Congratulations to Chef Alex Bond, whose first solo venture Alchemilla in Nottingham has been ranked 53rd in the UK at the 2018 Estrella Damm National Restaurant awards.
A glittering ceremony at London’s Hurlingham Club on Monday evening saw chefs across the country celebrate making the list.
Alchemilla has been open just 10 months so the accolade is a celebratory one. Alex Bond said: “To be ranked alongside such incredible restaurants is a huge compliment and proof that anything is possible. I am so proud of our team for the tremendous amount of hard work that they have put in over the last year. Without their passion, dedication and work ethic it wouldn’t have been possible, so this award is thanks to them.”
As well as being ranked in the top 100, Alex was also a finalist in the Chef to Watch category which was eventually awarded to Tom Brown of Cornerstone in London. Here are all the restaurants that featured in the 100-strong list. A special congratulations to Alex and the team at Alchemilla – I will see you very soon.
1
Soho, London
2
Sabor
Mayfair, London
3
A Wong
Victoria, London
4
Core by Clare Smyth
Notting Hill, London
5
L’Enclume
Cartmel, Cumbria
6
Moor Hall
Aughton, Lancashire
7
Lyle’s
Shoreditch, London
8
Restaurant Sat Bains
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
9
The Sportsman
Seasalter, Kent
10
Nathan Outlaw
Port Isaac, Cornwall
11
Claude Bosi at Bibendum
Chelsea, London
12
The Coach
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
13
Coombeshead Farm
Launceston, Cornwall
14
Brat
Shoreditch, London
15
Padella
Borough, London
16
The Quality Chop House
Clerkenwell, London
17
The Ledbury
Notting Hill, London
18
Freemasons at Wiswell
Clitheroe, Lancashire
19
Wreckfish
Liverpool
20
The Black Swan at Oldstead
Oldstead, North Yorkshire
21
River Cafe
Hammersmith, London
22
Indian Accent
Mayfair, London
23
No 6, Paul Ainsworth
Padstow, Cornwall
24
El Pastor
Borough, London
25
Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons
Great Milton, Oxfordshire
26
Ondine
Edinburgh
27
Casamia
Bristol
28
Ynyshir
Machynlleth, Powys
29
Som Saa
Spitalfields, London
30
House of Tides
Newcastle, Tyne and Wear
31
The Clove Club
Shoreditch, London
32
The Fat Duck
Bray, Berkshire
33
Chez Bruce
Wandsworth, London
34
Elystan Street
Chelsea, London
35
The Crown at Burchetts Green
Maidenhead, Berkshire
36
Trinity
Clapham, London
37
The Little Fish Market
Hove, East Sussex
38
The Walnut Tree
Abergavenny, Wales
39
Quo Vadis
Soho, London
40
The Seahorse
Dartmouth, Devon
41
Barrafina
Covent Garden, London
42
Lorne
Victoria, London
43
The Waterside Inn
Bray, Berkshire
44
Brawn
Bethnal Green, London
45
Raby Hunt
Darlington, County Durham
46
Hispi
Didsbury, Greater Manchester
47
Hoppers
Soho, London
48
Midsummer House
Cambridge
49
Noble Rot
Bloomsbury, London
50
Gymkhana
Mayfair, London
51
Nuala
Shoreditch, London
52
Hedone
Chiswick, London
53
Alchemilla
Nottingham
54
Kricket
Soho, London
55
Pollen St Social
Mayfair, London
56
Tyddyn Llan
Corwen, Denbighshire
57
Root
Bristol
58
St John Bread & Wine
Spitafields, London
59
The Star Inn Harome
Harome, North Yorkshire
60
Farang
Highbury, London
61
Holborn Dining Room
Holborn, London
62
The Hand & Flowers
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
63
Wilson’s
Bristol
64
40 Maltby Street
Bermondsey, London
65
Black Axe Mangal
Islington, London
66
Carter’s of Moseley
Birmingham
67
The Palomar
Soho, London
68
Smoking Goat
Shoreditch, London
69
The Beehive
White Waltham, Bershire
70
The Hardwick
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
71
Timberyard
Edinburgh
72
Xu
Soho, London
73
The Dairy
Clapham, London
74
Le Gavroche
Mayfair, London
75
Paco Tapas
Bristol
76
The Parker’s Arms
Clitheroe, Lancashire
77
Rambla
Soho, london
78
Wine & Brine
Moria, County Down
79
The Frog by Adam Handling
Covent Garden, London
80
Where The Light Gets In
Stockport, Greater Manchester
81
Bonhams
Mayfair, London
82
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
Auchterarder, Perthshire
83
Fraiche
Oxton, Wirral
84
Restaurant Story
Bermondsey, London
85
Sardine
Hoxton, London
86
The Ritz
Piccadilly, London
87
Kitchen Table
Fitzrovia, London
88
Inver
Strachur, Argyll & Bute
89
Lima
Fitzrovia, London
90
The Fordwich Arms
Sturry, Kent
91
Frenchie
Covent Garden, London
92
The Elephant
Torquay, Devon
93
Barbary
Covent Garden, London
94
Neo Bistro
Mayfair, London
95
Restaurant Mark Greenaway
Edinburgh
96
Morston Hall
Morston, Norfolk
97
Northcote Manor
Langho, Lancashire
98
Westerns Laundry
Highbury, London
99
Perilla
Newington Green, London
100
Ikoyi
St. James’s, London
Have you been to any of these? If so, I would love to know of any dishes that you can recommend. For more information about these awards, please visit the National Restaurant Awards website stat.
