The Newcomers: the Best Local Restaurants making their debut in 2026
Published 14 July 2026

It might be a tiny converted shed tucked behind Bridport’s police station, but this weekends-only restaurant is both sophisticated and instantly lovable. Sisters Connie and Jess Booth are floral decorators and growers by day, but come Friday and Saturday evenings, they chalk up a confidently short blackboard menu detailing exactly what you might want to eat for the time of year (and even the weather). Two sittings (6.30pm and 8.30pm) make the most of the 20 or so covers, which are quite comfortably accommodated around little bistro tables dressed with white paper tablecloths and colourful dinner candles. Start with a local pint or cocktail du jour to kick things off and let the buzzing atmosphere and vibey music wash over you. Thursday nights offer a single-choice dinner, often with live music, and are saved for walk-ins; otherwise, bookings should be made via their Instagram page. Don’t miss Selected Grapes, the wine bar and shop across the yard, for a pre- or post-meal bottle.

Although the restaurant itself had to undertake a hasty rebrand not long before opening, the significant name at Almanac is that of chef-proprietor Luke Payne, established five miles down the road at his Pack Horse pub in Hayfield. Here in Glossop, he's built a positive, capable team with a palpable enthusiasm for feeding people well, while cutting no corners. Above a cosy bar, behind café curtains, a simple dining room serves umami-rich British dishes laced with thoughtfulness and great technique.

There'll be no legal action over the trade description of 'orbs of joy', Roscoff onions braised in velvety chicken broth until the middles are slippery and tender. Another small (although really not that small) plate of mutton merguez with pease pudding and chermoula is balanced as well as toweringly meaty, rich and spiced – the nubbly pease pudding a lesson in making alternative starches a trick worth turning. Skate forestière, one of several generous main courses, is lifted by a touch of dashi in a herb-flecked mushroom sauce of compelling, spoonable richness.

Autumn colour continues with an enviably set custard tart in nutty wholemeal pastry, the fine and the rough sitting beautifully together. The choice of wine under £50 aligns happily with the appeal of the food, making Almanac quite the package, at any price.

The name Ar Bòrd (‘our table’ in Gaelic) perfectly sums up this little village restaurant – you eat in the spacious front room of Iain and Joyce Hetherington’s modern house. What started out as a supper club some five years ago has evolved into a popular seasonal destination that works because Joyce is a natural host. Moving between the tables, chatting and laughing with the guests, she makes everyone feel at home and the room buzzes with conversation.

Do bring an appetite. Iain loves to cook and portion sizes are generous. His three-course, fixed-price carte is built on produce grown, caught or reared on the island. Meals always start with a thick slice of freshly baked sourdough, followed by an amuse-bouche of, say, smoked sea trout on a wafer-thin crispbread given a sharp kick with homemade green chilli sauce (courtesy of a neighbour's bumper crop). To follow, a mound of delicate white Croig-landed crab was piled on plump chilli pancakes, topped with a cuttlefish-ink cracker and surrounded by a circle of flavourful brown crabmeat – moreishly, plate-scrapingly good.

Mains featured a cassoulet of duck leg, local pork and venison sausage or five-hour slow-cooked shoulder of lamb, but we plumped for pan-fried hake, potato and Inverlussa mussel curry, the fish flaking at the mere touch of the knife and delivering on flavour and texture. Desserts are down-to-earth, perhaps a take on Eton mess involving strawberries, meringue and crumbled shortbread with a thick meadowsweet custard. Guests are gently reminded that the restaurant is BYOB when they book, with a tip that they can pick up some wine at Dugie’s shop in the village.

Next door to elder sibling the Little Chartroom, this all-day venue is the McCarrons' first foray into casual eating. The compact café, wine bar and bottle shop is open all day, offering a flexible menu that deals in everything from full breakfasts (with very good coffee) to brunchy kedgeree fritters with curry mayo and cured egg yolk or BBQ flatbread with ox tongue and romesco – though with the likes of crispy squid bun with mushroom XO and baby gem also on offer, it’s possible to assemble a three-course dinner from the various options. The bottle shop’s range is included in the wine list (add corkage to the shelf price), or you can sip local beers and cocktails.

The mood is casual and the decor pared-back at Swedish-born chef Tomas Eriksson’s hard-working Broadstairs asset. Ingo is a tiny neighbourhood spot and then some, with enthusiastic locals and tourists cramming the kitchen/bar stools (reserved for walk-ins) and a handful of close-packed tables (bookable). The attraction is a blackboard menu of well-wrought Spanish and Mediterranean-style cooking shot through with honesty and integrity.

Cantabrian anchovies with olive oil, jamón croquetas, baked salt-cod brandade, and smoked prawns are the stock in trade, but it’s the exemplary small sharing plates with their emphatic no-nonsense flavours that keep the crowds returning. Highlights of our meal were a serving of cured trout with lemon crème fraîche and pickled cucumbers, a vivid dish of piquillo peppers stuffed with rich, tender braised beef cheek, and chicken schnitzel topped with curry mayo and pickles.

To round things off, go for the salted chocolate mousse with olive oil or a plate of Manchego cheese with truffle honey. As for drinks, you could start with a cocktail or look to the short list of affordable wines (priced between £30 and £46), with everything available by the glass (from £7). Charming service seals the deal. 

‘Bauji bears comparison to places like Gunpowder, Kricket and Cinnamon Kitchen … I would absolutely kill to have it as my local,' is praise indeed for this charming neighbourhood restaurant, a five-minute walk west of Worthing town centre. The cooking reimagines the comfort food of Rajasthan, where chef-proprietor Dayashankar Sharma grew up, and he hits the target with a longish menu that delivers well-judged spicing and a kaleidoscope of flavours and textures. We like the mainstream dishes – the signature shatkora jhinga (huge shatkora citrus-infused grilled prawns), an ‘absolutely fantastic’ chicken biryani – more than the contemporary interpretations (we suggest swerving the cranberry-stuffed paneer). But a meal here will impress. Portions are generous, and prices are reasonable. As for drinks, the brief, spice-tolerant wine list opens at £33 for a bottle, £8 by the glass.

Neston is a nice little town on the Wirral, and Bolete’s many fans consider themselves lucky to have such a good, solid neighbourhood local on their doorstep. Run by a super-friendly and obliging couple, the restaurant's small menu changes regularly, with café-style lunches (think chicken thigh Caesar salad or ham, egg and chips), and an evening repertoire that morphs into restaurant territory (spatchcocked chicken or skrei cod with chorizo and butter beans). Chef/co-owner Shaun Woodage's deft hand in the kitchen keeps things modern and upbeat without straying out of its depth – impressive for a self-taught former accountant working solo. With a good selection of wine and craft beer (both wider than you might imagine), combined with top-quality ingredients and dishes cooked fresh to order, the only thing you can do when 'it's gone, it's gone' is book to come again. And bring your dog. If the weather is right, there’s also a pretty terrace with tables to the rear.

'Swim, massage, dine... what's not to like?' Part of a delightfully restored Victorian swimming baths turned private lido, this glass-fronted first-floor restaurant is a stalwart for local residents, who can dine as part of a package deal (a separate small-plates menu is offered in the ground-floor poolside bar). With a spa now added to the Lido’s offer, plus special events and guest-chef supper clubs, the owners have created a vibrant community space equally suited to family celebrations or entertaining clients. ‘It’s the epitome of the joy and connection that food can bring,’ noted one fan. Current chef Pash Peters has ‘transformed the place,’ according to one reporter, delivering ‘carefully considered food full of flavour’, with strong echoes of his Greek upbringing in Med-influenced dishes such as chargrilled octopus with taramasalata and ladolemono or gemista (roast vegetables stuffed with rice and pine nuts accompanied by whipped mizithra cheese). Enthusiastic staff receive universal praise, and the predominantly European list now has some Hellenic entries, with prices rising steeply from the good-value house options.

Sitting pretty on a tree-lined avenue in the smart Montpelier neighbourhood, this little restaurant and bar literally draws in passers-by with its good looks. Painted cream with striped café curtains and pavement tables, it wouldn’t feel out of place on a Brooklyn backstreet, while inside the bare plaster walls and simple decoration conjure a homely yet sophisticated mood. There’s only space for about 20, and if you’re feeling sociable, the best seats are at the dining counter, facing a bar lined with bottles of amaro and vermouth – Brusco’s specialist subject. Start with a refreshing vermouth soda or a cherry Negroni while perusing the short, Italian-leaning menu from ex-Moro chef Victoria Skinner. Meat from Trenchmore Farm yields a flavourful bavette with tonnato sauce or there might be rustic fennel sausages with lentils and punchy salsa verde, all wrought with a great deal of care and attention. Portions are generous and a one-dish meal feels particularly good value – it just depends on how far you delve into the all-Italian wine list. Friday nights are typically packed, so it's best to book ahead at weekends.

‘Calong’, Google helpfully tell us, means 'stylish' in Busan dialect – a good name for Joo and Sujin Won’s effortlessly cool modern Korean bistro, which has taken over the former home of Rubedo. It’s a tiny site, little more than 30 covers, still with Rubedo’s bentwood chairs, white walls, and blackboard menus. If that makes it sound a little French – like it wouldn’t look out of place in Paris – that's not surprising given that Joo was head chef at Galvin at Windows for 15 years. The dialogue between his Gallic training and his Korean heritage is discernible on every plate, from his trademark kimchi fritters and buttery mushroom claypot rice to BBQ onglet with greens and bulgogi jus. Sharp lines and vivid flavours characterise Sujin’s desserts too. The baked Alaska deserves all the attention it gets. A handful of interesting cocktails (soju spritz, sesame Old Fashioned) lead on to a sensibly priced natural wine list, with bottles from £36.

Cantina Caruso is Margate’s typically cool answer to the problem of where to eat if you have no reservation. An Italian deli by day, it transforms at weekends into a walk-in wine bar with a brief menu of small(ish) plates. Despite being next door to alma mater Bottega Caruso, it has the tucked-away feel of a hidden gem – rustic and atmospheric, with charming staff who are clearly proud of the food and wine they serve. Much depends on sourcing, and Simona Di Dio and Harry Ryder have an enviable reputation for garnering faultless raw materials. Pop in for a glass of Nerocapitano (a Sicilian chilled red) and you could be tempted to add some Sardinian pickles and a plate or two of simple, affordable Italian classics. It’s the kind of unfiddly, big-flavoured food that we all like to eat, seen at its proudest in a dish of local squid and peas or the extraordinary aubergine parmigiana. No wonder Cantina is an all-year-round local hit.

Livia Alarcon has cooked up a reputation and a half for herself around Liverpool, and on the BBC's Great British Menu, making culinary tidal waves that belie her tender years. Her latest bolthole is an old brick archway near where the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery used to stand. A booming industrial space with a raised kitchen across the back, it plays host to broadly Italian cooking with overlays of Iberia and a little Japanese seasoning – so the likes of Padrón peppers with Italian togarashi need not raise eyebrows. The classic things are done with great panache, from fully loaded pizzette, their outer rings puffed up like choux, to freshly turned pasta. Something as classic as tagliolini with brown crab, lemon, tarragon, garlic and chilli offers a world of savoury satisfaction. The signature nibble is a coupe of deep-fried olives in deep brown crumb, to be dipped in basil mayo – a highly welcome reviver after 'a night before'. Wines on a high-turnover list are well chosen. We'd appreciate a few more by the glass, and maybe turn the music down a touch, but this is another Alarcon Liverpool landmark.

'I have visited multiple times,' observes a fan, 'and every time the food, hospitality and atmosphere have been exceptional.' We don't want to say we told you so, but we flagged Duncan Robertson and Kyu Jeong as Chefs to Watch in 2025, and here we are. In the Redland district of Bristol, their Korean venue's name means 'neighbourhood', signifying everything we expect in a local favourite. Kyu draws productively on her own gastronomic heritage, but also takes a looser approach, weaving Korean flavours and techniques into freshly inventive dishes that might act as gateways to those who are new to them. Charcoal-grilled meats, including pork skirt and wagyu striploin, are the heart of the operation, but seasonal asparagus or Cornish red mullet might find themselves sizzling too. Meanwhile, smaller plates offer pin-sharp seasoning elements – gochujang, baek-kimchi, mussel salt with soondae blood sausage – that set the palate alight. Low-intervention wines, including chilled reds and crisp bubbles, make for great partnerships. 

‘It’s become a genuine local “hot-spot” and has quickly built a reputation as one of the most talked-about food spots in Dundee,’ affirms one fan, so expect regular queues and busy service from a team who know most of their customers by name. Founded by renowned chef, wild cook and educator Harris McNeill and his wife Katie, Eastfield serves up local and seasonal produce ‘cooked with flair and passion’. Occupying that sweet spot between daytime café and restaurant, its communal tables, chalkboard menus and shelves of provisions create a real local buzz. Expect simple, unfussy dishes, and readers speak fondly of the ‘elevated breakfast rolls, handmade pasta and standout bakes’ – the Guinness cake gets plenty of attention. Also look out for specials such as spatchcock pigeon with spring greens, charred onions and salsa verde. On Saturday evenings, the place puts on its glad rags, while drinks satisfy all-comers.

'So good to have Eusebi raise the bar in this local neighbourhood,’ is a typically enthusiastic endorsement for this Scottish/Italian marriage made in Glasgow. Giovanna Eusebi’s jam-packed deli/café/restaurant hybrid cherishes the time-honoured traditions of her homeland and leavens them with ample supplies of seasonal Scottish produce. Occupying a colourful red-and-white corner site, the venue scores heavily with breakfast and brunch, served to a merry throng of workers and shoppers in the ground-floor space. Come for eggs ‘energia’ (with avocado, chilli and lime purée) or one of their savoury breakfast rolls; alternatively, breeze in for coffee and a sweet treat. If you want something more substantial, graduate to the downstairs dining room for plates of pork cheek ragù, gnocchi genovese or, perhaps, one of the big main courses such as chargrilled halibut with courgette and basil purée. After that, cakes and classic desserts have plenty of Italian swagger. Regional wines from the old country keep company with aperitivi, vermouths and spritzes. Eusebi’s slogan is ‘Food, Family, Life and Passion’ – which just about sums it up.

Picture credits: Gerardo Jaconelli

An agreeable feeling of pastoral prosperity characterises the ancient market town of Uppingham, and Fern, housed in the honey-coloured Falcon Hotel on the edge of the market square, fits right in. Once you step out of the rather traditional foyer, the restaurant has a very distinct vibe and its roster of Mediterranean-inspired dishes suits customers to a T. The best bit, explained one regular, is the reasonable pricing – ‘you can comfortably give in to temptation and order several things which are perfect for sharing’. The kitchen looks to the Shires landscape (and the nearby market) to provide many of the ingredients for the table, while the menu changes regularly depending on what’s in season; there's also plenty of 'ingenuity and boldness of flavour’ on show here. Recent highlights have ranged from a dramatic-looking Snowball onion with rose-petal harissa and moreish confit garlic aïoli to a generously packed raviolo of braised beef and a red mullet dish pointed up with sharp grapefruit and umami pickles. Staff are lovely, house wine is £29, cocktails are good, and on a Friday there’s a £15 ‘Market Plate’ with a glass of wine.

‘You can happily eat on your own here,' although this ‘pearl’ of a seafood restaurant (with an adjoining fishmongers) is always packed with locals and well-heeled visitors. Bright maritime-themed interiors set the tone, while Ayrshire-born chef Marcus Sherry puts sustainably sourced Scottish seafood centre stage, cherry-picking the catch from boats in Peterhead and Scrabster. He also sources hand-dived and creel-caught shellfish from Cape Wrath and Macduff – which lends its name to restaurant’s signature crab crumpet (‘a definite must,’ according to one reporter). Also check out the Shetland mussels with ‘nduja jam and white wine. Mains might range from harissa-roasted monkfish with fennel salad to meaty options including Inverurie pork chop with crushed celeriac and lardo. As a finale, try a slab of Blue Murder cheese with a fried clootie dumpling and apple. There’s also a ‘thoroughly affordable’ set lunch, while Marcus’s warmly welcoming wife Jasmine manages front of house. The well-considered drinks list champions wines from biodynamic vineyards and beers from Scottish microbreweries. ‘If this were a show, I would give it a standing ovation,’ cheered one fan.

Across the waters from bustling Padstow, this plum spot on the Camel Estuary surveys the domains of Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth and throws its own hat in the ring as a seriously good place for dinner. Named for the four sons of caterer Fee Turner and run by two of them, it’s a family affair but one with touches of influence from London greats such as Trullo (the crab taglioni) and St John (the stubby-stemmed flutes) that bring a slice of cosmopolitan life to this holidaymakers' landscape. When doors open for the season, a weekend evening sees the handsome but minimalist dining room buzzing before 7pm with some sandy-footed blow-ins from the beach, others dressed up for an evening out, babes in arms, children, dogs and all. The Italianate menu is set up for sharing, though you wouldn’t be penalised for going it alone with a big plate of fresh pasta. The seafood is as local and seasonal as you’d expect, and delivered with enough aplomb to keep Nathan Outlaw’s team down the road in Port Isaac coming back regularly. Start your meal with a well-made Martini or a glass of Camel Valley sparkling wine in the adjoining bar or take a table on the terrace for a prime waterside view when the weather's fair. 

‘An excellent local restaurant that makes you feel like you've walked into a bistro in the backstreets of Lyon’ is one of many enthusiastic endorsements of David Hart and Polly Pleasence’s intimate wine bar-cum-restaurant. Indeed, Franc plays the part of a neighbourhood bistro perfectly. The service is charming, the style casual, the setting simple with tables set close in both the compact ground-floor bar and upstairs in the pretty, white-clothed dining room. And with the culinary compass pointing towards France, the cooking is authentic and delicious.

The excellence of much that Hart turns out means that in the years spent cooking in the east Kent area – especially the eight years at the Folkestone Wine Company – he has built up an impressively loyal customer base. Booking is recommended, especially now that the format has been simplified – a two-or three-course, fixed-price menu only is offered at lunch and in the evening. Regularly changing, with a few choices per course, everything revolves around the freshest of ingredients, and the output has a palpable directness, whether delicate lamb koftas, Langland Farm duck with beetroot, raspberries and geranium, chalk stream trout with tomato butter sauce or possibly ‘the best green salad in the UK’. 

With such an undeniably populist instinct for the kinds of food and flavours we all love, it’s good to report that the vibrancy of the food is easily matched by a predominantly French, affordable wine list that packs an awful lot into a short space.

Located where the outer London suburbs fray into the thickets of Epping Forest, Gina has brought a beam of gastronomic sunshine to the culinary badlands of Chingford’s Station Road since arriving in summer 2025. Step inside and you'll encounter a lively little dining room with long banquettes and bright modern art hanging on scuffed walls – a space that manages to look contemporary but also homely.

The restaurant is named after chef-owner Mattie Taiano’s late mother, and, though Italian heritage is certainly an influence in the kitchen, dishes take inspiration and plunder produce from near and far. Cornish seafood might feature in a medley of monkfish, bacon and oak leaf (a salty and satisfying starter when we visited), though beef tartare might make an equally auspicious opener. Crowd-pleasing food done well seems to be the guiding ethos here, evidenced in the signature main of ‘Gina’s pasta’ (a terrific tangle of spaghetti swimming in marinara sauce under drifts of Parmesan) – although a main course of potato and Gubbeen pithivier made for a worthy rival.

The choice of seven desserts veers towards big, generous flavours, be it a dense slab of Ravi’s chocolate cake (bearing the name of Taiano’s wife and fellow chef-owner, Ravneet Gill) or a scoop of blackberry sorbet. Alongside a thoughtfully composed wine list, you’ll find two house cocktails – Gina’s Martini and Margarita Cremisi.

‘Always warm and inviting, busy with locals, excellent pricing and really interesting food,’ just about sums up this unpretentious neighbourhood eatery born out of a pop-up in Nunhead and a popular residency in Peckham Rye. Chef/owner Ady Jacob earned his stripes at Le Cordon Bleu and brings the same professionalism to his personal take on modern Malaysian cooking. Expect up-front creativity and pin-sharp technique in ‘super-flavourful’ dishes ranging from slow-braised beef rendang to stir-fried greens, sambal and sago pudding, plus off-piste ideas such as ayam goreng susu (sticky milk-fried chicken with oyster sauce, white pepper, condensed milk and pickled beetroot). Also expect a gregarious party vibe, fuelled by a drinks list that runs from quaffable everyday wines (plus BYOB) to Singaporean Tiger beer, ‘teh o lemon’ (black tea with lemon) and spicy mocktails such as Onde-Onde (soy milk, palm sugar, vanilla, coconut cream). Long weekend lunches are also worth checking out.

One could easily drive straight past without registering La Locanda's special presence on the main road through Gisburn village. The solid stone building has no super-flashy signage, and there's no indication that this is anything other than a conventional 'pizza and pasta' pit stop. Yet, for over 20 years, Cinzia and Maurizio Bocchi have been raising the ‘tricolore’ in defiance of the 'fast-food, frozen lasagne and garlic bread' norm still typical of many Anglo-Italian restaurants.

The trattoria setting is homely and modest, with an intimate and unhurried atmosphere and a welcome in inverse proportion to the size of the cramped ground-floor bar. The seasonal menu requires some study, but there’s no rush and Cinzia is on hand to answer all questions. The focus is on a Slow Food-style carte that marries Italian regional dishes (including Maurizio's trademark pasta) and rigorously curated imported ingredients with local produce such as Goosnargh chicken, Gisburn Forest roe deer and Bowland wild garlic. A key part of the ethos is sustainability and authenticity, so the owners only work with like-minded suppliers. 

In summer, you might find specialities ranging from sardine fillets with red peppers, spaghetti alla Trapanese or outstanding pork-stuffed spinach tortellini to wild sea bass partnered with punchy emerald salsa verde or an unusual dish of marinated whitebait typical of the version made with the little freshwater fish of the Italian Lakes. For dessert, there are ice-cream sundaes and the best cannoli we have ever tasted – the secret is fresh ricotta sourced directly from Sicily. The all-Italian wine list is arranged by region, and there's also an extensive range of Italian beers, aperitifs, soft drinks and cocktails – not forgetting a 20-strong 'coffee menu'. 

Located in a parade of shops in Liverpool's Aigburth suburb, this Thai café lacks nothing in local support – even midweek evenings are reliably rammed. With a Buddhist fantasy mural on one wall, and staff who are full of smiles and advice, it's a winning formula. Nor does the menu stick rigidly to tried-and-tested Thai classics. Vigorously seasoned dishes built from many ingredients keep the taste buds tingling, with stir-fries of cashews, sweet orange, shallots and chilli jam adding lustre to grilled prawns or fatty pork belly in stinky shrimp paste with asparagus, chillies, garlic and dill. The approach to chilli, often hot as Hades in Thai cooking, is at the subtler end of the spectrum here, but dishes are nonetheless impeccably balanced. A side of stir-fried greens with edamame and chunks of garlic nicely boosts the plain jasmine rice. A short drinks list includes a lime-fragrant off-dry Rhine Riesling, the perfect complement if Singha or Chang beers aren't your thing.

It quickly gained fame and went viral with its homemade kofte and aubergine pitta ‘sandwiches’ – thanks largely to Instagram – but there’s much more to this cosy, personally run Iranian-Iraqi café/bistro on Goldsmiths Row. Set up by Ziad Halub and Farsin Rabiee, Logma (the name means ‘perfect bite’) has really hit the spot: ‘It’s what is missing in London,’ commented one, who was bowled over by the sheer friendliness of the set-up. By day, the place sets out its stall as a welcoming neighbourhood café, serving coffee and pastries, backed up by comforting, home-cooked lunch dishes – slow-braised stews, herb-flecked soups and rice specialities, as well as the aforementioned sandwiches. On Wednesday evenings, it’s all about ‘Logma Lates’, bookable weekly supper clubs (BYOB) serving fusion cuisine from the region to guests seated at communal tables.

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.

A ‘cute, intimate, candlelit restaurant’ set up by Highbury locals Ed Templeton (founder of Carousel) and A-list actor/musician Theo James, pretty little Lupa is a charming neighbourhood haunt serving up comforting regional specialities prepared from assiduously sourced ingredients. The atmosphere is fun and friendly, service is all-round excellent, but the main attraction is the menu created by chef Naz Hassan (who describes himself as a ‘Bengali kid doing Italian food’). His instinctive talent and obsessive attention to detail defy the apparent simplicity on the plate – everything hits the spot. Hand-rolled bucatini all’amatriciana, the lasagne specials at the weekend or the tiramisu are not to be missed, and they even serve porchetta sandwiches on Arsenal match days. To drink, Italian-themed cocktails and spritzes bolster a short list of artisan Italian regional wines. Given Lupa’s neighbourhood proportions and ironclad local reputation – as one fan noted 'you feel like you're in the backstreets of Rome' – bookings are hard to come by, although one table is always held back for walk-ins.

The bistro alternative to Sam Carter and Alex Olivier’s acclaimed Restaurant Twenty-Two, just two doors away, is casual and cosy but feels expansive, helped along by service that is utterly charming. It’s appreciated for being open all week, ‘unheard of for a little independent like this,’ and for making fine dining accessible and neighbourly. It’s bound to win you over. The food, based on first-class seasonal, often local materials, is sophisticated and comforting rather than experimental and challenging. It nourishes, gratifies and cheers, from the opening rosemary and sea-salt focaccia and sublime snacks to the finale of just-baked madeleines, and from the ‘unmatched’ Sunday roasts (‘who doesn't want ox cheek inside their Yorkshire pudding’) to a set lunch menu that feels like Cambridge’s best. Settle into the window seats and watch the world go by or book a booth on the upper tier to glimpse the kitchen action. As for drinks, the well-curated wine selection does an agile job of satisfying the novelty-hungry as well as traditionalists, but they already had us at the aperitif stage – every cocktail has a spot-on alcohol-free version.

Bookie Mitchell, the Thai-born chef behind the popular Namo Eats kitchen in the Eagle pub, has taken things to the next level with this smart standalone restaurant that feels a cut above your average high street Thai without ever tipping into formality. The menu draws largely on Mitchell's Northern Thai roots and uses local Sussex produce where possible. Portions are generous, the prices are reasonable (dishes are all under £20), and it's the kind of place where you'll struggle to order badly. Don't miss the deeply comforting claypot rice or the sparky Laotian salad, layered with texture. A warm atmosphere and well-executed twists on classic cocktails round things out wonderfully.

Nick Nairn, an avuncular celebrity chef and TV personality (‘veering towards national treasure status,' thought one reporter), is to be found at this rural complex comprising a home and lifestyle store (set up by his wife Julia), a restaurant, kitchen garden and Cook School near the picturesque Lake of Monteith. In a rural setting rather than on the waterfront, the restaurant spills out onto decking peppered with wicker bucket chairs overlooking a leafy field – the best tables in summer. Open all day, we just managed to squeeze into the overflow car park for a late lunch (booking is advised), but the welcome was genuine and while the menu is more crowd-pleasing than inventive (and prices can be punchy), it did deliver on the food front. A home-cured turbot and trout taco, for example, served with jalapeño sour cream, charred avocado, pico de gallo and lime was refreshingly delicious, and we would happily go back for a pizza on a sunny summer’s afternoon, or some shellfish from the BBQ. 

Spread over two floors with bare wood, beige walls and mismatched china creating a low-key DIY vibe, this laid-back bottle shop-cum-restaurant is right at home in the increasingly foodie neighbourhood of Pontcanna. The homely upstairs room is bookable, while the ground floor is reserved for walk-ins and those just wanting to drink. With its seats in the window and at a central island counter overlooking a big hatch into the kitchen, we thought this was the livelier option. Chef Alex Vines' menus focus on locally sourced organic, seasonal vegetables with meat and fish as an occasional treat: a short but inventive selection of salads and sandwiches on delicious home-baked bread for weekday lunches, plus an evening chalkboard featuring a dozen or so sharing dishes that might include a smoked haddock rarebit pie or an ‘exceptional’ confit belly pork with crispy crackling. Wine, chosen by co-owner Siôn Iorwerth, is natural and produced with minimal intervention – a single red, white and orange available on tap, served by the glass, 500ml carafe or bottle. Alternatively, take advice and choose something from the ground-floor shelves.

In early 2026, Nathan Outlaw called time on his fine-dining flagship, Outlaw’s New Road, and moved his all-star team over the road to Outlaw’s Guest House to open a bistro. The informal setting and a simpler three-course menu are a sign of the times, though many longtime regulars are grateful for the opportunity of being fed royally by Outlaw himself and his right-hand man, Peter Biggs. The dining room has been dressed up with some banquette-style seating, pot plants and bare tables and enjoys an aspect overlooking the coast – although it can’t quite shake off its bones as the former breakfast room of a Victorian-era seaside inn. It’s a marked contrast to the magic on the plate. A blackboard special of crab and lobster salad is a delicately wrought celebration of Port Isaac’s finest catch and impossible to improve upon, while main dishes bring together comfort, elegance and more dazzlingly fresh seafood. With sparks flying in the kitchen and warm, well-polished service, it’s easy to start racking up the bill – especially when sipping cocktails and dipping into a wine list peppered with prestigious bottles. On a fair-weather day, we’d plump for a lunch on the terrace and go to town.

With deliciously lazy Afro-Cuban beats on the turntable plus tequilas and Cuban rums in evidence behind the bar, there was a distinct Latino vibe to this diminutive weekend-only spot when we crammed in early one Saturday evening. At the back is a minuscule kitchen where Steve Bishop-Laggett methodically prepares a short, world-hopping, monthly changing menu. Meat takes a leading role (‘we like offal’ states the website) – a fact emphasised by the stuffed animals (foxes, deer and various horned beings) displayed on the wood-panelled walls. Best come as a couple (or a maximum of four) to balance out a meal of, say, a thick slice of beef tongue accompanied by tender chunks of lamb neck, herby green chorizo, and ‘cowboy’ beans in a very rich bone-marrow sauce, refreshingly countered by shrimp ceviche tostada with shredded cabbage, salad, cocktail sauce and radish. A couple of wines (both Portuguese on our visit) augment a short list of spirits and cocktails – the Margaritas are recommended, especially when paired with some cactus fries and prickly pear BBQ sauce.

An elegant addition to Kent’s lively restaurant scene, Shwen Shwen (the name apparently means ‘fancy fancy’) is a celebration of Maria Bradford’s Sierra Leonean heritage and her feel for Afro-fusion cuisine. Daintily tucked away behind a sheltered courtyard terrace (great for alfresco meals), the place itself creates a real vibe with its warm terracotta tones, upholstery decorated with multi-coloured kpokpo fabrics and striking photos of Maria’s West African heritage. Dining takes place in two hospitable upstairs rooms with tightly packed tables, where personable staff are more than ready to guide customers through the intricacies of a menu peppered with unfamiliar ingredients.

Sophistication and comfort define the mood, while culinary exploration is the name of the game, from small sharing plates pointed-up with fonio (a West African ‘supergrain’) and kankankan (a smoky, aromatic spice blend) to a mille-feuille dessert involving moringa-leaf cream. Fixed-price lunches, early dinners and a £75 ‘chef’s choice’ taster provide a decent overview of the cooking, and it’s also worth taking a serious dive into the drinks list with its global tea menu, creative infusions, zingy cocktails and well-chosen international wines.   

Sai Deethwa and James Fitzgibbons are the enterprising husband-and-wife team who created a cult following for delicious Thai street food with their food van, Buddha Belly. Now settled in a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, they have brought authentic Thai cuisine to a suburb renowned for thriving independent eateries, their popularity among Brum diners undiminished. Soi 1268 is everything you hope a neighbourhood restaurant will be, run with unmistakable warmth and genuine, relaxed hospitality. And the food is exceptional. It's bold, vibrant, and packed with flavour, whether the incomparable beef massaman or spicy chicken panang. Local craft beers, well-executed twists on classic cocktails, and a brief wine list round things out.

At first glance, Soulshine is a humble café – a cluster of bar stools fronting a silver espresso machine, with a selection of cakes placed on the bar. Follow a corridor, however, and you enter a semi-secret dining room – a bohemian space with a profusion of potted plants, where artworks, chairs and cushions come in bright primary colours, and locals drop by to plunder a similarly colourful small-plates menu four evenings a week.

By and large, the kitchen lets the ingredients speak for themselves: Baron Bigod brie with salted walnuts and a drizzle of Devon honey makes for a moreish opening act, swiftly succeeded by the more complex flavours of Dorset venison, pork and sloe salami, served alongside cornichons. There’s also plenty of imagination at play in tightly choreographed medleys such as peach with whipped ricotta, pickled onion and almonds or beetroot with barley, black garlic and hazelnuts – though a standout when we visited was the umami punch of tamari-glazed cod with romesco and agretti.

Puddings include simple, satisfying offerings such as a dark chocolate pot with cherries, or perhaps affogato with locally roasted Goose & Badger coffee. Also look out for set-menu supper clubs, as well as winning breakfasts featuring the likes of shakshuka and locally foraged mushrooms. As for drinks, an extremely succinct but eclectic wine list has bottles from £27.

Nestled in leafy London Fields, Sally Abé’s latest venture is in a part of Hackney where house prices crossed the £1m mark a long time ago. It makes sense to open here (Ornella, a few doors down had the same idea). Abé has taken over what was previously Sesta (and before that Pidgin) converting the spartan space into something more cosseting – a cosy neighbourhood bistro on a model village scale. Pretty lamps, patterned fabrics, trailing plants and treasured cookbooks give it the feel of a beloved country house. The chef and her team can be spied through the hatch, turning out a carte of gently modernised English dishes such as chilled pea and mint soup, devilled crab tartlet, corn-fed chicken breast with spring vegetables, and raspberry marshmallow teacake. Pastry and sauces are particularly accomplished. If they can find a little more cellar space to flesh out the wine list (only two under £50), Teal could really spread its wings.

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.

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.

Formerly home to the coastguard’s horse-drawn rocket-firing equipment, this cute, single-storey Victorian building brings a unique energy to the handful of retail and café outlets lining the Boscastle estuary as it flows into the sea. There is modest seating inside and a surprisingly generous all-weather courtyard, thanks to huge, heated umbrellas, and the red-brick property provides a contrast to the centuries-old, whitewashed cottages for which the village is known. A daily changing blackboard menu features fish-led sharing plates using local catch, lamb that roam the pastures above the restaurant (gently braised Trebiffen lamb shank with a spicy Shanghai pepper sauce is typical), with room for excellent local vegetables to play a starring role too. Puddings make less of an impression, but local and artisanal cheese are worth a punt. A bijou drinks list includes wines, cocktails, beers and non-alcoholic tipples to suit all pockets.

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. 

‘The Suffolk is really hospitable,’ insists a reporter who adores this slice of East Suffolk gentility, which manages to satisfy locals who live down the road as well as incomers up from London for the weekend. Owner George Pell embeds himself in the local community, staging off-the-cuff breakfast events on the beach, hosting the town’s marmalade-making competition and even linking up with Snape Maltings to celebrate the summer solstice. In the kitchen, it’s all about Suffolk produce, seasonality and simple, honest cooking with nods to the town’s ‘terroir’. Current chef (and Tom Kerridge alumnus) Luke Truelove is carrying on where his predecessor left off, delivering classy metropolitan food with all-round appeal. Seafood is a star turn, from grilled Aldeburgh herring on toast with 'nduja butter to the ‘fish of the day’ with warm tartare sauce and samphire. Meat comes from Aldeburgh’s ‘super-butcher’ Salter & King (check out the beef shin and Binham Blue cheese pie), while desserts nod to the locality with Pump Street dark chocolate tart and yoghurt ice cream. There are snacks, ales, vinyl records and plenty of wines by the glass in the bar, too.

‘I just love it here and feel so lucky to have such an exemplary spot as our local neighbourhood restaurant,’ sums up the many reports from locals and visitors who have been impressed by the Union's friendly, relaxed atmosphere – and by the cooking, which is both seasonal, current and fresh. And with a centuries-old rough-hewn interior, this former pub charms with its plank floors, exposed brick and timbers, open fireplaces and simple furnishings. Sharing plates of escalating size signal informality, too, and the oft-changing repertoire (strongly focused on local produce) encourages regular return visits. Dishes are flavour-driven – a mash-up of eclectic global flavours along the lines of wild sea bass with pak choi, cuttlefish and a rich sobrasada sauce. As for drinks, we’ve heard good things about the blood orange Margarita, and the short wine list has been carefully chosen. Everything is offered by the glass or bottle, so it’s tempting to experiment, though the very decent house selection is a perfectly good choice.

The striking enthusiasm of readers' reports is a powerful testimony to the success of Thomas Simmons’ pivot to a casual neighbourhood brasserie. Recent feedback noting that the chef offers the same quality of food as his erstwhile fine-dining restaurant, but with a more relaxed vibe, is bang-on. Grills, Welsh delicacies such as St Brides crab or Pembrokeshire oysters, and gently modernised brasserie dishes are the mainstays of the main menu – look out for beef tartare, short rib and suet pudding and the whole roast chicken for two, all done with great panache. The set lunch and early-bird menu is terrific value, as is the two/three-course Sunday lunch, while the front of house team does a consistently fine job. Wines are fairly priced, with a dozen or so by the glass – if you can tear yourself away from the cocktail list. Imprints of the restaurant's fine-dining past can be found upstairs in the Loft, an intimate 12-seater chef’s counter, which offers a seasonally influenced tasting menu for £110.

It’s not the first time an up-and-coming chef has set up shop in an east London pub, but the spirit with which Dara Klein has transformed what was once the Globe into the successor to her family’s trattoria suggests this one is here for the long haul. From the disco ball stained glass window to the vintage Italian crockery and family portraits on the wall, its suffused with life and character,. 

An everyone-welcome atmosphere on our early Sunday lunch visit, with babies and children among the landscape of the packed-out dining room. From the open kitchen, led by a cheery and unfazed Klein, come a series of dishes full of confidence and good instinct. A salad of delica pumpkin, radicchio agrodolce and a unifying taleggio dressing was an early hit full of depth and tang. A humble bowl of pasta e fagioli was anything but: silken with olive oil and bolstered with rosemary. From the secondi a saline dish of braised squid with olives and fragrant mint was triumphantly tender – you could cut it with a spoon. 

This is food that deserves to be lingered over. But if time is short or you haven’t booked ahead, the dedicated bar is an open-armed call for walk-ins to dip into the stuzzichini, enjoy a Guinness on draught, a Cynar spritz or an easy drinking carafe of Tuscan red.

Kimberley Duke and San Seesarun cherish their customers and their intimate, contemporary Mauritian spot on the seafront with a care that is both endearing and welcoming. To be clear, Tonka is very casual, very cramped, simply and cheerfully decorated in a DIY sort of way, but the food on the short menu is delicious. Crab mac and cheese appears alongside tapioca fried chicken, and the repertoire also takes in tamarind pork ribs and skewers of black garlic aubergine or crispy cuttlefish. A wider commitment to the community runs to dumpling-making workshops and serving hot food and mulled drinks out of the window on Bonfire Night, which is a huge event in the town. The rose lemonade has been praised (as have the cocktails), and there’s a brief selection of wine, beer and Kentish cider. Good coffee too. Probably the pick of eating places in Hastings on current form.

With its buzzing atmosphere, 90s hip-hop soundtrack and killer cocktails (seriously, try the Szechuan Margarita), this neighbourhood Chinese a stone’s throw from Stokes Croft is a breath of fresh air. You won’t find anything sweet ‘n’ sour on head chef Emily Xin Xin Chan’s short, seasonal menu of around a dozen flavour-packed sharing plates and sides. Instead, she raids China’s many regional cooking traditions to create an enticing carousel of complex, vibrant dishes that feel fresh and modern. Chan was formerly head chef at Tare, and her classical training shows in the presentation and clever layering of flavours, whether in a dainty salad of carrot, cucumber and otherworldly wood ear mushrooms in a chilli and sesame dressing or an indulgent plate of spicy charcoal-grilled Xinjiang lamb rump. Wangs is extremely popular with the loyal local crowd, so book to guarantee one of the tightly packed tables on the ground floor, or even a counter seat overlooking the open kitchen. When it's full, the long, thin room with its exposed brick and artfully distressed plaster walls, feels like walking into a party.

Sedate Berkhamsted received an invigorating jolt when Wild opened in 2025. Behind the picture windows, the large interior is light and airy, with blond woods and a beige colour scheme. So far, so Home Counties. But a soundtrack of cool urban beats sets a new tone, as does expert, understated service from a team that includes the former sommelier of Le Gavroche. ‘Ingredients-led’ has become a cliché, but here it has precise meaning. Wild's owners also run an organic regenerative farm near Radlett, so it's no surprise that superlative home-grown produce forms the starting point for a menu of small plates and sharing dishes, including exquisitely crunchy raw turnip accompanied by the restaurant's version of Gentleman’s Relish. Chef-patron Matt Larcombe (formerly at the Crown at Bray) also knows when to enhance his raw materials and is adept at the chargrill. The open kitchen at the back produces beautifully puffy flatbread, filled with luscious strips of tender lamb and blobs of tart rhubarb emulsion, while a masterly take on lemon meringue pie with miso caramel sees the gooey, sweet meringue scorched to bitterness. Such expert touches accentuate Wild's class.