The most popular restaurants in the UK and rest of the world

Nothing can get your tastebuds salivating more than scrolling through succulent, steaming dishes of your favourite cuisines over social media. Picturesque plates can win prying eyes to book a table at your eatery.

Today, four in ten Brits research using social media when deciding which restaurant to visit. With people using social media platforms increasingly as search engines, a restaurant’s online presence is becoming essential to attract new visitors.

We’ve researched the most social media-friendly restaurants across the UK and the world, looking at the number of TikTok and Instagram posts associated with the restaurant’s hashtag. 

The top 10 most social media-friendly restaurants in the UK

Sketch London reigns champion as the most social media-friendly restaurant in the UK by a significant margin, with a total number of 95,594 social media posts. Sketch has more social posts shared by customers than the rest of the UK top ten combined, and 70,000 more posts than the restaurant that comes in second place in the list.

With five different bars, including The Parlour, The Lecture Room & Library, The Gallery, The Eastbar & Pods, and The Glade, Sketch London boasts creativity and options that competitors can only dream of. 

This creativity can be highlighted through their website. Each of their unique bars owns a personal landing page that can be customised by users, such as The Gallery, where visitors can build their own afternoon tea plates! 

These unique, distinctive experiences make Sketch excel, which explains why the restaurant is so popular on social media.

Second on the list is Manchester’s 20 Stories, which has a total number of 21,875 social posts. The scenic bar overlooking the city boasts exquisite food, amazing ambience, and soothing entertainment. 20 Stories stands out by being the only restaurant in the top ten list that is outside of London. 

Sushi Samba ranks third with 17,765 total posts. Their unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisines combined with their carnival atmosphere makes this restaurant easily shareable on social media.

Circolo Popolare registers as the fourth most social media-friendly restaurant in the UK, with 13,124 online posts. The London-based restaurant stands out in particular for having the most TikTok videos using their hashtag of all the restaurants in the top 10 list – a total of 1,791 TikTok posts.

The top 10 most social media-friendly restaurants in the UK (outside of London)

Unsurprisingly, being the only top UK restaurant outside of London, 20 Stories comfortably sits as the most social media-friendly city outside of London. Manchester’s popular restaurant has more social media posts than the rest of the top ten combined, a huge 21,875 in total for TikTok and Instagram, highlighting its popularity.

Angelic takes second, with 2.655 total posts. Belonging to the heart of Leeds, Angelica boasts a variety of events, from bottomless brunch to DJ sessions. Combined with their beautiful balcony where customers can enjoy 2-for-1 cocktails, it’s not surprising this restaurant is so popular on social media.

Tattu ranks third and is notable for being the only restaurant outside of England to be featured in the top ten. The Edinburgh-based chain is a contemporary Chinese restaurant with locations also in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.

The Ivy In The Lanes stands out by being the only restaurant South of London to make the top ten. This sophisticated and friendly place brings fine dining to the heart of Brighton. 

After London, Manchester ranks as the second most social media-friendly city for restaurants. With four restaurants in this top ten, including 20 Stories, Peter Street Kitchen, Grand Pacific and Archie’s.

Leeds, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Birmingham also feature their respective restaurants including; Angelica, Blossom Room, Pom Kitchen and Sky By The Water.

The top 10 most social media-friendly rooftop restaurants in the UK

Manchester’s 20 Stories ranks as the most social media-friendly rooftop restaurant in the UK, with a total of 21,875 social media posts. Overlooking the scenic city of Manchester, it’s no wonder this rooftop restaurant secured the top spot! 

London reigns supreme throughout the rest of the top ten, with a total of seven restaurants making it into the list. 

Sushi Samba ranks as the most social media-friendly rooftop restaurant in London with 17,765 total posts, closely followed by London In The Sky (6,932), Pergola Paddington (4,405), The Florist (4,001), 14 Hills (3,431), Seabird (2,160) and Kettner’s Townhouse (1,426).

Angelica of Leeds (2,655) and Tattu of Edinburgh (2,338) complete the top ten, representing the rest of the UK. 

The top 10 most social media-friendly restaurants in the world

England’s Sketch London ranks as the most social media-friendly restaurant in the world. Its popularity, particularly on Instagram, bringing in a huge 93,849 posts, means Sketch London is the most popular restaurant in both the UK and the world. 

The Grotto, from the party town of Krabi, Thailand, ranks as the second most social media-friendly restaurant in the world with a total of 81,033 total posts. Tourism from those travelling to South East Asia makes The Grotto a popular destination, helped by its fame online.

Hong Kong’s Man Wah ranks sixth but is a notable mention since it has the highest number of TikTok posts in the list. With a total of 8,377 TikTok posts, Man Wah has almost as many TikTok posts as the rest of the top ten combined!

France ranks as the country with the most social media-friendly restaurants with three establishments in the top ten. Le Meurice, Pink Mama and Le Train Bleu, all belonging to France’s capital Paris, rank third, fourth and seventh in the list. They have an impressive combined total of 104,350 social media posts.

Italy’s Bar Luce of Milan and Russia’s White Rabbit of Moscow ranking fifth and eighth respectively, maintain that Europe is the continent containing the most social media-friendly restaurants. 

America’s Le Coucou of New York and Mexico’s Porfirio’s of Cancun complete the top ten, providing people with options for North and Central America for those looking for social media-friendly restaurants.