Winner: Sarafina

WHEN two brothers put their heads together and took over a ‘little place in Wilmslow’ 18 months ago, they could scarcely have imagined the buzz they would generate across Cheshire.

With more than 20 years’ combined experience in hospitality, Romin and Pezh Nekooie took on Cheshire stalwart Sarafina and immediately made the bold decision to tear it up and start again.

The gamble, characterised by dishes like the popular alternative lasagne and 16-hour slow-cooked beef ragu, has well and truly paid off.

Romin said: “We wear our hearts on our sleeves and I think people respond to that and can see the effort that we’ve put into changing this restaurant from what it once was to what it is now.

“We’ve come a long way from when we reopened and we’ve taken people on that journey with us.

“Since we took over we have had locals who have lived as close as a few doors down to us who had never visited the restaurant who we now see every week and that’s a great feeling.

“We haven’t been here long in the grand scheme of things and word of mouth is continuing to grow and for now we just want to make Sarafina the best restaurant it can be.”

With Sarafina having built a solid reputation for Italian food during its previous 20-year incarnation, it has gained a new lease of life since its rebirth – only the name has remained unchanged.

Instrumental to the success of the brothers’ venture has been a team to match their commitment and passion, with head chef Neil Frith playing a particularly important role.

“He is as much a part of the restaurant as my brother and me,” Romin said.

“We put a lot of trust into him to deliver not only our first menu which was radically different from the previous restaurant’s menu and had a lot of pressure riding on it, but also to create fresh and exciting seasonal menus, to keep the changes coming.

“Italian food is at its core very simple, and we found that a lot of restaurants have similar menus that stick to all the classics.

“What we have tried to do is something a little different, keeping the core Italian principles but not being limited to a tried and tested model.”

Having earned their stripes on separate paths, it seems clear that these brothers are now on the road to success.

YOUR FAVOURITE FIVE

  • Sarafina, Wilmslow
  • Kin Arai, Middlewich
  • Chimichangos Mexican Restaurant, Middlewich
  • CAU, Wilmslow
  • Cheshire Grill, Northwich

 Highly commended: Kin Arai, Middlewich

RUNNER-UP for the best overall restaurant is newcomer Kin Arai.

Having only opened in 2016, Kin Arai has quickly established a reputation for quality food and quality service.

Wife and husband, Pom and Julian Leese, own the establishment and Pom explained why their business is so successful.

Pom said: “We offer real authentic Thai cuisine using the same ingredients as when we cook in Thailand.

“We don’t substitute pea aubergine with pea or put in peppers or carrots to reduce cost.

“I was taught to cook by my father in Bangkok and I always enjoy cooking and sharing food with friends.

“The main reason for opening this restaurant was because we have so many friends and family visiting us from Thailand.

“Whenever we take them to Thai restaurants here they’re often disappointed because the dishes have been changed so much from what they are used to eating in Thailand.

“We are different. We do not have the same pressures as larger multi-site restaurants who often compromise on food and ingredients in order to make a profit.

“We are a part-time micro-business, mainly run by family members we only open Friday and Saturday and we can seat a maximum of 30 people."

Our Food and Drink Awards ran across our Cheshire sister titles in the spring with readers voting for their favourites.