Grace Dent’s 2025 Restaurant Picks Reveal Where the Real Magic Happened
If there’s one thing Grace Dent made clear while looking back on her dining year, it’s that time was not exactly on her side in 2025. Much of it was spent inside a windowless television unit in Birmingham, watching scallops being seared and soufflés rising for MasterChef. As glamorous as that sounds, it meant that every spare evening became precious. So when she did manage to escape to a restaurant, it had to count. And according to Dent, the places that truly mattered were the ones offering not just great food, but warmth, generosity, and that hard-to-define buzz that makes a meal linger in your memory.
Some of her most comforting finds were close to where she was working. Tropea in Harborne became a regular refuge, praised for its joyful Italian cooking, from butternut squash arancini to indulgent cannoli that felt anything but restrained. A single trip to Bristol, meanwhile, delivered two standouts tucked into repurposed shipping containers at Wapping Wharf. Lapin was described as playful and faintly surreal, serving French classics with a wink, while Ragù was elevated into something close to legendary status. That meal, featuring delicate crespelle and a flawless chocolate budino, was called one of the greatest dinners she’s eaten this decade, and it was all done without fuss or flash.
Also Read:Manchester also made a strong impression, despite only a couple of visits. Bangkok Diners Club impressed with refined Thai cooking inside a restored pub, while Winsome delivered modern British food with heart, humor, and a team that clearly loves what it does. Elsewhere around the country, Bellota in Suffolk offered an intimate Spanish tasting menu worth fighting for, Juliet in Stroud captured the spirit of its bohemian community, and Franc delivered beautifully simple French cooking that proved less really can be more.
London, however, came with mixed feelings. Many heavily hyped openings were said to have fallen flat, though bright spots remained. Ukrainian restaurant Tatar Bunar stood out for its comforting dishes, while new and familiar favorites like Kudu, Town, Osteria Angelina, and the wildly theatrical Lilibet’s reminded Dent why the capital can still dazzle when it gets things right.
In the end, despite a packed schedule and limited downtime, Grace Dent’s 2025 proved that Britain’s restaurant scene is anything but tired. It was described as loud, generous, and full of life. And with that, the message was clear: if this was the year under pressure, the next one is already shaping up to taste even better.
Read More:
0 Comments