Food and Culture Awards: 2023 Winners

The Time & Leisure Food and Culture Awards are now in their 12th year. Celebrating the very best of the best in south west London and Surrey, we ask our readers to nominate and vote for all the places they love locally, whether that be a neighbourhood cafe or a fine dining destination; a local theatre or a popular family attraction. Read on for the 2023 winners in each category, plus the runners up. Huge congrats to everyone on the list – it’s a fantastic achievement to have made it to the finals… our readers love you… Share on social #FoodAndCultureAwards

And many thanks to all of our sponsors below.

EDIBLE EPSOM AWARD,
sponsored by Go EPSOM

WINNER: Epsom social

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sicily

COMMENDED: Kanzzi, Makiyaki, Rocksalt Epsom

RECOMMENDED: Cappadocia, Doughboyz, The Faraday, The Hunger Hatch, Zig Zag Cafe

MOST POSITIVE EXPERIENCE IN PUTNEY,
sponsored by POSITIVELY PUTNEY

WINNER: Artisans of Sardinia

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Home SW15

COMMENDED: Coppa Club, Kashmir, Putney Pantry

RECOMMENDED: Arise Coffee Roasters, Pata Negra, Smugglers Cafe, The Duke’s Head, Tried & True

BEST NEWCOMER          

WINNER: Spread Eagle, Wandsworth

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Monies, Putney

COMMENDED: Epsom Social, Island Poke, Wimbledon, Burke Kitchen, Sutton

RECOMMENDED: 1910 Coffee House, Hampton Wick, Bombay Delight, Wimbledon, Bone Idyll, Kingston, Control Room B, Battersea, i Dim Sum, Kingston

BEST SUNDAY ROAST    

WINNER: The Alexandra, Wimbledon

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Boathouse, Putney

COMMENDED: Spread Eagle, Wandsworth, The Marquis of Granby, Epsom, The Wych Elm, Kingston

RECOMMENDED: Earl Spencer, Southfields. Hand & Racquet, Wimbledon, Sound Lounge, Sutton, The Bedford, Balham, The Dog & Fox, Wimbledon

SUSTAINABLE AWARD  

WINNER: Sound Lounge, Sutton

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Aspen and Meursault, Battersea

COMMENDED: Octagreen, Putney, Polka Theatre, Wimbledon, Riverside Vegetaria, Kingston

RECOMMENDED: Chimney Fire Coffee, Dorking, Leon, Wimbledon, Local Hero, Kingston, Metronome, Morden, Petersham Nurseries, Petersham

FAVOURITE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE

WINNER: Rose Theatre, Kingston

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Richmond Theatre

COMMENDED: New Wimbledon Theatre, Polka Theatre, Wimbledon, The Half Moon, Putney

RECOMMENDED: Epsom Playhouse, Fairfield Halls, Croydon, Merton Art Space, Wimbledon, Sound Lounge, Sutton, The Bulls Head, Barnes

LOVE WIMBLEDON PEOPLE’S CHOICE,
sponsored by LOVE WIMBLEDON

WINNER: New Wimbledon Theatre

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Aya

COMMENDED: Bombay Delight, Diba, i-Thai

RECOMMENDED: Island Poke, LusoBrazil, Polka Theatre, Sticks’n’Sushi, The Alexandra

BEST COFFEE / TEA HOUSE

WINNER: The French Tarte, Surbiton

HIGHLY COMMENDED: TazZa Coffee, Sutton

COMMENDED: Arise Coffee Roasters, Putney, Hunger Hatch, Epsom, Little Frenchies, Wandsworth

RECOMMENDED: Elys Third Floor Restaurant, Wimbledon, Metronome, Morden, Monies, Putney, Sound Lounge, Sutton, Triple Two Coffee, Kingston

BEST PUB           

WINNER: The Half Moon, Putney

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Faraday, Epsom

COMMENDED: EBB & Flow, Sutton, The Alexandra, Wimbledon, The Rising Sun, Epsom

RECOMMENDED: Hand in Hand, Wimbledon, The Antelope, Surbiton, The Crown, Sutton, The Marquis Of Granby, Epsom, The Sultan, South Wimbledon

LOCAL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR   

WINNER: Sicily, Epsom

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Pata Negra, Putney

COMMENDED: Casa Nostra, Sutton, Dastaan, Ewell, Diba, Wimbledon

RECOMMENDED: Ditto, Thames Ditton, Kanzzi Sushi & Grill, Epsom, Moksha, New Malden, No 97, Surbiton, Spread Eagle, Wandsworth

THE TONY KANE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Wandsworth Arts Fringe

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Wimbledon BookFest

COMMENDED: OSO Arts Centre, Barnes, Pub in the Park, Wimbledon, Folk In The Park, Sutton

RECOMMENDED: Brooklands Museum, Byfleet, Fulham Palace, Luna Cinema at Kew Gardens, Merton Art Space, Wimbledon, Wimbledon and Putney Commons

MOST INNOVATIVE ARTS / COMMUNITY PROJECT          

WINNER: Polka Theatre, Wimbledon

HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Horton, Epsom

COMMENDED: The Surbiton Ski Sunday & King’s Soup, Community Brain, Surbiton, Wimbledon BookFest, Merton Art Space, Wimbledon

RECOMMENDED: Clapham Book Festival, Festival of the Dead, Tooting, OSO Arts Centre, Barnes, The British Bread Open, Community Brain, Kingston, Wandsworth Arts Fringe

#LoveSuttonBiz Award,
sponsored by ENJOY SUTTON

WINNER: Lobster & Grill

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Tiempo Lounge

COMMENDED: Burke Kitchen, Casa Nostra, Sound Lounge

RECOMMENDED: All bar one, Ding tea, ii-ma Sushi, Number One Thai, Shinner and Sudtone

BEST FAMILY FRIENDLY RESTAURANT    

WINNER: Diba, Wimbledon

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Gazette Brasserie, Putney

COMMENDED: Spaghetti Tree, Sutton,The Cardinal Peppe Restaurant, Kingston, Epsom Social

RECOMMENDED: Al Forno, Kingston, Pho, Wimbledon, Riverside Vegetaria, Kingston, Sicily, Epsom, The Boathouse, Putney

BEST SERVICE   

WINNER: Roz Ana, Kingston

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Roxie Steak, Wimbledon

COMMENDED: Diba, Wimbledon, Sicily, Epsom, The French Table, Surbiton

RECOMMENDED: Lobster & Grill, Sutton, No 97, Surbiton, Shambles restaurant & wine bar, Teddington, Spaghetti Tree, Sutton, Sticks’n’Sushi, Wimbledon

FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR         

WINNER: The French Table, Surbiton

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Artisans of Sardinia, Putney

COMMENDED: One One Four, Teddington, Roz Ana, Kingston, The Dysart, Petersham

RECOMMENDED: Chez Bruce, Wandsworth, Le Raj Restaurant, Epsom, Light House, Wimbledon, London Stock, Wandsworth, Trinity, Clapham

FAMILY ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR       

WINNER: London Wetland Centre, Barnes

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Brooklands Museum, Byfleet

COMMENDED: Epsom Playhouse, Polka Theatre, Wimbledon, Richmond Theatre

RECOMMENDED: Chessington World of Adventures, Hobbledown, Epsom, New Wimbledon Theatre, RHS Wisley, Surrey, Wandsworth Arts Fringe