Moor Hall, in Aughton, near Liverpool, bagged its second consecutive win in the competition. The runner-up was the Angel gastropub at Hetton, in the Yorkshire Dales, while London's Core by Clare Smyth, a protégée of Gordon Ramsay, came in third.

       Smyth is now the only female chef to run a restaurant with three Michelin stars in the UK.

       Further north, House of Tides in Newcastle, and Cumbria's L'Enclume completed the top five.

       The previous two lists put four London venues in their top fives.

       Restaurants in the north have taken nine slots in the top 20, equal to London's nine places.

       Overall, 50 of the 100 restaurants that made the respected list are in London, the lowest number since the awards began in 2007.

       Stefan Chomka, the editor of Restaurant magazine, said: "Places like Manchester,York, Lancashire and the Lake District are now home to some of the most progressive dining rooms in the country.

       "Given their proximity to so many excellent ingredients, it's not really that surprising."