Welsh restaurants reach Top 100 UK rankings in new diners’ poll

• Endo Kazutoshi’s Endo at the Rotunda, in London voted Best Restaurant in the UK in new national diners’ poll.

• Three Welsh restaurants among the UK’s Top 100, but Ynyshir almost drops out of the ranking after slipping down to 93^rd place.

•  Restaurant price rises outside of London are significantly higher than in the capital suggesting that London is still feeling the after effects of the pandemic whilst the regions show a stronger recovery.

Endo Kazutoshi’s 10-seater flagship, Endo at the Rotunda above the old Television Centre in London’s White City has been voted the UK’s best restaurant in the carefully curated annual Harden’s Top 100 Best UK Restaurants diners’ poll.

The lauded London dining destination run by Yokohama-born Endo Kazutoshi has found itself the nation’s top rated eatery despite being closed for five months earlier this year for a refurbishment and ‘period of culinary reflection’ in order to create a more personal and immersive omakase experience. Feedback from diners hailed it as an “extraordinary gastronomic experience” where “the theatre of chef Endo’s entertaining presentation and explanations is a delight”. Since the Top 100 started 15 years ago, this is only the second time the number 1 has been neither modern British nor French.

Third generation sushi master Endo Kazutoshi says: “I am truly humbled and deeply grateful for this incredible news. To have the hard work and dedication of my team recognised in this way is an honour beyond words. As Japanese cuisine continues to capture the hearts and palates of people in London and around the world, I feel a profound sense of responsibility and pride to stand at the forefront as a pioneer. It is my mission to not only celebrate this rich culinary tradition but also to push its boundaries and lead its evolution on a global stage.”

In Wales, Gareth Ward’s Ynyshir is no longer the country’s top-rated restaurant. In fact, whilst the world famous restaurant almost slipped out of the Top 100 this year entirely (down from 17 to 93), it is in fact the chef’s new small and personal spin-off Gwen in Machynlleth that is ranking highest at number 64. The intimate wine bar/restaurant named after Ward’s mother received little but superlatives in this year’s diners’ reports for its “stunning little location” and dishes “bursting with big flavours and inventive cooking”.

Conversely, it appears that feedback for Ynyshir is becoming more cautious over the years and ratings more middling. The guide says: “For some diners ‘it’s good but ludicrously expensive’ (‘there is a lot of hype about how wonderful it is at Ynyshir…BUT we found it to be no better than many other places and therefore the fact it seems to be priced on reputation rather than actual quality means it is overpriced for what you get as an overall experience’). And then there are a one or two for whom it’s become a ‘ludicrously macho, long-winded and pretentious experience’ (‘Once, this was one of our favourite restaurants in the UK, but now the owner seems to firmly believe that it’s his way or no way. Extremely loud and very monotonous music is played for four hours by a DJ)’… Overall in our annual diners’ poll though, the ‘ayes’ still carry the vote… just…perhaps it’s fairest to say you either love it or hate it.”

Meanwhile, tucked away in the Wye Valley, Chris & Kirsty Harrod’s The Whitebrook Restaurant with Rooms, often described as the Welsh version of Noma, keeps consistent, remaining in exactly the same spot as last year (88) for “Chris Harrod’s imaginative and unusual menu that was a joy from start to finish. Everything was well-balanced with confident cooking throughout. Service was informal, friendly and the atmosphere completely relaxing and unpretentious”.

The 34^th edition of the Harden’s guide, published this week (ISBN: 978-1916076198, price £20: also available as apps for Apple or Android), is one of only two surviving established UK restaurant guides made available in print, and the only one based on feedback from normal diners rather than a group of professional inspectors. A total of 30,000 reports are submitted from a survey of 2,500 diners. Restaurants at all price levels are included: from street food vendors to the country’s most ambitious dining rooms, with 2,800 restaurants listed in total.

This year’s guide’s editors also noted that a clear difference in price increases between London restaurants and those elsewhere in the UK seems to suggest regional restaurants are continuing to move forward in their post-covid recovery whilst the capital continues to experience the pandemic’s more restrictive after effects.

Peter Harden, co-founder of Harden’s, comments: “There has been a noticeable difference in the increase of restaurants entering into the higher price bands outside of London compared to last year. We can see significantly higher price increases of between 16%-21% for the number of restaurants in the £100, £150 and £200+ price brackets outside of London, compared to between 10% -15% in the capital. This data adds to a general feeling that London is still feeling the after effects of the pandemic and – in particular – quieter Mondays and Fridays caused by working from home, while beyond the capital things are ticking along a little more strongly.”

Commenting on Wales’s performance in this year’s guide and Top 100, Peter says: “There is no doubting Gareth Ward’s talents as a chef, his new establishment Gwen seems to be a big hit amongst our diners. Ynyshir continues to divide opinion and it’s hard not to think that its falling position is a result of diners simply becoming sick and tired of the incredibly high prices this restaurant demands, especially when they can seek out what many would perceive to be as good – if not better – value experiences elsewhere. It certainly provokes some of the stronger opinions we see in our feedback and always makes for interesting reading.”