A meal and a drink for £20 or less at our Best Local Restaurants 2025
Published 22 July 2025

*Closed until further notice following a fire in December 2025.*

Forget London! For some of the best Korean food in the UK, stay in Bristol and visit Kyu Jeon and Duncan Robertson’s modest but wholly authentic restaurant – a quirky, cramped space in Stokes Croft (known for its Banksy-esque street art, independent shops and lively nightlife). The best seats are on the ground floor; otherwise it’s the basement dining room which diners have noted is beginning to look shabby, in definite need of some TLC. The food, however, is ‘as fabulous as ever.’
The menu changes regularly, but there’s always banchan – those little plates of pickles, vegetables and other morsels that are the backbone of a Korean meal. With their range of flavours and textures, these little marvels of perfection are quite unique. Other not-to-be-missed delights range from a salad of Korean cabbage with toasted seaweed and pine nuts to a combo of spicy braised tofu with king oyster mushroom and Chinese greens, while fish might include Porthilly oysters with 'kimchi ice' or spicy monkfish with mussels and chrysanthemum leaves. But there's one dish that has captured everyone's imagination – tongdak (crisp-skinned wood-roasted chicken stuffed with sticky rice and served with tangy pickled mooli and dipping sauces).
As for dessert, variously flavoured Jersey milk soft-serve vie with a light matcha and chestnut tiramisu. Korean beer, exotic cocktails and soju (Korea's classic fermented spirit) are available alongside a brief list of around a dozen wines that will take you to places you wouldn’t expect to visit in a Korean restaurant.

‘The whole vibe is incredible,’ writes a fan of this ‘absolutely fabulous’ family-run spot just off Saffron Walden's main square. Chater’s nods to its warehouse origins with high ceilings and polished concrete floors, while the kitchen taps into a local appetite for keenly priced food and good ingredients. Drop in for coffee and cake from 9am, or come for a simple Italian-style lunch, an aperitivo or a full evening meal. Small plates anchor the offer, from cured trout with horseradish and broccoli to chopped beef with crisps. If you're really hungry, a dish of homemade pasta sorts that out pronto: try the canestrini with pork shoulder and cime di rapa. Desserts keep it simple, with tiramisu perhaps lining up alongside white chocolate panna cotta and rhubarb. There is vigorous applause for the Negroni made with red vermouth from the Chater's Vault distillery next door, while Ark Pinot Gris from Mount Farm Vineyards near Sudbury is an appealing entry point on the wine list. Service is every bit as warm.

Hebden Bridge has always been a hotbed of laid-back cafés and cake shops, but a chic, boho wave has rippled through the stone-built town centre of late: one well-travelled visitor almost felt their compass needle juddering towards Hoxton. That said, the town is still Yorkshire through and through, and here is a place that suits it to a nicety – ‘unfailingly reliable, unerringly delicious, unremittingly relaxed … and brilliant value, too’.

It helps to pronounce Coin in the French manner, as it's on a corner site – a flatiron wedge of a building that was once (what else?) a bank. The decor also lends itself to that high-end vibe, with exposed brickwork, ironwork and plenty of space between the wooden tables. Young, casually dressed waiting staff are a delight, and are efficiently on top of their game.

An inspired and ever-changing sharing menu has plenty of modern brasserie energy, opening perhaps with a clutch of Lindisfarne oysters with lemon and Tabasco or a plate of yellow fine beans, Isle of Wight tomatoes, potato and capers. Wandering into the more robust precincts of the repertoire, one might stumble on gammon with new season’s leeks braised in Sheppy’s cider, while side orders of crispy Maris Peer potatoes with tomato salsa or puffed choux chips dusted in finely grated Parmesan should definitely not be passed up. There are also plates of excellent artisan charcuterie and cheeses (served with quince jelly and a Sevilla cracker). Classic desserts major on set creams and custards.

Fondue Sundays with Bloody Mary chasers sound like fun, likewise the adventurous list of low-intervention wines. In short, ‘Coin has the character, quality and consistency to keep drawing you back… whether it's just for a vermouth, a glass of wine or a long lazy meal with friends’.

‘Cromer is so very, very lucky to have this restaurant in its midst,’ enthused one reporter – delighted that Fino has lifted the town’s seaside spirit and added a touch of effortless cosmopolitan cool. The front bar serves as an informal drop-in, but co-host Ruth Butler’s colourful paintings and the sheer warmth and hospitality of the place will lure you into the smart, blue-hued dining room. There’s a simple elegance to the seasonally changing menu, which is peppered with prime produce from Norfolk and beyond. Cromer crabs are one of the stars (perhaps served with asparagus, spicy tomato syrup and hollandaise foam), while larger plates could plunder the local catch for skate wing or line-caught halibut (with wild rocket vichyssoise), as well as championing Norfolk game (red deer with molasses labneh and sorrel verde, say). There’s plenty of enthusiasm for desserts such as caramelised white chocolate tart, too. Also check out the ‘exceptional-value’ daily lunch specials (£17). Wines by the glass or Lyonnaise pot encourage exploration, while a line-up of unfiltered sherries is a nod to the restaurant’s namesake.

The sophisticated big sister to Slad’s Woolpack Inn, this all-day bistro marries a modern European menu with a decidedly old-world French vibe. Large windows flood the long, narrow white room with light, while linen-draped tables, black leather banquettes, rich mahogany sideboards and a parquet floor evoke the understated elegance of a bygone era.

The menu is arranged as a series of sharing plates of escalating size, brought in order, so that one might start with an oyster or oeuf mayonnaise from the snacks, before a more substantial dish of clams with Tropea onion and asparagus or beef tartare with pommes allumettes. Portions are generous, with the final dishes (maybe a butterflied mackerel scattered with agretti and bottarga) the size of a conventional main course.

Will Rees (formerly head chef at Wilsons in Bristol) and Oliver Gyde spin magic from sustainably sourced local ingredients, including salad leaves grown in owner Dan Chadwick’s walled garden at nearby Lypiatt Park. Lashings of grass-green olive oil, presumably not locally produced but none the less delicious for it, enriches many dishes and looks so pretty against the white plates. The standout from the short dessert menu is a decidedly grown-up apple tarte tatin, caramelised to within an inch of its life and served with crème fraîche.

Should you wish to take advantage of the impressive list of low-intervention and artisanal wines, Stroud train station is a mere stumble away. Service from the team of young, passionate staff brims with pride and enthusiasm.

Here is an off-centre hot spot with USP coming out of its ears. Nicole Yeoh and James Harris have set up camp in a smartly tended Winchester pub, the Green Man, to offer sparkling Malaysian/Chinese-inspired cooking that reflects Nicole's upbringing in Penang. It's a winning formula, as is reflected by the torrent of Best Local Restaurant nominations Lucky Lychee receives: 'we try to get here at least once a month for their roti brunch,' noted one regular. Reporters love the lively ambience, the adventurous approach to food and drink pairings and, of course, the razor-sharp precision and invigorating freshness of the cooking. Nicole weaves her magic with a mix of traditional dishes and seasonal awareness, drawing on regionally sourced produce as well as the assertive seasonings and spices of her culinary heritage Off-piste signature turns involve marinating fried chicken in honey and Marmite, with oyster sauce and toasted peanuts in the mix. House-made cordials, South-east Asian softs, orange wines and fizz all help to make this a happy place.

‘On another day, I would have walked past this tiny place and not noticed it,’ commented one reporter after discovering Piccalilli – a ‘hidden gem’ from veteran Nottingham chef Dan Coles. Expect ‘locally sourced and seasonal menus delivered with care and confidence’, all prepared in a tiny open-to-view kitchen. Welsh rarebit croquettes with punchy walnut ketchup might kick things off, ahead of an array of vegetables, fish and meat options – perhaps new season’s asparagus with another croquette (‘actually a cunningly disguised boiled egg’), hake with Cornish potatoes, samphire and parsley sauce or lamb rump with spring pea salad and anchoïade. Dessert might be something enterprising such as parsnip cake with salted butterscotch and goat’s-milk ice cream. To drink, Cidentro cider from Melton Mowbray, plus beers from local names including Lenton Lane Brewery, line up alongside cocktails and a slate of reasonably priced wines. Value for money is assured, especially with the option of a fairly priced set deal, while regular themed nights and special Sunday lunch sessions add to the local fun.

They outgrew their cupboard-sized unit in Marchmont almost as soon as they opened – now you'll find Pomelo tucked half-a-mile along the road in Sciennes, replacing Jess Dennison Elliott's eponymous southside café. The new site is only marginally bigger, but the dark-walled dining room squeezes in a few more covers in a less communal format than before, plus a couple of tables out on the pavement. It's a cosy, slightly rustic space, flooded with the enticing aromas of whatever's cooking in the back.

With the relocation, chef-owner Jun Au (ex-Castle Terrace and the Grain Store) has broadened Pomelo's offer, moving beyond the biang-biang noodles that originally flagged him on the city's culinary radar. While you'll still hear a happy 'slap slap slap' as the next batch is stretched out in the kitchen, there’s much more to delight the senses. Walk-in lunches (Wed-Sat) offer a snapshot of the greatest hits from their early days: the crispy fried chicken sandwich gains a sweet, punchy heat from its gochujang coating, while those stretchy, slightly chewy belt-sized noodles are still just as delicious, served with tender, heavily spiced pork, and soused in an intense garlic and chilli sauce. Also check out Pomelo's Sunday brunch offer.

In the evening, the kitchen ramps up its ambitions. Modelled as a Chinese family dinner, it features a range of small plates bringing together Asian and Western culinary techniques, ingredients and flavours. On a recent visit, a pleasingly intense trio of vegetable banchan was followed by Au’s fish-fragrant take on a Sicilian caponata. After that, there might be roast duck with kumquats and cauliflower or a beautifully cooked fillet of coley crowned with a hugely aromatic Cantonese curry, closer to a heavily spiced vegetable ragù than a light sauce. Like much of the menu, the flavours are huge, bold and satisfying, regardless of whether the dish is an authentic homage, or something a little more out of the ordinary. To drink, pick from the short, all-natural wine list or try one of the cocktails listed on the blackboard.

‘Always full of Newnham locals’ (especially when the excellent-value lunch deal is available), this beautifully restored Post Office building is now a fantastic boutique bistro and bottle shop that is enhancing the town’s already ‘cool’ reputation. Owners Ben Thompson and Florence de Maré are both successful designers, and it shows. ‘Ever-present’ head chef Fred Page (ex-Marle at Heckfield Place) commands the room from behind a high-top counter surrounding his open kitchen, but wherever you sit, there are no bad spots here. Likewise, there are no bad choices on Page’s weekly changing menus. Everything is made in-house, from the cordial in your rhubarb Bellini to the unbelievably crispy olive oil-soaked spelt rolls, and Page’s small plates tease out the very best from locally sourced ingredients. Feast on an oozingly rich pig’s head croquette or saltfish beignets before tackling a beef-heart tortilla with chimichurri and chipotle or chalk stream trout with slow-cooked cuttlefish and chickpea stew – ‘all beautifully thought out and presented with an impressive choice of accompanying wines.’ Delightfully warm, personal service makes you feel like an old friend. 

It's hard to spot the location and the muted signage of this small restaurant in a parade of shops on the edge of a fast-moving, heavy-duty arterial dual carriageway. Note that parking is limited, but a nearby Metro stop encourages alternative access. A few modern posters and prints, a large mirror, some pot plants and a lively buzz give Stretford Canteen a homely if rather utilitarian feel. A blackboard lists daily specials but the actual menu gives no indication of the size of the plates – price should be your guide. For one regular, it's a 'shining light in a small suburb that needs and deserves a reliable, high-quality restaurant.'

While sharing is the name of the game, the overall style is traditional French bistro. They’ve rightly kept popular dishes such as deep-fried panisse fingers with tarragon mayo, and a concern for provenance shows in ingredients such as Isle of Wight tomatoes or Curing Rebels saucisson. Otherwise, the main menu roams from charred baby gem with beurre noisette and capers or oyster mushrooms with vermouth, tarragon and potato pavé to pork shoulder with fennel choucroute and mustard or pan-fried trout with chickpeas and rouille. There's also a generous serving of ex-dairy beef sirloin au poivre, cooked medium-rare, with plenty of savoury depth and texture.

Those wanting something quick during the day can also drop by for buckwheat galettes, French toast, croques and bowls of French onion soup. A short wine list shines the spotlight on French regional producers, with occasional forays into Germany and Spain. And, finally, praise is due to the little publicised fact they have fed a local homeless man for years – happily now off the streets.