Fine food on a budget: restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand
From a 'lip-smacking' Filipino food joint in central London to a 'bright and buzzing' seafood spot in the Lake District
For those who want to eat well without spending a fortune, here's a selection of restaurants newly awarded a Bib Gourmand (given to establishments offering excellent, good-value cooking) in the 2025 Michelin Guide. Prices are between £25pp and £50pp for three courses.
Little Hollows Pasta
A good pasta restaurant is "something to treasure"; how lucky, then, for the residents of Redland that they have this "terrific operation" on their doorstep. Run by a "charming and knowledgeable team", it specialises in "bright, flavour-packed dishes", many of which are veg-centric (but do look out for the "utterly delicious shellfish spaghetti"). The pasta is made fresh each morning, then "hung out in the window to dry".
26 Chandos Road, Bristol (0117 973 1254)
Pythouse Kitchen Garden
This "gorgeous" restaurant, housed in a "red-brick potting shed within a Victorian walled garden", is the only establishment in this year's Michelin Guide with both a Bib Gourmand and a Green Star (for sustainability). "You'll struggle to find a lovelier all-round experience" than having lunch here: the setting has "elegance and country charm to spare", and the food, much of it cooked over fire, "is a joy".
West Hatch, Tisbury, Wiltshire (01747 870444)
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fish Shop
"Fabulous produce" powers the dishes at this likeable seafood restaurant near Balmoral and just east of the Cairngorms. The kitchen has the "good sense" not to interfere too much with the core ingredient: the fish and shellfish here are typically accompanied by just a few "well-judged" additions: you might be offered Shetland halibut served with slow-roasted tomatoes and salsa verde. As at all seafood restaurants, it's advisable to check the specials board.
3 Netherley Place, Ballater (01339 720250)
The Schelly
Named after a freshwater fish only found in a few nearby lakes, The Schelly is a "bright and buzzing" addition to the Lake District's dining scene. The menu focuses on local produce, from "lip-smacking Herdwick hogget shoulder" to a dish of "mushrooms found around the woods" nearby. With everything on the menu sounding equally appealing, "choosing what to order will be the hardest part of your visit".
Church Street, Ambleside, Cumbria (01539 432775)
Donia
Filipino food has rightly been "thrust into the spotlight" by this "hugely likeable" place off Carnaby Street. British produce underpins the menu, but it's the "lip-smacking sweet-and- sour combinations" of the Philippines that take centre stage in chef-owner Florence Mae Maglanoc's cooking. The crisp abodo mushroom croquetas "are a must", as is the lechon (suckling pig), served with a "lovely" liver and peppercorn sauce.
2.14 Top Floor, Kingly Court, London W1
The Peacock Inn
Set in a "pretty little village" in Suffolk, this timbered 14th century inn has everything you could want from a pub, including a "lovely garden" and friendly staff. The cooking is skilful – and ambitious. There's a £90 per person tasting menu; but "bargain hunters" are also catered for with the "brilliantly affordable set lunch". And for those who want to stay in the area, there are several "cosy bedrooms".
37 The Street, Chelsworth, Suffolk (01449 743952)
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The UK’s ‘wallaby boom’Under the Radar The Australian marsupial has ‘colonised’ the Isle of Man and is now making regular appearances on the UK mainland
-
Fast food is no longer affordable to low-income AmericansThe explainer Cheap meals are getting farther out of reach
-
‘The money to fix this problem already exists’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Park Avenue: New York family drama with a ‘staggeringly good’ castThe Week Recommends Fiona Shaw and Katherine Waterston have a ‘combative chemistry’ as a mother and daughter at a crossroads
-
Jay Kelly: ‘deeply mischievous’ Hollywood satire starring George ClooneyThe Week Recommends Noah Baumbach’s smartly scripted Hollywood satire is packed with industry in-jokes
-
Motherland: a ‘brilliantly executed’ feminist history of modern RussiaThe Week Recommends Moscow-born journalist Julia Ioffe examines the women of her country over the past century
-
Music reviews: Rosalía and Mavis Staplesfeature “Lux” and “Sad and Beautiful World”
-
6 homes for entertainingFeature Featuring a heated greenhouse in Pennsylvania and a glamorous oasis in California
-
Film reviews: ‘Jay Kelly’ and ‘Sentimental Value’Feature A movie star looks back on his flawed life and another difficult dad seeks to make amends
-
6 homes on the Gulf CoastFeature Featuring an elegant townhouse in New Orleans’ French Quarter and contemporary coastal retreat in Texas
-
The vast horizons of the Puna de AtacamaThe Week Recommends The ‘dramatic and surreal’ landscape features volcanoes, fumaroles and salt flats