Cheshire

If you needed an excuse to book a table this week, here it is: the <a href="https://www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk/best-of/best-local-restaurant/100-best-local-restaurants-2026#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Good Food Guide has just crowned its 100 Best Local Restaurants of 2026</a>, and the winner is practically on our doorstep — well, Lancashire doorstep, but we&#8217;re claiming it as a northern win regardless.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="984" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8588-984x1024.jpg" alt="La Locanda" class="wp-image-9335" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8588-984x1024.jpg 984w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8588-288x300.jpg 288w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8588-768x799.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8588.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 984px) 100vw, 984px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">La Locanda</figcaption></figure></div>


The list, announced at a glitzy do at London&#8217;s Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Monday 13 July, is the Good Food Guide&#8217;s annual love letter to the restaurants that don&#8217;t chase Michelin stars but win the hearts of locals. And this year, the coveted list is topped by <a href="https://lalocanda.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">La Locanda</a>, a tiny Lancashire trattoria in the idyllic Ribble Valley that&#8217;s been quietly perfecting its craft for 23 years. Nab a table beneath the beams of this neighbourhood spot, where the kitchen plucks flavours and ingredients and soulful cooking from across the sunblushed boot, from the rich seafood stews of the Amalfi, to earthy plates of of wild deer stew with truffle mash. 



Right here in Cheshire, <a href="https://bolete.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bolete</a> in Neston has secured a place in the coveted top 100, coming in at No. 82. Its seasonal menus, whose ethos is about the classic and simple, warm neighbourhood feel and beautifully judged cooking has been making ripples for some time now on the local scene. But with this new award under its belt, it&#8217;ll propel Bolete firmly into the Cheshire foodie lexicon.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="717" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8587-1024x717.jpg" alt="Bolete in Neston" class="wp-image-9336" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8587-1024x717.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8587-300x210.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8587-768x538.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8587.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bolete</figcaption></figure></div>


Just over the border, Roman-inspired <a href="https://www.lupocaffe.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lupo</a> in Prestwich landed at an impressive No. 19, while Manchester city favourite <a href="https://thesparrows.me" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Spärrows</a>, pitched under a railway arch, with a doorbell you have to ring to get in — took No. 58. It&#8217;s a Central European spot best known for handmade spätzle, pierogi and pelmeni, with a wine list that leans into Alpine and Eastern European bottles alongside a surprising sake selection. Massive congrats to all!


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="656" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8590-1024x656.jpg" alt="The Spärrows" class="wp-image-9337" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8590-1024x656.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8590-300x192.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8590-768x492.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/07/IMG_8590.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://thesparrows.me" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Spärrows</a></figcaption></figure></div>


Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2026, in partnership with Square



Full list of winners (ranked 1-100):



1.<a href="https://lalocanda.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> La Locanda, Gisburn, Lancashire</a>



2. Cantina Caruso, Margate, Kent



3. Ar Bòrd, Isle of Mull, Highlands &amp; Islands



4. Gina, Chingford, London



5. The Black Bear Inn, Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire



6. Tiella Trattoria, Bethnal Green, London



7. Wangs, Bristol



8. Wild, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire



9. <a href="https://www.almanacrestaurant.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Almanac, Glossop, Derbyshire</a>



10. Black Wheat Club, York, North Yorkshire



11. Lucky Lychee, Winchester, Hampshire



12. Counter Culture, Newquay, Cornwall



13. Eastfield, Dundee, Tayside



14. Les 2 Garçons, Crouch End, London



15. Redwood Wines, Dunkeld, Perthshire &amp; Kinross



16. Bavette, Leeds, West Yorkshire



17. Fino, Cromer, Norfolk



18. The Lost Kitchen, Chettiscombe, Devon



19. <a href="https://www.lupocaffe.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lupo, Prestwich, Greater Manchester</a>



20. Ida, Queen&#8217;s Park, London



21. Fish Shop, Ballater, Aberdeen



22. Edie&#8217;s, St Austell, Cornwall



23. The Union Rye, Rye, East Sussex



24. Gloriosa, Glasgow, Strathclyde



25. Upstairs at Landrace, Bath, Somerset



26. Mambow, Clapton, London



27. Ogof, Cardiff



28. North Street Kitchen, Fowey, Cornwall



29. Long Friday, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne &amp; Wear



30. <a href="https://www.littleclovekitchen.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Little Clove Kitchen, Liverpool, Merseyside</a>



31. The Empire Cafe, Leeds, West Yorkshire



32. Tropea, Birmingham, West Midlands



33. Ardfern, Edinburgh, Lothians



34. Soulshine, Bridport, Dorset



35. Dongnae, Bristol



36. The Palmerston, Edinburgh, Lothians



37. Janda Diner, Peckham, London



38. Lark, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk



39. Bauji, Worthing, West Sussex



40. Shwen Shwen, Sevenoaks, Kent



41. The Yan, Grasmere, Cumbria



42. The Shed, Swansea



43. Chater&#8217;s, Saffron Walden, Essex



44. 101 Bridport, Bridport, Dorset



45. The Nettle, Settle, North Yorkshire



46. Seasonality, Maidenhead, Berkshire



47. Nick&#8217;s at Port of Menteith, Port of Menteith, Stirling



48. Mori Mori, Margate, Kent



49. Home SW15, Putney, London



50. Pompette, Oxford, Oxfordshire



51. Logma, Hackney, London



52. Teal by Sally Abé, Hackney, London



53. The Suffolk, Aldeburgh, Suffolk



54. The Orange Bird, Sheffield, South Yorkshire



55. Ebi Sushi, Derby, Derbyshire



56. Thomas the Brasserie, Cardiff



57. Brusco, Brighton, East Sussex



58. <a href="https://thesparrows.me" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Spärrows, Manchester, Greater Manchester</a>



59. The Small Canteen, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne &amp; Wear



60. Fifteen Square Metres, Broadstairs, Kent



61. Franc, Canterbury, Kent



62. The Gordon Arms, Selkirk, Borders



63. Fern, Uppingham, Rutland



64. Bar Ingo, Broadstairs, Kent



65. <a href="https://www.belzan.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Belzan, Liverpool, Merseyside</a>



66. Little Brickhouse, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire



67. Amari, Brighton, East Sussex



68. Barry Fish, Edinburgh, Lothians



69. Four Boys, Rock, Cornwall



70. Pip’s, Norwich, Norfolk



71. Eusebi Deli, Glasgow, Strathclyde



72. Leftfield, Edinburgh, Lothians



73. Piccalilli, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire



74. Norman&#8217;s Neighbourhood Kitchen, Kirkburton, West Yorkshire



75. <a href="https://www.chin-zanolpl.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chin-Zano, Liverpool, Merseyside</a>



76. Lubber Kitchen, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne &amp; Wear



77. The Seahorse, Dartmouth, Devon



78. Soi 1268, Birmingham, West Midlands



79. Outlaw’s Bistro, Port Isaac, Cornwall



80. The Smithfield, Leeds, West Yorkshire



81. Calong, Stoke Newington, London



82. <a href="https://bolete.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bolete, Neston, Cheshire</a>



83. Pulpo Negro, Alresford, Hampshire



84. Margaret&#8217;s, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire



85. <a href="https://www.aseanar.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Â Sé Anar, Blackpool, Lancashire</a>



86. Other, Bristol



87. North, Sunderland, Tyne &amp; Wear



88. Bristol Lido, Bristol



89. Namo, Brighton, East Sussex



90. Tonka, Hastings, East Sussex



91. Post, Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire



92. A Tavola Gastronomia Siciliana, High Peak, Derbyshire



93. Auction House, Louth, Lincolnshire



94. The Rocket Store, Boscastle, Cornwall



95. Root Wells, Wells, Somerset



96. Y Polyn, Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire



97. The Dory Bistro, Pittenweem, Fife



98. Tide &amp; Thyme, Tighnabruaich, Argyll &amp; Bute



99. Lupa, Highbury, London



100. The Dining Room, Abersoch, Gwynedd

Foodie newsflash! Which local restaurants made the UK’s Top 100?

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