Cumbria named as the county with the most Top 100 restaurants outside of London

Endo Kazutoshi’s 10-seater flagship, Endo at the Rotunda above the old Television Centre in London’s White City has been voted the UK’s best restaurant in the carefully curated annual Harden’s Top 100 Best UK Restaurants diners’ poll.

The lauded London dining destination run by Yokohama-born Endo Kazutoshi has found itself the nation’s top rated eatery after being closed for five months earlier this year for a refurbishment and ‘period of culinary reflection’ in order to create a more personal and immersive omakase experience. Feedback from diners hailed it as an “extraordinary gastronomic experience” where “the theatre of chef Endo’s entertaining presentation and explanations is a delight”. Since the Top 100 started 15 years ago, this is only the second time the number 1 has been neither modern British nor French.

Third generation sushi master Endo Kazutoshi says: “I am truly humbled and deeply grateful for this incredible news. To have the hard work and dedication of my team recognised in this way is an honour beyond words. As Japanese cuisine continues to capture the hearts and palates of people in London and around the world, I feel a profound sense of responsibility and pride to stand at the forefront as a pioneer. It is my mission to not only celebrate this rich culinary tradition but also to push its boundaries and lead its evolution on a global stage.”

Outside of the capital, restaurants in the North West of England have had a particularly strong showing in this year’s ratings. Cumbria is named as the county with the most Top 100 listings outside of London. Meanwhile Manchester is the English city with the most entries in the Harden’s Best UK Restaurants 2025 guide as a whole with an impressive 47 making the grade, and Liverpool follows not far behind in the rankings with 19.

Of the five Cumbrian restaurants to star in this year’s elite Top 100 list, two are from the Lake District’s most renowned celebrity chef – and last year’s taker of the top spot – Simon Rogan. His L’Enclume spin-off Henrock, which occupies the light-filled dining room of Linthwaite Hotel, overlooking Windermere reached 56 and won a 5/5 food score with Chef Mark McCabe’s cooking “altogether highly recommended”.

And although L’Enclume has slipped down the list to 73 this year some diners still hailed it as the “best meal of my life, as simple as that!” with attention to detail including “Waiters move as though choreographed in a ballet” (“they even spotted that I was left handed and so laid out my place settings to suit me!”) that ultimately delivers “gastronomic paradise” overseen day-to-day by head chef, Paul Burgalières. In terms of niggles, the guide’s editors note that “concerns about prices have risen somewhat year on year. There is also a fear among a small minority that the experience risks becoming so “polished to perfection” as to be almost “perfunctory”. The main take-away though? “Simply the best!”

The county’s best performer was The Old Stamp House in Ambleside at number 37. Ryan (chef) and Craig (manager) Blackburn’s well-established destination located in the former office of poet William Wordsworth from the days when he was the local stamp distributor offers a ‘Journey around Cumbria’ tasting menu hailed as “superb food” all delivered by “knowledgeable and warm” service. James Cross’ Lake Road Kitchen in Ambleside (54) and Heft in Newton in Cartmel complete the set with Kevin and Nicola Tickle’s “staggeringly good” pub even being nominated by a couple of diners as their best meal of the year.

In Manchester, Mana jumped from 97 last year to 29 as “the praise just keeps piling up year after year for Simon Martin’s Ancoats “fault-free” legend” rated “exceptional from start to finish”. Whilst further afield, Lancashire’s Top 100 mainstays are back for another year including: The White Swan at Fence (16), Northcote (70), and Moor Hall (74).

The 34th edition of the Harden’s guide, published this week (ISBN: 978-1916076198, price £20: also available as apps for Apple or Android), is one of only two surviving established UK restaurant guides made available in print, and the only one based on feedback from normal diners rather than a group of professional inspectors. A total of 30,000 reports are submitted from a survey of 2,500 diners. Restaurants at all price levels are included: from street food vendors to the country’s most ambitious dining rooms, with 2,800 restaurants listed in total.

This year’s guide’s editors also noted that a clear difference in price increases between London restaurants and those elsewhere in the UK seems to suggest regional restaurants are continuing to move forward in their post-covid recovery whilst the capital continues to experience the pandemic’s more restrictive after effects.

Peter Harden, co-founder of Harden’s, comments: “There has been a noticeable difference in the increase of restaurants entering into the higher price bands outside of London compared to last year. We can see significantly higher price increases of between 16%-21% for the number of restaurants in the £100, £150 and £200+ price brackets outside of London, compared to between 10% -15% in the capital. This data adds to a general feeling that London is still feeling the after effects of the pandemic and – in particular – quieter Mondays and Fridays caused by working from home, while beyond the capital things are ticking along a little more strongly.”

Commenting on the North West’s performance in this year’s Harden’s Best UK Restaurants 2025 guide and Top 100 list Peter says: “The Lake District is not short of good places to eat and as a result Cumbria is a culinary county to be reckoned with and many of our diners find their personal favourite dining destination of the year within its well-stocked borders. Manchester has also shown a real breadth of quality restaurants with a huge number making it into the guide; no mean feat in itself. Manchester’s 47 with Liverpool’s 19 means that the North West is one of the main contributing regions to the nation’s finest eating establishments! Whichever way you slice it, the North West is packed with exceptional dining experiences that leaves foodies spoiled for choice.”
Harden’s Best UK Restaurants 2025, £20, is available in all good bookshops, including Waterstone’s and Amazon.com, and from www.hardens.com.