North Yorkshire is the top county for dining out, according to Harden's
The UK's most popular towns and counties for dining out have been named in Harden's Best UK Restaurants 2017, released today.
The annual guide, which is celebrating its 26th year, surveyed over 7,000 participants who provided 50,000 reviews. These reviews form the basis of the ratings in the guide.
These top scorers include: Yorke Arms, Ramsgill-in-Nidderdale; Black Swan, Oldstead; Samuel's at Swinton Park, Masham; the Clock Tower, Rudding Park, Harrogate; Star Inn, Harome; Black Swan, Helmsley; Crab & Lobster, Asenby; Pheasant Hotel, Harome; Estbek House, Sandsend; La Lanterna, Scarborough; Le Cochon Aveugle, York; Hare Inn, Scawton; Orchid, Harrogate and the Magpie Cafe, Whitby.
Cumbria came just behind North Yorkshire with 11 Top Scorers, and six were found not too far away in West Yorkshire.
The home counties scored relatively low: Kent was the highest with nine; Berkshire with eight; Buckinghamshire had five; Essex and Surrey scored four; and Sussex had six.
Edinburgh was the highest-scoring city outside London, receiving 10 Top Scorers from 43 submissions including: Number One at the Balmoral Hotel; Tom Kitchin's Michelin-starred restaurant the Kitchin; Michelin-starred Restaurant Martin Wishart; Paul Kitching's Michelin-starred restaurant 21212; the Castle Terrace; Timberyard; three-AA-rosette Restaurant Mark Greenaway; Aizle; Kanpai and Mother India Café in Old Town.
Manchester, Brighton and Leeds followed with five Top Scorers each.
The guide's editor and co-founder Peter Harden said: "What is impressive about the Edinburgh restaurant scene is its quality at all price levels. Manchester's economic boom is there to be seen in terms of its number of overall restaurants, and there are many fabulous restaurants now in the city, but it is still losing out to Edinburgh when it comes the best destinations. Having been born in Manchester, I look forward to the city nurturing more truly top-tier establishments at all price levels!
"Outside London, top restaurants are still often to be found in leafy rural spots rather than in urban centres: only two of our top 20 most mentioned restaurants outside London are in cities. A more metropolitan dining culture is still establishing itself in the UK, often with cheaper restaurants aimed at younger folk, and Manchester's progress is fully in line with that trend."
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