Three North East eateries have officially been declared among the UK’s very best, as they have been included in the National Restaurant Awards top 100 for 2024 - but who could they be?

The national awards which were first launched in 2007 aim to celebrate “the brilliance and vibrancy of the UK’s eating out scene, and reward the very best chefs, front of house staff and restaurants the country has to offer”.

Explaining how the National Restaurant Awards creates its top 100 list, the website says: “The National Restaurant Awards has an elite and authoritative judging academy, using a panel of more than 200 experts drawn from across the industry including food writers, chefs and restaurateurs.

“The UK is split into 11 regions, with members of the academy voting for the top seven restaurants that they have dined at in the last 12 months, weighted in order of preference. The results are compiled, and the top 100 list of the best restaurants is created.”

It adds: “Special awards are also highlighted within the list including Wine List of the Year, The Service Award, Cocktail List of the Year, Chef to Watch, Chef of the Year, Restaurateur of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement. These are voted for separately by the same academy of experts while the One To Watch award is chosen by Restaurant magazine.

“The Sustainability Award is judged by the Sustainable Restaurant Association​ and The Food Lovers Award is based on the number of votes cast the members of the general public.”

Let’s take a look at which restaurants in the region made it onto this year’s prestigious list.

3 North East restaurants named in UK’s top 100

Pine, Northumberland

Location: Vallum Farm, Military Road, East Wallhouses, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE18 0LL

Tripadvisor rating: 5/5

This former cow barn owned by Siân Buchan and Cal Byerley has been transformed into one of the North’s “most progressive dining rooms”.

Guests can expect to tuck into a tasty dish while soaking up the views over the Northumberland landscape and Hadrian’s Wall.

Many of the chef's creations use ingredients foraged from the Northumberland countryside or grown within the restaurant’s own kitchen garden.

The National Restaurant Awards website adds: “Uniquely for a restaurant such as Pine, during the day service switches to a three-tier afternoon tea offer with a modern twist.

“Here custard tarts and madeleines featuring foraged ingredients sit with crustless sandwiches and savoury caneles.

“In short, Pine is a restaurant you’ll need to visit at least twice to really get to grips with what it’s about.”

Hjem, Northumberland

Location: The Hadrian Hotel, Front Street, Wall, Hexham, NE46 4EE

Tripadvisor rating: 5/5

Hjem is the “dream project” of Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori which is “tucked away” within The Hadrian Hotel in the small village of Wall.

The National Restaurant Awards website praises the restaurant for its “ambitious” 15-18 course tasting menu created from ingredients sourced from surrounding farms and gardens, and cooked with Scandinavian precision and practices Nietosvuori has acquired over his extensive career.

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Solstice, Newcastle

Location: 5-7 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3JE

Tripadvisor rating: 5/5

This “intimate tasting menu restaurant” by the famous Kenny Atkinson has a “sleek generously-marbled kitchen that screams gastronomic ambition” key feature.

“Atkinson’s menu gives very little away with each course named after a single ingredient,” continues the National Awards Restaurant website.

“The menu is big on premium ingredients with the likes of caviar, langoustine, wagyu beef, scallop, turbot and squab pigeon featuring heavily.”