Leek Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “The days when this was a pub have long gone: it is an unashamedly ambitious restaurant which charges a full price for some very good cooking” – so say fans of this Peak District gastropub near the Dove Valley, who say “the chef knows what he is doing, and as long as you can afford it this is one of the best places to eat in the Peak District”. William Sitwell of The Telegraph paid it a visit in September 2022 and gave a similar but more nuanced view: the “cooking really is excellent and delicate with clever flavours” and “there is talent and charm by the bucket-load”, but he felt the dishes on the menu were presented and served in tiny portions, and he was encouraged to think of them as tapas. He declared, they “are the most un-tapassy things I’ve ever seen”.

2023 Review: “Theatrical presentation” is a longstanding feature of the Pear family’s stalwart fixture of four decades’ standing, whose ‘Dinner at 8’ package was an early adopter of the tasting menu format, with a 7-course menu delivered in a single sitting (you arrive at 7.30 pm). Fans say “Covid hasn't affected the consistent high quality of this unique dining venue. And to the famous ‘Dinner at 8’, can be added the growing popularity of their afternoon tea”: “a choice of gentleman’s or lady’s gives a useful mix of sweet and savoury, including the legendary homemade desserts. Ample portions (take-home boxes cheerfully provided), well served and a good range of teas''.

A “lovely location” for a “lovely meal” – chef-patron Joseph Rawlins (who braved Gordon Ramsay’s shouty tutelage) and partner Gaëlle Radigon, who oversees the “very friendly” staff, are the masterminds behind the top-class French cuisine at this converted barn in the Cheshire sticks, and where it’s “a bonus to take apéritifs outside in the sunshine” before you dine.

2022 Review: “Excellent Thai food full of flavour” (including wallet-friendly set lunches) are the order of the day at this Peak District outfit decorated with traditional carvings and sculptures, and hosting twice-monthly jazz and cocktail nights.

2022 Review: Patrick Hannity's decade-old spin-off from his Manchester original is less well known than its progenitor but is “usually excellent”, too; the food is “light, balanced and filled with flavour”, incorporating produce from his Peak District farm.

“In the beautiful foothills of the Peak District”, a “cosy pub with its open fire, good draft beers and, importantly, a kitchen that can cook fish”, whether you go for Josper-roasted catch or a slap-up fish ’n’ chips. Far from a neophyte, the venue has graced this village since way back in the mid-1700s, with less antique additions including a new beer cellar and three boutique bedrooms.

Opposite a leafy churchyard in a small town south of Stoke-on-Trent, this unassuming “gem” is rated on ongoing upbeat feedback from a small, dedicated fan base, praising its “fantastically skillful food with a brilliant balance of flavours”. Sophie Hardman & Jake Lowndes are celebrating their tenth year of business in 2026 and offer imaginative cuisine from either à la carte or tasting menus, the latter is £90 per person.

‘Heavy scran. Natural wine. Loud music’. Well, don’t say you weren’t warned if you visit this maximalist shop conversion in the heart of downtown Stoke, where – according to the posters on the wall – ‘The working class strikes back’ and ‘We hate the fucking government’. The menu of funky dumplings and other Asian dishes changes daily and an interesting drinks selection of low intervention vintages, fruit flavoured Soju and a variety of craft beers help it win local fans (from albeit limited reports) as “an all-round excellent favourite”. Not enough feedback yet for a full rating, but The Observer’s Jay Rayner fell in love with it on his September 2024 visit, including the “genius move” of his salted fried Mars Bar pudding…

2022 Review: “The best thing to hit Macclesfield since the silk industry died” – “a sister to Altrincham Market (and Manchester's Mackie Mayor), conceived and run by Nick Johnson and his wife. This Edwardian building was the first cinema in town, fell to other unglamorous uses some 70 years ago, and has now been sympathetically restored to house excellent individual food stalls serving a range of high quality dishes: the freshest of fish, steaks, pasta, pizzas, mussels and more”.

Too little feedback this year for a full review on this intriguing eatery in The Potteries – part of the World of Wedgewood experience – whose high-profile founding chef, local Staffordshire lad Niall Keating, left after three years in May 2024. There is a full-on chef’s table blow-out, but most visitors opt for the relatively affordable posh-brasserie menu (which is the formula price given).