The South West can boast 20 restaurants named in UK’s Top 100 Restaurants by SquareMeal.
The annual awards, returning this year after Covid, are voted for by diners who use SquareMeal’s restaurant loyalty programme and independent restaurant reviews with comments from thousands of customers.
Last year’s number one, Osip in Bruton, Somerset, was placed number two behind new entrant Grace & Savour in Hampton Manor in the West Midlands. The judges said the Michelin star-holding British eatery was “still high in estimations, and Osip’s reputation is only growing. The serene dining room is matched by precise, elegant cooking, and a laudable commitment to supporting local producers.”
New entrants from our region to the list included Casa and COR, both from Bristol. Casa (ranked 29th) in Redcliffe, Bristol, was opened by the same team behind the acclaimed, Michelin-starred Casamia. “Casamia was always going to be a tough act to follow, but Peter Sanchez-Iglesias and Joel Breakwell have done just that, reinventing Italian food with confidence, energy and style,” said the judges. Casamia owner Peter Sanchez-Iglesias also runs the Spanish tapas restaurant Paco Tapas in Redcliffe, which was placed number 8 and praised for its menu which “changes every day to make use of the freshest available produce, but you can always guarantee something special.”
COR Bristol (placed 69th) in Bedminster is named after the Latin word for ‘heart’ and had the aim to “bring people together and to create a warm and friendly environment for all. The menu takes influence from the owners’ love of the Mediterranean with a seasonal spin so the menus are always changing.” said the entry on SquareMeal.
Other South West restaurants named in the Top 100 included: Upstairs at Landrace in Bath (34); which serves “a concise menu of perfectly-executed Mediterranean plates”, Lilac in Lime Regis Dorset (35); “a relaxed restaurant and wine bar from the same team behind Robin Wylde, with a major focus on sustainability.”, The Masons Arms Knowstone in Devon (60); “its appearance is cottagecore while the food is anything but frilly – this is expertly mastered, gutsy pub grub.” and Glebe House in Devon (79); “A sort of British version of an agriturismo, this countryside bolthole serves food worth travelling for via its family-style four-course seasonal menu made almost entirely from produce grown or reared on site.”
Square Meal say that the annual list is “a chance for us to shout about the best-of-the-best in both emerging and established culinary roles and allows us to celebrate the incredible chefs and hospitality teams out there going above and beyond to give their diners top-class experiences”.
For more details on the whole 100, go to www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/best/uk-top-100-restaurants_238.
