The Ledbury named the best restaurant in the UK

For the second year running, London restaurant The Ledbury has been named the top restaurant in the UK in the National Restaurant Awards 2011.Helmed by Aussie chef Brett Graham, the two Michelin-starred eatery has been on a continuous winning streak in the past few months.Monday night’s win follows in the heels of the 2012 London Restaurants Survey where 5,500 Zagat readers voted Graham’s food the best in London.In August, the Notting Hill eatery also made headlines not for its food, but for its staff who leapt to the defense of their diners when hooligans from the London protests crashed through their front doors and terrorized guests.Their latest badge of honor was handed out at a ceremony at The Connaught Rooms in London Monday night, reports industry publication BigHospitality.co.uk.Meanwhile, Blumenthal’s eateries Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck placed third and fourth respectively. At No. 2 is Pollen Street Social.Awards are voted for by the National Restaurant Awards academy made up of chefs, restaurateurs, and food critics from across the UK.Since its opening in 2005, Graham has catapulted The Ledbury into Michelin-starred status and quickly gained the attention of the culinary world and food critics internationally.For £95 (about €109), a tasting menu at the restaurant consists of dishes like Crisp Chicken Confit with a “Risotto” of New Potatoes, Wild Mushrooms and Summer Truffle; Pork Jowl Roasted with Licorice and Short Rib of Ruby Red Beef with Celeriac Baked in Ash, Pickled Walnuts and Bone Marrow.One Zagat reader was particularly smitten with the rabbit ravioli starter and cod with pumpkin polenta main, which is described as “beautifully executed.”“Like staring at the sun, it’s blinding — simply awesome,” they wrote in April. “…Outstanding service and exquisite food — it doesn’t get any better than this, folks.”The Ledbury was also the highest new entry in Restaurant Magazine’s S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants this year, debuting at No. 34.

Here are the top 10 restaurants in the UK, according to the National Restaurant Awards 2011:

1. The Ledbury, London
2. Pollen Street Social, London
3. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London
4. The Fat Duck, Bray
5. The Sportsman, Seasalter
6. Hibiscus, London
7. The Square, London
8. L’Enclume, Cartmel
9. Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham
10. Bar Boulud, London