The Westerly in Reigate, Surrey, has been named the overall winner of this year’s Rémy Martin Restaurant Awards.

Opened by proprietors Jon and Cynthia Coomb in February this year, the restaurant, which prides itself for serving high quality food in a relaxed environment, was praised for its excellent food and impeccable service. 

Richard Harden, co-editor of Harden’s London Restaurants guide, said The Westerly is emblematic of this year’s overriding trend for less formal dining.

“The Rémy Martin awards are all about identifying the new and rising restaurants that have made the most favourable impression on diners in the UK,” he said.

“On the evidence of this year’s awards, we seem to be entering an exciting new era where informality is the order of the day.”

Jon Coomb said the award was “a huge and unexpected honour”.

“It is based on customer feedback that makes it all the more important to us,” he said. “Mostly though, it confirms our belief in all things that, in essence, make a good restaurant: quality ingredients, assured cooking and attentive service.”

Winners of this the 2008 Rémy Martin Restaurant Awards

London Award Winners

• Acorn House
• Barrafina
• El Faro
• Magdalen
• Scott’s

Regional Award Winners

• The Glasshouse at Eskmills, Musselburgh, Scotland
• Zutshi’s at the Toll Bar, Cornwall
• El Gato Negro, Ripponden, West Yorkshire
• Hipping Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire
• Shanghai 30s, Oxford 

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By Kerstin Kühn

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