Happy days: The restaurant serves an international menu from pasta to fish and chips
(Picture: Handout)Happy, a family-friendly bar and grill in Piccadilly Circus, has been named as the best restaurant in London at a national awards ceremony.
The casual dining spot, which offers a crowd-pleasing, international menu ranging from burgers and pasta to fish and chips, claimed the accolade at the fourth annual edition of the British Restaurant Awards in Paddington last night.
It triumphed in the London category, seeing off competition from critical darlings such as Fallow, Le Gavroche, BiBi and Roti King. Happy also scooped the award for Best Hospitality Team.
Ivan Popov, owner of Happy London, said: “We are all extremely excited to have been voted for by the British public for these esteemed awards.
“As a relatively young restaurant in the central London scene, it is an honour to have been commended like this. Happy has come a long way in a very short span of time and this is just one amazing example of that.”
London’s restaurant scene was further celebrated with wins for Kutir, Rohit Ghai’s upscale Indian restaurant, which was named restaurant of the year. Miro Mayfair claimed Best New Restaurant and The Ritz received Best Luxury Restaurant.
Elsewhere, Lebanese spot Chamisse in Holborn, was handed the Best Take-Away Restaurant award.
Nominations for the 2022 awards were voted for by readers of Chelsea Monthly magazine, The National Post, Brand Weekly and members of the World Restaurant Awards Guide. These nominees were then put to a public vote.
The full list of 2022 winners are:
- Best New Restaurant: Miro Mayfair, London
- Best Young Chef: Amber Francis
- Best Luxury Restaurant 2022: The Ritz
- Restaurant of the Year: Kutir, London
- Best Hospitality Team: Happy Bar and Grill
- Best Restaurant Chain: Thai Square
- Best Chef: Aldo Zilli
- Best Take-Away Restaurant: Chamisse, London
- Best Culinary Experience: Peter Street Kitchen, Manchester
- Best Restaurant - Manchester: Gaucho
- Best Restaurant - London: Happy Bar & Grill
- Best Restaurant - Liverpool: Lerpwl
- Best Restaurant - Essex: Brohmon
- Best Restaurant - Bradford: Cafe J’Adore
- Best Restaurant - Bristol: Namak
- Best Restaurant - Wales: Zero Degrees
- Best Restaurant - Newcastle: Aveika
- Best Restaurant - Sheffield: Neon Fish
- Best Restaurant - Leeds: Blue Sakura
- Best Restaurant - Cambridge: Bedouin
- Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant: Stem + Glory, Cambridge
- Queen Elizabeth II Lifetime Achievement Award: Jean Christophe-Novelli MBE
