Our city’s got some extra-special places to dine according to those in the know
Kirstie McCrum Network Content Editor
05:00, 11 Jun 2025
Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson, owners of Bokman and new restaurant Dongnae(Image: Lola Laurent)
Two Bristol venues have been featured in the top 100 restaurants in the UK.
The list was decided by a panel of food experts and announced at the National Restaurant Awards on June 9.
Dongnae and Wilsons, both in Bristol, featured on the top 100, which was topped by The Ritz in London. Wilsons was 65th, while Dongnae came in at 46th.
The list was voted for by a panel of over 200 food writers, chefs and restaurateurs brought together by Restaurant magazine. Osip at Bruton in Somerset was at number eight on the list.
Other South West restaurants included, at 96, The Seahorse at Dartmouth in Devon and Crocadon, at St Mellion near Saltash, at 94. At 25, Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 in Padstow featured.
About Wilsons, the National Restaurant Awards said: “Founded in 2016 by partners in life and business Jan Ostle and Mary Wilson, Wilsons is a low-key yet innovative 24-cover restaurant that puts produce from its own two-acre market garden centre stage… Each week, the Wilsons team, write a menu that is nearly entirely based on what is to be harvested that week and what the team has preserved earlier in the year.
Wilsons is a small, independently owned and run farm-to-table restaurant in Redland(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
“In keeping with its neighbourhood location, the 24-cover restaurant is extremely affordable especially given the effort that goes into its growing and sourcing.”
Dongnae on Chandos Road in Redland is from the team behind Bokman in Stokes Croft.
The National Restaurant Awards said: “Helmed by chefs Duncan Robertson and Kyu Jeong Jeon, the restaurant offers an elevated yet accessible take on Korean cuisine. Inspired by the latter’s Seoul upbringing and the couple’s decade living in Korea, Dongnae offers a thoughtfully curated menu that blends tradition with innovation.
“Diners can choose from an incredibly well-priced set lunch, à la carte dishes, or indulge in the restaurant’s hanjungshik (omakase-style) tasting menu…. Set in a characterful space that once housed two Victorian shops, Dongnae – named after the Korean word for neighbourhood – has a minimalist design with paper lanterns, recycled plastic stools, and a communal wooden countertop overlooking the open kitchen.”