Restaurant Sat Bains and AGORA top SquareMeal 2025 lists
Restaurant Sat Bains and AGORA have landed top spot in the SquareMeal Top 100 Restaurants 2025 lists.
Now in its 25th year, Sat Bains’ eponymous establishment in Nottingham, which holds two Michelin stars, leads the way in the list of the best restaurants in the UK.
The annual rundown of the best restaurants in London saw David Carter’s Greek-inspired offering AGORA place number one.
With over 30 years’ experience, SquareMeal reviews hundreds of the UK’s best restaurants every year, combining expert reviews with input from thousands of readers to compile the final rankings.
“We are honoured to place top in this brilliant list of restaurants,” said chef patron Sat.
“We strive for both consistency and relevance, continuously innovating what we do and how we do it to be the best we can, spotlighting some of the country’s best produce in all its glory.
“After 25 years of dedication to our concept and little pocket of Nottingham we are of course humbled to place number one in the UK.”
SquareMeal managing editor Ellie Donnell added: “'It feels extraordinarily telling that Sat Bains' eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant has been trading for 25 years.
“The UK's dining scene becomes more competitive by the year, so for the team to be celebrating a quarter of a century pays testament to its enduring relevance.
“Sat's creative tasting menus are brave and unique - taking risks that pay off and interweaving clever surprises - but more importantly they celebrate the joy of eating thanks to a deep-rooted understanding of flavour developed over decades.”
Sat saw off competition from Pine (Northumberland), Ynyshir (Powys), former winner Grace & Savour (West Midlands) and Woven by Adam Smith (Berkshire), who completed the top five.
They were followed by L’Enclume (Cumbria), Moor Hall (Lancashire), this year’s highest new entry Skof (Manchester), Opheem (Birmingham) and Myse (North Yorkshire) to round off the top 10.
Birmingham was the most represented
city in the list, with five restaurants in the top 100. Ten restaurants from Scotland also made the cut, with Edinburgh’s Lyla (11) highest placed.
The highest riser was Kevin Tickle’s Heft in Cumbria, jumping from 72 in 2024 to number 18 this year.
See the full Top 100 UK list here.
In London, newcomer fast-paced AGORA became an instant hit, with its accessible price point and bustling atmosphere.
The restaurant’s owner David Carter said: “Wow! We're thrilled to be awarded London Restaurant of the Year by SquareMeal for 2025.
“Without our people we're nothing, so a huge shout out to our team for making this possible – in particular co-head chefs Luis and Filipe for stoking the fires, and our dear Giulia for bossing and charming the floor.”
Pete Dreyer, SquareMeal restaurants editor, said: “AGORA is a whirring, fizzing, dynamo of a restaurant that seems to buck so many current restaurant trends.
“This is a restaurant that welcomes everyone - there are no bookings, just the democracy of a queue. The menu is approachable, hugely affordable, and executed to the highest level.
“To launch it alongside OMA - another superb restaurant - is a magnificent achievement in itself, but it’s AGORA’s raw energy and accessibility that makes it a worthy number one in our Top 100 London Restaurants list for 2025.”
Last year’s winner Lyle’s (4) was again in the top five, where they were joined by KOL (2), Aulis (3) and Kolae (5), who all jumped up the list.
The top 10 also included The Ritz Restaurant, Humble Chicken, Da Terra, BiBi and The Ledbury.
Borough Market stands out as a top culinary destination in the capital, with six making the Top 100.
Meanwhile, newcomers Cornus, Ibai and Josephine all jumped straight into the top 20.
See the full Top 100 London list here.
(Sat Bains photo by Jodi Hind)
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Restaurant Sat Bains and AGORA top SquareMeal 2025 lists
