Cheshire restaurant led by top chef in historic building awarded major honour
Amazing achievement
Chef Aiden Byrne and his wife Sarah Byrne are behind LI~LY, named after Knutsford's River Lily(Image: Jonathan Farberdish)
A stunning restaurant in a historic Cheshire building has just been granted a top honour which has been declared a 'phenomenal achievement'. This week saw the AA Restaurant Rosette Awards Presentation held at the RAK Ceramics Design Hub in London.
The ceremony is held twice a year to recognise the country's vast restaurants offering culinary excellence 'of the highest order'. First established in 1956, the awards are measured on consistency, technical skill, and ingredient quality with only 16 restaurants in England currently awarded the full 5 Rosettes.
Receiving the 3 AA Rosette honour, which is only given to restaurants deemed to be outstanding and demand national recommendation, was LI~LY in Knutsford. Led by chef Aiden Byrne and his wife Sarah Byrne, the restaurant is situated within a Grade II-listed black-and-white timbered Tudor building.
First opened at the end of 2024, the fine dining restaurant has garnered a firm reputation for its modern menu that 'blends creativity with sophistication'. Its five and nine-course tasting menu are aimed to celebrate the flavours of each season using the best British produce, with dishes often including the likes of a leek and potato brandade tart, braised venison, and a blood orange, olive oil and almond cake, reports the MEN.
A fine dining restaurant situated in a 400-year-old Grade II-listed Tudor building in Cheshire has just been granted a top honour(Image: Jonathan Farberdish)
The latest recommendation comes hot on the heels of LI~LY - named after Knutsford's Lily River - being included in the MICHELIN Guide for Great Britain and Ireland 2025. In scoring the restaurant, AA inspectors were particularly impressed by the kitchen's consistency, depth of flavour, and the seamless balance between technical excellence and creativity.
Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, said: "Aiden Byrne delivers sensitive flavour combinations and a real sense of fun and enjoyment. Guests have the confidence knowing that Aiden is leading the kitchen, personally every day. Front-of-house, a small family led team, deliver knowledgeable service and the warmest of hospitality."
The restaurant's menu has been praised for its 'sensitive flavour combinations and a real sense of fun and enjoyment'(Image: WK Media)
Aiden Byrne, Chef Patron of LI~LY, said: "To receive Three AA Rosettes is a phenomenal achievement for our whole team. It's a recognition that speaks to consistency, precision, and the complete guest experience, from the ingredients we carefully source to the service and wine that frame every dish.
"Coming so soon after being recognised by The MICHELIN Guide, it feels like a truly special moment in LI~LY's journey. We set out to create something that could stand confidently on a national stage while remaining rooted in Knutsford and the Northwest. I'm incredibly proud of our team, their dedication, attention to detail and passion is what makes accolades like this possible."
The restaurant, situated in a restored Tudor cottage, serves five- and nine- course taster menus(Image: Jonathan Farberdish)
In a review of LI~LY last year, the M.E.N. described the restaurant's 400-year-old building as a 'quirky white-washed multi-levelled restaurant space that feels modern and mysteriously ancient all at the same time', with a menu that is 'unashamedly fine dining' and 'worth every penny'.