Where to eat sustainably

Our pick of the best restaurants that are changing their practices to protect the planet

- TONY NAYLOR

From carbon offsetting to cutting back on meat, the best British restaurants are seeking to work sustainably - providing pleasure but also protecting the planet. Want to get to know these next-gen green kitchens?

THE RESTORATIVE RESTAURANT

Apricity, London

Unlike so many box-ready restaurants, when it opens in March, chef-owner Chantelle Nicholson wants Apricity to be “not just sustainable but restorative, a closed-loop of use and re-use”. It's an aim that requires effort - foraging nettles and hazelnuts in urban London, designing zero-waste cocktails, using up-cycled and repurposed furniture - and imaginative flexibility. Day to day, chef Eve Seemann will execute dishes such as Cornish mackerel and Shetland mussels with sambal butter and pickled pear, or crispy sprouts with spent-beer vinegar and rosemary. Meanwhile, Chantelle, who first made her name at Tredwells, will manage green energy issues, waste-minimal menu planning or gluts of hyper-seasonal produce from suppliers. Many of these hand-picked small producers practise “regenerative farming, a buzz-term for traditional techniques that nurture diverse, natural landscapes and improve soil health. “It gives more than it takes, says Chantelle, who wants Apricity to be similarly nourishing. For example, there will be no discretionary service charge to ensure staff are paid a reliable, set wage: “I want the guys to feel secure and rewarded.” Mains from £22; apricityrestaurant.com

PLANT-BASED PIONEERS

Hypha, Chester