The top 100 restaurants in the UK have been named at the prestigious National Restaurant Awards – and Manchester has once again come out fighting.
Four local restaurants have shot into the list, which has been celebrating the ‘brilliance and vibrancy of the UK’s eating out scene’ for almost two decades.
And while the list is incredibly London-centric, especially in the top 20, there are some fantastic Manchester restaurants standing proud among them all.
Making it into the National Restaurant Awards’ top 100 restaurants in the UK were Skof, Erst, Higher Ground, and Winsome.
The Manchester restaurant that placed highest, ranking in 29th, is Skof, which received its first Michelin star last year AND was awarded the coveted AA Restaurant of the Year award.
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The acclaimed fine dining restaurant by chef Tom Barnes was said by the National Restaurant Awards to be ‘elegant yet approachable’, describing its decor as ‘stripped-back but characterful’.
Skof placed 29th in the National Restaurant AwardsSkof placed 29th in the National Restaurant Awards
The awards also recognised the personal touches that make Skof feel so magical, like ‘artwork referencing [Tom’s] life and a boozy tiramisu dessert that pays tribute to his late father’.
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Up next at 37 is Erst, which ‘might just be the perfect neighbourhood spot’, according to the National Restaurant Awards.
The beloved local restaurant is set in the heart of Ancoats, and is famed for its flat breads, its natural wine selection, and its ever-evolving menu of Mediterranean dishes.
Erst in Ancoats has also featured on the National Restaurant Awards top 100Erst in Ancoats has also featured on the National Restaurant Awards top 100
The Awards said: “Co-founders Patrick Withington and Will Sutton possess an eye for detail that’s rare for a low-key ‘local’ place.
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“Overseeing the kitchen and front of house respectively, the pair deliver a laid back yet grown-up experience that’s an antidote to the glitzier ‘going out out’ restaurant scene for which Manchester is traditionally known.”
Hot on Erst’s heels at number 39 is Higher Ground, the bistro from the same team behind wine bar Flawd and cocktail/seafood bar Bar Shrimp.
Initially launching as a pop-up at Kampus, hospitality heavyweights Joseph Otway, Richard Cossins, and Daniel Craig Martin went on to open their own space right in the heart of the city centre, on the edges of Chinatown, in 2023.
The vast majority of the produce used in their exciting menu is grown at their own market garden, Cinderwood.
The National Restaurant Awards said: “Higher Ground is modern and minimalistic without being austere with a long island that runs along one side of the room that serves as an open kitchen, pass and bar, as well as a counter where people can sit and eat and drink. A proper neo bistro then.”
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Finally, just missing out on the top 50 but placing in a very respectable 67th place is Winsome, Shaun Moffatt’s excellent British bistro on Princess Street.
Shaun Moffatt’s Winsome in Manchester is listed in the National Restaurant Awards
The guide wrote: “Fans of Moffat’s cooking at The Edinburgh Castle will recognise the same produce-led approach, with a regularly changing menu built around dishes designed to feel familiar and comforting.
“The menu moves through snacks, starters, mains and desserts and centres on ingredient-led British cooking with a strong emphasis on seasonality, regional sourcing and produce from across the UK, ranging from Brixham seafood and Welsh pork to Clyndria beetroot and Garstang Blue cheese.”
Outside Greater Manchester, the highest northern entry is – in news that will surprise no one – the three-Michelin star Moor Hall, which placed fifth.
Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant team to take over iconic NQ venue
Daisy Jackson
The team who earned Cantaloupe a Michelin Bib Gourmand are moving into Manchester city centre – and into a site we all know pretty well.
The Cantaloupe team are about to embark on a new venture with Rasade, a new French restaurant in the site of the former TNQ in the Northern Quarter.
The old neighbourhood restaurant announced its shock closure earlier this year, after more than two decades serving Manchester.
But now the beautiful corner building on High Street is under new ownership, and in very safe hands.
Shortly after pivoting Cantaloupe into Bar Caput (a more casual neighbourhood offering), the duo behind it, Joshua Reed Cooper and Mike Thomas, have announced they’re launching Rasade in Manchester city centre.
Rasade in French refers to a glass filled to the brim, traditionally of wine or another drink.
The new French restaurant will showcase regional French cooking and seasonal local produce, drawing inspiration from France’s diverse regions.
This won’t be a stuffy French restaurant though – they’re aiming to create the relaxed spirit of a bistro with their serious commitment to traditional cooking.
Early menus show dishes like oysters with mignonette, langoustine with Karri-Gosse, and pâté de campagne, plus brill with rancio sec and mushroom fricassée, and pork chop with garniture Mirabeau.
And as for desserts, expect classics like a tarte Tatin designed for two to share, alongside flan pâtissier and Opéra religieuse.
Alongside the cooking, an extensive French wine offering will span the many, many wine regions of the country, featuring both small and unusual producers as well as more established names.
Mike and Josh now want to build on the success they quickly found in Stockport with this new city centre venture, bringing the same focus on good produce, thoughtful cooking and an informal approach to hospitality.
Rasade will open at 108 High Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.
First look inside Social Osteria, Stockport’s buzzy new Italian restaurant
Lydia Mastrolonardo
That’s right Stopfordians – we’re gaining yet another brand new addition to our town’s blooming food and drink scene, as Social Osteria opens its doors at Weir Mill.
It’s safe to say we’re in good hands, with the geniuses behind The Social Trattoria, named best Trattoria at the Italian Awards UK 2025, being the ones to bring this new taste of Italy to South Manchester.
Just because we are no longer experiencing the weather to match an Italian summer, doesn’t mean we can’t continue eating like we’re there.
Social Osteria can now be found overlooking the River Mersey, as a beautiful 2,000 sq ft space within the buzzing new canalside development, fully equipped with the classic exposed red brickwork, vaulted ceilings and even the restored original kiln.
As you approach the restaurant, you are greeted by a sunken courtyard and riverside seating, making for the perfect alfresco dining spot, when the warmer weather finally rolls back around.
With the meaning of Osteria being an Italian tavern, for locals to gather and enjoy each other’s company, good wine and honest, flavourful food – the team have stayed true to the name. You can expect dim, ambient lighting, an open kitchen, fresh small plates, flavourful 48-hour pizzas, and traditional pasta.
Vibrant dishes at Social Osteria in Stockport. Credit: The Manc Group
This glamorous new restaurant is promising a spectacular menu, from cacio e pepe butter beans to guanciale topped pizzas and their very own slow-cooked beef shin and pork shoulder paccheri ragu, you know we’re in the right place.
With Italian food running in the family, the team’s cooking practices are rooted in traditional methods, passed down through the generations and then presented to us, with the freshest of ingredients.
It suits Capital&Centric, who’ve taken the same approach to Weir Mill itself – embracing the character of the historic mill whilst transforming it into a vibrant community, for generations to come.
Inside Social Osteria at Weir Mill. Credit: The Manc Group
Set below Stockport’s iconic viaduct, the £60m neighbourhood is now home to 253 apartments alongside bustling cafés, wine bars and stunning restaurants akin to Social Osteria, accompanied by plenty of outdoor seating, green spaces, and riverside viewpoints.
Where Osteria Social now calls home is part of Stockport’s £1 billion Town Centre West masterplan, adding to the town’s growing reputation as one of the best locations to live in the UK.
Social Osteria will officially open Thursday 22 October, at Weir Mill. Be sure to book your tables early as we fear this one might get a little booked up.
Daisy Jackson -
9th June 2026 
