01 January 2026
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As we enter 2026, culinary enthusiasts across the UK and Ireland will be eagerly anticipating another 12 months of food. A year of birthdays, anniversaries and a general love of great cooking will be honoured with joyous meals of all types. For years, many restaurants have only offered a wine pairing as the chief way to add even more fun and extravagance to these great occasions. But with more people than ever seeking alcohol-free options, a growing number of restaurants are putting serious effort into non-alcoholic drinks pairings to go with their tasting menus.
Thankfully, staying sober no longer has to mean nursing a single glass of water, with plenty of fun and creativity available to all. So, whether you’re a designated driver, detoxing for Dry January or have been alcohol-free all your life, here are the best restaurants for non-alcoholic drinks worthy of the most special of occasions.
1. Mýse, Hovingham
Part of the joy in getting a proper alcohol-free pairing is in having a soft drink which actually marries with your food. After all, as delicious as a cold cola is, it might not be the best match for your hand-dived scallops. This is why the pairings here are such a joy. For one, they’re never too sweet, showing off more savoury flavours that are rarely seen in drink form – beetroot, black garlic and red verjus spring to mind. Secondly, they’re cleverly matched to the food, working in total harmony with the kitchen’s MICHELIN-Star tasting menu.2. Restaurant Twenty-Two, Cambridge
An alcohol-free drinks pairing that sings to the same tune as its tasting menu, the offering at Restaurant Twenty-Two particularly impressed our Inspectors with its invention and thoughtfulness. A wide variety of techniques are employed across the drinks flight, including decoctions, macerations and syrups, each one showcasing flavours that complement the dishes, either enhancing the central ingredient, reinforcing the sauce or adding another dimension to existing elements. Starred cooking deserves well-prepared pairings like this.
3. Moor Hall, Aughton
Working with London-based tea company Lalani & Co, the team at Three-Star Moor Hall have assembled a global line-up of teas using a similar mindset as they would apply to wine – in other words, they deal with vintages, terroirs and an understanding that each tea is a product of where it was grown. Examples could include Spring 1st Flush Darjeeling from the Samabeong Garden estate in India, perhaps paired with sweetbell turnip and crab, or even the Moor Hall Garden Infusion made with their own ingredients, sometimes accompanying the East Coast lobster.4. Ikoyi, London
As a restaurant renowned for its creativity and detail, it’s perhaps no surprise that Ikoyi has put such effort into the drinks that sit alongside its Two-MICHELIN-Star, West African-influenced cooking. Alongside both wine and sake pairings, the non-alcoholic option is all about teas sourced from across Asia. Different types of oolong – semi-oxidised tea spanning a range of flavours between typical ‘green’ and ‘black’ teas – are particularly prevalent on the menu, be that Chi Lai Mountain Oolong or Charcoal Roasted Traditional Dong Ding Oolong.
5. Killiecrankie House, Killiecrankie
You certainly couldn’t accuse the team at Killiecrankie House of not putting enough effort into their alcohol-free drinks. Throughout their five-part pairing, you will taste a broad spectrum of complex flavours harnessed using various time-consuming techniques. The Garden Shrub, for instance, is made by infusing homegrown herbs with champagne vinegar over 12 weeks, before combining with jasmine tea. Meanwhile, playing the part traditionally occupied by red wine, a concoction of blueberry, blackberry, chocolate and spices begins with a house-made stock held at 60°C for several hours.6. Timberyard, Edinburgh
Forming part of Edinburgh’s MICHELIN-Star dining scene, Timberyard is a polished, passionate and downright wonderful restaurant, from its Nordic-esque design to its switched-on service and, of course, its cooking. That cooking can be accompanied by a non-alcoholic pairing that puts a focus on Scottish ingredients, many foraged by the team. They collect the rosebay willow herb in spring, for instance, then hand-roll the leaves and ferment them for kombucha. Sea buckthorn, abundant in Scotland even through winter, also plays a big role.Love all things MICHELIN?
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7. Pine, East Wallhouses
As restaurants go, few are more in touch with the land than Pine. That ethos finds its way into their excellent range of drinks too. The homemade creations are all crafted with care by Head Bartender Luke Riley to complement the food, such as a toasted buckwheat and roasted dandelion tea designed to bring out the nuttiness in a dish of pumpkin, hen of the woods and kelp. In line with the team's commitment to local produce, Riley extracts citrus flavours from the geranium plant’s geraniol, rather than resorting to lemons and limes.8. The Oak Room, Adare
There are so many reasons to visit Adare Manor. Holding our highest hotel award of Three MICHELIN Keys, it’s a truly stunning property, boasting a spa, gorgeous grounds and a golf course that will host the Ryder Cup in 2027. Then, of course, there’s The Oak Room, home to both MICHELIN-Starred cooking and a proper non-alcoholic pairing. The sommelier team have curated the selection, which features drinks such as a blend of hibiscus tea, raspberry kombucha and homemade raspberry syrup, which pairs well with chocolate desserts.
9. Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, Ripon
Inside the eponymous Two-MICHELIN-Key hotel, Shaun Rankin’s Starred restaurant certainly takes its non-alcoholic pairings seriously. Partly inspired by the Chinese culture of yum cha (drinking tea with dim sum), the drinks showcase a degree of creativity and blend harmoniously with the cooking. Local, seasonal ingredients from nettles to marigolds are regularly incorporated, while the infusions occasionally mirror Rankin’s culinary approach of evoking childhood memories – such as a malt extract used to mimic the taste of Horlicks with dessert.10. Fernery, Narberth
Any foodies in south Wales looking for a luxurious, alcohol-free experience should put Fernery at the top of their list. A friendly, well-run and simply lovely place to dine, it’s located inside Grove of Narberth, one of Wales’ most attractive country houses and a One-MICHELIN-Key hotel. The cooking can be accompanied by non-alcoholic pairings created in partnership by sommelier Cathryn Bell and Chef Douglas Balish, putting an emphasis on ensuring each drink is well-matched to its corresponding dish.
11. Aniar, Galway
At Aniar, one of the most proudly local and seasonal restaurants in Ireland, the team are quick to point out that their juice pairing is not merely a wine substitute, but a rich experience all of its own. Keen to avoid over-sweet soft drinks, they use fermentation and other techniques to add balancing acidic notes and ensure the juices pair more harmoniously with the MICHELIN-Starred cooking. Ireland’s forgotten history of non-alcoholic drinks, such as herb waters and medicinal teas, is another inspiration behind this passionately crafted selection.12. OX, Belfast
A jewel in Northern Ireland’s culinary crown, OX has consistently been one of the nation’s best restaurants for some years now. Serving a multi-course tasting menu, its cooking can be accompanied by either a wine flight or the non-alcoholic pairing, which the team put just as much effort into curating. Expect a variety of drink types, including several teas and kombuchas – such as a Kenyan green tea and apple kombucha, which might be paired with the earthy flavours of celeriac, truffle, trompette mushrooms and lardo.Related Articles:
Hero Image: The non-alcoholic drinks pairing at the MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall. © Tom Sykes
