Edinburgh’s Wedgwood voted best non-London restaurant by Harden’s

Wedgwood in Edinburgh is the best new restaurant outside of London, according to the 2010 Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide.

Published today, the new edition of the guide, which is based on a survey of more than 8,000 restaurant goers, awarded its Rémy Martin VSOP Award for best newcomer to Paul Wedgwood’s modern European restaurant.

Located in the Scottish capital’s Old Town, it was praised for its “remarkable consistency” and high quality of both food and service.

Co-editor Peter Harden said: “It’s appropriate that Wedgwood emerged as our top non-London newcomer, as Edinburgh is now very clearly the UK’s best city for top-end dining-out outside the capital.”

Runners-up were The Fish House in Chilgrove, West Sussex; Turners in Birmingham; Vatika on Hampshire’s Wickham Vineyard; and Sam’s in Brighton.

Meanwhile, Harden’s Rémy Martin XO award for the best overall UK restaurant went to the Michelin-starred Mr Underhill’s at Dinham Weir in Ludlow, Shropshire, which has been run by Chris and Judy Bradley for 30 years (first in Suffolk, then in Ludlow).
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“The all-round very personal charms of their establishment enabled Mr Underhill’s marginally to eclipse a raft of better-known names for top position,” Harden said. 

Runners-up were Michel and Alain Roux’s three-Michelin-starred Waterside Inn in Bray, Buckinghamshire; the two-Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Devon; and Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxfordshire; and the Michelin-starred Northcote in Langho, Lancashire.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s high street restaurant chain Jamie’s Italian was given a special mention by the Harden’s guide.

Co-editor Richard Harden said: “Over nearly two decades, our surveys have tended to produce a clear thumbs-down for spin-off ventures from celebrity chefs. Given this past ‘form’, it’s impressive what a warm welcome survey reporters have given to Jamie Oliver’s new chain.

“This is the first time in living memory a multiple venture branded with the name of a celebrity chef has made a really positive contribution to the world of dining out.”

Angela Hartnett’s Murano is London’s best new restaurant, says Harden’s >>

Michelin-starred restaurant Mr Underhill’s at Dinham Weir up for sale >>

Harden’s >>
 

By Kerstin Kühn

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