London restaurant Canteen was named best UK restaurant in the annual Observer Food Monthly awards. 

The Spitafields-based eatery beat off strong competition, including Gordon Ramsay’s Mayfair venue Maze, to win the award, which was presented at a ceremony hosted by Ramsay in London last night.

While most of the winners were chosen by the Observer Food Monthly’s readers, the award for best newcomer was decided by a panel of judges including Nigel Slater and Giorgio Locatelli, who awarded eco-friendly training restaurant Acorn House in London with the prize.

Full list of winners at the Observer Food Monthly award:

• Best Restaurant: Canteen, London
• Best Newcomer: Acorn House, London
• Best Breakfast: Rocotillos, Bristol
• Best Vegetarian Restaurant: Café Maitreya
• Best Bar: Pintxo People, Brighton
• Best Location, Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall
• Best Book: Nigel Slater's “The Kitchen Diaries”
• Best TV Programme: The F Word

Maze is named top newcomer >> 

Spitalfields opens new food units >> 

By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kuhn here.