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Manchester House:

Because the cooking

is constantly perfect

and I love the dining

room. The lunch menu

is always incredible

quality too.

Freemasons, Wiswell:

Because it's so cool to get Michelinquality

food in those surroundings.

Porta, Chester: For its beautiful small

dishes. The owners wanted to open

somewhere they'd like to hang out in and

that's how it feels. Really chilled out with a

quirky outside space for people watching.

Chef's favourites

GARY USHER,

STICKY WALNUT

Manchester House:

Because the cooking

is constantly perfect

and I love the dining

room. The lunch menu

is always incredible

quality too.

Freemasons, Wiswell:

1 The Hardwick Monmouthshire 2 Purple Poppadom Cardiff

3 Restaurant James Sommerin Cardiff 4 Y Polyn Carmarthenshire

5 Ynshir Hall Powys

5 More Reader Favourites...

WALES

rice to roast Dartmoor venison with parsnip,

beetroot, cocoa and peanut crumble. "Really

accommodating service" is a big bonus.

23 The Seafood

Restaurant

Riverside, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8BY;

01841 532700 ££ NEW ENTRY

Rick Stein's long-serving ¥ agship

This is where it all began for Rick Stein, and 40

years down the line the Seafood Restaurant

still delivers "heaven on a plate" without

"overly stuŠ y" posturing. Flavours from Stein's

travels dominate, from Singapore chilli crab to

classic turbot with hollandaise sauce.

24 Stovell's

Windsor Road, Chobham, Surrey,

GU24 8QS; 020 3589 9950 ££ [17]

Ambitious out-of-town eatery

Fernando and Kirsty Stovell's converted

farmhouse is now a classy destination with

bags of ambition. It's "always a delight" to eat

the   nely honed, complex dishes strewn with

wild pickings, such as lemon sole with broad

beans, lemon verbena and coastal herbs.

"Well-timed service" is much appreciated.

25 The Walnut Tree

Llanddewi Skirrid, Monmouthshire,

NP7 8AW; 01873 852797 ££ [16]

Welsh foodie icon still going strong

Shaun Hill has put the Walnut Tree back on

the Michelin-starred map. Prices are a steal,

the atmosphere crackles and the kitchen

serves dishes such as veal kidneys with black

pudding and Marsala sauce.

26 The Great House

Market Place, Lavenham, SuŸ olk,

CO19 9QZ; 01787 247431 £ [40]

A slice of France in historic Su¨ olk

Régis and Martine Crépy play host to an

appreciative crowd, who come for Frenchaccented

cooking with plenty of modern

š ourishes, backed by faultless service.

27 The Plumed Horse

50-54 Henderson Street, Edinburgh,

EH6 6DE; 0131 554 5556 ££ [18]

Personally run waterfront thoroughbred

Tony Borthwick's Plumed Horse wins friends

with its clear-š avoured dishes along the lines

of poached and roasted squab pigeon with

clapshot mousse and wild asparagus. Service

and wines are everything you could wish for.

28 Fraiche

11 Rose Mount, Oxton, Merseyside,

CH43 5SG; 0151 652 2914 ££ [20]

Extreme cuisine from a single-minded chef

A Michelin-starred one-oŠ with 'nature' as its

theme. Marc Wilkinson explores the fringes

of "gastro science" with his "stunning" tasting

menus - from Gressingham duck with cocoa

crisp and kohlrabi to lemongrass pannacotta.

29 Andrew Fairlie

at Gleneagles

Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perthshire, PH3 1NF;

01764 694267 £££ [25]

Premier league Scottish destination

Andrew Fairlie's two-Michelin-starred bastion

of "grand   ne dining" gives native ingredients

a clever spin, from monk  sh with fennel

purée and sea beet to roast Gartmorn duck

with pak choy and con  t leg. "Fantastic

whiskies" and a voluminous wine list too.

30 Roger Hickman's

79 Upper St Giles Street, Norwich,

Norfolk, NR2 1AB; 01603 633522

££ NEW ENTRY

Civilised city restaurant with classy food

The best in Norwich by a country mile, Roger

Hickman's restaurant is a paragon of civility

and gastronomic excellence - a "pleasure to

visit". Sharply de  ned seasonal š avours point

up dishes such as blowtorched mackerel with

baby beetroot and horseradish.

"SUPER LOCATION, REALLY FRESH FOOD"

GILES PHILLIPS ON PORTHMINSTER BEACH CAFÉ

The Seafood Restaurant