Restaurants in Rutland: Uppingham’s No.23
There’s a culinary epilogue to summer in Uppingham thanks to No.23, a bistro with more than a hint of Mediterranean warmth. This month we’re enjoying a staggeringly good venue for enjoyable dining out in the heart of the town
Back when I was wearing a younger man’s clothes, I always remember – or perhaps I’m misremembering – that summer would last ages and ages and ages. Warm days followed warm days and we’d all go for months without seeing a single raincloud in the sky.
This summer seems to have consisted of spells of volcanic heat and speculation of an impending climate catastrophe, followed by thunderstorms and a hosepipe ban.
Should you be missing the brief but intense summer, or the balmy heat of the holiday destination from which you have recently returned, why not eat for the climate you’d like, instead of the climate we’ll get this month?
No.23 provides the opportunity to do just that, with a nice 38-cover dining room, as well as a terrace to the rear with its covered garden room too, if you’re determined to dine outside or if you’re seeking a private dining space for a celebration with family or friends.
The dishes that Head Chef Rich Doyle and the team serves certainly have Mediterranean influences, but really it’s impossible to pigeonhole the restaurant to a single country or culinary genre.
Not that its identity is confused. There’s a single menu for lunchtime dining and a single menu for evening dining. Each offers a choice of five starters, seven main courses plus four House Classics.
It’s a neat menu and one that’s well thought-out, with everything from a steak and a burger to a Venetian duck ragu and a spinach, green pea and broad bean risotto.
Vegetarians and vegans are by no means an afterthought, and No.23’s dishes all seem predicated on using the freshest ingredients and letting a key element or flavour in a dish take the starring role, with a supporting cast that enhances, rather than competing against it. Dishes are therefore vibrant, flavoursome and authentic.
This approach also ensures the kitchen can put lots of effort into each dish so pasta, for example, is made by the team in house, as is the speciality bread the restaurant serves: focaccia, during our visit, with a lovely umami bone marrow butter.
What’s more, on Friday mornings the team flex their sense of creativity even further and pay a visit to the town’s weekly market to source whatever ingredients inspire them.
The team purchases these ingredients from local suppliers, saying that doing so not only ensures the freshness of the food but also keeps ‘food miles’ low and supports local businesses.
One recent example of No.23’s ‘Friday Market Day Special,’ which was offered for just £10, was slow-cooked beef shin, gratin potatoes, cavolo nero and a jus. Nobody could grumble at that, nor the popular £5 pasta dish also available on Thursday lunchtime.
No.23 celebrates its third anniversary next month and was the latest restaurant to be opened by the Three Goats group. The group also includes The Nevill Arms in Medbourne, The Sun Inn at Great Easton and The Red Lion pub at Great Bowden. Each has been taken on by the company and treated to a comprehensive refurbishment, but each one, very much to the company’s credit, has retained its own identity, and its own menu.
Something they do share, though, is access to the company’s farm in Great Easton, which raises traditional breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs, ensuring the menu can offer traceability and provenance for its beef, lamb and pork.
Accordingly, No.23’s menus reflect a strong commitment to expressing the seasonality of ingredients and evolve throughout the year. Speaking of what happens throughout the year, No.23 also holds special events, such as wine pairing evenings allowing guests to explore food and wine from around the world.
These give diners the chance to experience new dishes and new tastes from areas as diverse as France, Portugal, Spain and the Alps. Such special evenings are a chance to have an adventure through food and wine – so the restaurant partners with Berkmann Wine Cellars who expertly match the drinks to the dishes.
No.23’s recent Champagne Dinner, for example, offered guests the chance to enjoy Louis Roederer champagnes with a four-course menu featuring a wild turbot main.
“Seasonality, sustainability and freshness have always been central to our offering,” explains Rich. “Visitors know they’ll get stunning food and first-class service here but, alongside our house classics, you’ll now see even more seasonal choices, plus a wider range of lighter dishes.”
The look and feel of the restaurant allows for a successful transition from modern daytime bistro to smart evening restaurant. It’s a handsome building too, 300-years-old, Grade II listed, with local art on the wall.
Dining is the best way to experience No.23, but the place is also open for cocktails, especially ideal when they’re priced 2-for-1 between 3pm and 6pm from Wednesday evening to Sunday evenings.
No. 23 offers a compelling dining experience (and is a great venue for wedding celebrations), blending creativity and quality with a lovely setting and a great front of house courtesy of General Manager James Hunt and the team.
“We’re working tirelessly to ensure No. 23 enjoys a formidable reputation, which is why we’ve a particular focus on top-quality local ingredients, inspired cuisine and offering the warmest welcome in Rutland,” James says. “Customers come here for the big flavours and buzzy atmosphere… and for a great experience!”
No.23 in Uppingham
The Restaurant: “A bistro-style restaurant in a 300-year-old Grade II listed building located in the heart of Uppingham offering stunning food. No.23 offers a varied menu, alongside refined cocktails and an extensive wine list.”
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Saturday 12 noon to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 8.30pm, (9pm Fri/Sat). Sunday 12 noon to 8pm.
No.23 High Street East, Uppingham, LE15 9PY. Telephone: 01572 303023. www.23uppingham.co.uk.
Read our full feature in the October edition of Rutland Pride at https://www.pridemagazines.co.uk/rutland/view-magazines?magazine=October-2025