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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Milo Boyd

20 new UK restaurants given Michelin award for 'delicious but budget' food

A list of 20 restaurants across the UK and Ireland receiving Michelin Bib Gourmand status has been revealed.

The mark of quality means the eateries are serving delicious dishes but at much more affordable prices than some of the higher end gourmet restaurants that win full Michelin star status.

Since 1997 Michelin has been awarding the best value for money restaurants – offering a three course meal at a reasonable price – the Bib Gourmand.

The price limit for Bib Gourmand consideration varies from country to country, depending on the cost of living, but the inspectors are searching for the same high quality, wherever they happen to be in the world.

If you're looking for a special and delicious night out without breaking the bank, the new entrants are definitely worth a try.

1. Marmo, Bristol

Mediterranean vibes come courtesy of Marmo – an on-trend wine bar that produces delicious Italian food.

It is very well loved by those who know about, it no small part because it offers some incredible deals.

At lunchtime you can bag two courses for £14 and three courses £17, while mains at dinner start at £13.50.

Skate and mash at Marmo (marmo.restaurant/Instagram)

2. The Blaise Inn, Bristol

The inn is a traditional village pub serving a menu of British classics with a skilful modern twist, which includes some terrific desserts.

"We had a fantastic Sunday lunch at the Blaise Inn - the vegetarian option was absolutely delicious," one happy customers recently wrote on TripAdvisor.

"Staff were welcoming and friendly and found space for us! Really nice atmosphere and would definitely go back!"

3. COR, Bristol

COR is a mix of a tapas bar and a buzzy restaurant and offers some great charcuterie and cheeses.

The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team, and offers apprenticeships to young people from colleges across the city.

One particularly tasty looking item currently on its menu is the Swiss chard and ricotta manicotti, braised tomato, parmesan and wild rocket for £14.90.

4. The Chequers, Bath

The Chequers offers a choice of traditional pub dishes or more elaborate plates with international flavours.

It sits in an old pub building that that has been serving customers since 1776 and is in classic Bath Georgian style.

"Amazing cocktails and incredible food! The atmosphere was also very good! Would definitely recommend," one person recently wrote on Tripadvisor.

Delicious looking burgers at The Chequers in Bath (The Chequers)

5. Queen of Cups, Glastonbury

This former pub is now a deliciously different restaurant serving colourful Mediterranean and Middle Eastern small plates.

Celebrating their Michelin BIB Gourmand status, the owners wrote on Twitter: "The Bib very much falls in line with our ethos at Queen of Cups, which is that good, sustainable, local food should be accessible to all. So proud and thankful."

6. Root Wells, Wells

Root Wells also offers small plates – but this time vegetarian-led – as well as lovely views over the Cathedral.

"Fabulous welcoming service informative description menu. The food was delicious and presented beautifully," one person wrote.

"We had five different dishes that we both enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant was great."

7. Emilia, Ashburton

The name ‘Emilia’ refers to the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, which provides the influences at this classic restaurant set within a former bank.

Its daily changing menu is chalked on the door of the old vault.

Today the vault is showing tagliatelle, veal, guincale and wild garlic ragu for £18.50 and braised cuttlefish, fregola and tomato £12.50.

8. The Galley, Topsham

The fish at the Galley looks delicious (The Galley)

The Galley provides a similarly cheery, welcoming feel, and it's rustic interior and appealing menu are the perfect fit for its delightful town.

This is a fish restaurant, but you won't be finding any classic chips and deep fried cod here. Instead it does a roaring trade in butter poached pollock and bream fillet.

9. Flint House, Brighton

This brasserie has a cheery vibe, sits within Brighton's pedestrian zone and has a first floor cocktail bar complete with a terrace.

Appealing, flavour-packed small plates with a European accent are accompanied by good value wines.

"Great food, beautifully seasoned, wide variety and reasonable prices considering the quality," a reviewer recently wrote.

10. Hām, London

Roasted aubergine with cashew cream and herb salad at Hām restaurant in West Hampstead (hamwhampstead/Instagram)

Welcoming neighbourhood restaurant Hām serves assured yet unfussy Mediterranean dishes, offering a good value set lunch and also brunch until the early afternoon

They offer a good value set lunch; brunch is served until the early afternoon; and the lamb pie is a must-try.

Look up and you might get a glance of the chefs hard at work in the elevated kitchen.

11. Evernight, London

Evernight is a trendy modern take on an izakaya, where British produce is married with Japanese refinement in a menu of sharing dishes.

The items currently on offer include cuttlefish, dashi jelly, yuzu brill and salsa verde.

In a sign of how loved it is, many people have braved the new Battersea Power Station shopping complex in order to try out its increasingly famous dishes.

12. Plaza Khao Gaeng, London

This restaurant is set within the Arcade Food Hall and comes with a buzzy, vintage vibe.

The chef grows many of the Southeast Asian ingredients in a tropical greenhouse in Dorset, then turns them into punchy Southern Thai curries.

"Don't expect pad thai and the likes here, food here is authentic in offerings and taste," one happy customer wrote.

13. Saint Francis Provisions, Kinsale

The restaurant is small and intimate (Saint Francis Provisions)

At the small end of the scale is the mini Saint Francis Provisions, which seats just 13 guests.

It is an endearing restaurant serves punchy, daily changing Mediterranean small plates, accompanied by all-natural wines.

On their recent Michelin listing, the owners wrote on Facebook: "We are officially listed in the @michelinguide whoop whoop!!! Feeling giddy …..and very very fortunate to work in this great town with a great team."

14. The Pelican, London

The Pelican is a traditional restaurant which is set in a big Victorian former boozer that has a great atmosphere and serves up satisfying pub food with a British heart.

Here you can get a duck pie, chips and a pint for around £25.

"Amazing place, fantastic lobster pie, great wine and awesome helpful staff," one recent review reads.

15. The Six Bells, Witham on the Hill

You can stay at the Six Bells if your afternoon gets out of hand (The Six Bells)

This is a bright, characterful pub which offers sophisticated dishes on its main menu, along with freshly cooked rotisserie chicken and pizzas from the wood-burning oven.

It is a beautiful place from the outside with a cosy, firelit interiors and rooms to stay in if you overindulge.

On a Sunday guests can tuck into a lamb, chicken or beef roast with Yorkshire pudding, honey roast carrot and parsnip, balsamic roast carrots and onions, and traditional Sunday vegetables for £17.

16. Kushi-Ya, Nottingham

Kushi-Ya is an inviting counter restaurant specialising in Japanese kushiyaki skewers cooked over a charcoal grill.

"We strive to use the best produce and cook it simply, the open kitchen allows diners to see the chefs at work and enjoy the smells created by grilling meat, fish and vegetables over charcoal on our specially imported Japanese grill," the restaurant's owners explain on its website.

Tofu Tsukune, tare and egg yolk is currently available for just £7.50.

17. The Spärrows, Manchester

Poland and Russia lead the way on this menu and Polish wines top the drinks list.

The Sparrows is an cosy restaurant that is nestled under the railway arches in the Green Quarter.

Sppecialties of the house are Spätzle - fresh egg pasta - from across a vast geographical region of South Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Alsace and Sud Tyrol.

18. Yr Hen Printworks, Cardigan

Fishcake, curry mayo and sea aster at Yr Hen Printworks in Cardigan (Yr Hen Printworks)

A stone-built chapel and later, a printworks, this building has been lovingly restored and now houses the modern Yr Hen Printworks restaurant, whose strapline is 'Dine, Drink, Unwind'.

Small plates are the order of the day and some of the meats come from their family farm; smoking and pickling techniques are also a feature.

19. EDŌ, Belfast

A modish bistro in the heart of the city, EDŌ comes with a faux-industrial look and an international sharing menu, with many dishes cooked over wood in the Bertha oven.

Braised beef cheek, smoked cheese and beef crumb is currently on offer for £16.50.

"The dishes are supremely tasty and quite refined with some great chefery involved. The staff are friendly, approachable and take care to explain the menu. Absolutely fantastic!" one Tripadvisor reviewer recently wrote.

10. Waterman, Belfast

A upbeat bistro vibe is also found at Waterman, set within a characterful period building, where unfussy modern dishes feature European flavours and Italy takes the lead.

The lunch menu includes crispy squid, romesco and garlic aioli for £10, and smoked eel, beetroot and horseradish for £8.50.

"The food cannot be faulted, and after three weeks' plus of being served chips and peas, tasteless mash and soggy greens, this was heaven on a plate for discerning tastes on a budget for three months plus of European travelling," a review recently praised.

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