The Silver Cup, Harpenden

Makes The Good Food Guide list of Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2023

Neighbourhood gastropub The Silver Cup in Harpenden has earned another award to add to its growing list of accolades, making it onto The Good Food Guide’s list of Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2023.

The prestigious Best Local Restaurant list celebrates the places that are the beating heart of communities around Britain. Using reader nominations as a driving force, The Good Food Guide team inspected a great number of restaurants in Central and East England to decide which ones deserved a place in the 100 Best Local Restaurants 2023. Some are old favourites, others are new to The Good Food Guide, all are brilliant places to eat.

The Silver Cup is continuing to gather acclaim for its imaginative menus, standout flavours and its warm and welcoming atmosphere. Independently owned and led by Michael Singleton and chef Matthew Reeder, the pair took over in spring 2020 and transformed the 19th century pub into a contemporary dining space, with a regularly changing set menu and a well-balanced wine selection, stylish interior and newly refurbished outside terrace.

Michael Singleton said: “We are thrilled to be on the list of 100 best local restaurants, especially as we were nominated by public vote and by those that love dining here. We have a fantastic

The Details

The Silver Cup 5 St Albans Road, Harpenden, AL5 2JF

Open Thursday - Saturday 12pm to 11pm; Sunday 12pm - 9pm thesilvercup.co.uk

@thesilvercup local following in Harpenden, where we feel there’s nothing quite like the dining experience we’re offering. Word is now spreading beyond Hertfordshire, with regular visitors from London who are keen to come and experience our highlypraised set menu, Sunday roasts and steak nights.”

Head chef Matthew Reeder has worked in the kitchens of top restaurants like Auberge du Lac, The Typing Room, The Galvin Brothers and Anglo in Farringdon where he was head chef. His superb seven-course tasting menu (£70) changes regularly and showcases the best seasonal ingredients. Current dishes include: Scallop, Sea Bass, Ponzu & Avocado; Cornish Sean Bream, Courgette, Octopus & Piccolo; Herdwick Lamb, Tenderstem, Anchovy & Mint; Jam, Toast & Earl Grey.

Matthew is a fan of nose-to-tail cooking, buying whole animals and butchering them in-house, using local produce sourced from UK farms and estates. Fish and seafood is sourced as sustainably as possible, including hand-dived or picked scallops and oysters. The team make all their own bread, stock, and ice creams and they preserve the best fruit and vegetables by fermenting, pickling and curing to keep waste to a minimum.