience and a central High Street setting; cross-shop Briar, Botanical Rooms, DA COSTA, At the Chapel, Matt's Kitchen if the meal needs a clearer cuisine or occasion-led feel.

OMA earned a Michelin star within months of opening in April 2024, the recognition is warranted. Jorge Paredes runs a live-fire kitchen above Borough Market that goes well beyond Greek cooking; think salt cod XO labneh, squid-ink giouvetsi, a 450-bin wine list that won Star Wine List UK Best Newcomer 2025. Booking is near impossible; start planning the moment you decide you want to go.

Jeremy Lee's Modern British cooking at this Dean Street institution delivers precision over elaboration, with a menu of reworked classics and seasonal specials. Booking is easy, the room retains original stained glass from its Italian past, the kitchen's consistency; recognised by Opinionated About Dining for three consecutive years; makes it a reliable choice in Soho's crowded field.

Book Fourth and Church for a polished Church Road meal that feels more grown-up than casual neighbourhood dining, with The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition adding confidence. It is a strong fit for conversation-led dinners and low-friction occasions; value-focused diners should compare it with Wild Flor, Semola, Topolino Brighton & Hove before deciding.

A practical Centre Point pick for a reliable casual meal near Tottenham Court Road, with Good Food Guide 2025 and OAD Casual in Europe 2026 recognition adding useful reassurance. Book it for convenience and consistency, not for a long special-occasion dinner; Kanada-Ya is better for ramen, while Plaza Khao Gaeng has more Thai-specific character.

A Michelin Bib Gourmand pub in Gerrards Cross that consistently delivers seasonal Modern British cooking with East and Southeast Asian accents at ££ pricing. Chef Kyle Zachary's kitchen earns its recognition two years running. The set menu is the strongest order, the garden-facing room is where you want to sit.

The Clove Club is Isaac McHale's restaurant at Shoreditch Town Hall in London.

Singapore Garden is a practical Swiss Cottage-area choice for an easy London dinner, especially if the table wants to share rather than commit to a formal occasion format. The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition adds a useful trust signal, but the smarter expectation is neighbourhood reliability, not a chef-led destination meal.

The Anchor in Ripley is a Michelin Plate-recognised Modern British pub in a 400-year-old building, priced at ££ with a set lunch, à la carte, five-course tasting menu. It delivers cooking well above its price point, with a genuine bar program built on Home Counties ales and craftily mixed cocktails. Booking is easy; the tasting menu is worth it if you have already done the à la carte.

Book The Jumble Room if you want a relaxed Grasmere dinner with enough recognition to feel considered, without committing to the higher-price fine-dining lane. Its Good Food Guide 2025 listing gives it credibility, the narrow opening pattern makes advance planning sensible even when reservations are not especially hard.

John Dory Wine is the Sandgate choice to book when the night is built around wine, conversation, an easier coastal plan rather than a formal restaurant occasion. The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it credibility, while the High Street setting keeps the decision practical for dates, small celebrations, relaxed weekend stops.

Kolae delivers focused southern Thai cooking at a ££ price point in Borough Market, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025) to back it up. The open-fire skewers and sharing menu format make it one of the most practical and enjoyable Thai restaurants in London. Book a few days ahead for weekdays; a week out for weekend slots.

Jackson Boxer's French bistro on the ground floor of the Henrietta Experimental hotel in Covent Garden delivers creative, seriously executed cooking in a relaxed room with booth seating and a Star Wine List-recognised wine programme. It's one of the easier bookings at this quality level in central London, a strong choice for date nights or celebratory dinners where you want real cooking without tasting-menu formality.

Restaurant Twenty-Two holds a 2024 Michelin star and, operating out of a Victorian townhouse a short walk from Cambridge city centre. The Thursday set lunch at £60 is the best-value entry point; the tasting menu is where the kitchen's full technical range; 48-hour braised wagyu, Anjou squab in two acts, in-house soft pairings; makes the strongest case. Book well in advance: the weekly schedule is tight and availability goes fast.

Pellizco works when you want an easy Sheffield dinner with later-evening flexibility rather than a formal tasting-menu plan. The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it credibility, while the Sharrow setting makes it feel more neighbourhood-led than city-centre destination. Cross-shop Bench for a more food-focused booking and Bragazzis for a more casual alternative.

A meticulously restored 19th-century village pub near Salisbury, The Great Bustard holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and a kitchen pedigree from Moor Hall and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Estate game, locally sourced beef and lamb, a dining room that contrasts country warmth with metropolitan precision make this a genuine destination at £££. Book two to three weeks ahead for weekend dinner.

The Suffolk is the right call for most visitors to Aldeburgh: a Michelin Plate (2024, 2025) seafood brasserie in a converted coaching inn, with a rooftop terrace overlooking the beach and a straightforward carte built around locally sourced fish. Service is warm without being fussy, the £££ price point is fair for the quality on the plate. Book two to three weeks out in summer.

A Michelin Plate-recognised modern British restaurant in Pooley Bridge, 1863 delivers seasonal Cumbrian cooking; shorthorn beef tartare, Cartmel Valley venison, Nordic halibut; at £££ per head with a seven-course tasting menu option and wine flight. Seven rooms on site make it a natural Lake District base. Book three to four weeks ahead for weekends.

A Michelin Plate-recognised Victorian country inn in rural Hertfordshire, the Alford Arms delivers hearty, well-sourced traditional British cooking at ££., it is the most consistent food option in Frithsden. Book for a relaxed lunch or dinner where good ingredients and a genuine pub setting matter more than formality.

Rovi is Yotam Ottolenghi's open-fire and fermentation-focused restaurant in Fitzrovia, led by head chef Neil Campbell. Ranked in Opinionated About Dining's top 303 casual European restaurants for three consecutive years, it is the right booking for a date or relaxed celebration dinner where vegetable-forward cooking is a feature, not a compromise. Booking is straightforward with one to two weeks' notice.

Book The Dover for a polished Mayfair dinner when location, room control, an easier reservation matter more than a clearly signposted cuisine or price band. It is a stronger fit for small groups and later evenings than for diners who need a tightly defined menu brief before choosing.

The Hoddington Arms is the Upton Grey pick when the meal matters more than the bar scene. Its Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it more food credibility than a casual pub stop, making it a sensible repeat booking for lunch, dinner, dates, or small groups who want a relaxed Hampshire setting.

Dovetale at 1 Hotel Mayfair delivers sourcing-driven European cooking; named estates, whole-bird sharing dishes, a World of Fine Wine 2-Star wine programme; at £££ pricing that suits the address. The Michelin Plate kitchen is well-executed rather than technically ambitious. Book two to three weeks ahead; set a wine budget with the sommelier before you start.

Dobson & Parnell holds Michelin Plate status in 2024 and 2025 and delivers a seven-course tasting menu at ££ pricing; the most accessible route into Newcastle's recognised dining tier. Fish cookery is the highlight; service is knowledgeable and well-paced. Book for a special occasion or date night when you want a polished evening without the ££££ outlay of House of Tides or SOLSTICE.

The High Pavement is the right Frome pick when the brief is a focused, quieter dinner rather than a casual fallback. Recognition from The Good Food Guide 2025 gives it a useful trust signal, while easy booking makes it practical for visitors who want a serious meal without building the whole trip around one reservation.

Daquise is a practical South Kensington booking for a relaxed meal, especially if convenience and an easier reservation matter more than a bar-led night or tasting-menu theatre. Its Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it a useful trust signal, but the better expectation is meal-first, drinks-second.

The Black Bull works for a relaxed Sedbergh date night rather than a high-ceremony destination plan. Good Food Guide 2025 recognition and a Star Wine List mention give it credible food-and-wine weight, while the Main Street address keeps the evening practical and easy to manage.

A Michelin Bib Gourmand French bistro in Crouch End, Les 2 Garçons delivers honest bourgeois cooking; escargots, steak-frites, rum baba; at a fair ££ price with an all-French wine list from £7.95 a glass. Easy to book and genuinely warm front-of-house. The best-value French dinner in north London for anyone who wants the real format without the fine-dining price tag.

Kota is the most technically ambitious restaurant in Porthleven: a Michelin Plate harbourside dining room where chef-owner Jude Kereama applies Maori, Chinese, Malaysian flavour logic to Cornish seafood and produce. At ££, it delivers a six-course tasting menu with wine pairings at a price point well below equivalent cooking in London. Book ahead; it fills.

Y Polyn is a Michelin Plate-recognised converted tollhouse pub in Capel Dewi, serving confident, locally sourced Welsh cooking at ££ pricing. Welsh black beef, Provençal fish soup, a no-foam policy make it the most practical case for a food-focused stop in the Towy Valley. Booking is easy; Sunday lunch is when locals pack it out.

The Forest Side is a hotel and restaurant in Grasmere in the Lake District.

Gamba is a sensible Glasgow city-centre pick when the brief is a composed, food-first meal with credible recognition and easy planning. It is better for conversation, lunch, small-group dinners than for a loud night out or a wine-led destination meal.

A Michelin Plate-recognised Modern British restaurant in a 17th-century coaching inn on Beaconsfield's Windsor End, The Greyhound delivers fine dining quality at £££ with genuinely warm service. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024–2025) and back it up. Book two to three weeks out for weekends; the set lunch is the best-value entry point.

Book Titchwell Manor for a calmer, more composed dinner in Titchwell, especially if you want a sit-down coastal meal rather than pub food or fish and chips. The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it a useful trust signal, but wine-focused diners should ask about the current list before making it the centrepiece of the night.

1921 Angel Hill is a good Bury St Edmunds pick when you want a seated, town-centre meal with more confidence behind it than a casual fallback. The Good Food Guide 2025 “Very Good” recognition is the reason to prioritise it, but it is not the right choice if takeout or delivery is the main goal.

A small Penrith town-centre booking that makes the clearest case at lunch, when it works as a composed stop rather than a big occasion. Four & Twenty is better for pairs, solo diners, low-drama repeat visits than for anyone chasing a destination splurge; for that, compare Allium at Askham Hall or 1863.

A Michelin Plate holder at ££ pricing, The Shed is the strongest case for Welsh produce-led British cooking in Swansea. Jonathan Woolway's St John background shows in precise, unfussy dishes built around Pembrokeshire crab, Gower lamb, cockle croquettes; all served in an atmospheric former grain store on the regenerated waterfront. Book it for a special dinner without the tasting-menu price tag.

Outlaw's New Road is closing on 28 March 2026, making this the final window to experience Nathan Outlaw's eleven-course seafood tasting menu (£195 per person) in Port Isaac. La Liste ranked it at 87.5 points in 2025. A three-course lunch at £85 is the better-value entry point. Book immediately; availability will not last.

The Star Inn is the Harome pick when the meal matters more than a casual pint stop. Its Good Food Guide 2025 “Very Good” recognition gives it stronger food credibility than a standard village inn, the Main Street setting works well for a slower countryside lunch or relaxed early dinner.

Cora Pearl delivers seasonal British cooking in a Covent Garden townhouse that punches above its ££ price point. Michelin Plate-recognised (2024 and 2025) and easy to book, it is the practical choice for a pre-theatre dinner or a relaxed Sunday lunch near the Royal Opera House; without the four-figure bill of its neighbours.

A Michelin Plate-recognised wine bar and kitchen on Leith Walk, Spry is Edinburgh's strongest wine-shop-plus-restaurant combination at the £££ price point. The five-course set menu at £60 (wine pairing +£50) delivers serious value compared to the city's ££££ tier. Book at least two weeks ahead; the à la carte lunch is the best entry point for first-timers.

The Magdalen Arms is worth shortlisting when you want a relaxed Oxford pub where the food is the point, not an afterthought. Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it credibility for value-focused diners; choose it for casual dates or small groups, not for a formal restaurant night.

The Yan is worth booking if you want a calmer Grasmere dinner with a credible Good Food Guide 2025 signal and less formality than Forest Side. Treat it as a sit-down choice rather than a takeout plan; for a flexible cottage meal or casual daytime stop, cross-shop café-style alternatives instead.

A Michelin Plate-recognised tasting menu in a Georgian Devon vicarage, Glebe House combines on-site provenance; home-cured meats, kitchen garden produce; with Italian-inflected country cooking at £££.

Speedboat Bar is Luke Farrell's low-key Thai canteen in Soho, holding across 4,000-plus reviews and an OAD Casual in Europe 2025 listing. Lunch is the value call; keenly priced dishes, fast service, a format that requires almost no forward planning. Book a few days ahead for evenings; walk-ins work for weekday lunch.

The Prince Arthur is a practical Hackney pick for an easy pub plan rather than a specialist cocktail or wine night. Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives the food side useful credibility, the easy booking profile makes it a sensible fallback when value, convenience, group flexibility matter more than a destination drinks programme.

A strong Brighton pick when dinner should be casual, grill-led, easy rather than formal. Bincho Yakitori is strongest for smaller groups and repeat diners who know they want the yakitori format; The Salt Room is better for a waterfront occasion, while Foodilic is safer for a broader, more flexible meal.

Wilsons is Bristol's most focused farm-to-table tasting menu restaurant, running a single nightly menu built around produce from its own smallholding. At £££, it delivers a level of sourcing discipline and cooking precision that significantly undercuts comparable operations nationally. Book 3–4 weeks ahead for weekends and ask for kitchen-adjacent seating.

Smoke & Salt is one of south London's most consistent tasting-menu options at the £££ tier, with consecutive Michelin Plate recognition (2024–2025) and a genuinely distinct flavour identity built around smoke and fermentation. Book 2–3 weeks ahead for weekend dinner; the Sunday roast format is a separate, more accessible alternative. Better value than most comparable London tasting-menu venues, a good fit for date nights or casual celebrations.

Crown is the sensible Bray pick when the occasion calls for a recognised, lower-pressure meal rather than a destination tasting-menu event. The Michelin Guide Plate gives reassurance, while the High Street setting makes it easier to fold into a relaxed lunch, dinner, or village visit than the area's ££££ names.

A Michelin Plate tasting menu restaurant in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter with a deliberately unconventional identity: dark room, loud soundtrack, genuinely inventive cooking from chef Alex Claridge. The front-of-house team is one of Birmingham's strongest, the wine programme holds a Star Wine List White Star. Book four to six weeks ahead minimum; this is a hard reservation at the ££££ price point.

A 400-year-old thatched village inn four miles from Peterborough, Chubby Castor earns its Michelin Plate (2025) through London-trained precision from chef-owner Adebola Adeshina. Priced at ££££ but without the London premium, it is the most credentialled table in the East Midlands for classical Modern British cooking in a genuinely relaxed setting. Book well ahead; it is hard to get into.

Six Portland Road is the most reliable neighbourhood bistro in Holland Park, with European cooking precise enough to justify the £££ price point and a Sunday roast format that stands apart from the area's competition. Book two weeks ahead for weekends. The (256 reviews) and consistent editorial recognition make this a low-risk, high-reward choice for a West London dinner or Sunday lunch.

Melusine is a sensible pick for a calmer St Katharine Docks meal when setting and conversation matter. The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it a useful quality signal, but treat it as a composed neighbourhood choice rather than a trophy booking or confirmed brunch destination.

Blacklock Soho is the most practical group steakhouse in central London at this price point. The £27 'all in' sharing offer; grass-fed beef, pork, lamb on chargrilled flatbreads with Blacklock's now-famous gravy; is the reason to book. Ranked by Opinionated About Dining three years running. Easy to book on weekdays; the Sunday roast fills up fast.

Freckled Angel is a sensible Menai Bridge choice for a relaxed date night, birthday lunch, or small celebration where quality matters but formality does not. The Good Food Guide 2025 nod gives it a useful trust signal; compare Sosban and the old Butchers for Welsh seafood or Dylan's Menai Bridge for a livelier waterfront meal.

A 20-course surprise tasting menu on a working Nottinghamshire farm, open Thursday to Saturday only. Chef Richard Stevens holds a Michelin Plate and ranks in OAD's top 320 European restaurants. Book six to eight weeks out minimum. The format demands full commitment; four hours, no à la carte; but delivers some of the most place-specific cooking in the East Midlands.

Tomos Parry's Basque-inflected wood-fire cooking in a Hackney railway arch earns its reputation on the plate, not the setting. The whole grilled turbot at around £150 is one of London's better group-meal calculations, a Star Wine List-recognised natural wine program supports the food with real intention. Booking is straightforward; the courtyard fills fast on warm evenings.

Casse-Croute is the most convincingly French bistro in London: a 25-seat room on Bermondsey Street with a daily blackboard menu, all-French wine list, bistro-classic cooking that runs out when it runs out. Book ahead; this is not a walk-in venue. At mid-range prices, it delivers more character and culinary honesty than most of London's French options at twice the cost.

Northcote is a hotel and restaurant in Langho in Lancashire's Ribble Valley.

A working farm in Cornwall with a £65 four-course dinner built around home-bred meats and home-baked sourdough. Michelin Plate 2025, OAD Europe #338. Book an overnight stay to get the full experience; dinner plus the celebrated farmhouse breakfast. Best for couples or small groups wanting a genuine field-to-fork retreat rather than formal fine dining.

Grace & Savour is a restaurant at Hampton Manor in Hampton in Arden.

Arlington, the rebirth of beloved Le Caprice at 20 Arlington Street, delivers reliable European brasserie cooking in one of St James's most characterful rooms. At £££, the Michelin Plate-recognised kitchen earns its keep with classics like salmon fishcakes and a strong dessert course. Book the banquettes, check the daily specials, plan to stay late; the piano plays into the evening.