Eats

The FOUR Manchester restaurants named in the UK’s top 100

A huge congratulations to all

Daisy Jackson - 9th June 2026

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.

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’.

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’.

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.

The Awards said: “Co-founders Patrick Withington and Will Sutton possess an eye for detail that’s rare for a low-key ‘local’ place.

“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.”

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.

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.

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Featured image: The Manc Group