A restaurant in London takes second place!
In an unusual turn of events, the second-best wedding venue in England is in fact a restaurant in Greater London – Joe Allen.
Nestled in Covent Garden, also known as “Theatreland”, Joe Allen Restaurant is a cosy and welcoming venue for intimate wedding celebrations. It stormed to the top of the list for its generous social media following (over 8,000). Weather predictions look optimistic, with only 62cm of rainfall in the area each year, and an annual average temperature of 16 degrees.
Established in 1977, London’s Joe Allen is named after its owner and follows in the footsteps of its original sister restaurant in New York. Couples can expect a relaxed but sophisticated atmosphere where up to 120 guests can be seated for good food and good music.
The top 10 wedding venues in England:
- Lumley Castle, Durham
- Joe Allen Restaurant, Greater London
- Hanbury Manor, Herfordshire
- The Grand, North Yorkshire
- Ettington Park Hotel, Warwickshire
- Warwick Castle, Warwickshire
- De Vere Beaumont Estate, Berkshire
- Buxted Park Hotel, East Sussex
- Talbooth Restaurant, Essex
- Greenwoods Hotel Spa & Retreat, Essex
Joining them in the rankings is Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire, which has almost 2,500 reviews on Tripadvisor, and The Grand Hotel in York, which ranked for its social media popularity with over 5,000 hashtags on TikTok alone!
Interestingly, Buckinghamshire boasted one of the survey’s best weather scores despite none of its venues making the top 10. According to Met Office data, the county gets a mere 35cm of rainfall each year – take note if you want to ditch the umbrellas on your big day.
Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant is the most “Instagrammable”
The study also uncovered the most followed wedding venues on social media. Taking the lead was Bread Street Kitchen and Bar in London, with a whopping 230k followers on Instagram alone. Following in second place was family-owned estate, Mapperton, in Dorset with 138k followers.
The most “Instagrammable” wedding venues in England:
- Bread Street Kitchen, London – 230k
- Mapperton, Dorset – 138k
- Warwick Castle, Warwickshire – 82k
- The Nici, Dorset – 68k
- King Street Townhouse, Manchester – 38k
Jeremy Hinds, Wedding Expert at F.Hinds, said: “All of the venues that made the top ten list have something very special and unique to offer couples tying the knot.
“Whilst traditional weddings continue to be popular for couples getting married in 2025, the research shows that alternative options, such as city centre restaurants, are also a favourable option. This could be in line with more and more couples looking to create a less formal wedding day that challenges the ‘norm’.
“Choosing a venue is undoubtably one of the main decisions when planning a wedding. It’s important thing for couples to align and set out their values and priorities in advance, as it’s easy to become overexcited and not think of practicalities. Start with the basics such as budget, capacity, travel logistics and location.
“From here, you can research seasons and dates, as well as the suppliers on offer. Remember, like buying a property, a wedding is completely personal and unique to your own needs and style.”
For more of the country’s top wedding venues, please visit: www.fhinds.co.uk/blog/The-Best-Wedding-Venues-in-England-2