Greggs is currently the most popular restaurant brand in England and the UK, with 75% of the public having a positive opinion of the bakery chain as of early 2025. It operates over 2,500 locations, making it more popular than competitors like J D Wetherspoon, Nando's, McDonald's, and Subway.
There isn't one single "most popular" restaurant, as it depends on the metric (e.g., positive opinion, number of locations, searches), but Greggs consistently ranks as the top dining brand by public opinion and has a huge presence, while McDonald's dominates in online searches, and chains like Nando's, Wagamama, and Five Guys are often cited as favourite sit-down chains.
The "number 1 restaurant in the world" changes annually based on different lists, but for 2025, Maido in Lima, Peru, was named the World's Best by The World's 50 Best Restaurants. For 2024, it was Disfrutar in Barcelona, Spain, known for innovative Spanish cuisine, while previous years saw restaurants like Central and Noma take the top spot.
The most traditional English meal is a roast dinner. This consists (much like many other parts of the world) of roasted chicken/pork/beef/lamb served with potatoes and vegetables, and a healthy dripping of gravy all over. Although this dish is found throughout the UK, an English speciality is the Yorkshire pudding.
Highlights and staples of British cuisine include the roast dinner, the full breakfast, shepherd's pie, toad in the hole, fried chicken and fish and chips; and a variety of both savoury and sweet pies, cakes, tarts, and pastries.
Visit the United Kingdom, and you'll be sure to pass by “chippies," quick-service restaurants that specialize in battered, fried cod fillets resting atop of a mountain of hot chips, aka French fries to Americans. This iconic casual food duo has long been regarded as classic British fare.
Rules continues to thrive as London's oldest restaurant and one of the most celebrated in the world. Over its remarkable 200-year history, spanning the reigns of ten monarchs, it has been owned by just four families, preserving its unique heritage and timeless appeal.
Noma is famous for pioneering New Nordic Cuisine, focusing on hyper-local, seasonal, and foraged ingredients like moss, pinecones, and even deer brains, creating innovative dishes through fermentation and experimentation that redefined fine dining and put Copenhagen on the global culinary map. Chef René Redzepi's relentless creativity, numerous "Best Restaurant in the World" awards, and unique pop-ups worldwide solidified its legendary status, making it a cultural phenomenon known for pushing culinary boundaries.
In a survey of thousands of city-dwellers, 84% stated Liverpool's restaurant scene is the most delicious, with 68% agreeing that dishes are more affordable than in other major cities.
McDonald's tops the list as the biggest restaurant chain in America by sales. With its iconic Golden Arches, McDonald's has become synonymous with fast food globally.
Definition: A number with “top” following it refers to the amount of people in a party dining at the establishment. Example: Hey Michelle, you've got a 6-top coming in so be ready. Definition: When the restaurant (as in bar, kitchen, or service station) runs out of a certain ingredient or menu item.
Ed Sheeran owns a pub in Notting Hill, London, called Bertie Blossoms, which he opened with his manager Stuart Camp in 2019, and it serves tapas with Spanish flair and British comfort food, while he also has a pub-themed room, The Lancaster Lock, at his Suffolk home.
Renowned for highly successful and award-winning original programming, Emmy nominated, multi-Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay is the founder and co-owner of Studio Ramsay.
There's no single "best" chippy, but top contenders frequently cited by awards and reviewers include Yarm Road Fish and Chips (Darlington) for takeaway (2025 winner), Ship Deck (Caerphilly) for takeaways (2024 winner), and restaurants like Nights Fish & Chips (Glastonbury) and The Magpie Cafe (Whitby) for sit-down experiences, alongside strong regional favourites like The Fish Works (Largs) and Coleman's (South Shields). Awards from Fry Magazine and The Fish and Chip Awards highlight consistent excellence across the UK.
