14 restaurants with exceptional warmth 2024 | Where To Eat

Benedicts

Norwich, Norfolk £££

‘The downside,’ said one recent enthusiast, ‘is that our favourite restaurant is 200 miles away.’ Applause for Benedicts rings out far beyond Norwich, such is the delicious creativity of the six- or nine-co… Read more

‘The downside,’ said one recent enthusiast, ‘is that our favourite restaurant is 200 miles away.’ Applause for Benedicts rings out far beyond Norwich, such is the delicious creativity of the six- or nine-course menus, and the genuine happiness of the service delivered at Richard and Katja Bainbridge’s city-centre bistro. Personal memory and shared nostalgia ripple through dishes (fans of The Great British Menu will remember the 2015 triumph of 'Nanny Bush’s trifle') but there’s no wallowing in sentiment: the cooking is bright and contemporary, colourful and fun. Home-grown radishes, a stick of raw kohlrabi and endive scooped through smoked haddock butter set the scene, alongside a ‘prawn cocktail’ tartlet (with sharpness from freeze-dried raspberries instead of lemon) which is as if made by fairies, so friable is the pastry, so delicate the flavour. A rice cracker dotted with sparky keta, ditsy rings of shallot and apple gel comes with a sherry mousse – because Nanny Bush did like a glass of an evening, so the story goes. Warm brioche bounces glossily centre-stage, deserving its solo moment, especially when some of that mousse remains. Bouillabaisse nods to that often murky overflow of gurning fish heads, but here a smooth, savoury soup is poured tableside around a stylish pan-fried croûton topped with crabmeat, samphire and dots of rouille. It’s a prelude to duck, pink and butter-soft to cut, which comes with a fresh kohlrabi slaw, peach-sweetened sauce and a slice of pomme dauphine (an 'irresistible cross between a hash brown and a rösti’, drizzled with chive mayo and flecked with red amaranth). Palates are rejuvenated by ‘jelly and ice cream’, perfectly grown-up and un-sugary, before a flirty lemon posset (hiding pieces of nectarine) on a lime syrup-soaked puck of genoise sponge takes the final bow. Wine service is notable throughout – a crisp but weighty Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec from Gascony’s Domaine Laougué played harmoniously opposite the bouillabaisse.

9 St Benedict's Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR2 4PE

Harborne Kitchen

Birmingham, West Midlands £££

On Harborne's High Street, wedged between other businesses but with an open, come-inside appeal and brightness, this exceptional restaurant runs at full tilt – even on a midweek evening. Upbeat energy fills the space –… Read more

On Harborne's High Street, wedged between other businesses but with an open, come-inside appeal and brightness, this exceptional restaurant runs at full tilt – even on a midweek evening. Upbeat energy fills the space – from the bar, past the hard-working open kitchen (run with smooth, disciplined focus) to the banquettes and booths in the dining room. Pacy, friendly service delivers food that is a thrilling combination of the familiar and the luxurious, from an opening gougère (vigorous with aged Somerset Cheddar and Worcestershire sauce) via chalk stream trout (with the option of Exmoor caviar for added zip) to a ravishing dark chocolate marquise, its richness quickened with lime and a banana sorbet. In between? Much has been written about ‘Jamie’s chicken and white chocolate’. Don’t wince, it works. The fresh acidity of strawberries and nuggets of sweet chocolate balance the savouriness of chicken liver parfait, while oat granola (embedded with crisped chicken skin) gives texture. Elsewhere, a dish of Sardinian malloreddus (gnochetti sardi) luxuriates in butter. Doused in aged Parmesan and summer truffle, it's a dish of umami dreams, although you might also find it served with slow-cooked ox cheek and heady with Madeira, or fresh with spring asparagus and morels – depending on the season. Chicken is brined, poached and pan-finished, the tender centrepiece of an appealing main course that’s smoky with bacon, and bright with peas and baby gem. The wine list rewards scrutiny, not least for its relative affordability. A Spanish Monastrell (Finca Bacara) opens a compact by-the-glass offer at £8, and the paired flights (from £35) are worth a look. The ‘5 for £55’ menu is outstanding midweek/lunchtime value, but come on Saturday night for the full 10 courses and dive more deeply into the abilities of this exceptional team. If you’re pushed for time, pull up a bar stool, sip a spirited cocktail and order from a menu of artisan cured meats, cheeses and nibbles such as trout roe with lemon.

175-179 High Street, Harborne, Birmingham, West Midlands B17 9QE

Maison Bleue

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk £££

There’s a serenity about Maison Bleue, a kind of timeless elegance and comfort that elevates 'lunch' to 'luuuunch'. It is a Bury St Edmunds fixture, attracting the most loyal of guests (some from quite a distance) for whom t… Read more

30-31 Churchgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1RG

Noble Rot Lambs Conduit

Bloomsbury, London £££

World-class wines and compelling cooking from a modern classic

The Noble Rot concept is disarmingly simple: lay on modern bistro food with its roots in the French repertoire, add a massive portfolio of world-class wines at affordable prices, and they will come. Even when there are only a coup… Read more

51 Lamb’s Conduit Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 3NB

Orwells

Binfield Heath , Oxfordshire £££

Stunningly artistic cooking in chic surroundings

There is a soothing sense of isolation to this white-fronted former pub in an Oxfordshire village near Henley, but that has not stopped scores of readers from nominating it as a local favourite. The sense of good cheer that irradi… Read more

There is a soothing sense of isolation to this white-fronted former pub in an Oxfordshire village near Henley, but that has not stopped scores of readers from nominating it as a local favourite. The sense of good cheer that irradiates the place is a tribute to Liam and Ryan Simpson-Trotman's skills in the arts of hospitality, and its understated modern spaces provide a chic backdrop to some stunning cooking.

Following a stint working front of house, Ryan is back in the kitchen, marshalling thoroughbred produce from the length and breadth of the British Isles, while making good use of pickings from Orwells' own garden and local hedgerows. The cooking demonstrates nerveless confidence in a range of techniques, from a starter of flame-grilled lobster teamed with girolles, apricots, verjus and sea fennel (aka rock samphire) to mains such as the fabled Chilterns muntjac with morels, asparagus and carrot. An assured sense of artistry means that dishes always look extraordinary, but the symphonic array of flavours they offer up seals the deal.

Another first course sees crisped veal sweetbreads with Ibérico lardo and salsify, given the gentlest hint of east Asian exoticism with spring onion and sesame dressing, while a vegetarian main looks to the Caribbean for Bajan-spiced hispi with romesco and hen of the woods. You might also find a simple offering of day-boat fish – perhaps Cornish turbot with seashore herbs and Jersey Royals.

The inventive streak continues into desserts that bridge the divide between the familiar and the not-so-familiar – crème brûlée spiced with cardamom and accompanied by rhubarb, pistachios and ginger. Eight-course tasting menus offer a virtuosic display of the kitchen's abilities, in notations that give nothing away. Orkney scallops? Yorkshire rhubarb? Wait and see. There are Sunday roasts too. A very distinguished wine list means that the wide-open Oxfordshire sky is the limit on bottle prices, but there are plenty of options by the glass, as well as an engaging range of cocktails, bottled beers and speciality gins to go at.

Shiplake Row, Binfield Heath , Oxfordshire RG9 4DP

Otto's

Bloomsbury, London £££

Otto Tepasse is not one to hide his light under a bushel, and why would he? His Gray's Inn Road spot is justly celebrated as a redoubt of French cuisine à l'ancienne, from the black-and-white floor and mint-green … Read more

182 Gray's Inn Road, Bloomsbury, London WC1X 8EW

Best Local Restaurant

The Folkestone Wine Company

Folkestone, Kent ££

* The restaurant will be closing for good after Sunday lunch on 18 May 2025.* Compact. Economical. Quirky. This former two-roomed tea shop may feel homely with its vintage crockery and handful of tables, but it suits the unfussy … Read more

5 Church Street, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1SE

The Jackdaw

Conwy £££

The small, busy town of Conwy, dominated by its huge castle, has a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel: a Turkish baker, French pâtissier and Italian coffee shop along with an excellent cheesemonger, butcher, deli and top-flight … Read more

The small, busy town of Conwy, dominated by its huge castle, has a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel: a Turkish baker, French pâtissier and Italian coffee shop along with an excellent cheesemonger, butcher, deli and top-flight chocolatier. It indicates a local constituency with the interest and ability to sustain such artisan outlets and perhaps explains why Nick Rudge chose to open his small, accomplished, first-floor restaurant here after a lengthy Fat Duck residency. The food scene of north Wales as seen through his eyes is proudly showcased in a choice of superb produce and often lesser-known regional traditions. He works closely with local farmers, especially Dilwyn Owen on Anglesey who provides lesser-known heritage varieties such as the almost extinct Bardsey apple (afal ynys enlli) and the y ddraig goch (red dragon) tomato. Without prior instruction you’d miss the entrance and modest name plaque. It feels like a semi-secret, almost medieval location, up winding stone stairs and along a dim corridor. The single room is tranquil and airy, simply furnished with fleecy rugs on the wooden chairs, a bar at one end, bookshelves the other. The welcome is friendly and relaxed, with a hint of formality but no pomposity. Set meals are thoughtfully constructed, conceived as a whole, in harmony with both season and location: the intent is genuine and not your usual nod to fashion. In a novel take on food miles, the wine list notes the distance each bottle has travelled to arrive on your ground-zero table. And it includes some fascinating Welsh names, along with mead and spirits to enhance the regional interest. ‘Bread of heaven’ has become a fixture; made with kefir and whole grains, it is irresistibly nutty and earthy – a Welsh sibling of soda bread. Served in hunks with salty, cultured butter and a sweeter barley-based variant, it requires considerable willpower not to fill up on this alone. But do keep some for mopping up purposes. Confit potato with barbecued leek, wild garlic and creamy velouté – typically poised and precise with well-defined flavours – launched our spring menu. The Welsh idiom continued strongly with barbecued wild sea bass caught a few miles down the coast. Light and delicate, falling off the fork, it was confidently matched with saturnine morels, vivid crisp asparagus and more wild garlic (a seasonally welcoming repeat). ‘Riwbob and cwstard‘ was a Welsh wizard dessert, the rhubarb transmuted into an inspired sweet-sharp granita on a velvety custard base. This was followed by ‘llymru’, an oat biscuit with a bitter, beer ice cream based on the ancient dish of flummery – superfluous perhaps, but still an intriguing taste of Welsh history.

High Street, Conwy LL32 8DB

Best Local Restaurant

The Palmerston

Edinburgh, Lothians ££

Good-value Med-oriented cooking in atmospheric surroundings

In a retooled bank building in Edinburgh's Haymarket district, the Palmerston makes a virtue of the decorative style of yesteryear. Lots of dark wood, an uncovered floor and bentwood café chairs create an atmosphere of old-… Read more

1 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh, Lothians EH12 5AF

Best Local Restaurant

The Spärrows

Manchester, Greater Manchester ££

That jaunty umlaut is a refugee from the German word spätzle, which is what this strongly supported European venue in Manchester's Green Quarter is all about. Hand-made dumplings might have awaited their moment in the sun, no… Read more

16 Red Bank, Green Quarter, Manchester, Greater Manchester M4 4HF

The Wellington Arms

Baughurst, Hampshire ££

A picture-perfect pub that gets all the details right, the 'Welli' sets out its stall with a well-manicured garden, growing patches and a veritable barricade of giant shrubbery pots. Inside, there’s a charming clutter about … Read more

Baughurst Road, Baughurst, Hampshire RG26 5LP

The White Swan

Fence, Lancashire £££

Expect the unexpected, as the saying goes. And it was certainly unexpected to walk into this unassuming pub in an unremarkable Lancashire hamlet and experience a meal of such sophistication, complexity and precision. The buttermil… Read more

Expect the unexpected, as the saying goes. And it was certainly unexpected to walk into this unassuming pub in an unremarkable Lancashire hamlet and experience a meal of such sophistication, complexity and precision. The buttermilk-coloured frontage is modest, with the front door leading directly into the muted dining areas located on both sides of the entrance, while the interior has a pleasing simplicity with a refreshing lack of ‘designeritis’. The no-choice menu (five courses, six with cheese) is set daily, ticks every seasonal and local box you could wish for and evolves slowly, though the same dish rarely stays for more than a couple of days. It’s also a surprise: you won’t know what you’re getting until you get there. The driving force is Tom Parker, whose keen-witted approach to dish and menu construction means the choreography of the meal is carefully spaced and calculated so you are never hurried, nor discouraged from lingering. At inspection, the chef’s brilliance at balancing flavours and ingredients was apparent in ‘a beautiful, delicate composition’ of almost invisible slices of marinated cod teamed with little melon balls, jalapeño, cucumber and coriander, topped with herring roe and a dab of crème fraîche. There’s skill, too, in emphasising the principal components with ingenious but discreet accompaniments: red mullet is served with saffron potato, fennel, orange, seaweed and tarragon in a shellfish cappuccino, while Ibérico pork belly is paired with a sticky faggot, crab apple jelly, smoked honey, turnips and mustard sauce. Inviting combinations of texture and temperature, such as a ‘millefeuille’ with English pears, wildflower honey, preserved stem-ginger ice cream and maple verjus, lift desserts out of the ordinary, and honourable mention must be made of the artisan British cheeseboard (sourced from The Courtyard Dairy). As well as Luscombe soft drinks and Timothy Taylor ales on tap, there is an equally fine choice of wines from £30 a bottle.

300 Wheatley Lane Road, Fence, Lancashire BB12 9QA

Trinity

Clapham, London ££££

There is a palpable sense of burnished tradition to Trinity, which already has nearly 20 years of mileage on the clock in service to Clapham's Old Town, a half-secluded precinct at the eastern end of the Common. And yet, the place… Read more

There is a palpable sense of burnished tradition to Trinity, which already has nearly 20 years of mileage on the clock in service to Clapham's Old Town, a half-secluded precinct at the eastern end of the Common. And yet, the place has transmogrified into all the possible permutations of the restaurant format: the expansive ground floor, as buzzing as a West End brasserie most sessions; the informal first-floor room among the treetops; Tableside, a chef's ringside experience with bespoke artworks; and, most recently, Outside – an alfresco space with a mobile kitchen out back. Presiding over it all is Adam Byatt, whose food has developed at an oblique angle to the overtly assertive performances elsewhere. There is great subtlety here, the kind of technique that is often happy enough to render itself all but invisible, witness an appetiser of raw, lightly salted prawns with blood-orange segments supported by an immaculate bouillabaisse jelly of potent concentration. A moment's searing is enough to give point to slender slices of yellowfin tuna on avocado purée and cold XO consommé, garnished with kohlrabi. Occasionally, the sense of balance isn't quite right, as in a piece of Limousin veal sweetbread served with a possessively strong reduction sauce loaded with black olives; just a tad more of the promised asparagus would have streamlined it to perfection. Again, the counterposing of elements in a principal dish of superb, well-marbled chateaubriand with a tart of primavera veg, watercress purée and a beef jus (each impeccable in itself) needed another ting on the tuning-fork. Desserts are about bringing gastronomic refinement to simple classics, so that they shine lustrously: Clapham honey soufflé with a quenelle of beeswax ice cream dropped in, or a luscious gariguette strawberry and mascarpone savarin. It is all served forth with rapturous professionalism. Wines have grown to a stable of around 450 bins, with mature clarets and Burgundies for the cognoscenti, but an excellent slate by the glass from £11. A Domaine Aléofane white Crozes-Hermitage, a sturdy Greek Xinomavro, and a bunch of siren-like Coravins are among the allurements.

4 The Polygon, Clapham, London SW4 0JG

Upstairs by Tom Shepherd

Lichfield, Staffordshire ££££

Beguiling tasting menus from Lichfield's star performer

Followers of Great British Menu will recognise Tom Shepherd as the Midlands chef who reinvented Desperate Dan's cow pie for the postmoderns. Here, in leafy Lichfield, he has taken up residence in a doorbell-protected first-floor v… Read more

Followers of Great British Menu will recognise Tom Shepherd as the Midlands chef who reinvented Desperate Dan's cow pie for the postmoderns. Here, in leafy Lichfield, he has taken up residence in a doorbell-protected first-floor venue that is contemporary without going too hard on seductive chic (fake foliage does some heavy decorative lifting). A seat near the partially open kitchen gives ample view of the young brigade going about their work. Shepherd did productive stints under Michael Wignall at the Latymer, Pennyhill Park and with Adam Stokes in Birmingham, absorbing technical flair and ingenuity along the way.

Tasting menus are the order of the day for lunch and dinner, with a shorter performance on Thursday lunchtimes. Dishes beguile and bemuse, successively and cumulatively, opening perhaps with a fat, barely cooked scallop in an enveloping peanut sauce (not strictly satay), ahead of poached Cornish cod festooned in kohlrabi ribbons with a huddle of barbecued mussels in Champagne emulsion. Portions are unexpectedly hefty, the more so at lunch, when a main course might be Hereford beef presented no fewer than four ways, amid aromatic notes of garlic, onion, tarragon and smoke. We found the Jacob's ladder particularly tender, while the overall impression was rich, weighty and intensely savoury.

A ‘transition’ course of, say, puffed wild rice and coconut rice pudding fragrant with Thai green curry spices and mango sorbet might ease you into the choice of desserts. Expect 72% chocolate mousse with crème-fraîche ice cream, pecans and sherry or the Great British Menu signature dish, ‘No Ordinary Schoolboy’ – a tuck-shop fantasy of banana encased in a white chocolate shell with caramel and rum, plus a side order of banana and maple granola cake.

Wine pairings are imaginative to a nicety, offering a Breuer Rheingau Riesling with the scallop, a Turkish Syrah-based blend with the beef, and Liaoning Chinese ice wine with the banana. A table here can be hard to get because Lichfield has taken Upstairs to its heart.

25 Bore Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6NA

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