You voted Eighteen The Cross Warrington’s Best Restaurant

It’s this award-winning recipe for success that has secured Eighteen The Cross our final Best of 2024 honour – Warrington’s Best Restaurant.

In April, we launched our Best of 2024 competition and we’ve given out 22 awards.

• Best for Hair - Kate Lucy Hair Studio
• Best for Pies - Tomlins Bakehouse
• Best for Nails - By Maisie Beck
• Best for Roast Dinner - The Blue Bell
• Best for Cocktails - Dead Eyes
• Best for Breakfast – CJ’s Coffee House
• Best for Fish and Chips - Plaice Station
• Best Beer Garden - The Ferry Tavern
• Best for Fitness – Tommy O’Connor
• Best for Tattoos – Sam Small Ink
• Best Independent Shop or Business – Manic Minors Toystore
• Best for Dessert – White Lace Bakery
• Best for Kids – Velocity Dance
• Best for Pets – Victoria Park Vets
• Best for Beauty – LUXE Salon & Training
• Best for Pizza – San Lorenzo
• Best for Afternoon Tea – Room Forty
• Best for Burgers – Café at the End of the Universe
• Best Gym – Ryfields Gym
• Best for Curry – The Black Gold
• Best Café or Coffee Shop – Rhode Island Coffee
• Best Pub or Bar – The Blue Bell

Twelve of Warrington’s most popular restaurants made the shortlist in our final Best of 2024 category and Eighteen The Cross came out on top.

Michael Taylor opened Eighteen The Cross in Lymm in November 2017 so it’s coming up for its 7th anniversary.

Eighteen The Cross opened in Lymm seven years ago

Michael, who is 54 and grew up in Thelwall and lives in Lymm, said: “I was made redundant at the backend of 2015 and wanted a change from what I had done for 35 plus years.

“I always had an interest in wine, so we decided to open The Wine Kitchen in July 2016, a bar and online retail business.

“A year later, an opportunity came along to take on the lease next door which already had the footprint of a restaurant, so we decided to open Eighteen The Cross.

“We are an independent, family-run restaurant in the centre of Lymm village.

“Apart from our usual menu, we offer a two-course menu, host food and wine tasting events in collaboration with The Wine Kitchen next door, offer private hire for your special occasions and we even host weddings.”

Sticky chilli chicken

Michael has worked in sales all his adult life with the past 15 years with a global company and around seven years in management.

He said nothing prepares you for owning your own business but one advantage is being your own boss.

Michael said: “The Wine Kitchen was so popular, it made sense to grab the opportunity to open a restaurant next door.

“Lymm and the surrounding area has some amazing places to go and eat so we knew from the start, we had to use quality ingredients to help us against the competition.

“For example, we use the local butcher in the village, Hopkinson's, who produce our burgers to our own recipe and Sextons Bakers around the corner for our bread.

“These are amazing quality products right on our doorstep.

“Although cost is important, we also want to maintain quality.

“Our wines are from small producers to maintain a great quality and even our draft beers are brands that are not widely known but high quality.”

Front of house manager Kate and head chef Bradley

What do customers think about Eighteen The Cross? Why did they want the venue to win our final Best of 2024 award?

One satisfied customer said: “It’s one if not the best restaurant I have been to!

“The atmosphere, the food and the team are amazing.

“We have Sunday lunch here every week and every time the food is amazing.”

Atlantic king prawns

Michael said: “We use a post dining feedback email from our booking system, Dish Cult (Resdiary) and the two top things people say they like about Eighteen The Cross is the quality of the food and the service from our amazing team.

“We have 1,397 feedback reviews on there and 1,254 are five-star ones which makes us all very proud.

“Our main menu has classics like fish and chips, and steak frites, as these would always be popular, but we also have dishes like fresh oysters, Asian inspired sticky chilli chicken, Atlantic king prawns with fresh fish dishes, handmade ravioli and stone baked pizzas, so there is something for everyone.

“There aren’t many places locally where you can order half a dozen oysters before your fish and chips, but you can at Eighteen The Cross.

“Our Sunday roasts have become staple for many customers and we are often full most Sundays.

“We have a great wine list but we also have access to more than 150 more wines from the stock next door in The Wine Kitchen that the customers can choose from.

“Service is just as important to us as the quality of the food.”

Fish and chips and chicken supreme

When Michael heard the restaurant had made the shortlist for Warrington’s Best Restaurant, he was proud of every member of his team.

He said: “There are hundreds of restaurants in the area so every business that made the shortlist has already achieved something amazing.

“To win the award is amazing - you don’t achieve anything without a great team behind you.

“On behalf of all the team at Eighteen The Cross, thank you to all our customers for their votes.

“It means so much and makes all the hard work worthwhile.

“When you win an award voted by customers, it means so much more.

“Thank you.”

One customer said: "The atmosphere, the food and the team are amazing."