The best restaurants in the UK have been named at the National Restaurant Awards – and Manchester has done pretty well for itself.
The prestigious awards took place last night, listing the top 100 places to eat in the entire UK.
Three restaurants within Manchester itself managed to make it into the top 50 of the country’s best restaurants.
And there was a glowing endorsement for a brand new spot that’s only been open for a couple of weeks.
Skof is a beautiful new spot by celebrated chef Tom Barnes, who has worked at L’Enclume, the three-Michelin star Lake District restaurant widely considered one of the best in the world.
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His first restaurant, located in the NOMA neighbourhood, has been named the ‘One to Watch’ at the National Restaurant Awards.
Judges said that Skof is set to make ‘a big impact in a city that has a pumping restaurant scene but is in general unmoved by fancy restaurants’.
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Food at Skof in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
The highest-ranking restaurant in the Top 100 list for Greater Manchester is Michelin starred Mana, which came in 14th place.
The fine dining establishment in the heart of Ancoats got its Michelin star just a year after opening and National Restaurant Award judges praised it for being ‘understated and confident’ with ‘highly technical and precise’ cooking.
Higher Ground is operated by a powerful trio – one of the UK’s brightest young chefs Joseph Otway, front-of-house man Richard Cossins, and wine expert Daniel Craig Martin – and made the list thanks in part to its focus on regenerative farming and local produce.
Higher Ground in Manchester has been awarded a Michelin Bib GourmandErst in Ancoats is Michelin-recommended restaurantHigher Ground and Erst in Manchester have both been named among the UK’s best restaurants. Credit: The Manc Group
Completing the Manchester portion of the best restaurants in the UK list is Erst, which has swooped in at number 50.
The beautiful Ancoats restaurant was named as ‘the perfect neighbourhood spot’, with its ever-changing menu of small plates and natural wines hailed as being ‘an antidote to the glitzier ‘going out out’ restaurant scene for which Manchester is traditionally known’.
All eyes have been on Erst in recent weeks after Trove – the bakery which is a sister site to the restaurant – suddenly shut down.
There was a lot of success for the North West in general too at the National Restaurant Awards.
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Two Michelin-star Moor Hall, just up the road from Manchester in Lancashire, placed third overall in the UK but lost its crown as the best restaurant in England.
L’Enclume in the Lake District sits in 20th place, The Parkers Arms pub in Lancashire made 51st, and Forest Side in Ambleside came 75th.
You can see the full top 100 list from the National Restaurant Awards here.
This new app tells you the best sunny pub spots in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A brand new app has launched, which tracks the sun and tells you where the best sunny pub spots in Manchester are throughout the day.
No, you’re not dreaming: this is what heaven feels like. This all-new app, initially trialled in London and now covering Manchester, allows users to identify the best sun traps in our stunning city centre.
Designed and created by architect Mo Dawod, Sunseekr aims to show you the best pub, cafe and restaurant locations where you can take advantage of and soak up all the sun in real time.
As well as being a handy tool to use throughout the day, you can use this sun-centric app to pre-plan your day, as it lets you know all the sunny spots in advance for anyone who fancies chasing the sun.
The app shows you the best pubs, cafes and restaurants to catch some rays.You can easily chase the sun around Manchester city centre with this handy new app.Credit: Screenshots via Sunseeker
Of course, we don’t need an app to tell us all the best sunny pub spots in Manchester as locals and visitors alike know about our pride and joy, Stevenson Square.
However, this new technology will come in handy for organising your next beer garden trip and locating exactly where you’re guaranteed to sit down and possibly catch a tan.
Sunseekr had a trial run in London first, catching the attention of reputable publications like Timeout London and even got itself featured on BBC London.
It makes perfect sense why Dawod made this app; being a Battersea resident, his area of London is packed with plenty of amenities such as pubs and bars, perfect for sitting out and relaxing in the sun.
Now the sunny app has spread nationwide, including Manchester, meaning we Northerners can make the most of the precious sun while we have it.
Safe to say, here at The Manc, we know a lot of good places to soak up the sun while sipping on a class pint.Nothing beats a crisp pint and some gorgeous Manchester sunshine.Credit: The Manc Eats
The arrival of this sun-tracking pub-spotting app gives us the perfect excuse to drop everything and make our way to the nearest beer garden to put this to the test ourselves, it’s not like we needed any encouragement…
Sunseekr is available to download NOW and allows users to live-track the sun to see if any pubs, cafes or restaurants near you have been blessed by the sun.
We’re in the business of knowing about beer gardens galore, so this long-overdue app just made our lives a whole lot easier.
Stunning Ancoats favourite Street Urchin closes after ‘heartbreaking’ health emergency
Danny Jones
The stunning Ancoats restaurant and Manchester favourite, Street Urchin, has announced its sudden closure following a serious health emergency.
Opened by partners Kevin and Rachel Choudhary back in 2019, the inventive dining room has been a firm favourite among local foodies and those visiting Manchester for some time.
However, following the awful news that co-founder and head chef Kevin has recently suffered a heart attack, the city centre food spot has sadly had to close its doors, seemingly for good.
Informing diners and longtime fans online, Rachel confirmed, “We are unable to continue as a business”, adding that they are simply “heartbroken” by the turns of events.
Known for endless creativity and famous experimental dishes over the years, including a viral squirrel dish, Street Urchin has been one of the most envelope-pushing kitchens in the area for some time.
Writing in the caption, Rachel said: Thank you to our amazing team who supported us over all the years and continued to do so in these dark times. Thank you also to our suppliers, we never thought this would happen. We’re so sorry x”
Reacting to the news, local artist Painted By Courtney replied: “This is so sad, I’m so sorry to you both. Forever one of my favourite dining experiences in Manchester.”
Various names from across the Greater Manchester hospitality scene, including the likes of Tameside’s Cafe Continental, have joined in sharing their sadness and heartfelt support, with the Stalybridge spot simply adding: “Sending love. A remarkable place!”
Their menus boasted all the style, quality and flavour of a fine dining establishment without any of the haute cuisine pomp and traditional culinary trappings.
Put simply, they delivered great food served in an efficient market diner fashion. We, along with countless other Greater Mancunian foodies, absolutely loved this place.
It goes without saying that everyone at The Manc Group is shocked and deeply saddened to hear this news; we hope Kev makes a full and fast recovery, and our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time.
Daisy Jackson -
11th June 2024 
