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.
Andy Burnham’s favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast
Daisy Jackson
Andy Burnham’s favourite pub, restaurant, neighbourhood, and Sunday roast have been revealed – and the man’s got taste.
Old footage of now-PM Andy Burnham chatting to content creator Isaac Likes has been doing the rounds again, and while the interview dates back to before Andy left us and headed down to the big smoke, his Manchester recommendations still stand.
From his go-to neighbourhood and favourite pub to where he heads for a Sunday roast, and even the song he likes to play when he gets behind the decks, Burnham gave us a glimpse into his ideal Manchester day.
First up, there’s the Northern Quarter, which Burnham reckons has to be his favourite neighbourhood in the city.
He said: “Got to be the Northern Quarter. It’s the place where it’s all happening.”
When it comes to food, he singled out Firehouse, sitting on the edge of the Northern Quarter, as one of his favourite places to eat. He also gave a shoutout to its sister venue Ramona, where he’s been known to get behind the decks.
Andy said: “On the edge of the Northern Quarter, Firehouse is a place I love to go. Ramona Pizza, I’ve DJ’d there – if the mayor DJs there it’s gotta be alright.”
For a proper pint, Burnham’s choice is a little more traditional, saying his favourite pub is the ‘proper old school’ Peveril of the Peak.
The beautiful tiled pub was recently named the best in the UK, just days before its legendary landlady Nancy passed away.
When Sunday rolls around, Burnham said he has a couple of options up his sleeve. The Wharf in Castlefield gets a mention, as does Edinburgh Castle up in Ancoats.
The Peveril of the Peak pub in ManchesterThe Edinburgh CastleFirehouseSome of Andy Burnham’s favourite places in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
He said: “We love our gravy, we drink it by the pint in Manchester.”
Of course, no conversation with Burnham about Manchester would be complete without talking music.
Asked to name the best Manchester band of all time, he offered a few contenders – The Smiths, New Order, and, ultimately, The Stone Roses.
“The band I think are quintessentially Manchester is The Stone Roses. That was peak Manchester,” he said.
The amazing new doughnut shop that’s opened in a churchyard in Wigan
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new doughnut hatch has landed in Wigan, serving fresh bakes and speciality coffee from inside a beautiful local churchyard.
This is Holy Grounds, the latest independent spot bringing together freshly made doughnuts, excellent coffee and a spectacular setting, right beside the Wigan Parish Church.
The Lancashire-born business expanded to Wigan just three weeks ago, and it’s already proving hugely popular with the locals.
As we’re seeing all over Wigan these days, Holy Grounds have taken on a beautiful characterful space and turned it into a great new independent hangout.
The doughnut hatch is connected to the church itself, with the room believed to have once been an old school space. Today, it’s been given a very different purpose, with the smell of freshly baked doughnuts and coffee filling the building.
And you can still get a very real reminder that you’re sitting inside a church – the bells ring twice a day.
Holy Grounds was set up by Sam, who was previously a vicar, alongside his partner Hannah.
They and their team are making doughnuts fresh every day, using a 48-hour proving process, before transforming them into a monthly-rotating selection of flavours.
This month’s specials at Holy GroundsThe selection of Holy Grounds doughnuts in WiganA peach and almond doughnut, and an OGHoly Grounds stands in the churchyard of Wigan Parish ChurchFreshly-made doughnuts and coffee in Wigan
This month’s flavours include The OG, peach and almond, chocolate cornflakes, and blackberry and white chocolate.
Holy Grounds serves speciality coffee from Clifton Coffee Roasters in Bristol, making the doughnut-and-coffee combination feel less like a quick sugar hit and more like a proper little ritual.
A beautiful old building, fresh doughnuts, excellent coffee and church bells ringing overhead?
We’re not saying we’ve found heaven, but we’re definitely getting closer.
Daisy Jackson -
9th June 2026 
