The 100 best restaurants in the UK have been named -…

The 100 best restaurants in the UK have been named - and two are in Manchester

The top 100 restaurants in the UK and London have been named by an industry food bible - and the list features two Manchester restaurants.

SquareMeal's list of top eateries in the UK shouts about the best-of-the-best in terms of emerging talent and dining institutions, bringing together a host of the best new openings and classics 'from the very north of Scotland to Cornwall’s southern tip'. Leading this year is Grace & Saviour in Hampton-in-Arden in the West Midlands at number one, and last-year's winner Osip in Somerset in second place.

In London, the number one spot had gone to Da Terra in Bethnal Green, with head chef Rafael Cagali praised for his clever fusion of Latin American cuisine with Italian notes. Both in-house critic reviews and reader votes to compile the final rankings - ensuring each place reflects real-life dining experiences as well as SquareMeal's professional opinion.

Two Manchester restaurants ranked in this year's list including Adam Reid at The French and Erst in Ancoats. The French placed in 41st position, lauded for its ability to pull of a "stunning gastronomic experience" and "spot-on service".

The acclaimed restaurant was given a silver award, while the full entry states: "Simon Rogan is long gone, but his protégé Adam Reid continues to turn heads at this flagship restaurant within Manchester’s vintage Midland Hotel. Though the grand dining room’s opulent décor hasn’t changed, eating here feels less formal than before – but no less impressive, with Reid stamping his own distinctive mark on proceedings. All cooking is labelled as modern British, which really can mean anything these days."

The guide also details its thrilling encounters at the eatery, as well as the chef's goal to make his food more accessible by offering a number of menu options to choose from, including four- and nine-course tasting menus, as well as a Great British Menu themed one.

Erst in Ancoats has been winning rave reviews (Publicity Picture)

Meanwhile, Erst, a wine bar and restaurant on Murray Street in Ancoats, came in 76th position and is described as a bold new addition" to Ancoats and "achingly cool". Also awarded a silver, the guide notes its "concise, confident menu of snacks", leavened flatbreads' "addictive char", and Picanha steak as having "robust beefy flavours".

SquareMeal’s head of content, Caroline Hendry, said: "This year marks the first full year we’ve all be able to go out and about to eat again without covid restrictions. With our restored freedom we’ve rediscovered the pure joy of a phenomenal meal and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate those moments through our awards.

"We’d like to thank the incredible hospitality professionals that create such seamless experiences across the whole of the UK, as well as all our readers who voted in their thousands to help us make our final decision.

"Both Da Terra and Grace & Savour blew us away with their explosive cookery, beautiful settings and commitment to using only the very best produce. We hope you discover both old favourites and new classics on the list, and wish everyone another year of very, very good eating in 2023."

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