Chef Tom Barnes’ Manchester restaurant Skof has been crowned Restaurant of the Year at the 2025 AA Awards, held at Grosvenor House in London.
The win adds to a remarkable year for Barnes and his team, who opened the restaurant in April 2024 in the NoMa district.
In February, Skof received its first Michelin star, becoming only the second restaurant in Manchester to hold the honour. The restaurant also scooped Best New Restaurant at the Good Food Guide Awards, secured two prizes at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards, and has been ranked eighth in SquareMeal’s T100 list.
“This really is such a wonderful way to be recognised for what we do at Skof,” said Barnes. “I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in such a short space of time. I’ve got an incredible team who are so dedicated, we work hard but we do it together.
“I’m also grateful for Manchester’s warm welcome, and for the guests who support us – we’re so lucky to now have both new diners and regulars coming through the doors.”
He added: “We will continue to push on from our amazing first year across all levels of the Skof experience, from dish development and drinks pairings, to the overall guest journey. There’s a lot of exciting things to come in the Skof story.”
Barnes, who won the Roux Scholarship in 2014 and previously served as executive chef at Simon Rogan’s three-starred L’Enclume, has built Skof around a 16-course tasting menu of modern British cooking.
Dishes have included Orkney scallops, Dexter beef bavette, a signature Sladesdown duck dish and perhaps the linchpin of the menu, Barney’s Tiramisu – created in memory of his late father.
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