A new ranking of the UK’s top 100 restaurants includes three in Kent.

The Sportsman in Seasalter, Updown Farmhouse near Deal and The Fordwich Arms near Canterbury have been commended in the National Restaurant Awards’ annual list.

In 34th place - the highest position for a Kent venue - is The Sportsman gastropub near Whitstable, which has held a Michelin star since 2008.

Run by brothers Phil and Stephen Harris, it received a shock two-star hygiene rating in February, before being reinspected and scoring a four.

The judges at the industry awards said: “The Sportsman might not look much from the outside, but behind its whitewashed and weathered facade is a world-class establishment serving some of the best food in the country, in a wonderfully humble and unpretentious fashion.

“It remains a proper pub – not for nothing has The Sportsman picked up Gastropub of the Year on several occasions.

“One of the most charming things about it – and there are many – is that gastro tourists mingle with pint-nursing locals and day trippers, some of whom are oblivious to this seaside pub’s status as one of the very best places to eat in the UK.”

Coming in at number 45 is Updown Farmhouse, nestled in the countryside at Betteshanger.

The experts say it is in an “idyllic location” and serves food with “wow factor”.

They continued: “The bucolic setting of a 17th-century farmhouse, set within seven and a half acres of Kent countryside, lends itself to Updown’s hyper seasonal approach to cooking with a covered outside dining area that provides visitors with an idyllic location for a long, lazy lunch or intimate dinner.

“Everything is cooked over wood in the open kitchen with the Italian-leaning menu kept relatively tight to keep quality high.”

The Fordwich Arms, located in the UK’s smallest town, is ranked 80th.

Praised for its “strong reputation since 2017”, it also holds a Michelin star.

The judges said: “While The Fordwich Arms is still very much a pub, with a 1930s bar and large open fireplace where locals still sit and drink, it is the adjoining oak panelled dining room and its beautiful outside covered terrace in which husband and wife chef duo Daniel and Natasha Smith have made their mark.

“Where The Fordwich Arms excels is its ability to bring together the feeling of proper old-school hospitality with a more modern and forward-looking approach to cooking.”

The Ritz in Mayfair, London, was named the UK’s best restaurant in 2025.