Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2023: Kent restaurant, Tallow named the best in UK - full list of winners

The Good Food Guide has named a restaurant in Kent as the best local restaurant in the UK. The prestigious list was compiled using 37,000 public nominations for restaurants in England, Scotland, and Wales, with each of the final 100 restaurants visited by guide inspectors.

The Good Food Guide’s list of Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants includes many regional champions, including the overall winner, Tallow in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Southborough, Kent.

Editor, Elizabeth Carter, said of the win: “Tallow stood out, head and shoulders above what is a very strong list this year. For a chef of this quality to be so happily focused on running a neighbourhood restaurant is extraordinary.

“There’s a level of commitment here that would sit happily in many top restaurants. Everything is beautifully thought through, from food you really want to eat - delicious, simple, seasonal - the remarkable at ease service and the care of customers.

“The menu offers choice (a la carte or tasting), is affordable, completely changes each month, including the bread and the snacks; regulars like to visit at least once a month in order to try it out. Most live close enough to walk or are a short taxi ride away. They are very lucky.”

Tallow owner, Donna Taylor, said: “What an unexpected and humbling acknowledgement for the whole team at Tallow, and such a privilege to be considered alongside restaurants we love and respect.

“We’re incredibly proud to receive confirmation from our guests that Tallow has become what we had hoped, an accessible, relaxed dining experience that they wish to enjoy over and over again.”

The Good Food Guide’s regional winners

Central and East of England

Tropea, Birmingham, West Midlands

The Guide says: “A true neighbourhood restaurant in a well-heeled Birmingham suburb, with a genuinely welcoming vibe and excellent Italian cooking from a talented, locally trained chef.”

London

Les 2 Garçons, Crouch End

The Guide says: “London’s Best Local Restaurant is a gem of a French bistro that has soared to the top of the popularity stakes with its authentic cooking and endearing Gallic hospitality.”

North East

Homestead Kitchen, Goathland, North Yorkshire

The Guide says: “With its fabulous views and its commitment to seasonal food, sustainability and all things local, this Yorkshire farmhouse restaurant is an outright regional winner.”

North West

The Spärrows, Green Quarter, Manchester

The Guide says: “The decor may be Nordic and the food shot through with Central European generosity, but this is a properly local restaurant – and a real credit to Manchester.”

Scotland

The Kinneuchar Inn in Kilconquhar, Fife

The Guide says: “Still part of the local scene, and a rare example of a genuine dining pub in Scotland, this amiable spot serves up eclectic dishes based on East Neuk’s seasonal larder.”

South East

Maidenhead, Berkshire

The Guide says: “A beacon of local loveliness in Maidenhead town centre, this personally run restaurant is a godsend with its community feel, enthusiastic service and great-value cooking.”

South West

Wild Artichokes, Kingsbridge, Devon

The Guide says: “Local means magical at this warmly hospitable south Devon restaurant, where shared tables, a fun-loving vibe and creative cooking make for a truly memorable experience.”

Wales

Rocket & Rye, Cowbridge, Glamorgan

The Guide says: “Pitched somewhere between a café and a restaurant, John Cook’s upmarket eatery succeeds on all counts, making it a worthy local winner in Wales.”

For the full top 100 restaurants list, visit the Good Food Guide website.