Katy McGuinness’s restaurant awards: the best (and worst) dining of 2022
From a great-value lunch to the snail dish she cannot forget, our food critic selects her favourite food experiences of the last year
Our critic's selection of the best chefs and dining experiences in the country
It’s been another tough year for the restaurant industry, hit by rising ingredient and energy costs and staff shortages just as it was finding its feet in the wake of the pandemic. There have been closings, with more to follow in the new year. It’s been said before but needs to be repeated: it’s no good crying when the restaurant you love closes down if you didn’t support it while it was open. Here are some of the places where I’d encourage you to spend your money in the year ahead.
In 2022, it seemed every second restaurant switched to a no-choice tasting menu, despite that not necessarily being what customers wanted in terms either of cost or the amount of food involved. Uno Mas stuck to its guns, offering the best — bar none — selection of snacks in town, alongside starters, mains and desserts; and cemented its reputation as the place to go for guaranteed deliciousness and a friendly, unpretentious ambience. I’ve visited at least half a dozen times over the year and have never been disappointed (Uno Mas also gets this year’s ‘Spending My Own Money’ award) with Paul McNamara’s food just getting better and better. Some of the standout dishes I’ve eaten have included rabbit rice with shiitake mushroom and tarragon, a snack of fried green tomatoes and anchovy, and the Cáis na Tíre agnolotti, while the salt-aged Delmonico with bearnaise AND bordelaise is the gold standard of sharing steaks. It’s also one of the few restaurants where the vegetarian option doesn’t feel like a second thought. I plan to go back many times in 2023, whether or not McNamara and his talented team land the star they deserve.
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