Best Local Restaurant South East Regional & Overall Winner 2025
Lucky Lychee
Winchester, Hampshire
‘One of the best Malaysian meals I have eaten in the UK’
Restaurant-loving husband-and-wife team James Harris and Nicole Yeoh started Lucky Lychee as a humble market stall in 2020 to fill a yawning gap in Winchester’s food scene. Over the past five years, they’ve built the bones of a perfect local. When nominations opened in March, readers poured in with support for the standout Malaysian cooking. ‘After more than 20 years living and working in Southeast Asia this was probably one of the best Malaysian meals I have eaten in the UK,’ said one. ‘I’m not local but it’s worth travelling from Bedfordshire!’ added another. Our editor-at-large, Elizabeth Carter, was in total agreement: ‘I haven’t stopped recommending it,’ she said.
Delighted to learn of their win James and Nicole said:
‘Malaysia has one of the world’s best food cultures and we’re proud to present some of the lesser-known dishes from Nicole’s heritage using local and seasonal ingredients. The award is a fantastic recognition of our young and passionate team, who have worked so hard to get us here. More than anything, we’re grateful to the customers who have supported us from the very start and who create the unique atmosphere of enjoyment and fun.’
Best Local Restaurants in The South East 2025
A nearby neighbour to Lucky Lychee is the mightily impressive Pulpo Negro, which Mary-Lou and Andres Alemany opened in a former estate agents in Alresford more than a decade ago and continues to hit all the high notes for Hampshire locals. And rounding out the county is Lovitaly, where Sardinian-born owner Cristina Cavalleri delivers food from the heart. In Brighton, newcomer Amari has raised the bar for buzzy affordable neighbourhood dining in the city, while over in Kent, Tony and Becky Rodd (of former Best Local Restaurant Copper & Ink) make a triumphant return to the list with their bijou new spot in Broadstairs: Fifteen Square Metres.
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The Good Food Guide Best Local Restaurants in the South East are: Lucky Lychee in Winchester, Amari in Brighton, Clay's in Caversham, Fifteen Square Metres in Broadstairs, John Dory Wine in Sandgate, JoJo's in Whitstable, Lovitaly in Ringwood, Pulpo Negro in Alresford, Seasonality in Maidenhead, The Goods Shed in Canterbury, Pompette in Oxford, Mori Mori in Margate and Med in Brighton.
