In an age of online reviews, comments and blogs from everyone and their grandma’s dog, there are a lot of opinions to wade through when making the agonising decision of where to go for your tea. For the more discerning diner, there are always the trusted food writers and restaurant critics (eh hem).
But even keen restaurant goers like us are willing to concede that the people with the real inside knowledge, the ones who know good food better than anyone, are the top chefs themselves. That’s why we like to ask them where they go to eat whenever they get the opportunity.
In a guide which we intend to keep updating, we have put together a list of places that our favourite chefs have recommended to us. Some names, such as Moor Hall in Ormskirk, Wreckfish in Liverpool and The Moorcock in Sowerby Bridge come up time and time again. Others may be less well known but all of them come with a solid gold top chef’s tip of the hat. Recommendations don’t come much higher than that.
Simon Shaw of El Gato Negro: The French, Albert’s Schloss, Pasta Factory, Mackie Mayor and Noi Quattro.
Stosie Madie of The Parker’s Arms: Hawksmoor, Siam Smiles, Glamorous Chinese, Altrincham Market, Mughli, Al Amar bakery, Syria Sweets in Rusholme, Rudy’s, The Bay Horse and L’Enclume
Tom Parker of The White Swan at Fence: La Locanda, Gisburn and Wood in Manchester.
Adam Reid of The French at The Midland: Moor Hall (and The Barn), Freemasons at Wiswell, The White Swan at Fence, Moorcock Inn, Forest Side. All Gary Usher’s places (e.g. Sticky Walnut, Burnt Truffle, Hispi and Wreckfish), Pollen Bakery and The Parker’s Arms.
Sam Buckley of WTLGI: The Moorcock, Umezushi and Bundobust
Steven Smith of Freemasons: Yu and You, Copster Green and Moor Hall
Marko Husak of Bundobust: The Reliance and Ox Club in Leeds. Maray and Wreckfish in Liverpool. Hawksmoor, El Gato Negro, Rudy’s, The Refuge & Umezushi in Manchester.
Simon Wood of Wood: Northcote, The White Swan at Fence and Moor Hall
Will Beckett of Hawksmoor: Hispi, WTLGI, Sugo Pasta, Mackie Mayor, Wreckfish and Tast.
Here’s the list:
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Book Now Lancashire
Moor Hall
Moor Hall delivers Michelin magic in a historic country house setting.
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Book Now Ropewalks
Wreckfish
Liverpool seems like an appropriate place for a restaurant funded by the people. Wreckfish was financed by 1,522 enthusiasts who raised the record-breaking £200,000 required, via a crowdfunding campaign from Elite Bistros’ Gary Usher. Accordingly, it has the feel of a place for the many, not the few.
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Book Now West Yorkshire
The Moorcock Inn
An astonishing arrival on the Northern culinary scene, The Moorcock Inn serves foraged and regional ingredients in thrilling configurations, catching the eye of national food critics and diners alike.
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Book Now Altrincham
Sud Pasta Altrincham
SUD Pasta is a must-visit restaurant in Manchester. Since opening their first pasta kitchen in 2015, they’ve taken the city and suburbs by storm.
With restaurants in Altrincham, Ancoats and now Sale, they’re a firm favourite amongst locals and visitors alike.
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Spinningfields
Hawksmoor
The best steakhouse in the North. Opening on Deansgate in 2015, the first Hawksmoor steakhouse outside of London is a confident affair. Well sourced steak and attention to detail have created a place like no other.
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Manchester City Centre
Adam Reid at The French
Culinary rock and roll from Simon Rogan’s protege, Adam Reid. Enjoy fine-dining in Grade II Listed Victorian surrounds – with a side order of Mancunian attitude.
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Rusholme
Mughli
Mughli is the contemporary, social media embracing, second generation Curry Mile restaurant that paved the way for the likes of Indian Tiffin Room, Amma’s Canteen and Dishoom.
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Book Now Cumbria
L’Enclume
L’Enclume is Simon Rogan’s three Michelin-starred restaurant located in the Lake District village of Cartmel, which is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading dining destinations. The restaurant is situated in a former 13th-century blacksmith’s workshop.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Wood
The eponymous restaurant of Simon Wood, MasterChef winner and local lad from Oldham, is an accomplished affair. Food is cooked by both Wood and head chef, Mike Jennings, formerly of Grenache in Worsley. The décor – muted natural tones in a glass-clad new build – places the focus of any meal on the fine, Italianesque (yet often locally sourced) food and wine on offer.
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Book Now Lancashire
The White Swan at Fence
Some folk in the village still refer to The White Swan at Fence as The Mucky Duck and you can still order a pint of Timothy Taylor’s at its very pubby bar. But over recent years The Swan has established itself as a destination fine-dining spot thanks to young chef Tom Parker from up the road in Burnley.
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Book Now Lancashire
Freemasons at Wiswell
Cooking goes from strength to strength at the Freemasons at Wiswell in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley. Roaring fires, cast-iron fireplaces and pictures of fantastically proportioned livestock lend a cosy vibe to the renovated cottages which make up what’s been described as the original gastropub.
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Book Now Cumbria
The Forest Side
Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel The Forest Side, owned by Lakes hotelier Andrew Wildsmith, is built on the foundations of the cooking of former L’Enclume forager, Kevin Tickle.
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Book Now Greater Manchester
Pollen Bakery
After an initial stint tucked away in an archway near Piccadilly, this airy bakery and cafe moved to a spot overlooking New Islington’s marina. Since then Pollen Bakery has bagged Best Food and Drink Retailer at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards, and been listed in the Sunday Times top 20 UK bakeries.
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Book Now Lancashire
Parker’s Arms
The Parker’s Arms is a homely pub, serving and baking extraordinary, modern European food.
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Book Now Cheshire
Sticky Walnut
Located in Hoole, just outside Chester, this contemporary bistro falls under the Elite Bistros empire of chef-turned-restaurateur, Gary Usher. Having trained at The Chester Grosvenor, Chapter One and Chez Bruce, Usher is a chef with a passion for getting things just so.
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Book Now Didsbury
Hispi
Hispi is, quite simply, a great bistro. Fifth in a growing chain of restaurants conceived by Gary Usher, the concept started with Sticky Walnut in Chester (see also Top 100), a neighbourhood operation which made its name off the back of great, simple food, quaffable wine served in beakers, and excellent quality produce. Expect chunky British dishes – such as chicken liver pate and braised featherblade – made with fresh ingredients and great results.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
Bundobust Manchester
Bundobust is a huge beer hall serving craft ales in the heart of Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens. It also happened to win Restaurant of the Year at the 2017 Manchester Food and Drink Festival awards, thanks to its stellar menu of Indian small plates.
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Book Now Lancashire
Yu Copster Green
Yu Copster Green (formerly known as Yu and You) is an established, upscale Chinese restaurant serving British favourites and house inventions in the heart of the Ribble Valley.
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Manchester City Centre
El Gato Negro Manchester
El Gato Negro is an upmarket Manc-Spanish fusion restaurant that really, really works. Originally from Yorkshire, chef Simon Shaw has created an indulgent, three-storey church to his passion for the best in Spanish food and wine.
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Book Now Ropewalks
Maray Bold St
Serving irresistible Middle Eastern fusion small plates, Maray is a slow-burning smash hit. Inspired by (and named after) the Middle-Eastern flavours of Paris’ Marais district, it provides an informal, communal dining experience which revolves around excellent falafels, small plates, fine wines and cocktails.
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Book Now Leeds
Ox Club
The Ox Club offers sumptuous, grill-based cooked from the Belgrave gang.
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Book Now Manchester City Centre
The Refuge
Winning small plate fusion in an iconic and glamorous setting. Housed in Manchester’s iconic The Refuge Assurance Company dating back to 1858, this DJ-run restaurant and bar is large and sassy.
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Book Now Lancashire
Northcote
Northcote is where chef-patron Nigel Haworth earned his stripes as an instigator of contemporary British fine dining. Today, Michelin star chef and one of BBC2’s Great British Menu winners, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, heads up the kitchen.
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Book Now Stockport
Where the Light Gets In
The UK’s most exciting ‘no menu’ restaurant. With no menu and esoteric wines, Where the Light Gets In doesn’t adhere to the typical fine-dining formula. But it’s been a success for Stockport, thanks to chef-patron Sam Buckley’s belief in doing things his own way.