Now they get their wish, as the 2023 guide has been released.
The AA has unveiled the top culinary destinations across the UK, containing a total of 1,400 restaurants.
Hampshire found itself in seventh place out of the top ten areas for top quality dining, with 36 destinations in the book.
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The AA Guide introduced the renowned star rating scheme for quality in 1908 and have inspected restaurants for the Rosette award since 1956.
Simon Numphud, managing director of AA Media, said: ‘We are delighted to publish the leading guide to the UK’s top dining destinations, with 150 new establishments added to The Restaurant Guide 2023.
‘From Northern Stars to the Heart of England, Scotland to the capital, the restaurants in this year’s Guide demonstrate the high quality of culinary experiences across the country, offering delicious food and service of the highest standard.’
Here is the full list of restaurants in the guide, with nine of them being in south Hampshire.
Other restaurants that made the guide include:
The Terrace Restaurant at The Montagu Arms Hotel, Beaulieu
Hartnett Holder & Co, Lyndhurst
The Elderflower Restaurant, Lymington
Audleys Wood Hotel, Basingstoke
Cambium, Brockenhurst
Esseborne Manor, Andover
Glasshouse Restaurant, Basingstoke
Rhinefield House Hotel, Brockenhurst
The Balmer Lawn Hotel, Brockenhurst
The Crown Manor House Hotel, Lyndhurst
The Dining Room, New Milton
The Greyhound on the Test, Stockbridge
The Oak Room Restaurant, Rotherwick
The Pig, Brockenhurst
The Purefoy, Preston Candover
The Wellington Arms, Baughurst
Wild Carrot at Four Seasons Hotel, Dogmersfield
Monty's Inn, Beaulieu
Pebble Beach, Barton-On-Sea
The Kitchen, New Milton
The Master Builder's at Buckler's Hard, Beaulieu
The Old Mill, Hordle
The Peat Spade Inn, Stockbridge
The Three Cups Inn, Stockbridge
The Three Tuns, Bransgore
The White Horse, Otterbourne
Blue Jasmine, Southampton
1. 36 On The Quay - Emsworth
36 On The Quay - South Street, Emsworth. Photo: Malcolm Wells (190126-2753)
2. Restaurant 27 - South Parade, Southsea, Portsmouth.
Restaurant 27 - South Parade, Southsea, Portsmouth. Photo: Malcolm Wells
3. Solent Hotel and Spa, Rookery Avenue, Whiteley
Solent Hotel and Spa, Rookery Avenue, Whiteley. Photo: Google Street View
4. The Briny, Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth.
The Briny, Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth. Photo: Dish Detective