olive's alternative awards celebrates the hidden gems, the great cafés and pubs, the most exciting chefs and food heroes worth shouting about. Over fifty olive gongs have been awarded in categories ranging from Glasgow’s Delizique for Most delicious deli to the Mall Tavern, Noting Hill for its jammy dodgers.
According to olive features editor Jessica Gunn: "olive's awards are a reflection of the magazine's informed but playful approach to eating out. We want to give people a new slant on the best places to eat across the UK while celebrating the ethical and the affordable."
October's olive magazine, featuring olive's Alternative Restaurant Awards 2010, is on sale now priced £3.40.
Full list of winners
Friendliest service
Caravan, London "sunny, efficient, knowledgeable service." (caravanexmouth.com)
Believe-the-hype burger
Bar Boulud, London "A towering achievement in meat." (barboulud.com)
Where we could eat every day
Café a vin, London "Sibling chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin have what we like to call 'le knack'." (galvinrestaurants.com)
Most compelling reason to pop out at lunch
Fusion organic café, Sheffield "Brazilian biodynamic coffee and lightly-spiced Moroccan lamb pasties" (fusioncafe.co.uk)
Pig and pastry, York "Everything from top-draw bacon butties to comforting cassoulet"
Stunning views
Scarlet, Cornwall "Cliff top terrace and bargain lunch" (scarlethotel.co.uk)
Nathan Outlaw's Seafood and Grill, Cornwall "Camel Estuary view" (Nathan-outlaw.co.uk)
Porthminster café, Cornwall "Beachside sweep of St Ives bay" (porthminstercafe.co.uk)
Best new pub snack
Ben Holden’s Manchester egg "This carefully calibrated mix has become a cult sensation" (manchesteregg.com)
Pudding club
Paternoster Chop House, London "Proper, straightforward, well-executed puds" (danddlondon.com)
The Bell, Skenfrith, Wales "Chocolate fondant doesn’t get tastier than this" (skenrith.co.uk)
Food done good
Stewart & Co, Newcastle library "The café cleverly balances the Stewart & Co ethos while keeping prices down and the menu friendly." (stewartandcofinefood.co.uk)
Most pleasant surprise
Host, Liverpool "It’s buzzy, the staff are bright and the kitchen displays a sure, intelligent touch in dishes." (ho-st.co.uk)
Most delicious deli 2010
Delizique, Glasgow, "Like a TV set readied for the arrival of BBC Two stars Nigella Lawson or Sophie Dahl."
Best reason to travel by train
The Sheffield Tap, Sheffield
Jubilee Refreshment Rooms, West Yorkshire
The Steamhouse, Urmston station
“Train travel has never been so attractive.”
Credit-crunch crusaders
Dogs group, Edinburgh "formula of simple, flavoursome dishes, often created from cheaper cuts" (the dogsonline.co.uk)
Worth it for the petit fours alone
The Devonshire Arms, Yorkshire "Gorgeous, jewel-like creations." (thedevonshirearms.co.uk)
The Square, London "The piece de resistance of petit fours." (squarerestaurant.org)
Keeping it street
Whitecross Street market, London (whitecrossstreet.co.uk)
Brunswick Centre, London (brunswick.co.uk)
Mr Falafel, London (mrfalafel.co.uk)
La Favorita, Scotland (la-favorita.com)
"There’s a lot of love out there for Britain’s 10,000 'mobilers'."
A cut above
Skirt steak "a fantastically beefy piece of meat."
Wahaca "you’ll find lime and olive oil marinated skirt in the tacos and burritos." (wahaca.co.uk)
The Fat Loaf, Altringham "olive can’t get enough of the soy, ginger and thyme marinated skirt steak." (thefatloaf.co.uk)
The olive medal for bravery
L’Art du Fromage, London "A restaurant where you can eat cheese for starter, main and pudding? Insane!" (artdufromage.co.uk)
Most exciting new opening
Texture, London "We love London’s Texture for its slick service, great-value set lunch and Icelander Aggi Sverrisson's wonderfully original Franco-Scandinavian cooking." (texture-restaurant.co.uk)
Wish it was our local
The Brewery Tap, Chester "Dishes such as pork terrine and beer-braised beef pie are testament to such conscientious craft." (the-tap.co.uk)
We all scream for ice cream
Wild Honey, London (wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk)
Café Luc, London (cafeluc.com)
Gelupo, London (gelupo.com)
Cooking for taste, not ego
Michael Nadra, London (restaurant-michaelnadra.co.uk)
Shay Cooper, Surrey (thebingham.co.uk)
Will Holland, Ludlow (labecasse.co.uk)
Location, location, location
Paramount, London "Punters are drawn by the panoramic London views" (paramount.uk.net)
Ronnie's, Bristol "The homely cooking is good enough for us any day." (ronnies-restaurant.co.uk)
Best reason to get up in the morning
The Scullery, New Forest "Full breakfast, choice of buffet and unlimited tea/coffee." (limewoodhotel.co.uk)
Entropy, Leicester "A great way to start a Saturday." (entropylife.com)
Lantana, London "Revive yourself over vanilla-poached pears and raspberry ricotta cream on brioche toast." (lantanacafe.co.uk)
Best clear-conscience dining
Platform, London "Has a stake in the organic Devon farm that supplies all its meats." (platformse1.co.uk)
Dish of the year
The Zetter, London "Slowly-braised hare on a pureé of pumpkin and dried mandarin, surrounded by a rich gravy and topped with a dainty, delicious onion ravioli." (thezetter.com)
Most unexpected hotel food
Nahm restaurant, Halkin hotel "Nahm restaurant isn’t new, but it is special." (halkin.como.bz)
Veggie Heaven
Gauthier Soho, London "Signature dish of seasonal veg poached in a complex black truffle and aged balsamic broth" (gauthiersoho.co.uk)
Riverford (riverford.co.uk)
Best treat for big kids
The Mall Tavern, London "Homemade Jammy Dodgers and Garibaldi biscuits" (themalltavern.com)
Bea’s of Bloomsbury, London "Flavours such as passion fruit and cassis" (beasofbloomsbury.com)
Gauthier Soho, London "Petits four – on course to be this season’s big trend." (gauthiersoho.co.uk)
Pubs with more than pie-and-a-pint
Paradise By Way of Kensal Green, London "Full of off-piste gourmet twists, such as the sensational duck tartare with potato and parsnip crisps." (theparadise.co.uk)
New Conway, Cardiff "A dessert centred around an espresso mousse that’s so caffeine charged you have to be 16 or over to indulge."
