Stones Restaurant

Floor-to-ceiling windows face the River Derwent, and a rear terrace puts you right above the water. This small Modern British restaurant sits at the bottom of a steep flight of steps off Dale Road, the kind of entrance that weeds out the faint-hearted. The kitchen cooks classic combinations with confidence rather than fuss, and the room has that easy warmth you get when the staff seem to like being there as much as the regulars do.

One honor, in evidence: