The Ledbury heads up the 2011 National Restaurant Awards

At last night's National Restaurant Awards, the Ledbury beat off all-comers to retain the title of best restaurant in Britain while Pollen Street Social was the highest new entry at number two.

The awards are voted on by the National Restaurant Awards academy, which is pooled from chefs, writers and critics from around the country. This leads to some, shall we say, rather peculiar results in places.  For instance, we certainly wouldn't begrudge Dinner by Heston its place at number two, but should it really be ahead of the Fat Duck? And Bentley's gets a mention, but nothing for Corrigan's?

That said, London restaurants took up six spots in the top ten, and took up over 50% of the overall total. Notable new entries were Pollen Street Social and Dinner by Heston at 2 and three respectively, Roganic at 16, Hawksmoor Seven Dials at 18, Brawn at 26, Jose at 54 and The Gilbert Scott at 55. 

The big losers of the night were Hix Soho which fell from 14 to 89 and Pied a Terre was 12 last year and nowhere in this year's list.

The top 20 were:

1. The Ledbury (1)
2. Pollen Street Social (new entry)
3. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (new entry)
4. The Fat Duck (2)
5. The Sportsman (31)
6. Hibiscus (4)
7. The Square (8)
8. L’Enclume (36)
9. Restaurant Sat Bains (6)
10. Bar Boulud (7)
11. Le Gavroche (62)
12. Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons (19)
13. St John (28)
14. The Hand & Flowers (33)
15. Chez Bruce (42)
16. Roganic (new entry)
17. The Walnut Tree (4)
18. Hawksmoor Seven Dials (new entry)
19. The Star at Harome (34)
20. Arbutus (18)