This week the British Restaurant Awards (BRA) took place and some of the UK’s top food and drink spots were nominated for awards, including a few in Manchester, with one taking home the prize of ‘best restaurant’ in the city. The British Restaurant Awards is an annual awards ceremony that provides an opportunity for customers to nominate and vote for the best restaurants, chefs, and culinary experiences in the UK.
For the fifth annual awards show, Gordon Ramsay won the ‘Best Chef’ 2023 category. This year’s ‘Best New Restaurant’ nominees featured some amazing new launches who are making waves across the country offering a unique experience in cuisine for their customers, with Bleú Steakhouse taking home the prize.
A number of Manchester venues were nominated in this year’s British Restaurant Awards including Peter Street Kitchen for both ‘Best Luxury Restaurant’ and ‘Best Culinary Experience’, representing the north of the country as it took on an extensive list of London venues. Taking the crown for ‘Best Luxury Restaurant’ this year was London’s Bocconcino, and despite winning ‘Best Culinary Experience’ in the 2022 awards, Peter Street Kitchen was sadly beaten by London’s Happy Bar & Grill this year.
Adam Reid at The French in The Midland was nominated for two awards, ‘Restaurant of the Year’ and ‘Best Luxury Restaurant’, and Michelin-star restaurant Moor Hall in Aughton was also nominated for ‘Best Culinary Experience’ alongside Peter Street Kitchen as well as ‘Restaurant of the Year’. Plus, speakeasy bar in Shudehill, The Washhouse,was nominated for the category of ‘Best Bar’ but was beaten by Lab 22 in Cardiff.
However, despite missing out on awards this year in other categories, twelve eateries in the city were nominated in the category of ‘Best Restaurant Manchester’, including Dakota Grill, Adam Reid at The French, Mana, WOOD Manchester, Grand Pacific, Sunset By Australasia, Vermilion, 20 Stories, Kitten, Peter Street Kitchen, The Ivy Asia and Erst. In 2022, the winner for the category of ‘Best Restaurant Manchester’ at the annual awards show was Gaucho (which won Best Restaurant Chain 2023), but this year’s award went to rooftop bar and restaurant, 20 Stories.
Chinese BBQ and seafood restaurant on Charles Street, One Plus, was selected for the category of ‘Best Takeaway Restaurant’ alongside the likes of Blackpool’s Armenian Kebab House and York’s Boungiorno for another year, in the hope of taking the title for 2023. There was also a category for ‘Best Restaurant Chain’ which featured Turtle Bay, German Doner Kebab, Honest Burgers, Gaucho, Zizzi, Thai Square, Tattu, Arepa & Co and Fazenda, some of which have Manchester locations.
British Restaurant Awards 2023 winners
Best New Restaurant 2023: Bleú Steakhouse
Best Chef 2023: Gordon Ramsay
Best Food Ordering Company 2023: UberEats
Best Luxury Restaurant 2023: Bocconcino, London
Restaurant of The Year 2023: 8 By Andrew Sheridan, Liverpool
Best Hospitality Team 2023: Thai Square Restaurant
Best Restaurant in Leicester 2023: Maurizio’s
Best Restaurant Chain 2023: Gaucho
Best Takeaway Restaurant 2023: Chamisse, London
Best Culinary Experience 2023: Happy Bar & Grill, London
Best Restaurant in Manchester 2023: 20 Stories
Best Restaurant in London 2023: Happy Bar & Grill – London
Best Restaurant in Liverpool 2023: 8 By Andrew Sheridan
Best Restaurant in Wales 2023: Heaney’s – Cardiff
Best Restaurant in Surrey 2023: Positano
Best Restaurant in Essex 2023: The Blue Strawberry Bistrot
Best Restaurant in Newcastle 2023: Victors Newcastle
Best Restaurant in Sheffield 2023: Carluccios
Best Restaurant in Bradford 2023: Café J’adore
Best Restaurant in Bristol 2023: Namak
Best Restaurant in Brighton 2023: The Salt Room Restaurant
Best Restaurant in Leeds 2023: Lala’s Restaurant
Best Restaurant in Birmingham 2023: Qavali
Best Restaurant in Southampton 2023: Figurati
Best Restaurant in Cambridge 2023: Mina Steakhouse
Best Young Chef 2023: Luke Selby
Best Bar 2023: Lab 22, Cardiff
Best International Cuisine 2023: Thai Square
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant 2023: Down the Hatch, Liverpool