READERS' AWARD

1) Chez Bruce

Flawless cooking, a delightful chef proprietor and wonderful service, all in the wilds of south London. Chez Bruce has been quietly meeting its own high standards for 10 years now, and the food is as exceptional as ever. Chez Bruce's exterior and dining room are charmingly, unapologetically old-fashioned and so is the approach of its chef Bruce Poole. His cooking is drawn from the classic and regional French traditions with a nod to wider European influences, meaning a typical lunch might start with Jerusalem artichoke soup with gnocchi and truffle oil, continue with roast Anjou pigeon with sweetcorn pancake, foie gras and sherry vinegar jus and conclude with a perfect crème brûlée. Best of all, you won't have to remortgage your house to eat there.

· Chez Bruce, 2 Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common, London, SW17 (020 8672 0114)

2) Hibiscus, Ludlow

Hibiscus should be top of the list for anyone planning a visit to the medieval market town of Ludlow. On offer here is faultless, imaginative French cooking courtesy of its young proprietor and chef Claude Bosi, in a warm, unpretentious atmosphere orchestrated by Claude's wife Claire. On their spring menu you'll find a daring savoury ice cream of foie gras, warm emulsion of brioche and balsamic vinegar caramel, pork belly with hawthorn, apricot and sea urchin and a very posh rice pudding with sweet-beetroot ice cream. Some of Bosi's ingredients may surprise, but the results are always harmonious and delicious.

· Hibiscus, 17 Corve Street, Ludlow, Shropshire (01584 872325)

3) Anthony's, Leeds

Anthony James Flinn and his 24-year-old son Tony Flinn founded Anthony's in 2004. Since then, the restaurant has taken Leeds and the rest of the country by storm, winning OFM's 2005 award for best restaurant. Flinn junior cut his teeth at that fabled temple to molecular gastronomy El Bulli, near Barcelona. But at Anthony's, innovation and experiment results in superb food and, with a three-course set lunch of only £22.95, it's a bargain. With customers coming from as far away as New York to sample Flinn's cooking, the North has just acquired a restaurant of genuine international standing.

· Anthony's, 19 Boar Lane, Leeds (0113 245 5922)

Best of the rest

SCOTLAND

Martin Wishart

54 The Shore, Edinburgh (0131 553 3557)

Michelin-starred restaurant producing French classics. Try the lobster ravioli.

The Buttery

652 Argyle Street, Glasgow (0141 221 8188)

Think Scottish ingredients with an international twist.

WALES

The Felin Fach Griffin

Felin Fach, Brecon, Powys (01874 620111)

Multi award-winning restaurant and pub with rooms in fabulous countryside.

NORTHERN IRELAND

James Street South Restaurant

21 James Street South, Belfast (02890 434310)

Accomplished French standards in a relaxed, modern setting. Expect to find navarin of beef, poussin and sea trout.

YORKS & HUMBERSIDE

The Star at Harome

Harome, Near Helmsley, North Yorkshire (01439 770397)

Michelin-starred gastropub in a picture-perfect thatched pub with an innovative menu.

The Yorke Arms

Ramsgill-in-Nidderdale, Harrogate, North Yorkshire (01423 755243)

Simple, delicious cooking in a former coaching inn. Don't miss the vanilla rice pudding with strawberries and roasted rhubarb.

NORTH EAST

Blackfriars Cafe Bar

Friars Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (0191 261 5945)

Lovely medieval building housing up-to-the-minute menu including Malaysian massaman lamb curry.

NORTH WEST

London Carriage Works

40 Hope Street, Liverpool (0151 705 2222)

Brasserie-cum-bar in chic new boutique hotel.

Fraiche

11 Rosemount, Oxton, Birkenhead (0151 652 2914)

Chef patron Marc Wilkinson got three AA stars at his last job and has his sights on something similar here.

MIDLANDS

Geisha

3 The Broadway, The Lace Market, Nottingham (0115 959 8344)

Asian fusion in a very Zen interior with a dance floor downstairs.

Jessica's

1 Montague Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham (0121 455 0999)

Multi award-winning fine-dining joint putting the yum into Brum.

SOUTH WEST

Bells Diner

1-3 York Road, Montpelier, Bristol (0117 924 0357)

Chef-propietor Christopher Wicks serves up modern British and Mediterranean standards set in a converted grocery shop.

EAST ANGLIA

Midsummer House

Midsummer Common, Cambridge (01223 369 299)

Michelin-starred cuisine in a great location on the River Camb.

SOUTH EAST

Terre a Terre

71 East Street, Brighton Sussex (01273 729051)

Can vegetarian ever be haute? It comes pretty close with the food here.

Thackeray's

5 London Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent (01892 511921)

First-rate food, a Grade II-listed building and one of Marco Pierre White's alumni in charge.

LONDON

Maze

10-13 Grosvenor Square, W1 (020 7107 0000)

Gordon Ramsay's newest restaurant focuses on tasting menus and small, tapas-size portions prepared with an Asian influence.

Moro

34-36 Exmouth Market, EC1 (020 7833 8336)

Great seasonal Spanish Mediterranean food.

Locanda Locatelli

8 Seymour Street, W1 (020 7935 9088)

Some of the finest Italian cooking in the world.