A SOUTHAMPTON restaurant has been named the best in the country.

The Oxford Brasserie was handed the prestigious accolade at the British Restaurant Awards.

Now the Oxford street-based eatery, which is owned by Hubert Hars and Andy Taylor-Rose, is celebrating its success.

Restaurant manager Barnaby Harris-Reid, said: “ It was incredible. We got more than 7,500 votes.

“It was amazing to see how many people believed in Oxford Brasserie.”

The British Restaurant Awards are run every year and give customers the opportunity to nominate and vote for what they believe are the best restaurants, chefs and culinary services in the UK.

The restaurants which receives the most nominations are shortlisted and released for the public to vote on.

This year the Southampton restaurant battled it out against prestigious eateries from across the country, including one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants.

Mr Harris-Reid said: “We competed against incredible names and restaurants in the country but we won.

“This is a chance for people outside Southampton to start talking about us.”

The eatery was opened in Oxford Street more than 40 years ago.

Mr Harris-Reid said: “Oxford Brasserie is about passion for what we do. We believe in what we do, in our products and in our staff.

“The true sense of hospitality is what makes the difference.

“We welcome people in our home not in our business. We are not a chain, we care about building a relationship with guests and make them feel special and at home.”

More than 275,000 votes were cast by the public across the various categories this year.

The winners were announced at an awards evening held at Buddha Bar London in Knightsbridge, with the event featuring performances from singer/songwriter Kitto and Elise Bailey.

It was the first year the British Restaurant Awards have been held.