Three Lancashire restaurants named best in UK at prestigious National Restaurant Awards
Three Lancashire restaurants have been crowned the UK’s best, with one placing second in the top 100 list.
The National Restaurant Awards are an annual summer celebration held in London, championing the finest restaurants around the country.
As well as giving out specific awards, such as National Restaurant of the Year, the National Restaurant Awards features a prestigious top 100 list.
This year, the Ritz in London earned the number one spot, while Aughton’s Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms came in second, adding another achievement to its long list of accolades. The restaurant has three Michelin stars and one Green Michelin star, and Chef Mark Birchall was also crowned Chef of the Year.
The National Restaurant Awards said: “Chef Mark Birchall opened Moor Hall in 2016 having spent the best part of a decade working at Simon Rogan’s then two-starred restaurant L’Enclume, promising at the time to create ‘something special’.
He’s succeeded. His stunning Lancashire restaurant with rooms is located in a Grade II-listed building that dates back to the 13th century and is set in five acres of gardens with its own lake, no less. Within just two years of opening, Birchall replicated the success of his mentor, also winning two stars, and at the start of 2025 he completed the hattrick, achieving the highest rating from the red book.”
Bowland’s Parkers Arms came in at number 85, impressing the experts with their “skilfully cooked dishes”. The popular country inn was also named the Gastropub of the Year in 2023.
The National Restaurant Awards said: “Hearty regional and global food cooked with individuality is the hallmark of this Lancashire pub that takes its food and drink very seriously. Chef-patron Stosie Madi has grown Parkers Arms to dizzying heights with the help of her business partner Kathy Smith.
“As anyone that has ever met her will attest, Madi is a force of nature and between plucking game and making pies is an outspoken ambassador for high quality pub food. “
Aughton’s Sō-lō Restaurant also featured in the top 100 list, coming in at number 86. Tim Allen’s restaurant has earned one Michelin star thanks to its modern British cuisine and Allen’s wealth of experience.
The National Restaurant Awards said: “As a dining experience, Sō-lō is charming and modern; low key in its delivery, but still with plenty of impact. The restaurant’s close relationships with farmers and other artisan food producers, locally and across the UK, guarantees that every menu features a wealth of exceptional ingredients that are the perfect accompaniment to Allen’s considered cooking..
“The six-course menu neatly incorporates culinary influences from around the world, with notes of British, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine often found on Sō-lō’s regularly changing tasting menu.