Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant in London's Royal Hospital Road is the only establishment to gain 10 out of 10 in the Good Food Guide 2004, which publishes today (2 October). Ramsay retains the top slot for the second year running.
Meanwhile, the number of restaurants with a rating of nine has increased from three to four: Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire; the Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire; and Winteringham Fields in Winteringham, Lincolnshire, are joined by Heston Blumenthal and his trailblazing cooking at the Fat Duck, also in Bray.
Nine restaurants have been awarded eight out of 10. Tom Aikens's newly opened eponymous restaurant in Chelsea has gone straight in at this grade, while David Everitt-Matthias's Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham; the Vineyard at Stockcross, Berkshire, where John Campbell is executive chef; and Claude Bosi's Hibiscus in Ludlow, Shropshire, have moved up from a grading of seven out of 10 to eight.
Marcus Wareing's Pétrus restaurant, which was rated eight out of 10 in the 2003 guide and closed temporarily while relocating to London's Berkeley hotel last month, has been omitted from the guide.
A total of 25 restaurants have been given seven out of 10 in the guide, although one of them, Pharmacy in London, has since closed. New in at seven, though, are London restaurant Sketch and Whatley Manor in Easton Grey, Wiltshire, where former John Burton-Race head chef Martin Burge is on the stove.
Up from six are Lindsay House, London; the Castle hotel, Taunton; the Mirabelle restaurant at the Grand hotel, Eastbourne; Gravetye Manor in East Grinstead; and McClements, Twickenham. Tyddyn Llan in Llandrillo, which was taken over by former Hilaire chef Bryan Webb at the end of last year, moves up to seven from five.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 2 - 8 October 2003