National Restaurant Awards: Full list of winners as Ynyshir in Wales takes top spot

The Welsh restaurant Ynyshir has been named National Restaurant of the Year at the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards, making it the first restaurant outside of England to win the category in the competition’s 16-year history.  

Ynyshir, in Eglwys Fach, Machynlleth, has attracted high praise for its experimental tasting menus, which are based on a ‘Japanese approach to Welsh ingredients’. Chef-patron Gareth Ward has created a ‘unique dining experience’ at Ynyshir: making no distinction between back and front of house, the chefs themselves serve each dish, while a DJ plays a live set on vinyl. Rooms come with a breakfast cooked by Gareth in the morning.  

‘What Gareth Ward has done at Ynyshir is remarkable,’ said Restaurant editor Stefan Chomka. 

‘Taking on a restaurant located in a traditional country house hotel and putting such a personal and edgy stamp on it was a bold, brave move – a real statement of intent – but one that has really paid off.  

‘Ynyshir is without doubt one of the most unique and exciting places to eat in the UK at the moment, possibly in the world, and is a very worthy winner of this year’s awards.’ 

Moor Hall in Lancashire, which occupied top spot in 2021 and 2020, takes second place this year, while the first London restaurant to make the list is Tomos Parry’s Basque-inspired Brat in Shoreditch, coming in at number three – the slot previously held by three-star Notting Hill restaurant Core by Clare Smyth.  

New to the list this year is Mayfair’s BiBi, which placed fifth and received the award for Opening of the Year. Chet Sharma’s refined Indian restaurant has been topping best restaurant lists since it opened last September. Further down, at number 93, is another new London entry: Chishuru, the celebrated West African restaurant in Brixton by chef-owner Adejoké Barake. 

London dominated the list this year: it’s home to 60 of the top 100 restaurants. Lisboeta, Nuno Mendes’ new Portuguese restaurant, was named One to Watch, while two London restaurants picked up prizes in the drinks category: Noble Rot Soho for Wine List of the Year, and Santiago Lastra’s British-Mexican restaurant KOL for Cocktail List of the Year.  

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to one of the capital’s most celebrated chefs, Ruth Rogers, chef-owner of The River Café.

‘Ruth Rogers is one of those rare professional chefs that transcend the world of cooking and give it a more human, personal element,’ said Chomka.  

‘The River Café celebrates its 35th birthday this year and has played a pivotal role in bringing London’s culinary scene up from the doldrums to what it is today. Its influence cannot be overstated.’ 

The full list of awards:

• Estrella Damm National Restaurant of the Year: Ynyshir
• Best Restaurant in England: Moor Hall
• Best Restaurant in Northern Ireland: Ox
• Best Restaurant in Wales: Ynyshir
• Best Restaurant in Scotland: Inver
• Chef of the Year, sponsored by Ritter Courivaud: Simon Rogan, Umbel Restaurant Group
• Restaurateur of the Year, sponsored by Entegra: Dan and Natasha Smith, The Fordwich Arms and The Bridge Arms
• Chef to Watch, sponsored by Belazu Ingredient Co.: Spencer Metzger
• Opening of the Year, sponsored by OpenTable: BiBi
• One to Watch, sponsored by Woods Foodservice: Lisboeta
• The Sustainability Award, sponsored by Estrella Damm: Where The Light Gets In
• Gastropub of the Year, sponsored by Estrella Damm: The Angel at Hetton
• The Service Award, sponsored by Liberty Wines and Rathfinny Wine Estate: The Ritz
• Wine List of the Year, sponsored by Bibendum Wine: Noble Rot Soho
• Cocktail List of the Year, sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka: KOL
• Food Lovers Award: The Beach House Restaurant, Oxwich
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Ruth Rogers, The River Café.

The full list of winners at the National Restaurant Awards:

1. Ynyshir 

2. Moor Hall 

3. Brat 

4. The Ritz 

5. BiBi  

6. The Ledbury 

7. A Wong 

8. Core by Clare Smyth 

9. Ikoyi 

10. L’Enclume 

11. Manteca 

12. The Angel at Hetton 

13. Fallow 

14. House of Tides 

15. Sabor 

16. Perilla 

17. The Fordwich Arms 

18. Da Terra 

19. Kiln 

20. KOL 

21. Noble Rot Soho 

22. Brawn 

23. Inver 

24. Lyle’s 

25. Trinity 

26. The River Café 

27. Tony Parkin at the Tudor Room 

28. Kitchen Table 

29. Claude Bosi at Bibendum 

30. Sessions Arts Club 

31. St. John 

32. The Black Swan at Oldstead 

33. Chez Bruce 

34. Restaurant Story 

35. Mangal 2 

36. Planque 

37. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay 

38. 40 Maltby Street 

39. Restaurant Sat Bains 

40. The French House

41. Bright 

42. The Guinea Grill 

43. Frog by Adam Handling 

44. Parker’s Arms  

45. Pollen Street Social 

46. Silo 

47. The Sportsman 

48. Pine 

49. Maison François 

50. Native at Browns 

51. Evelyn’s Table 

52. Hjem 

53. Allegra  

54. Erst                      

55. The Clove Club 

56. The Seahorse 

57. Elystan Street 

58. Etch 

59. SOLA 

60. Trattoria Brutto 

61. The Man Behind the Curtain 

62. Frenchie  

63. Hélène Darroze at The Connaught 

64. Kudu 

65. Osip 

66. Midsummer House 

67. The Bridge Arms 

68. The Grill at The Dorchester 

69. Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill 

70. Alchemilla 

71. Gymkhana 

72. Raby Hunt 

73. The Quality Chop House 

74. Rochelle Canteen 

75. Café Deco 

76. Decimo 

77. JORO 

78. Mana 

79. Paul Ainsworth At No.6 

80. Carter’s of Mosley 

81. Cottage in the Woods 

82. Hide 

83. Orasay 

84. Ondine 

85. Ox 

86. Trivet 

87. The Old Stamp House 

88. Opheem 

89. Sargasso 

90. The Little Chartroom 

91. Tallow 

92. Aizle 

93. Chishuru  

94. Le Cochon Aveugle 

95. Muse 

96. Northcote 

97. The Palmerston 

98. Benares 

99. La Dame de Pic 

100. Endo at the Rotunda

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