Three Welsh restaurants have been included in The Good Food Guide's top 20 for 2022, with the vaunted guide branding the group among the "most exciting restaurants" in Britain. Ynyshir, near Machynlleth, claimed the number two spot, while Aberystwyth's SY23 came in at 12 and Annwn in Pembrokeshire was 14th.
Ynyshir, which has already scooped the accolade of two Michelin stars, a first in Wales, in 2022, also was awarded the prestigious title of World Class by the Guide, which has been operating for 70 years and is now available via an app as well as a printed version. ‘World Class’ restaurants are run by extraordinary chef-proprietors who are redefining the profession, pushing the boundaries of what eating in a restaurant is all about. The Guide sees them as the 'stuff of bucket lists' and they have the vision and talent drawing not just national but international recognition.
The Top 20 list was chosen by The Good Food Guide’s independent, impartial inspectors, and includes restaurants from across Britain, from Darlington to Cartmel to Birmingham, with Cumbria's L’Enclume securing the top spot, pipping Ynyshir into second place.
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Another Welsh-won prize was Chef to Watch, that title went to Nick Rudge of The Jackdaw in North Wales, with the Guide saying of his talents ‘The restaurant scene needs more talented young chefs like Nick Rudge. His cooking walks a fine line between being refined and being generous and delicious. It isn’t food to admire (although it looks great) or debate, it’s food to eat – his menu is an exciting mix of good ingredients and unwavering Welshness." Rudge worked for seven years at The Fat Duck, getting up to the level of sous chef before leaving in July 2020 to open The Jackdaw - which is found in a former bingo hall and has a virtually all-Welsh drinks list.
SY23 is the Michelin starred restaurant in the heart of seaside town, Aberystwyth. It's run by former Ynyshir sous chef Nathan Davies who, this year, became one of the team on The Great British Menu to win a place at the final banquet. You can read our interview with Nathan, here, where he talks about his dreams for SY23 in the future.
Meanwhile, Annwn, which is found in the upstairs of a converted potting shed in the corner of a Pembrokeshire walled garden, also places in the Top 20 and is wned and run by Matt Powell, a chef with over 20 years experience who has worked for Raymond Blanc and in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe. Opened in late 2021 Annwn is a fine dining restaurant where Matt creates dishes using ingredients he’s foraged from the local area and vegetables he’s grown in the walled garden. We reviewed it and you can see what we thought, here.
The full Top 20 list of best restaurants:
L’Enclume, Cumbria
Ynyshir, Ceredigion
Moor Hall, Lancashire
The Raby Hunt, Co Durham
The Sportsman, Kent
Outlaw’s New Road, Cornwall
Osip, Somerset
Pollen Street Social, London
Inver, Argyll & Bute
Wilderness, Birmingham
Restaurant Story, London
SY23, Ceredigion
Pine, Northumberland
Annwn, Pembrokeshire
Condita, Edinburgh
Grace & Savour, West Midlands
Da Terra, London
Carters of Moseley, Birmingham
Kol, London
Endo at The Rotunda, London
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