House of Tides in Newcastle and the Raby Hunt in County Durham have been named among the top 100 restaurants in Britain by the Harden's Guide. House of Tides, run by Michelin-starred chef Kenny Atkinson, secured the 37th spot, while the two-Michelin-star Raby Hunt, under chef James Close, placed 55th.
The guide, now in its 28th year, is based on reviews from tens of thousands of ordinary restaurant-goers, making it a key reference for diners. Each entry is compared with others in the same price bracket and graded for food, service, and ambience on a scale from one (poor) to five (exceptional), with two considered average, three good, and four very good.
Kenny Atkinson expressed his delight on Twitter, saying, "Amazing to see our restaurant ranked number 37 in the Harden's Top 100 UK restaurants," and thanked his team for their hard work. In contrast, James Close questioned the proliferation of rankings, tweeting, "Do we need all these top 100 lists - can we not just cook - we seem to be obsessed with ranking restaurants every other week?!"
In total, 43 restaurants across the North East, from Northumberland to County Durham, received recognition in the guide, highlighting the region's culinary strength.
