Welsh restaurants make UK top 100 list
Ella Groves
The UK’s most comprehensive food guide has published their ‘Best UK Restaurants’ list for 2026, with multiple Welsh restaurants claiming a top 100 spot.
The 35th edition of the Harden’s food guide, published this week, is the only UK guide to base it’s recommendations off reviews from everyday diners as opposed to professional inspectors.
With over 3,000 entries the guide includes restaurants for all budgets from street vendors to fine dining, with the easy-to-understand rating systems allowing readers to discover “where to find the best bang for your buck!”
The top 100 list, however, is home to the fanciest UK spots.
Mark Birchall’s much-loved Lancashire restaurant, Moor Hall, has nabbed the UK top spot, with diners describing the experience as “superb from beginning to end.”
Although London still boasts the highest number of restaurants on the list, there are a considerable number of regional gems to be found within the top 100.
Despite not managing the top spot, Wales has five restaurants in this years elite ranking.
Gwen – Machynlleth
Taking the spot as best Welsh restaurant, Gareth Ward’s ‘Gwen’ ranked 24th on the coveted list – beating his other venture Ynyshir (62).
Located in the historic market town of Machynlleth, the intimate wine bar and restaurant saw reviewers praise it as “tiny… intimate… unforgettable!”
Named after his mother and just 3m wide, the tiny restaurant boasts a ten-course meal for £135 per person served in a single sitting by chef Corrin Harrison for up to eight diners at a time.
Grouped around the open kitchen, reviewers described the experience “so much fun and a perfect blend of top quality and enjoyment.”
It was also noted that Ward’s ‘Gwen’ was considerably more “accessible” than Ynyshir “but equally inspirational and worth the drive to mid-Wales” nonetheless.
Ynyshir – Eglwys Fach
Gareth Ward’s original venture, Ynyshir, has climbed the list from its spot at 93 last year to 62 in 2026.
Hardens described the restaurant as a “maximalist, black-painted mansion: an unlikely but nowadays fully established culinary mecca whose renown is all the more impressive given its off-the-beaten track location, deep in the boondocks of mid Wales.”
One reviewer described the experience as “blurring the line between a meal and theatre… 31 odd courses and all excellent!”
The fabulous theatre of Ynyshir, however, does come with a staggering price tag, with Hardens estimating that a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT would total out at £552.
Home at Penarth – Penarth
Coming in at 76th place, Home at Penarth is the perfect combination of Michelin quality food and family run service.
Launched by James Sommerin following the demise of his Michelin-starred seafront restaurant, Home at Penarth opened in August 2021.
Run by Sommerin and his daughter, Georgia, who represented Wales on the Great British Menu last year, the restaurant offers four-course lunches and an eight course taster menu from an open kitchen.
The restaurant runs a surprise menu that is subject to change – including the price – but Hardens estimate that the eight-course taster menu will roughly amount to £145 per person.
Home prides itself on using as many local suppliers as possible, with their website saying: “From the forests of Monmouth, to the idyllic coasts of West Wales or the Victorian arcades of Cardiff. Our butchers, fishmongers, fruit & vegetable, wine and soap suppliers, all help us build the foundation of our kitchen.”
The Whitebrook – Monmouthshire
Chris and Kirsty Harrod’s former pub, tucked away in the secluded Welsh borders, has secured a spot at 88th in the list.
One reviewer noted that whilst a “former pub might seem like an unlikely venue for a high-end restaurant” “the quirkiness doesn’t end there, as chef Chris’s food is highly original with most dishes featuring some sort of foraged leaves or organic whatnot.”
The Whitebrook however did face some mixed reviews with one diner saying they were “not a great fan of eating weeds and root vegetables at these prices, although the halibut and venison were sublime to be fair…”
Another noted “the vegetables, presumably from their own garden, were not quite up to scratch and contributed to a few dishes that didn’t really work… still some were excellent”
Overall, however, the Harrod’s restaurant remains a renowned Welsh culinary destination with reviewers commending the “sensationally good” food, packed with “intriguing flavours” and “beautifully presented.”
The Jackdaw – Conwy
The final Welsh entry to the top 100 is Nick Rudge’s Jackdaw located in Conwy, north Wales.
The Jackdaw is Llandudno-born Rudge’s first solo enterprise after his seven year stint as sous chef at The Fat Duck.
Named after a piece of local history as a ‘Jackdaw’, or Jac-do in Welsh, is a traditional nickname for people born within the walls of Conwy town, the restaurant celebrates Wales’ finest.
Reviewers described the restaurant as “Welsh cuisine at its best,” noting the “impeccably sourced ingredients, wonderful cooking and great presentation.”
The Jackdaw also boasts a distinctive wine list organised by distance, with reviewers praising “the interesting concept of wine mileage.”
The approach encourages diners to consider how far the wine has traveled to reach their table, with the aim of encouraging reflection on sustainability, underpinning the restaurants’ thoughtful ethos.
Top ten
- Moor Hall
- L’Enclume
- Waterside Inn
- The Ledbury
- ROW on 5
- Woven by Adam Smith at Coworth Park
- Humble Chicken
- Outlaws New Road
- Da Terra, Town Hall Hotel
- Skof
You can see the full list here.
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