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The Sportsman in Whitstable, Kent has been named the best gastropub in the UK at the Top 50 Gastropubs 2018 awards, rising up from second place last year.
Chef-patron Stephen Harris is no stranger to the spotlight having turned the "grotty seaside pub" (his words) into a destination diner since taking it on in 1999. He has also topped the UK's Best Restaurant List for two consecutive years and held a Michelin star since 2008. The self-taught chef champions local ingredients with dishes like "Poached Rock Oysters with Pickled Cucumber and Avruga Caviar" (above) and "Slip Sole Grilled in Seaweed Butter" appearing on the a la carte menu.
Second on the list is The Pony and Trap in Bristol rising up from third place last year. The Drapers Arms in Islington is London’s top offering at number six.
What are gastropubs?
Nicholas Robinson, editor of the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs, describes gastropubs as "unique for many reasons, mainly because they blur the lines between pubs and restaurants, yet maintain the charm and atmosphere of a traditional pub. They are amazing spaces that thrive as a result of the genius of the chefs in the kitchens and the managers who work hard at the front of the pub."
10 Best Gastropubs in the UK
For the full list click here.
1. The Sportsman, Whitstable, Kent
2. The Pony and Trap - Chew Magna, Bristol
3. The Star Inn, Harome, York
4. Freemasons at Wiswell, Clitheroe, Lancashire
5. The Coach, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
6. The Drapers Arms, Islington, London
7. The Beehive, Maidenhead, Berkshire
8. Parkers Arms, Clitheroe, Lancashire
9. The Hardwick, Abergavenny, Wales
10. The Marksman, Hackney, London
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