Best New Restaurants in the UK 2021

Over the past year, the hospitality industry has certainly demonstrated its resilience. Restaurants pivoted to delivery services and became grocery stores, while top-end chefs turned their attention to feeding NHS staff and vulnerable people. And now, despite uncertain forecasts, restaurateurs are finding the confidence to open new venues all over the country. Read on for some of the most exciting new UK restaurants opening outside of London in 2021.

Best New Restaurants in the UK 2021

Burnt Orange, Brighton

Can’t decide between a restaurant and a bar? Head to Brighton hotspot Burnt Orange, the latest project from restaurateur Razak Helalat, set within a former 16th century coach house near the seafront. A homage to the laid-back Mediterranean style of dining, it’s designed for groups of friends after some casual grazing over a few bottles of wine. burnt-orange.co.uk

The Lawn, North Berwick

Scotland isn’t short of restaurants with glorious coastal views, but there’s always room for one more. The latest addition to the canon is The Lawn, found inside the recently refurbished Marine North Berwick hotel. Headed up by MasterChef: The Professionals’ Chris Niven – who hails from The Fairmont, St Andrews – The Lawn is a celebration of the area’s local produce. Think lobster fresh off the Seacliff fishing boat, vegetables grown minutes from the hotel and game from West Lothian’s Castle Game. lawnrestaurant.co.uk

Garden House, Cambridge

An open grill kitchen sits at the heart of Garden House, recently opened in riverside hotel Graduate Cambridge. Ex-Perilla chef Adam Wood runs the show, ensuring dishes are created using the best East Anglian produce available – that’s vegetables from the horse-powered Flourish Farm and meat from Huntsham Court, which specialises in traditional breeds and high welfare farming. gardenhousecambridge.co.uk

Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant, Exmouth

With foreign holidays still tricky and the UK weather finally playing ball, seaside restaurants are in high demand right now – meaning a new addition is always welcome. One of these is Michael Caines’ latest venture, Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant, perched by the sea on Exmouth beach. Naturally fish takes centre stage here, with seasonally changing menus offering dishes like lobster thermidor, Goan seafood curry and the traditional haddock and chips, made with local ale batter. If you’re after a more casual affair, the ground floor serves hot dogs, pizza and burgers alongside local Devon beers and ciders, available to take away and enjoy on the beach. mickeysbeach.co.uk

Wilding, Oxford

@charliemckay

The name of new Oxford eatery and wine bar Wilding comes from the practice of regenerating overworked land to return it to nature, which sets the tone for the venue’s eco-friendly ethos. Dominique Goltinger (ex-Bistrot Bruno Loubet) heads up the kitchen, which offers a seasonally-changing menu, with everything designed to pair well with wines from the 400-bottle strong list. wilding.wine

The Loch & The Tyne, Windsor

Tim Green

Lockdown saw the sad closure of two Adam Handling restaurants, but the eco-minded chef is bouncing back with his first ever venue outside London. A restaurant and pub with rooms in Old Windsor, The Loch & The Tyne serves up menu favourites from over the years – lobster wagyu, The Frog’s mac & cheese – alongside fresh additions which make use of the on-site vegetable garden. lochandtyne.com

Unalome by Graeme Cheevers, Glasgow

Glasgow chef Graeme Cheevers has made no secret of the fact he hopes to bring an additional Michelin star to the city with his first solo venture. Yet unlike other top-end establishments, he hopes Unalome won’t be an occasion restaurant, but a neighbourhood favourite where people return time and time again to try the ever-changing tasting menu. unalomebygc.com

The Forge, Chester

Sustainability sits at the heart of new Chester restaurant The Forge, set inside Hotel Indigo. The latest venture from Mike Robinson – the restaurateur behind Fulham’s Michelin-starred pub The Harwood Arms – The Forge will focus on consciously sourced meat. This means, for instance, using wild fallow and Muntjac deer in a bid to actively control overpopulation on nearby estates. Meat and fish are cooked over wood and charcoal, then served with seasonal vegetables. At the moment that’s dishes like slow cooked roe deer with wood fired beetroot, wild wood pigeon salad with smoked bacon and venison burgers with onion marmalade. theforgechester.com

Fork, Lewes

Chef Richard Falk earned his stripes working at two London restaurants: Michelin-starred The Ledbury and Robin Gill’s The Dairy. He’s leaving the capital, though, for his latest venture: a neighbourhood eatery in East Lewes, Sussex. Described as ‘both innovative and accessible’, Fork’s menu serves up modern British dishes like Newhaven cod with spring cabbage, Trenchmore flank with salsa verde and charcuterie from Hove producer Rebel. A Middle Eastern-style brunch is available on weekends, and there’s a pretty courtyard terrace and garden. fork-lewes.co.uk

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