A Manchester restaurant that has only been open a matter of months has shot into a prestigious list of the very best restaurants in the UK. Higher Ground has placed at 51 in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 announced last night.
Higher Ground only opened in February on New York Street in the city centre, but has already been winning wide acclaim from diners and critics. Now, an industry panel of chefs and food experts have ranked it among the very best in the UK in the annual list sponsored by Estrella Damm.
The venue is hailed for its "Impeccable sourcing and creative cooking". The listing says that together with its "low intervention wines" it makes for a "modern and thoughtful Manchester bistro."
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It is an incredible achievement for the restaurant to make it into the list so soon after opening. It has placed higher in the top 100 than many Michelin Star pedigree restaurants and is the highest rated for Greater Manchester this year.
Higher Ground, described as a "British bistro and bar" was launched by the team behind the acclaimed Flawd at New Islington Marina. It has been brought to life by three friends who have worked at some of the best restaurants across the world, front-of-house man Richard Cossins, chef Joe Otway and wine expert Daniel Craig-Martin.
The only other venue in the city that makes the top 100 is the Michelin Star restaurant Mana, in Ancoats. It has risen up the rankings from 78 last year to now be placed at 71.
The best restaurant in the country according to the list is once again Welsh restaurant Ynyshir in Powys. Lancashire's acclaimed Moor Hall, which holds two Michelin Stars for chef Mark Birchall, is again rated second in the top 100 list.
Meanwhile the Parkers Arms pub in Lancashire was named Gastropub of the Year at the awards last night - ranking at an impressive 12 in the top 100 restaurants list. Earlier this year the venue, famous for its pies, was named the best gastropub in the country at the annual Gastropub Awards.
In total eight north west restaurants have made the top 100 this year, in a list that is elsewhere dominated by London venues. Michelin Star restaurant Northcote in Langho is the second Lancashire establishment to make the list alongside Parkers Arms.
L'Enclume, the only three Michelin Star restaurant in the north, is rated at number 30 in the list, one of two Cumbrian venues this year alongside Forest Side in Grasemere which is placed at 60.
Here's where other north west restaurants have ranked in the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards top 100 list for 2023.
100 - Manifest, Liverpool
71 - Mana, Ancoats
68 - Northcote, Langho, Lancashire
60 - Forest Side, Grasmere, Cumbria
51 - Higher Ground, Manchester city centre
30 - L'Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria
12 - Parkers Arms, Newton-in-Bowland, Lancashire
2 - Restaurant Moor Hall, Aughton, Lancashire
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