Harden's names top UK 100 Restaurants for 2026

Mark Birchall’s Moor Hall in Aughton, West Lancashire, has taken the top spot in the 2026 Harden’s Top 100 Best UK Restaurants list.

The fine dining venue, which also won three Michelin stars this year, rose to the number one position after being ranked 74th last year.

Ratings and reviews in Harden’s guide are based on 30,000 reports from a survey of 2,500 diners.

Moor Hall was praised by diners as “not just a meal, it’s an experience” and “faultless in every way”.

Peter Harden, guide editor and co-founder of Harden’s, said: "Moor Hall has been a recurring name in the Harden’s Top 100 UK Restaurants list for many years now – a testament to the high quality of the food, service and location. 

“It’s wonderful to see Mark and his talented team reach this year’s pole position and, whilst diners who took part in our national survey did often flag the higher price point, it appears to be a venue regarded as well worth it, albeit for a rare treat.”

Birchall, who also won the Chef Award at the 2025 Cateys, said: "This has already been a landmark year for us, and I’m delighted to see the team’s dedication recognised once again."

Second place went to L’Enclume in Cartmel, followed by the Waterside Inn in Bray and the Ledbury in London.

Jason Atherton and Spencer Metzger’s Row on 5 in London made its debut on the list in fifth position.

Last year’s number one restaurant Endo at the Rotunda in London was absent from the list as it remains closed following a fire in September.

The North West of England had a strong showing, making up 12 of the top 100 venues in the list. Moor Hall and L’Enclume were joined by the likes of Skof and Mana in Manchester, Heft in Newton in Cartmel, and chef Tim Allen’s So-lo in Aughton.

While restaurants outside of London have seen some of the biggest price rises in recent years, in 2025 Harden’s said the number of restaurants in the capital charging over £250 a head jumped from 14 to 24.

It comes after the guide’s research showed restaurants charging more than £100 per person raised prices by an average of 6.8% over the past year, while those starting from more than £150 per head have raised prices by around 8.6%.

Harden said: “It’s understandable that over the last year the hospitality industry has been toiling away under a cloud of gloomsterism. Hit by food inflation, rising wages, relentless rent increases and soaring utilities – some long-term operators say that 2025 is the toughest year they can recall.

“However, what our survey results and data-crunching from across the sector shows is the remarkable resilience at work from those in the trade: our number of entries remains very steady and strong newcomers are emerging in each area of a quality that is probably better than ever.

“What is challenging for suppliers can be good for consumers. Customer expectations are so high now, restaurants have to work ever-harder to cut through and we’re seeing a number of new openings from across the UK going straight into the Top 100. This really is testament to the rigorous standards, hard work and innovation being put in by front and back of house teams throughout the nation who are impressively determined to find a way in difficult circumstances and continue to raise the bar to bring diners high quality experiences.”