The UK’s top 10 ‘hidden gem’ restaurants have been revealed by TripAdvisor

From Ynyshir in rural Wales to Northcote in Lancashire, if you’re an avid follower of food awards and best restaurant lists, you’ll know that the same names appear time and time again. They’re there for good reason, of course, but sometimes it pays to steer a little off the beaten track. 

That’s where TripAdvisor comes in. After scouring thousands of reviews, the results for the website’s annual Travellers’ Choice Awards are officially in and the UK’s top 10 hidden gem restaurants have been revealed. These are spots more under the radar and away from the crowds, but nonetheless they ‘earn their winner status in both taste and local charm’. 

The best hidden gem of them all was Lavang in Solihull. With over 1,000 reviews on the site, the south east Asian, BYOB resto has an average rating of five stars. Customers consistently praise its standout service, warm ambience and excellent menu. 

One diner wrote that the ‘atmosphere was buzzing and food was full of flavour’, another said ‘the food tasted incredible and we would return in a heartbeat’. It might be a ‘hidden gem’, but if you want to check it out for yourself, it’s highly recommended you book in advance. 

Runners up in the category were Sotto Sotto in Bath, which offers ’exquisite Italian cuisine’ in an ‘enchanting underground cellar’, and Coronation Curry House, a place offering ‘personalised service, exceptional curries and hearty portions’ in Bristol. 

The UK’s top 10 ‘hidden gem’ restaurants, according to TripAdvisor

1. Lavang, Solihull
2. Sotto Sotto, Bath
3. Coronation Curry House, Bristol 
4. The Secret Italian, Barnsley
5. Ciliengino Restaurant, Cardiff
6. Casa Med Tapas, Bromsgrove 
7. Chop Chop, London
8. The Lazy Trout, Meerbrook 
9. The Coconut Tree, Cheltenham
10. Green Gates Indian Restaurant Merchant City, Glasgow 

More from TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards

There are more stellar recommendations where that came from. Check out the 2024 Travellers’ Choice winners in other categories including fine dining restaurants, sustainable restaurants, family-friendly attractions and hotels. 

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.