Chefs Name Manchester Restaurant in UK Top 100

"Restaurant" magazine - the publication behind the coveted "The World’s Best 50 Restaurants" list - have revealed their "100 Best Restaurants in the UK" at The Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards 2019, the largest annual gathering of top chefs and restaurateurs in the UK.

Voted for by 150 chefs, restaurateurs and food writers - based on their experiences eating out in the past twelve months - Noma alumnus Simon Martin's Mana was the only Manchester restaurant to make the list, debuting at no.73; an impressive achievement for the seven month year old Ancoats venue.

According to the judges, "this is cooking as alchemy: creating gold from almost nothing. As such this restaurant has resonated far beyond Manchester".

Lancashire chef Mark Birchall's 2 Michelin Starred Moor Hall, in Aughton near Ormskirk, climbed from no.6 in 2018 to top the list, whilst the restaurant he spent ten years working at, Simon Rogan’s 2 Michelin Starred L’Enclume in Cartmel, dropped down a place, to 6th. His value-for-money Roganic, in London, entered the list at no.22 whilst anther of his former L’Enclume protégées, Kevin Tickle, saw his Michelin starred Forest Side in Grasmere reach no.18.

Talking of Simon Rogan, yet again, many chefs and critics have expressed their surprise at the omission of his former employer, The French at the Midland, which is now headed by Great British Menu 2019 winner, Adam Reid, and retains many staff who had made the switch from Cartmel to Manchester.

In keeping with how controversial the judging is, last year's winner, Kiln in London dropped to no.15, whilst Kala Manchester crowd-funding chef, Gary Usher, saw not only his Wreckfish restaurant in Liverpool drop out of the list completely (from no.19), but also his Didsbury bistro, Hispi (from no.46) - he has remained uncharacteristically quiet on Twitter about the relegations so far. Stockport's Where The Light Gets In also dropped out of the list (from no.80) as did Northcote Manor (from no.97).

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Local restaurants to actually make the cut in 2019 included three nearby Lancashire venues; The Parkers Arms in Bowland (no,38, up from 76), The Freemasons at Wiswell (dropped from no.18 to 39), and The White Swan at Fence (no.96), whilst the Burlington at the Devonshire Arms, on the Bolton Abbey estate in Skipton, reached no.46 - Ian Matfin, who made his name at Michael Caines Manchester, is a member of Paul Leonard's kitchen team there.

Also just outside of Skipton, Michael Wignall's The Angel at Hetton reached no.56, whilst staying in Yorkshire, Michael O’Hare put his failed Manchester project, Rabbit In The Moon, firmly behind him as his Michelin starred Leeds restaurant, Man Behind The Curtain, entered the list (at no.91), as did Lake District restaurant, Holbeck Ghyll (no.98), which should please fans of Steve Coogan's "The Trip".

• Mana Manchester
• The Best Restaurants in Manchester