The Top 10 UK Gastropubs of 2024

Once again, the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs of 2024 has been unveiled. Over 100 industry professionals have the (incredible) job of visiting the country’s finest gastropubs, judging the experience, and ranking them, looking out for charming décor, welcoming atmospheres, stunning views, great drinks lists and of course, mouth-watering dishes.

After much deliberation, they’ve narrowed it down to 50, and these 10 represent gastropub bliss. You can find the full list at the bottom of this page to see your nearest pub, but for now let’s dive into the Top 10 (starting at 10 of course because we have a penchant for suspense).

10. The Hand & Flowers, Buckinghamshire

Retaining its top ten spot, Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers is the only pub in the UK to achieve something totally unique- two Michelin stars. This rustic, whitewashed pub hosts traditional French cuisine (haute) such as duck liver parfait with orange chutney and their chocolate and ale cake which has become a spectacle in its own right. Luxurious cottages also owned by the pub are available, including a renowned breakfast.  

Phone number: 01628 482277
Address: 126 West St, Marlow SL7 2BP
Book here

9. Freemasons at Wiswell

Nestled into the picturesque Ribble Valley of Lancashire is Freemasons, a quaint and refined slice of country dining. Seasonal, local produce intertwines with world flavours creatively, like the roast loin and kofta of Nidderdale lamb with barbeque lettuce, mint yoghurt, and miso aubergine. Flavours can be experimental, with wild, sharp freshness, but their relentless Top 10 placing shows that with chef Steven Smith it’s in good hands. Summer BBQ, chippy teas and tasting evenings have cemented this pub as part of Wiswell.

Phone number: 01254 822218
Address: 9df, 8 Vicarage Fold, Wiswell, Clitheroe BB7 9DF
Book here

8. The Star Inn, York

By chance, another Stephen Smith heads up The Star Inn in York, and he’s also the 2023 Food & Drink Awards Chef of the Year. Close your eyes, imagine a country gastropub, and this is probably not far off what you’re seeing. Cosy, quaint and adorned with a Michelin star, a fire meant The Star was out of last year’s list, but its position on every list before is a testament to its quality. Their foie gras with black pudding and sticky scrumpy reduction is the flagship dish for their ‘rich man, poor man’ style.

Phone number: 01904 619208
Address: Lendal Engine House, Museum St, York YO1 7DR
Book here

7. Parkers Arms, Clitheroe

Last year’s winner (and 2nd the year before that), Parkers Arms, situated in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty, is no stranger to awards. Looking out over rolling hills, it’s isolated for sure, but why would you want to be anywhere else? Chef-patron Stosie Madi has created a true gastropub, starring locally foraged and sourced produce with two intentions – incredible flavours, and plates that fill you up. Dog-friendly, expansive drinks selections, this is a proper gastropub.

Phone number: 01200 446236
Address: Hall Gate Hill, Newton-In-Bowland, Nr Clitheroe BB7 3DY
Book here

6. The Red Lion and Sun, Highgate, London

Up from 10th place, this is a truly historic site, with a pub here in charming Highgate Village since the 1500s – though you can bet that the food wasn’t this good then. Whether in the sun-kissed garden, or by the cosy log burner, this gastropub delivers a rustic yet modern experience. Freshness is the order of the day, with new menus (sometimes every day), and the extensive wine list is exceptional.

Phone number: 020 8340 1780
Address: 25 North Rd, London N6 4BE
Book here

5. The Sportsman, Kent

A coastal dream, The Sportsman watches over the Kent coast, and has, for decades now, been one of the absolute top maritime pilgrimages for foodies. With such vivid surroundings, chef-patron Stephen Harris wears his inspirations on his chef whites, with homemade sea salt, Seasalter meat farms and local foraging. Take the slip sole grilled in seaweed butter for example, which uses seaweed from the beach that you can see from the restaurant.

Phone number: 01227 273370
Address: 1 Faversham Rd, Seasalter, Whitstable CT5 4BP
Book here

4. The Fordwich Arms

Fordwich in leafy Kent is England’s smallest town, but the Michelin-starred Fordwich Arms is proof that the best things arrive in small packages. On the banks of the River Stour, this stunning red brick building dressed in green ivy makes the most of local ingredients. This gastropub has been continuously rising through the ranks, praised for its relaxed style, tasteful décor and exceptional menus – the à la carte menu for example includes rock oysters, Orkney scallop with apple, kohlrabi and vadouvan spices and roast saddle of Chart Farm Sika venison with chestnut, celeriac and spiced fig. Yum.

Phone number: 01227 286690
Address: King St, Fordwich, Canterbury CT2 0DB
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3. The Mariners, Cornwall

Onto the podium places now with the yellow paint of The Mariners. Headed up by Paul Ainsworth, it came 11th last year and has now shot up with six exceptional menus inclusive to vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free and children. Seaside specials like crisp pollock hot dogs are available of course, but the grill has quite the reputation too with 40-day 800g beef ribs blowing diners away.

Phone number: 01841 532093
Address: The Slipway, Rock, Wadebridge PL27 6LD
Book here

2. The Cornish Arms, Devon

What a rise! From 12th to 2nd, The Cornish Arms is the love child of husband-and-wife duo John and Emma Hooker, delivering unpretentious dishes brimming with simple, mouth-watering flavours. Their commitment to local, fresh produce is exceptional but they’ve also been praised for the affordable pricing of such quality dishes. For starter? Pheasant Scotch egg, blue cheese and beer pickled onions? For main? Poached and roasted lamb belly in lamb gravy? For dessert? Sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce? There are plenty of options for every dish, but you’re guaranteed to get a proper gastropub experience whatever you pick.

Phone number: 01822 612145
Address: 15 West St, Tavistock PL19 8AN
Book here

1. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Runner up last year, this year’s winner is The Unruly Pig, reclaiming its 2022 title. Inside this crooked 16th century inn you’ll find gastronomic magic, but always retaining that cosy pub feel with beams and burners for days. 60 wines and incredible craft beers join home-made cordials and local fruit juices on the drink’s menu. For food, the focus remains on ‘Britalian’ creativity. Think celeriac and mushroom lasagna. Halibut and avruga caviar sauce with seaweed potatoes. Perhaps the most famous dish is the unruly Tiramisu which sounds divine. Free-from menus are also thoughtful. It’s everything you want from a gastropub, and the numerous awards (not just this one) speak volumes.

Phone number: 01394 460310
Address: Orford Rd, Bromeswell, Woodbridge IP12 2PU
Book here

The Estrella Damm’s Top 50 Gastropubs 2024:

1. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge

2. The Cornish Arms, Tavistock

3. The Mariners, Rock

4. The Fordwich Arms, Canterbury

5. The Sportsman, Seasalter

6. The Red Lion & Sun, Highgate, London

7. Parkers Arms, Newton-in-Bowland

8. The Star Inn, Harome

9. Freemasons at Wiswell, Wiswell

10. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow

11. Heft, High Newton

12. The Harwood Arms, Fulham, London

13. The Angel at Hetton, Hetton

14. The Rat Inn, Hexham

15. The Bridge Arms, Canterbury

16. The Dog at Wingham, Wingham

17. The Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax

18. The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market

19. The Pack Horse, Hayfield

20. Pyne Arms, Barnstaple

21. The Coach, Marlow

22. The Beehive, White Waltham

23. The Broad Chare, Newcastle

24. The Edinburgh Castle, Manchester

25. The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe

26. The Baring, Islington, London

27. The Kentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells

28. The Pipe & Glass Inn, Beverley

29. The White Swan at Fence, Fence

30. The Longs Arms, Bath

31. The Bull & Last, Islington, London

32. The Black Bear, Usk

33. The Dog & Gun Inn, Skelton

34. The Woolpack, Stroud

35. The Barrington Boar, Barrington

36. The Parakeet, Kentish Town, London

37. The Masons Arms, Knowstone

38. The Abbey Inn, Byland

39. The Black Bull, Sedbergh

40. The Cadogan Arms, Chelsea, London

41. The Bulls Head, Craswell

42. The Loch and The Tyne, Windsor

43. The Guinea Grill, Mayfair, London

44. The Dew Drop Inn, Hurley

45. The Killingworth Castle, Wootton

46. The Canton Arms, Stockwell, London

47. The Double Red Duke, Clanfield

48. The Duncombe Arms, Ashbourne

49. The Scran & Scallie, Edinburgh

50. The Bull, Charlbury

The Dead Rabbit, NY : The World’s Most Awarded Pub

If you walked past 30 Walter Street, New York throughout the 1830s, you’d have seen and smelt a dilapidated five-story townhouse, and you’d probably be witnessing the closing down of yet another failed business there.

People that weren’t prepared to give up on it however were The Dead Rabbit gang, who saw the potential of this Manhattan haunt and fought to own their poverty-stricken slum. Remembering the fighting spirit of their leader, boxer, businessman, politician and criminal John Morrissey, The Dead Rabbit opened in 2013 and has overcome a hurricane and a fire to expand and become known as ‘The World’s Most Awarded Pub’.

On the back of making The Cocktail Bar at The Merchant in Belfast the World’s Best Cocktail Bar in 2010, Sean Muldoon teamed up with Bar Manager Jack McGarry and regular customer Conor Allen to take on the most competitive drinking hub on the planet – New York.

Taking inspiration from the world-renowned craic and comfort of the Irish Pub, they set out to make an Irish Bar in New York... the world capital of Irish Bars. With the Dead Rabbits gang concept planned, focusing on authenticity, 19th century drinks and a hybrid of American innovation and Irish tradition, The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog finally opened in 2013, winning the Best New Cocktail Bar award. Two years later, it won the coveted World’s Best Cocktail Bar. In 2022, the new went separate ways, but The Dead Rabbit is as alluring as ever… but why?

Well, it boasts a trio of immersive experiences: The Taproom, The Parlor, and the Occasional Room. It's like having a pub for every mood swing, and that's a concept that's hard to beat.

In the Taproom, it's all about the craic. This is the place to revel in traditional Irish pub fare, top-notch cocktails, bottled punches, and, of course, the famous Irish Coffee. Every Sunday, a lively Irish seisiún awaits, making it the perfect end to the week. And whiskey lovers, brace yourselves for a back bar that's a treasure trove of choices.

Now, let's step into The Parlor, the cocktail cathedral of Downtown Manhattan that was once it’s best-kept secret. Here, 16 carefully curated cocktails reign supreme, crafted with house-made ingredients and innovative techniques. Martini, Gimlet, Whiskey Sour, Tiki, Old Fashioned… The Dead Rabbit stamp their signature all over them.

Last but not least, we ascend to The Occasional Room, where tavern traditions take hold as everything combines for a private hire space, accommodating up to 60 guests. Tailored food and drink packages await, making it ideal for swanky New York gatherings.

The Dead Rabbit stands as a testament to the spirit of Irish heritage, with a dash of New York flair, managing to stand out amongst the world’s greatest bars because it caters to whatever you want, from the best pint of Guinness in the city to the smoothest Julep cocktail, from a Sunday roast and Irish Breakfast to Guinness Braised Rib Sliders and Irish Points Oysters, it has everything. ‘Tradition, meet tomorrow’ is the perfect tagline.

30 Water Street, New York, NY, 10004
www.thedeadrabbit.com

The Best Gastropubs in the UK 2023

The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs of 2023 has been assembled for another year to answer the question, ‘what is the best gastropub in the UK?’, so who has been crowned?

More than 100 industry professionals had the job of judging the finest gastropub’s offerings and whittled it down to these 10 as the very best so without further ado, let’s enter gastropub heaven.

10. The Red Lion and Sun, London

There’s been a pub on this site in leafy Highgate Village since the 16th century, but with it securing another Top 10 placing, it’s safe to say it’s probably never been this good. Just as delightful warming by the log burner inside or in the beautiful garden, The Red Lion and Sun is famous for its extensive wine list (it’s seriously long!) and in terms of food, producers are carefully selected with fresh ingredients rotated in a menu changing everyday offering, ‘rustic, modern British pub food’. In particular, tables for the Sunday Roast are like gold dust but it’s well worth persisting.
Website

9. The Fordwich Arms, Kent

They say the best things come in small packages, and inside England’s smallest town of Fordwich is The Michelin-starred Fordwich Arms. The gorgeous red brick-green ivy combination overlooks the River Stour in Kent, and The Observer’s Young Chef of the Year 2016 presides over local Kentish ingredients in the kitchen. There is a choice of tasting menus including vegetarian and each with an optional wine pairing to top it all off.  On a sunny day by the river, the terrace seating here really is some of the most beautiful in the country.
Website

8. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow

This is the only pub in the UK to earn two Michelin stars, a feat never achieved before. With Tom Kerridge at the helm, this rustic whitewashed pub hosts a culinary spectacle that attracts people from all over to try dishes like duck liver parfait with orange chutney and toasted brioche and the signature chocolate and ale cake. Once guests have finished all that, they can also stay at one of the many luxurious cottages owned by the pub that include a hearty breakfast come morning.
Website

7. The White Swan, Fence

Somewhat unassuming from the outside, The White Swan in Lancashire is much more than the typical villager boozer it imitates. Tom Parker’s skills in the kitchen were rewarded with winning the 2019’s Great British Pub Awards Chef of the Year and a Michelin star, given for a rotation of themed nights and specials such as lobster soup and Whitewell partridge with smoked bacon. In the past, two courses have cost £30 and three for £40 but with an influx of praise and planned renovations, it’s a safe bet that this may be going up.
Website

6. The Angel, Hetton

Nestled in the sublime North Yorkshire Dales, The Angel has claims of being the UK’s original gastropub, with drink and dining origins dating back to the 15th century. The reimagined pub food like Loire valley rabbit loin, monkfish, quail, venison, and Tahitian Vanilla cheesecake won a Michelin star after Michael Wignall’s takeover, and he also happens to have won the 2022 Chef of the Year... so you’re in safe hands.
Website

5. The Kentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells

Brothers Chris and James Tanner saved the pub from being demolished for flats and after serious TLC, it launched in 2014 and is now adored for its modern British cuisine using mostly local fresh ingredients. In one half of the pub, you’ll find dishes like goat’s curd with beetroot, walnut and clementine being served, but the other has been retained as a stylish bar space to maintain the community feel – a true gastropub.
Website

4. The Sportsman, Seasalter

Overlooking the Kent coast, The Sportsman has been a stalwart of the Top 50 Gastropubs list for years now, with chef-patron Stephen Harris laser-focused on the menu reflecting the surroundings. From making his own salt from the neighbouring sea to using meat from Seasalter farms around the corner, almost everything is sourced from the land surrounding the pub. If you’re lucky enough to get a table, the highlight of the five-course is the slip sole grilled in seaweed butter... using seaweed picked from the adjoining beach of course.
Website

3. Freemasons, Wiswell

In 3rd place is yet another one of Lancashire’s stunning gastropubs and that’s Freemasons in the charming Ribble Valley. Alongside an array of experimental dishes merging local and world flavours like roast loin and kofta of lamb with BBQ lettuce, miso aubergine and mint yoghurt, the pub offers four guest rooms and a unique Chef’s Table that sits at the heart of the kitchen action. With a husband-and-wife duo covering both the kitchen and front-of-house in award-winning fashion, this is very much still a pub, just a spectacular one.
Website

2. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge

This year’s runner-up is last year’s winner and also 2023’s host, a 16th-century inn with all the crooked ceilings, log burners and beams you expect, not to mention the lush greenery outside. Alongside over 60 wines and a range of mouthwatering craft beers, home-made cordials and local fruit juices, dishes are a curious ‘Britalian’ blend, mixing it up from traditional pub cuisine. Expect offerings like celeriac and mushroom lasagna, halibut with avruga caviar sauce & seaweed potatoes, and the trademark unruly chocolate tiramisu. The achievements of Owner Brendan Padfield are amplified by the fact that a fire destroyed parts of the building just 12 weeks after opening, but since then it’s truly been onwards and upwards!
Website

1. Parkers Arms, Clitheroe

Swapping from 2nd to 1st is the historical rural inn Parkers Arms. It’s difficult to stand out in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty but with blow-away modern British classics on chef-patron Stosie Madi’s menu, they’ve managed it. With enchanting rolling hills within view, you can expect super flavoursome dishes that fill you up – no ‘gels and foams’. Apart from things like spices and chocolate, if it doesn’t grow within 30 miles it isn’t on the menu. Madi says, ‘The Parkers Arms is a country pub that welcomes everyone and their dog’ like a proper gastropub should. To complete the package, there are also alluring rooms available. Delicious local food, beautiful surroundings, extensive wine and ale lists, a dog-friendly bar and somewhere to rest your head too – idyllic.
Website

The Top 50:

1. Parkers Arms, Newton-In-Bowland, Lancashire
2. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge, Suffolk
3. Freemasons at Wiswell, Wiswell, Lancashire
4. The Sportsman, Seasalter, Kent
5. The Kentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
6. The Angel at Hetton, Hetton, Yorkshire
7. The White Swan at Fence, Fence, Lancashire
8. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
9. The Fordwich Arms, Canterbury, Kent
10. The Red Lion and Sun, London
11. The Mariners, Rock, Cornwall
12. The Cornish Arms, Tavistock, Devon
13. The Harwood Arms, London
14. Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax, Yorkshire
15. The Coach, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
16. The Beehive, Great Waltham, Essex
17. The Cadeleigh Arms, Tiverton, Devon
18. The Pack Horse, Hayfield, Derbyshire
19. Pyne Arms, Barnstaple, Devon
20. The Black Swan, Ravenstondale, Cumbria
21. The Moorcock Inn, Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire
22. The Guinea Grill, London
23. The Baring, London
24. The Masons Arms, Knowstone, Devon
25. Canton Arms, London
26. The Rat Inn, Anick, Hexham, Northumberland
27. The Pipe and Glass, Beverley, Yorkshire
28. The Longs Arms, South Wraxall, Wiltshire
29. The Dog at Wingham, Canterbury, Kent
30. The Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon, Powys, Wales
31. The Hardwick, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales
32. The Loch and The Tyne, Old Windsor, Berkshire
33. The Bull & Last, London
34. The White Horse, Brancaster, Norfolk
35. The Black Bull, Sedbergh, Cumbria
36. The Swan, Bampton, Devon
37. The Bell Inn, Langford, Oxfordshire
38. Scran and Scallie, Edinburgh
39. The Dog & Gun Inn, Skelton, Cumbria
40. The Duck Inn, Stanhoe, Norfolk
41. The Duncombe Arms, Ashbourne, Staffordshire
42. The Black Bear Inn, Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales
43. Heft, High Newton, Cumbria
44. The Broad Chare, Newcastle
45. Woods, Dulverton, Somerset
46. The Gunton Arms, Norwich, Norfolk
47. The French House, London
48. The Eagle, Farringdon, London
49. The Butchers Arms, Hepworth, West Yorkshire
50. Royal Oak, Whatcote, Warwickshire

For more restaurant and bar recommendations, check these out.