Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2026: Yorkshire and North East winners
Published 03 August 2026

‘Such a gorgeous local spot – so happy to have it not too far away,’ exclaimed a fan of Sandy Jarvis and Clément Cousin's convivial neighbourhood bistro in the Leeds suburb of Horsforth. Shelves of books on deep green walls create a smart domestic ambience, and the food does the rest. It's a Franco-Yorkshire alliance in every sense (M Cousin hails from Anjou on the Loire), and the menu reflects that collaborative spirit. Start with pork and prune pâté en croûte with the house mustard for an inimitably Gallic 'appetiser experience'. Starters might embrace light crab tartelette with fennel, pea shoots and saffron aïoli, before the speciality bavette makes an appearance, tricked out with French beans and frites – the kind of sturdy main course that won't let you down. The dessert list is, by and large, pure bistro French – perhaps St Emilion au chocolat or raspberry frangipane with matching sorbet. Wines delve into some of the less-trodden byways of France, from Jurançon Sec to the Cousin family's own Anjou Cabernet Franc and Grolleau Gris.

‘Boy, would I prefer to keep it a secret for just us locals!’ If there’s one thing York residents, visitors and GFG reporters agree on, it’s the pleasure to be had from a meal at this enterprising hybrid café/restaurant, where fresh modern decor (dark panelled walls, light oak furniture, bright kilims) makes for a relaxed and genuinely welcoming experience. Tomasz Mlynarski and Marta Obuchowska, the enterprising Polish couple behind the Black Wheat Club, are ‘a breath of fresh air for the city’s food scene.’ They operate two services. By day, there's an informal drop-in brunch menu, where the likes of poached eggs with creamy goat’s cheese, pickled radish and pumpkin chilli oil on fabulous home-baked sourdough could be served alongside delicious pastries (we recommend the croissant cinnamon swirls) and very good coffee. In the evening, they ramp things up with a selection of tasty and inventive sharing plates based on superb local ingredients – perhaps grilled asparagus with ginger and anchovy butter beurre blanc or roast chicken ballotine stuffed with herbs and garlic. Expect a concise, intelligent, constantly changing and approachable wine list, too.

‘Anchored in its local community and owned by someone who lives close by,’ Long Friday thrives on its vibe – a mix of ‘cool hospitality’ and a ‘really warm neighbourhood atmosphere’. Just add incredibly knowledgeable staff and a ’fantastic and ever-changing range of unusual, seasonal dishes’ prepared with a sophisticated eye for detail and a sense of fun. Snacks such as tom yum crab on a tapioca cracker prime you for a build-your-own-banquet of sophisticated and creative small plates, with local Northumbrian produce to the fore, but influences as far-reaching as Mexico, the Med and Japan. Meat and fish dishes (BBQ cod with braised butter beans and chorizo, for example), are matched by a hefty contingent of vegetable specialities such as roast cauliflower with smoked houmous and chermoula. Do save room for the likes of fried apple pie with Chantilly or tonka bean and lemon sundae with nettle jelly. Long Friday's mixologists also serve ‘the best spicy Margaritas in town,’ according to one, and the owners take wine very seriously too.

An industrial-style café (stainless steel tables, open kitchen, polished concrete) that punches well above its weight, with a good-value set lunch, well-filled sandwiches, daily specials (glazed ox heart and butter bean stew), coffee and cake. From Thursday through to Saturday evening, it also excels with a terrific six-course set menu that whisks diners (rather too swiftly) through a series of imaginative, seasonal courses that might begin with whipped cod’s roe, radicchio, baby gem and radish, then, perhaps, pollack with peppers, spinach and aïoli. Tables are so closely packed you may make friends with your neighbours, but that's all part of this friendly buzzing and resourceful place, which is everything you could ask of a little local restaurant. Lubber Fiend, its relation next door, is a vibrant community events venue. Wines are limited to a house red and white, rosé and fizz, plus cocktails. Should you be wondering about the name, a Lubber Fiend is a mythical, clumsy household spirit. Happily, there's nothing clumsy about the Lubber Kitchen.

‘It gets better every time,' exclaimed one reporter who has become a regular visitor to this stylish little bistro in a former car showroom five miles from Huddersfield. Norman's is run by sommelier Oliver Roberts and chef Will Webster (both ex-Shibden Mill Inn), who have the knack of making top-class dining and personal service look disarmingly simple. There’s creativity at every turn on the ever-changing menu, and Webster is seriously good at putting together flavours, textures and colours that sing. Snacks such as potato rösti with kipper custard typify the kitchen’s offbeat approach, while the small-plates menu might range from asparagus with scampi fries and trout roe to sturdy plates of salt-aged porterhouse steak with bone-marrow bordelaise. And there’s no let-up when it comes to dessert, which might feature dark chocolate and beef-fat fudge or kombu ice cream with Yorkshire strawberries, olive oil and nori. A ‘tight and efficient’ team runs the show with knowledgeable efficiency, and Oliver Roberts’ varied wine list makes fascinating reading. ‘Amazing cocktails’ add to the good-time vibe (anyone for Spritz & Giggles?).

A former Grade II-listed ‘bay shelter’ overlooking the sandy beach at Seaburn is an unlikely setting for a charming neighbourhood eatery, but readers love everything about North – from ‘the best views’ to 'the local supplies, local produce and brilliant staff’. By day, the kitchen deals in brunch crowd-pleasers ranging from Dutch pancakes to black pudding rösti, while evening brings a line-up of globally inspired small plates with plenty of seafood on show. Expect anything from crispy duck leg terrine with smashed cucumber to mackerel with horseradish mousse or even breaded cod nuggets. And if you really want to splash out, the £70 sharing platter for two is a fish-lover’s delight. To round things off, something lusciously sweet such as dark chocolate semifreddo should suffice. A traditional roast is served every Sunday during the winter months, though this gives way to Sunday brunch during the spring and summer. Cocktails and well-priced wines dominate the drinks list.

It may have been momentarily upstaged by the instant success of its younger sibling, the Highland Laddie (winner of the GFG’s 100 Best Pubs 2025), but the reborn Empire Cafe is still one of the most talked-about eateries in Leeds. Its current incarnation is ‘a place for old-school values and new-wave cookery’, whether you’re in the windowless basement dining room or enjoying a cuppa and a breakfast bap outside on the pavement. Owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton have done a grand job here, rekindling the nostalgia while making the place feel emphatically of the moment, 'high-class yet down-to-earth'. The kitchen’s rolling menu is an ever-evolving feast of treats, with the grill and BBQ taking centre stage. Recent arrivals include slow-smoked lamb rump served over an apricot BBQ sauce, although nothing can trump the iconic rotisserie chicken piled onto dripping ‘schmaltz’ potatoes. For something lighter, there might be a twisted take on oysters Rockefeller, while desserts could feature seasonal asparagus ice cream or a chicken skin, chocolate and caramel bar. Drinks include suitably off-piste cocktails and tipples from local merchant Wayward Wines.

Striding confidently towards its third year, The Nettle in Settle shows no sign of slowing down – open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, it’s a great all-rounder. Hard to miss overlooking the Market Place, it's a busy but relaxed spot – one where your kids and dogs will always be welcome – and very much at the heart of the community. When it comes to influences, the all-day small-plates menu takes a broad view – a dish of cauliflower teamed with a peanut and sesame dressing, yeast and Indian oil may have an Asian bent, but there are Euro-classics too, such as chicken schnitzel with a fried egg. Overall, this exuberant repertoire of well-wrought dishes has won the kitchen a band of firm local devotees. The warmest of welcomes helps things no end. The short but smart wine list majors on natural varietals; otherwise, there are cocktails and beers on tap.

The Hillsborough district of Sheffield is home to Matthew Duggan-Jones' homage to his South African heritage, in which the braai barbecue is a long-standing social tradition. Behind the Orange Bird’s dark-hued facade, there is always the infectious feeling of a party going on – 'it’s consistently delicious, exciting and inviting,' notes one local. The kitchen's repertoire covers everything from appetising small plates and substantial main dishes to the must-have peppermint crisp tart and miso malva pudding with stout ice cream (a clever Anglo-Afro mash-up). Get the juices flowing with venison boerewors or carrot and cumin dhal – and don't forget to order the mosbolletjies (house sweet bread dotted with coriander seeds). To follow, pir-piri chicken or pork neck skewers cooked over the braai BBQ accompanied by yellow courgette salad and biltong are reliably sublime. Accompaniments are equally alluring, from smoked geelrys (yellow rice) to African-style greens and curry butter chips with lime pickle mayo. If you thought South African wine was all Pinotage and Chenin, think again. Here are glorious regional varietals galore – all at eminently fair prices.

It may be tiny, with just four tables and a counter across the window, but the Small Canteen has a big heart. ‘Like dining in an old friend’s house,' notes one. The concise menu is squashed and smudged onto a blackboard in Sam Betts’ ever-so-slightly chaotic ship, which is run with immense verve and generosity. Start with good chewy bread plus sprightly dips, before moving on to a bowl of crab broth with tortellini or a heart-warming plateful of braised ox cheek with potatoes, carrots and bacon. Everything here is rich, abundant and delicious. Customers feel 'part of something special’, and tables are so closely packed you get to know your neighbours, who may also provide good reports of puds such as pear and polenta cake with honey and pistachio. We don’t know how Betts manages to pull off such a ‘masterclass of creativity and restraint,’ but we are very glad he does – especially when the blackboard also lists cocktails, juices and organic lemonade. Otherwise, there are organic wines by the carafe and obscure craft beers, too.

Opening in one of the city’s most hallowed restaurant sites was always going to invite comparison. In its day, the Reliance was a much-loved neighbourhood haunt that became the gateway drug for a generation of Leeds foodies, and a return to its burgundy paint job was a statement of intent from its new owners. Head chef James Donovan's CV includes Clerkenwell's Rochelle Canteen, and you don't have to do much dusting to see the Fergus and Margot Henderson's nose-to-tail fingerprints: pig's head, ox heart, hogget, and a meritocratic approach to the menu with produce leading the way – occasionally nudged along by a well-timed dollop of gribiche or a slick of bisque. Much of the food comes with a lick of flame from the grill, adding a pleasing bitterness to the leeks on romesco and fennel served alongside perfectly pan-fried coley. Thick-crusted pies come filled with herb-fed chicken in tarragon gravy and are accompanied by 'biblically accurate' chips. Given that the Reliance's owners have moved on to running their business, Wayward Wines, it's not surprising that the bottle list is drawn from their selection, while the beer taps out front feature ales from new owners Crooked Brewing, a microbrewery based at Leeds East Airport.