National Restaurant Awards 2024: The Ledbury named UK’s best restaurant
The Ledbury in Notting Hill has reclaimed its title as the UK’s best restaurant at the prestigious National Restaurant Awards, highlighting a triumphant return after its 2020 closure
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Your support makes all the difference.The Ledbury in Notting Hill has been crowned the UK’s best restaurant at the prestigious National Restaurant Awards (NRAs), reclaiming the top spot for the fourth time in its history. Chef Brett Graham’s three-Michelin-starred establishment first won the accolade consecutively from 2010 to 2012.
Held last night at Magazine London, the annual ceremony recognised the finest in the UK’s dining scene, with votes cast by over 200 top chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and critics. The Ledbury’s comeback is particularly noteworthy, having closed in 2020 before reopening in 2022 with a refreshed approach. Known for its precise and technically brilliant dishes, The Ledbury continues to offer an exceptional fine dining experience.
Stefan Chomka, editor of Restaurant magazine, which organises the awards, praised Graham’s leadership and the restaurant’s ethos, stating: “Brett Graham leads by example in the kitchen and is one of the hardest working chefs cooking at this level in the country. The Ledbury is revered for its produce-led dishes that arrive strikingly plated but also for the refreshing down-to-earth nature of its cooking, with the team always prioritising deliciousness over culinary showboating. It’s an outstanding restaurant, one that fully deserves to be recognised as the best in the UK.”
London dominated the awards, with 53 out of the top 100 restaurants located in the capital. Notable among these was Tomos Parry’s Mountain, which claimed the number two spot barely a year after its opening. Parry’s other venture, Brat, also made the list at number 47.
Other high-ranking London establishments include Bouchon Racine (4), Kiln (6), Da Terra (7), The Devonshire (9), and Ikoyi (10). The Devonshire, notable for being the first pub to win Opening of the Year, was also named Gastropub of the Year.
Outside London, Moor Hall in Lancashire secured the third spot, while last year’s winner, Ynyshir, dropped to fifth place. The awards also highlighted new entries like Claude Bosi’s Josephine Bouchon (24) and Brooklands (34), and Adejoké Bakare’s Chishuru (31), with Bakare winning Chef of the Year.
Michel Roux Jr was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his contributions to the culinary landscape through Le Gavroche, which closed in January after 57 years of service. Other special awards included the Estrella Damm Sustainability Award for The Bull Inn in Totnes, Chef to Watch for Ayo Adeyemi of Akoko, and the Service Award for Stuart Raiston’s Lyla in Edinburgh.
The NRAs, organised by Restaurant magazine, celebrate the best in the UK’s dining industry, showcasing both established and emerging talents. This year’s awards highlighted the resilience and innovation within the industry, particularly in the wake of the challenges posed by the pandemic.
The top 100 restaurants in the UK 2024
- The Ledbury, London
- Mountain, London
- Moor Hall, Lancashire
- Bouchon Racine, London
- Ynyshir, Wales
- Kiln, London
- Da Terra, London
- Opheem, Birmingham
- The Devonshire, London
- Ikoyi, London
- The Glenturret Lalique, Scotland
- Restaurant Pine, Northumberland
- The Ritz, London
- Mana, Manchester
- Endo at the Rotunda, London
- Higher Ground, Manchester
- Myse, York
- Kitchen Table, London
- A Wong, London
- L’Enclume, Cumbria
- Dorian, London
- Paul Ainsworth at No.6, Padstow
- Akoko, London
- Josephine Bouchon, London
- Sabor, London
- Solstice, Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Kolae, London
- Lyla, Edinburgh
- The Sportsman, Kent
- Hjem, Northumberland
- Chishuru, London
- Core By Clare Smyth, London
- Trinity, London
- Brooklands by Claude Bosi, London
- BiBi, London
- Sollip, London
- The Angel at Hetton, North Yorkshire
- Woven by Adam Smith, Sunningdale
- SOLA, London
- Frog by Adam Handling, London
- The Black Swan at Oldstead, North Yorkshire
- Inver, Scotland
- Fallow, London
- Luca, London
- The Little Chartroom, Edinburgh
- Upstairs by Tom Shepherd, Sheffield
- Brat, London
- Cycene, London
- Kol, London
- Erst, Manchester
- Parkers Arms, Lancashire
- Solo, Aughton
- Morchella, London
- The French House, London
- Ugly Butterfly, St Ives
- The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge
- Heft, High Newton
- The Midland Grand Dining Room, London
- Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London
- Lumiere, Cheltenham
- Crocadon Farm, St Mellion
- The Fordwich Arms, London
- Manteca, London
- Osip, Bruton, Somerset
- The Cedar Tree, Brampton
- Grace and Savour, West Midlands
- Annwn, Narbeth
- The Clove Club, London
- Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
- Chez Bruce, London
- Singburi, London
- Wilson’s, Bristol
- Hide, London
- Northcote, Lancashire
- Forest Side, Grasmere, Ambleside
- Lyle’s, London
- St John, London
- Restaurant 22, Cambridge
- Lisboeta, London
- The Harwood Arms, London
- The Muddlers Club, Belfast
- Aulis by Simon Rogan, London
- Interlude, Horsham
- Manifest, Liverpool
- Maison François, London
- Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, Oxfordshire
- Sune, London
- Smoking Goat, London
- Evelyn’s Table, London
- Trivet, London
- Etch, Hove, East Sussex
- The Grill by Tom Botoon, London
- Gymkhana, London
- The Palmerston, Edinburgh
- The Quality Chop House, London
- Updown Farmhouse, Deal
- Planque, London
- The Seahorse, Dartmouth, Devon
- Sette, London
- Camille, London
And the special awards were:
- Chef of the Year: Adejoké Bakare (Chishuru)
- Restaurateur of The Year: Joshua and Victoria Overington (Myse)
- Opening of The Year: The Devonshire, London
- Chef to Watch: Ayo Adeyemi (Akoko)
- One to Watch: Skof, Manchester
- The Sustainability Award: The Bull Inn, Totnes
- Gastropub of the Year: The Devonshire, London
- The Service Award: Lyla, Edinburgh
- Wine List of the Year: Trivet, London
- Cocktail list of the Year: The Dover, London
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Michel Roux
For more on the awards, head over to the official site.
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