Exuberantly foodie Yorkshire was bound to produce a wealth of stunning local eating places, and we looked to the conurbations of Leeds for this year’s overall winner of our 100 Best Local Restaurants 2024 – Bavette in Horsforth, some five miles from the city centre. Owned and run by partners Sandy Jarvis and Frenchman Clément Cousin, it’s a classic bistro without a straightjacket, and the model of a great local restaurant combining quality with warmth while bringing a real buzz to the area. Also in Leeds, but very different, is the splendid Empire Café –born out of the shell of a locally iconic, greasy spoon caff and a ‘breath of fresh air’ for the city. Further afield, in Northallerton, we were hugely impressed – and pleasantly surprised – by Origin Social (a combination of real ale bar and global small-plates eatery supported by a young local crowd), while the unlikely star in Newcastle upon Tyne was the aptly named Small Canteen – a four-table eatery without a website but endowed with bags of personality and commitment when it comes to serving creative food for its neighbourhood.
Best Local Restaurant: North East
Video produced by Crossfire Hurricane
Bavette
Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire
With Sandy Jarvis and Clément Cousin’s backgrounds in some of London’s top establishments (Terroirs, where they met, is a strong influence), opening a restaurant together in an outer suburb of Leeds looked great on paper. But the way they’ve brought it to life – beautifully executed bistro cooking, an adventurous, engaging wine list (including bottles from Clément’s family of organic winemakers in the Loire), and the natural ease and warmth of the team – make it irresistible. They’ve had 1st birthday parties and 90th birthday parties here, it has lit up the Horsforth community and far beyond. It’s the model of a perfect local restaurant.
A Good Food Guide reader said:
'Not only does this bistro have incredible food, but the service is absolutely spot on. It’s a place I love to bring my friends and tell people about. It has such a cosy, homely vibe to it, and the staff go above and beyond to make sure you have the best experience.'
Owners Sandy Jarvis and Clément Cousin said of the award:
'We are completely gobsmacked about winning the Best Local Restaurant Award. To be included in the top 100 in our first few months would have been a great achievement but to be the overall winners is such a huge honour and testament to all the hard work of the team since day one, so this is for them. Our sign above the door says "a neighbourhood bistro" and being a great local restaurant is everything we wanted Bavette to be. Thank you to everyone who has come through our doors over the past five months, you’ve made Bavette what it is'
Read the Bavette Good Food Guide review
Best Local Restaurants in North East England 2024
Congratulations to all the restaurants in the North East that have made it onto our list of Britain's 100 Best Local Restaurants 2024. Explore the tiles below to discover who made the list and to read their full reviews in The Good Food Guide.
