Top 5 Restaurants I want to visit this Summer

Like lots of people, I enjoy eating out at various restaurants, trying new foods and experiencing different cuisines.  I’m a keen watcher of food programmes like Masterchef and Great British Menu and whilst watching these have now got a list of restaurants I want to visit based on the chefs taking part in the competitions.  Since watching Great British Menu I’ve enjoyed a tasting menu at Nottingham based Alchemilla owned by Alex Bond and was absolutely worth it.  On top of these, I have restaurants that friends or family have visited and recommended and so the list is getting quite long, but to keep it simple, here are my current (it’s always changing!) top 5 restaurants I want to visit this summer…

SY23 Restaurant

– 2 Pier Street, Aberystwyth SY23 2LJ

Led by Great British Menu contestant Nathan Davies and having achieved its first Michellin star rating in 2022.  With a keen ethos of foraged, farmed or fished, SY23 restaurant is keen to show you the very best of locally foraged and sourced food from Aberystwyth and the surrounding areas.  I especially want to try the food as Nathan has shown that he’s all about cooking over the open flame and this is something I am a fan of.  A sample of their menu is

Local grains – Cultured miso butter

Scallop – Seaweed – Burnt butter

Crab – Preserved elder

Turbot – Cockles – Broccoli

Lamb – Black garlic – Mushroom

(Optional Cheese Course £12)

Strawberries – Elderflower – Cultured cream

Lemon – Meringue

64% Chocolate – Grains – Sour cream

Cox apple – Wood sorrel – Granola

Burnt butter fudge – Chocolate – Salt

The Chubby Castor

– 34 Peterborough Rd, Castor PE5 7AX

The Chubby Castor is a modern British restaurant in fairly close proximity to where I live and so for this type of restaurant to be on my sleepy doorstep is very exciting.  With a firm focus on local produce and sustainability, Chef Patron Adebola Adeshina:-

“Sustainability is at the heart of our approach to modern British cooking. Our menus are focused on showcasing the finest local and seasonal produce available which is sourced from reputable local suppliers supporting our farming communities.”

The Chubby Castor features recipes that are crowd pleasers and has the option of a la carte, set menus and a plant based menu.

Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, a Belmond Hotel

– Church Rd, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7PD

A two michellin star restaurant under the expert eye of Raymond Blanc.  Le Manoir is a restaurant that you dream of visiting one day to experience the food that is worthy of 2 stars.  The location in itself is fabulous, set in a country house, the luxury of the surroundings will transport you to another world.  With a focus of French cuisine, the restaurant has been the stepping stone for many a chef training under the watchful eye of Raymond Blanc and his team.  It is of course expensive but I imagine an experience you’re unlikely to forget and memories that last, which is priceless.

The Chef’s Table Restaurant

– Addington Rd, Northamptonshire NN14 4ES

This is another restaurant close to me and is fairly new to the restaurant scene.  The concept is that you can experience the style & level of cooking the Chefs work to on Private Dining bookings, but in an accessible format.  The Chef’s TableThey also run cookery courses and have guest chefs appearing every now and then.

The Queen’s Head

– Bulwick, Corby NN17 3ET

Enjoying a rural setting, The Queen’s Head is a 17th century pub based in the quiet village of Bulwick near Corby.  It has recently undergone a change and reopened its doors in February of this year under owner Guy Kersey and Executive Chef Andrew Greasly, if that name seems familiar its because he was a finalist on Masterchef Professional. Andrew brings his creativity and flair to the menu, whilst keeping it accessible.  The food looks great and reasonably priced and I think out of all the restaurants mentioned, this is likely to be the one I try first! (watch this space for a review).