Ripley Restaurant Guide

“Such delicate flavours… sushi is to die for… and reasonably priced!”. This north-Midlands curiosity is “fairly basic and café-like in ambience” but delivers Japanese dishes of a very high quality. “The reason it's so good? The Toyota factory five miles down the road! Try the sake if you have deep pockets”.

Naveed Khaliq’s 20-year-old flagship provides “everything you could want from an Indian restaurant” – and most importantly “delicious curries at great prices”. Meaning ‘unique’ in Urdu, Anoki now has spin-offs in Nottingham and Burton.

With its untreated oak tables, black granite surfaces and antler candelabras, chef-patron Nick Gillespie’s unusual and “very quiet” venue makes an appropriate showcase for his distinctive modern British cooking, which provided some reporters’ best meal of the year. “Staff cannot do enough for you.”

John Molnar’s “great fish restaurant and take-away in the hinterlands of Nottingham” wins our highest rating for “excellent quality food” – 20 varieties of fresh seafood, “all beautifully cooked before your eyes”: it’s “easy to see why it’s won so many awards”. And there’s “more to it than just fish ’n’ chips”: Sat Bains, the maestro behind the city’s world-famous fine-dining restaurant, has chipped in (with his mum) with recipes for a vegan samosa, chickpea curry and tamarind chutney that all appear on the menu under the ‘Momma Bains’ label. Launched in 2011, there are now four branches in the city and two more in Market Harborough and Birmingham.

This “brilliant vegetarian place” from ex-Sat Bains chef Roya Bishop is “always popular, so book in advance”. “Every dish is exotic and exciting” as she looks to cuisines around the world for ideas. “A committed carnivore, I’m always heartily impressed by the vegetarian cooking here. Deciding what to order can be rather like Sophie’s Choice!”.

“Mind-blowing experimental food and interesting wine pairings” continues the acclaim for Alex Bond’s “totally unique” five-year-old, which deserves the comparisons it sometimes attracts with that of his former employer, Sat Bains. It helps that it occupies an attractively converted former Victorian coach house on the Park Estate (just outside the city centre) with very atmospheric, brick-lined vaulted rooms. Tasting menus start at £95 for five courses, and there are also options for seven courses (£130) and 10 courses (£160 pairings). “Very friendly staff, who are very knowledgeable about the offering” complete the rosy picture painted in reports.

Amita Sawhney’s “fantastic Indian restaurant has been around for ages, but doesn’t disappoint”. It’s “not the cheapest, but friendly service and fantastic food” have earned it a stellar reputation. Top Tip – “try the tandoori ostrich” (free-range, locally farmed, infused with garlic and red chilli).

This “simply amazing” and decidedly upmarket Indian (which opened in 2014) recreates the atmosphere of polo clubs under the Raj, with “delicious food” that is “not overpowering”, and “friendly, knowledgeable staff”.

“Fantastic Thai food, Thai people and decor give it the authentic feel of being down a side street in a city in Thailand” at this street-food offshoot from Ban Kaewkraikhot’s Sukhothai brand – “great value and super tasty, with a great atmosphere”.

The Anand’s “family-run restaurant serving utterly delicious food” has stood out on the Nottingham curry scene for 15 years. “The chutneys and sauces with poppadoms set the scene for a faultless performance both with food and level of service”. “The whole place has a real buzz – forget quiet conversation.” Top Tip – “the prawn Manchurian appetiser is absolutely spot-on”.