A RECORD number of restaurants in Merseyside have been name-checked in the respected Which Good Food Guide 2012, which is due out next month.

Across Merseyside and Cheshire, 16 restaurants have been singled out for praise, with Fraiche in Oxton and Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor both in The Good Food Guide’s prestigious Top 50 Restaurants list.

Spire in Allerton was named Readers' Restaurant of the Year for the North West. There are first-time mentions for Host on Hope Street, Lunya in Liverpool One and Aiden Byrne at The Collingwood gastropub in West Kirby, as well as Joseph Benjamin and Michael Caines at ABode, both in Chester.

The guide has re-listed Da Piero in Irby, Delifonseca, The London Carriage Works, The Side Door, 60 Hope Street, Bistrot Verite in Southport, 1539 Restaurant & Bar in Chester and Aiden Byrne at The Church Green in Lymm.

Mr Byrne was delighted to see both of his restaurants included in this year’s guide and said: “I'm absolutely thrilled that both the Church Green and Collingwood have been included in this year’s guide – it’s a great honour.

“The ethos of both venues is great food, accessible to all and it seems our customers think we are achieving this, which is amazing.”