Restaurant in Aughton, United Kingdom
Michelin value that earns its own booking.
Tim Allen's Michelin-starred Modern British restaurant in Aughton holds its own as a destination, not just a cheaper alternative to Moor Hall next door. The converted pub setting keeps the atmosphere warm and unfussy, while the cooking operates at genuine one-star level. Note: closed for refurbishment until November 2025, with a new Chefs' Table and flexible menu format planned on reopening.
sō–lō is not Moor Hall's consolation prize. That framing sells it short. Tim Allen's Michelin-starred restaurant in the village of Aughton is a destination in its own right: a converted pub with serious Modern British cooking, a relaxed atmosphere, and pricing that makes the comparison with its neighbour look even better. If you want one-star cooking without the occasion-pressure of a full tasting-menu ceremony, book here. The catch: sō–lō closed in late July 2025 for a full refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen in November 2025. Check availability before you plan a trip.
Aughton is a Lancashire village most people drive past on the way somewhere else. Yet it has quietly become one of the more improbable concentrations of serious cooking in the UK — two Michelin-starred restaurants on what is essentially a country lane. Moor Hall draws the headlines and the destination diners. sō–lō draws the locals, the return visitors, and anyone who has learned that the less-discussed address sometimes feeds you better than the famous one. It functions as a neighbourhood anchor in the truest sense: a place that sustains a dining culture in a location that has no obvious right to have one. For anyone coming from outside Aughton, that context matters — this is not a city restaurant that happens to be outside the city. It is the reason some people visit Aughton at all.
Allen's cooking is technically confident without being showy. His six-course evening taster , offered in vegetarian and pescatarian versions as well as the main menu , changes regularly, with emphasis on local and regional sourcing. Imported ingredients appear where they justify the reach: Landes guinea fowl from France, for instance, sits alongside Lancashire produce in a menu that reads as considered rather than trend-chasing. Textures are a recurring preoccupation: aerated dashi, quaver-crisp potato elements, and carefully poached components appear across the menu, signalling a kitchen that thinks about each element of a plate rather than defaulting to safe presentations.
Documented dishes give a sense of the register: agnolotti filled with spinach, dressed with Parmesan foam, sweetcorn, quail's egg, and brown chicken jus; Cornish brill with salt-baked celeriac, ceps, and smoked eel in a lovage sauce; Aynhoe Park venison loin with beetroot and red verjus. The ingredient combinations are ambitious , finger lime and meat radish have both featured , but reviewers consistently note that flavour logic holds across even the more adventurous pairings.
On Sundays, the format shifts to a four-course taster that weaves in a traditional roast, delivered without ceremony. It is a clever piece of positioning: the same kitchen and the same care, but structured in a way that feels less like a formal dining event and more like a very good Sunday lunch.
sō–lō closed after lunch service on 27 July 2025 for a complete overhaul. The reopening, targeted for early November 2025, promises a new Chefs' Table, a fresher visual identity, and a more flexible menu structure , shorter tasting menus alongside expanded options, with the stated aim of making the experience feel less rigidly ceremonial. For a venue that already rated well for its relaxed atmosphere, this seems like a refinement rather than a reinvention. Pearl has retained current ratings on the basis that the cooking quality is unlikely to decline through a refurbishment; the structural changes, if delivered, could make the venue easier to recommend to a wider range of diner types.
If you were planning a visit before July 2025, nothing in the upgrade signals a reason to reconsider. It signals a reason to rebook.
The building is a converted pub, and the warmth of that origin is still present in the design , well-spaced tables, padded chairs, and a service tone that is relaxed without being inattentive. Allen himself moves through the dining room and engages with guests; reviewers note this adds a calm to a room where the kitchen's ambition could otherwise create tension. The atmosphere is serious in the way that good food demands seriousness, but it is not stiff. For a ££££ price point, that calibration is worth noting , you are not paying for ceremony, you are paying for the plate.
Aughton's standing as a serious dining destination rests on the combination of sō–lō and Moor Hall. For visitors building a longer food-focused trip to the north-west, the village works well as an anchor , though accommodation options are limited and most visitors base themselves in Liverpool or the surrounding area. The Barn at Moor Hall provides a more casual third option in the immediate area. For a full picture of what Aughton offers, see our full Aughton restaurants guide, our full Aughton bars guide, our full Aughton wineries guide, and our full Aughton experiences guide.
Among comparable one-star destination venues outside London , L'Enclume in Cartmel, hide and fox in Saltwood, Hand and Flowers in Marlow , sō–lō holds its position clearly. The relaxed pub-conversion setting and Allen's engagement with guests give it a character that the more formal country-house restaurants lack. If that trade-off appeals, it is one of the stronger bookings in the north-west of England at its price point.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sō–lō | Modern British | ££££ | “Quite what Aughton has done to earn all these good restaurants, and even more Michelin stars, is beyond fathoming” and although Tim & Mag Allen’s award-winning four-year-old venue is “obviously somewhat in the shadow of its illustrious neighbour Moor Hall, Solo remains an excellent (and much more affordable!) alternative” . “Tim Allen genuinely seems to enjoy both cooking and engaging with his customers and he brings a sense of calm when other staff members seem to be rushed off their feet (although still attentive and enjoying themselves). The food (concept, presentation and delivery) is outstanding and offers excellent value. Every course is exquisite from amuse bouche to petits fours demonstrating his skill for combining unusual and unheard of ingredients (finger lime and meat radish anyone?) to create perfect and complementary flavours and textures” . And in July 2025, the restaurant closed to herald ‘an exciting new chapter’ to reopen in November 2025. The upgrade PR promises ‘a more modern, crisp, fresh new look’, ‘a new Chefs’ Table’; a redefined food offering ‘providing more flexibility through shorter and expanded menu options’; ‘a more casual, and shorter, tasting menu style experience’. (But we’ve left its current high grades in place on the basis that most likely things will only get better).; Having worked at various well-regarded restaurants around the country, Tim Allen brought plenty of experience to his first solo venture in this brightly decorated and warmly run converted pub. His contemporary, seasonally pertinent dishes draw their considerable flavour from top-notch ingredients – some are local and others are imported from France, such as exceptional Landes guinea fowl. The textures of each dish are carefully considered too, with aerated or crisped elements perhaps making an appearance. The lunch menu represents good value.; *Solo will close its doors for a complete refurb after lunch service on 27 July 2025. Re-opening at the beginning of November 2025.* Tim Allen moved some 250 miles from his former post at the Flitch of Bacon in Essex to set up Solo, his first independent venture. The erstwhile roadside pub is warmly welcoming and comfortable, tables are well spaced, chairs padded and two blazing fires were 'much appreciated' on a wet autumn evening when we visited. Service is relaxed (as is the atmosphere), but it's clear that this is a serious operation. It's a brilliant local asset, too – the no-choice set lunch is excellent value for the quality on offer. The chef's cooking has confidence, his ideas speak of maturity, and you get the impression that he spends every spare moment trying out new ideas – his six-course evening taster (including vegetarian and pescatarian versions) changes regularly with the emphasis firmly on local and regional ingredients. You might begin with perfectly al dente agnolotti filled with spinach and dressed with a Parmesan foam, sweetcorn, a lightly poached quail’s egg and a rich brown chicken jus, then proceed to Cornish brill with diced salt-baked celeriac, ceps and smoked eel in a lovage-infused sauce. Cauliflower, heady with Madras spices and the sweet-sour flavours of lentil dhal with lime buttermilk, has the making of a signature dish, while tender Aynhoe Park venison loin, paired with beetroot and red verjus, was evidence of the use of top-quality produce. A riff on raspberries teamed with caramelised white chocolate and verbena could be one of a pair of desserts. On Sundays, Allen cleverly weaves a traditional roast in a mini four-course taster that is refined enough to wow but served with 'zero pretentiousness'. There is plenty of decent drinking by the glass on a short, global wine list that includes some skin-contact, organic and biodynamic bottles.; This restaurant is currently closed for refurbishment. Having worked at various well-regarded restaurants around the country, Tim Allen brought plenty of experience to his first solo venture in this brightly decorated and warmly run converted pub. His contemporary, seasonally pertinent dishes draw their considerable flavour from top-notch ingredients – some are local and others are imported from France, such as the exceptional Landes guinea fowl. The textures of each dish are carefully considered too, with elements like aerated dashi and quaver-like crispy potatoes adding interest. The lunch menu represents good value.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how sō–lō measures up.
The room is a converted pub with well-spaced tables and a relaxed service tone, so the dress code follows suit — neat but not formal. Reviewers consistently note 'zero pretentiousness', so you won't feel out of place without a jacket. Think of it as the kind of place where a Michelin star doesn't demand a tie.
Yes — the six-course evening tasting menu is offered in vegetarian and pescatarian versions as standard, not as afterthoughts. If you have specific allergies or requirements beyond those formats, check the venue's official channels before booking; tasting menus at this price point (££££) generally expect advance notice for anything outside their set alternatives.
Moor Hall is the obvious comparison — it sits nearby, holds higher Michelin recognition, and carries a higher price. sō–lō's consistent edge is value: reviewers explicitly call it 'much more affordable' while still delivering Michelin-starred cooking. If you want the Aughton experience without Moor Hall prices, sō–lō is the direct answer. Note that sō–lō is closed for refurbishment until early November 2025.
Tim Allen's own cooking style — relaxed atmosphere, attentive but unhurried service, and a set tasting format that removes menu decision fatigue — makes solo dining here straightforward. There's no indication of a dedicated counter, but the converted pub layout and calm service tone don't penalise solo guests. The post-November 2025 reopen adds a Chefs' Table, which is worth watching for solo bookings specifically.
At ££££ for a Michelin-starred tasting menu in a Lancashire village, it consistently earns that price — reviewers call it 'excellent value' and 'outstanding', with the lunch menu singled out as particularly strong on value. Compared to equivalent Michelin-starred tasting menus in London, the pricing gap is significant. If the format suits you, this is one of the clearer cases where the spend is justified.
Lunch wins on value — the set lunch menu is repeatedly praised as the sharper deal for the quality on offer, and Sunday lunch delivers a four-course tasting-style roast that reviewers describe as refined without any pretension. Dinner gives you the full six-course evening taster with more range. If budget is a factor, lunch is the practical entry point; if you want the complete picture of Allen's cooking, dinner is the right call.
Yes, with one practical note: sō–lō is closed for refurbishment until early November 2025, so any booking before then isn't possible. Post-reopen, the new Chefs' Table and expanded menu options make it a more flexible option for celebrations than before. The existing track record — Michelin-starred food, calm and engaged service from Allen himself, and a warm room — already makes a strong case for occasions where the meal is the event.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
