No matter where you live, it’s easy to get swept up in the splendor of Britain’s royal events . On May 6, King Charles III will be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, culminating in extravagant celebrations with equally extravagant wines. At these Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners, you don’t need to be the king of England (or of noble blood at all) to drink like royalty. Check out these 10 U.K. destinations where wine lists are the crowning glory.
To check out more great wine-and-dining spots across the globe, explore the many other Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning destinations, including our Grand Award recipients.
Do you have a favorite place you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Note: Opening hours and menus are subject to change as the industry continues to adjust to evolving regulations.
Clos Maggiore
33 King St., London, England
Telephone (44) 20-4580-1174
Website www.closmaggiore.com
Grand Award
A Grand Award winner since 2014, Clos Maggiore in London’s Covent Garden is home to an impressive 2,500-label wine program. Owner and wine director Paul Corrett oversees the list, which excels in Burgundy and Bordeaux—with classified-growths and grands crus—as well as the Rhône, Italy, Spain, California and Australia. Clos Maggiore’s decor is a Provençal fantasy, with sculpted topiary walls and silk apple blossoms hanging overhead. This lends to the experience of enjoying the French-inspired menu from chef Kim Woodward. À la carte options include Orkney scallops, carrot and star anise soup, hand-picked Brixham crab and wild garlic risotto.
Coq d’Argent
No. 1 Poultry, London, England
Telephone (44) 20-7395-5000
Website www.coqdargent.co.uk
Best of Award of Excellence
Best of Award of Excellence winner Coq d'Argent is set in London’s historic financial district and offers unparalleled views of the city from its rooftop terrace. Here, diners enjoy a French menu from chef Damien Rigollet, including dishes such as Comté tart with leek compote, roast lamb with fondant potatoes and seared sea bass with Provençal artichokes barigoule. Overseen by sommelier Giuseppe Iacona, the heavily French wine list features more than 650 selections, spotlighting leading estates in the Loire Valley, Burgundy and the Rhône, along with picks from England, Hungary, Canada, Slovenia, Romania and farther abroad.
Fenchurch Restaurant
1 Sky Garden Walk, London, England
Telephone (44) 333-772-0020
Website skygarden.london/restaurants/fenchurch
Best of Award of Excellence
Thirty-seven stories high in London’s Sky Garden—the city’s highest public garden—Frenchurch Restaurant boasts breathtaking views of the London Bridge, the Tower of London and beyond. The restaurant’s Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list makes it that much more of an unforgettable destination. Wine director Alexandru Pastrav's list showcases Bordeaux and Tuscany among other star regions, with highlight bottles such as Masseto Toscana 2011 and Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1996. Chef Kerth Gumbs’ menu keeps pace, drawing influence from his homeland of Anguilla for dishes such as aged duck accented with tamarind and sorrel, beef tartare with a smoky jerk rub and lamb rump with dollops of plantain caponata.
Franco’s
61 Jermyn St., London, England
Telephone (44) 20-7499-2211
Website www.francoslondon.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Minutes away from Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus, Franco’s, a Best of Award of Excellence winner since 2022, specializes in old-school Italian cuisine served across à la carte and tasting menus. Standout dishes include octopus carpaccio with fennel, pan-fried veal with truffle mashed potatoes and creamy saffron risotto with roasted quail. The restaurant also keeps an impressive 2,000 -bottle cellar packed with wines from across Italy, including lesser-known varieties such as Turbiana from Lombardy and Nerello Mascalese from Sicily. Head sommelier Giulia Fenoglio builds eye-catching verticals from Tuscany and Piedmont estates, such as Antinori, Gaja and Tenuta San Guido. For those not-so-rainy London days, Franco's offers bistro-style sidewalk service for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Northcote
Northcote Road, Langho, Lancashire, England
Telephone (44) 1254-240-555
Website www.northcote.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Housed in a luxury Tudor-style lodge amid the natural beauty of Lancashire's Ribble Valley, Northcote provides one of northwest England’s most noteworthy dining experiences. Chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen’s regional menu highlights British ingredients in dishes such as charred Yorkshire asparagus, North Sea cod with seaweed potatoes in romesco sauce and a namesake cheeseboard, which comes with five or seven selections from the Courtyard Dairy in nearby Austwick . With about 600 labels, the wine program shines in Burgundy, Spain, Champagne and Italy. Additionally, wine director Craig Bancroft champions Portuguese wine, offering more than 40 labels from producers such as the Douro’s Quinta do Crasto and Niepoort. For intimate gatherings, enjoy the estate's private dining rooms, where Goodwin-Allen’s cuisine is paired with Louis Roederer Champagne as well as cocktails and other refreshments. Northcote also hosts a chef’s table experience, where guests can dine with a full view of the kitchen, as well as an on-site culinary school.
The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant
The Glenturret Distillery, The Hosh, Crieff, Scotland
Telephone (44) 1764-656-565
Website www.theglenturret.com
Best of Award of Excellence
In the heart of Crieff lies the Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, found inside Scotland’s oldest working whisky distillery. Diners are treated to views of both the old still houses and the River Turret as they enjoy regional cuisine from chef Mark Donald. The prix fixe dining experience has a vegetarian version and highlights local produce from the Perthshire highlands. In addition to an impressive selection of 375 rare and old single malt whiskies, the Glenturret boasts a Best of Award of Excellence–winning list of 500 wines. France is its main focus, with particular strength in Burgundy and Bordeaux and prestige picks such as Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey’s 1920 Sauternes.
The Vineyard
The Vineyard Hotel, Stockcross, Newbury, England
Telephone (44) 163-552-8770
Website www.the-vineyard.co.uk
Best of Award of Excellence
Situated a little over an hour west of London, the Vineyard Hotel provides an excellent getaway for wine fans, complete with private tastings, spa treatments, wine experiences at the Vine Bar and more. The hotel’s owners are the Michael family of Peter Michael winery, who have named each of the rooms after a wine, such as the La Carriére grand suite (named after the Peter Michael Chardonnay). At its namesake restaurant, the Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine program focuses on California, but is also strong in Burgundy, Italy and Bordeaux. The 3,000-selection wine list features a remarkable collection of German wines as well as more than 100 by-the-glass offerings. Among the standouts is a 13-vintage vertical of Peter Michael’s Les Pavots Knights Valley red. In the kitchen, chef Tom Scade delivers a California-inspired, locally sourced selection of British dishes across à la carte and tasting menus, including sea bass tartare, salt-baked celery root with truffles and Gigha halibut with leeks.
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The Woodspeen
Lambourn Road, Woodspeen, Newbury, England
Telephone (44) 1635-265-070
Website www.thewoodspeen.com
Best of Award of Excellence
In the quaint town of Newbury in Berkshire, England, the Woodspeen showcases a seasoned fine dining chef in its kitchen and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine program. Chef Peter Eaton serves a seasonal menu of British cuisine at the Woodspeen, with such staples as beef Wellington with béarnaise sauce, cheese-and-asparagus pithivier with Glastonbury Twanger and steamed hispi cabbage with a truffle emulsion. The 560-selection wine list shows strength in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Italy, Champagne and California, featuring such standouts as Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Toscana Masseto 2009 and Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2005. There are also two dozen wines available by the half-bottle, 26 served by the glass and several selections under $100.
Fernery
Grove of Narberth, Molleston, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Telephone (44) 1834-860-915
Website ferneryrestaurant.co.uk
Award of Excellence
Established in the Grove of Narberth, a luxury hotel and restored country house, the Award of Excellence–winning Fernery encapsulates the charm and warmth of the Welsh countryside. Using local ingredients from throughout the county of Pembrokeshire, and from the hotel’s own gardens, chef Douglas Balish’s tasting menus are delicately plated and well-balanced with contrasting flavors. Recent specialties have included young pigeon with cherries, venison with blueberries and chawanmushi (a Japanese egg custard dish) with lobster. Head sommelier Alexios Stasinopoulos' wine list accents the comfiness and rustic nature of Fernery, with a focus on sparkling wines made in the United Kingdom and showstopping selections from across France, including Château Latour Pauillac 1996.
The Clockspire
Gainsborough, Milborne Port, Sherborne, England
Telephone (44) 1963-251-458
Website www.theclockspire.com
Award of Excellence
In the lovely town of Sherborne the Clockspire delivers a fine dining atmosphere in a renovated, 1864 -built schoolhouse-turned-restaurant. Led by chef Luke Sutton, the restaurant takes inspiration from southern England for its menu of European cuisine, with dishes such as roasted lamb with lamb fat potatoes, Cornish halibut with cauliflower and wild garlic risotto with White Lake Pecorino (sourced from nearby Somerset ). Local produce shines, particularly with vegetarian dishes: onion soup topped with pickled onions and Cheddar, ash-baked celery with smoked British quinoa and potato rosti with pickled jalapeños, to name a few. Wine director Edoardo Amadi oversees the 200-selection wine list, which has earned the restaurant an Award of Excellence since 2020. The list is primarily focused on France but brings in diverse options from California, Italy and Australia as well.
Edited by Collin Dreizen, Emma Grant, Julia Larson and Megan Tkacy
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