Michelin Star Restaurants In London

Michelin Star Restaurants In London 2023 | New Additions

The Michelin Guide was, originally, a scheme designed to sell more tyres.

More dining out meant more journeys. More journeys meant more wear on the car tyres. More wear on the car tyres meant you had to buy a new set slightly sooner. The logic was a little bit convoluted, to say the least.

Particularly because you can get to all of these places on the Tube.

It remains, however, one of the most singly recognisable marks of an incredible restaurant, and though the 2023 announcement on 27th March hasn’t exactly showered our capital with new stars, there’s plenty to celebrate.

So we’ve checked out the newly announced Michelin stars for 2023, collated the new stars with the old ones and added them all into our master list of honoured restaurants below. The six new Michelin Star restaurants in London for this year include Luca in Clerkenwell and the magnificent Restaurant St Barts, while Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal joined the ranks with a debut 2 star listing. Read on for the full list…

Want to go somewhere more relaxed? Check out the London restaurants with Michelin Bib Gourmands.

JUMP TO: THREE STARS | TWO STARS |
ONE STAR: Bermondsey | Chelsea | Chiswick & Richmond | The City/East London | Clapham | Fitzrovia | Kensington | Marylebone | Mayfair | Shepherd’s Bush | Soho | St James’s | Wandsworth | Westminster

THREE MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANTS IN LONDON ☆☆☆

CHELSEA

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Ever the humble connoisseur of cooking, Gordon Ramsay named his flagship London restaurant… Gordon Ramsay. And well he might put his name to it, because for over two decades it has retained the three Michelin stars that made him the first Scottish chef to achieve such acclaim. The smart and unfussy frontage on Hospital Road contains within some of Britain’s best dining, with a menu that “bridges both classical and modern schools and is executed with considerable poise”. 

Address: 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HP | Cuisine: British | Price: Lunch £155, dinner £175 (Tues-Fri) or £205-275 tasting menus | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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KENSINGTON

Core by Clare Smyth

Clare Smyth was previously chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and, unsurprisingly for the woman who helped to retain the restaurant’s stars for so long, she’s now scored a neat trio for her debut solo spot, too. Since opening in 2017, Core by Clare Smyth had critics raving over the delicate tasting menus, all prepared in a kitchen behind a glass wall in the restaurant. After making an unusual Michelin list debut with 2 stars right off the bat, Core added a third to its mantelpiece in 2021, and hasn’t looked back.

Address: 92 Kensington Park Road, W11 2PN | Cuisine: British | Price: £205 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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MAYFAIR

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Ed Reeve

It may lose out to Mayfair on the Monopoly board, but when it comes to fine dining, it’s Park Lane that takes the prize. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester has exactly what you’d expect from Michelin cuisine: elegant dining room, silver service, and artfully designed dishes that are unapologetically French. What you might not expect is the private dining table surrounded by 4,500 different sparkling fibre optics. Do pass go, do collect £200 – you’re going to need it.

Address: 53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA | Cuisine: Contemporary French | Price: A la carte £150, tasting menu £210, vegetarian £165 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

Having rapidly climbed the ranks and now proudly bearing three stars, Hélène Darroze’s restaurant specialises in giving your personal tastes the Michelin treatment. The menu is driven primarily by the seasons, with dishes from French, Italian and Japanese culinary traditions making an appearance. Set inside Mayfair’s stunning Connaught Hotel, the restaurant also treats you visually to oak panelled rooms, custom-made chandeliers, and glass cloches – which means it’s very easy to pry on other diners’ choices as they work their way across the restaurant.

Address: The Connaught Hotel, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL | Cuisine: Seasonal and globe-trotting | Price: Weekday lunch £125, dinner tasting menu £195-215 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Sketch | The Lecture Room & Library

The decor is less sketch, more oil painting in this spectacular and lavishly furnished dining room by designer Gabhan O’Keeffe. To reflect the setting chef Pierre Gagnaire has created a menu that explodes with flavours. Ingredients elegantly intersect to create “elaborate dishes that provide many varieties of flavours and textures” like wild mushroom bouillon with ‘iced cider’ and ‘wet walnuts’. It’s a technicolour dream that will leave you seeing stars as well as tasting them.

Address: 9 Conduit Street, W1S 2XG | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: A la carte £210; lunch tasting menu £140, dinner £190/£170 vegetarian | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table

TWO MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANTS IN LONDON ☆☆

THE CITY & EAST LONDON

The Clove Club

Named after the supper club where founders Daniel Willis, Isaac McHale, and Johnny Smith first met, The Clove Club retains that sense of like-minded connoisseurs gathering to get off on gastronomy. The blue tiled kitchen sits in the heart of this warm and inviting room in Shoreditch Town Hall, recently crowned the best restaurant in London (ranking #35 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards), and as of 2022 they have a second Star to show for it too. Serving up their favourite produce from around the British Isles, the team here have produced a tasting menu “full of originality, verve and flair”. Take your friends and be inspired.

Address: 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT | Cuisine: Modern British |  Price: Tasting menus £155 (5 courses), £195 (8 courses) | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Da Terra

Da Terra was a shoo-in for the 2020 guide, so it’s unsurprising that it grabbed a second Michelin star just a year later, holding it steady. Taking up a sleek corner of the Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green, you’ll find it in the space previously occupied by Viajante (the legendary restaurant by Nuno Mendes) and the lauded Typing Room by Lee Westcott. It’s now Da Terra, a creative venture from former Fat Duck chef Rafael Cagali. Here, he serves inventive dishes combining South American flavours with an Italian twist, in the form of a mystery nine-course tasting menu where each dish will be introduced to you as it arrives.

Address: Town Hall Hotel, Patriot Square, Bethnal Green, E2 9NF | Cuisine: South American/Italian | Price: £215 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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La Dame de Pic | (Relatively) Good Value Lunch

Anne-Sophie Pic, the eponymous dame of this award-winning diner, has found her way to the top without formal training, instead using her own sense of intuition (and learning from her Michelin starred dad). This intuition has influenced the menu, where her self-taught flavour combinations guide classic French courses and deliver them “in a modern and exciting manner”. The dining room is a sleek, high ceiling, Beaux-Arts style affair which provides the perfect place to sample her wares.

Address: Four Seasons Hotel London, 10 Trinity Square, EC3N 4AJ | Cuisine: Predominantly French | Price: Lunch tasting menu £100, dinner tasting menus £140 & £190 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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CENTRAL

Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal | TWO NEW MICHELIN STARS FOR 2023

Justin De Souza

With its crisp white tablecloths, immaculate fleet of servers and exquisitely arranged dishes, Alex Dilling’s new restaurant and Hotel Café Royal by Piccadilly Circus is every inch the quintessential Michelin star restaurant – and it’s come in swinging, earning two tidy Stars right off the bat in the 2023 listings. If anything, it would have been more surprising if it hadn’t – Dilling has helmed some of the most esteemed establishments around the world, including Caviar Russe in NYC and our own Hélène Darroze at The Connaught. And here, he’s plating up some of the most elegant French cuisine in the capital.

Address: 68 Regent Street, London W1B 4DY | Cuisine: French | Price: 3-course lunch menu £95, 10-course tasting menu £175/£195 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Ikoyi

Packing up and moving to a brand new location on the Strand hasn’t fazed the team at Ikoyi, a stunning eatery which now resembles a kind of natural spaceship, drenched in soothing earthen tones. Childhood friends Iré Hassan-Odukale and Jeremy Chan started out with a menu guided mainly by West African cooking techniques, but the menu has since expanded to take inspiration beyond geographical borders. Whatever arrives on your plate, it’s bound to be exceptional thanks to Chan’s earlier work at fine dining spots Dinner and Noma.

Address: 180 Strand, London WC2R 1EA | Cuisine: Global | Price: Lunch tasting menu £180 (Wed/Thurs), dinner tasting menu £300 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Kitchen Table

What started as a secret dining counter hidden behind a curtain at the back of a hot dog restaurant has now become a fully-fledged (but still deliciously secretive-feeling) restaurant. Awarded its first star in 2014, and a second four years later, Kitchen Table gives you and only 17 other diners an intimate experience where interaction with the chefs is positively encouraged, and the entire drama of the kitchen will unfold before your eyes. There is only one option; the daily changing tasting menu centred around carefully sourced British ingredients, paired with hand-picked wines chosen by chef James Knappett’s wife and award-winning sommelier, Sandia Chang.

Address: 70 Charlotte Street, W1T 4QG | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: £200 | Dress Code: Smart casual, no baseball caps | Book a table
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Le Gavroche

The capital’s home of haute cuisine was the first restaurant in London to win one, two and then three Michelin stars. It proved a kindergarten for future culinary champions with Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay, and Marcus Wareing all plying their trade there. Today Le Gavroche still holds onto an impressive two Michelin stars; having lost one in 1993 when ownership changed hands from Albert Roux to his son. It’s as French as a restaurant could possibly be, taking its name from Les Misérables and serving rich, indulgent classics that will leave you anything but miserable.

Address: 43 Upper Brook Street, W1K 7QR | Cuisine: French | Price: Tasting menu £186, à la carte mains ~£50 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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WEST LONDON

A. Wong

China’s bigger than Europe, and has fourteen international borders – so there’s a vast amount of regional cuisine that’s under-represented in London. To get a taste of it all, head to Andrew Wong’s exceptional flagship, where he offers his 24 dish Taste of China. Expect a 3.5-hour culinary expedition featuring the likes of Shaanxi pulled lamb burger and Zhou dynasty cured scallop, or go off-road and pick from the lunchtime dim sum menu.

Address: 70 Wilton Road, SW1V 1DE | Cuisine: Chinese | Price: A la carte available, lunch set menu £175, or Taste of China menu £200 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Claude Bosi at Bibendum

Ironically for a building adorned with stained glass portraits of the Michelin man himself, the restaurant inside the company’s former London HQ never held a Michelin star – until Claude Bosi took over the kitchens, and won it a debut placing with two in the 2018 guide. French fare is (as you’d expect) king here and accompanied by a wine list so lengthy you might need a separate Michelin guide just to navigate through it.

Address: 81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD | Cuisine: French | Price: 3 course lunch £145, 3-course dinner £165, 9-course dinner £215 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Good Value Lunch

Take a trip down a mouthwatering memory lane with Heston’s living historical cookbook. Each entry at Dinner has been researched alongside the British Library and has been meticulously crafted for the modern palate. The menu comes with information relating to the historical provenance of each dish, so you can time travel your way across Britain’s culinary past. But as Michelin warn, “don’t come expecting molecular gastronomy”. But do come expecting meat pâté to arrive masquerading as a mandarin. 

Address: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, SW1X 7LA | Cuisine: Historical British | Price: A la carte mains from £48; 3-course lunch £59, 5-course tasting menu £155 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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The Ledbury | TWO NEW MICHELIN STARS FOR 2023

Shuttered by the pandemic, The Ledbury was a loss keenly felt by Notting Hill. So verily didst the neighbourhood rejoice when chef-founder Brett Graham announced it was making a comeback, and now, just over a year after reopening, The Ledbury has regained the two Michelin stars it held in its first incarnation. As the local dining scene shifts to a more exciting landscape (just look at Dorian, Straker’s and Caia), so has The Ledbury shaken off some of its formality a little. The culinary execution, however, is still pitch perfect, with sustainability-minded menus guided by the use of whole animals, reared on Graham’s own farms.

Address: 127 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, W11 2AQ | Cuisine: British | Price: Tasting menus; lunch £165, dinner £195 | Dress Code: None | Book a table
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SOUTH LONDON

Restaurant Story – CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT

Despite common wisdom regarding the shared location of defecation and digestion, this restaurant in a former restroom has gone on to win chef Tom Sellers numerous accolades. Serving just 12 tables – which is pretty good going for a WC – the dishes at Story tell the tale of British cuisine through an ever-changing tasting menu that is “colourful, playful and easy to eat” – like, for example, the famous beef dripping candle. Currently closed for refurbishment, it’s a safe bet that the menu and experience will be getting a few new tweaks too…

Address: 109 Tooley Street, SE1 2JX | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: TBA | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table

ONE MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANTS IN LONDON ☆

BERMONDSEY

Sollip

Tucked down a little side street right opposite the Shard, stepping into Sollip transports you into the world of husband & wife team Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki, who met while training at Le Cordon Bleu. It’s a delicate, personal fusion of influences and experiences, where everything has been hand-picked by the duo and showcases the work of Korean producers, from Wonjae Jo’s delicately carved porcelain lampshades, to the hand-shaped crockery by Torim Porcelain and the stylish uniforms by Working Class Hero. Korean flavours and classical French cooking techniques and locally sourced ingredients are masterfully interwoven across Sollip’s menu, exemplified in dishes like puffy choux spheres, fresh out of the oven, which come filled with a molten cheddar & fermented soy core, or the extraordinary daikon tarte tatin.

Address: Unit 1, 8 Melior Street, London SE1 3QP | Cuisine: Franco-Korean | Price: Tasting menu £135 (~9 dishes) | Dress Code: Casual | Book a table
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Trivet

Chef Jonny Lake knows what it takes to win Michelin Stars. He score three as one of the chefs at The Fat Duck, then went on to become the executive chef of the entire Heston restaurant group. Then, in 2019, he took the group’s head sommelier (Isa Bal) and went solo with Trivet. You’ll find the space in Southwark, next to London Bridge station. It’s got a well-lit, light brown interior, whose warmth is brought out through wooden wall panels, mustard banquette seating, and an unusual parquet-style floor made from perfectly tessellating hexagonal tiles. The food all feels molecule-perfect, and the wine is unmatched in how well it’s matched. In fact, not only has Trivet won a Star, but Isa Bal has previously won Michelin’s ‘Sommelier of the Year’ award, too.

Address: 36 Snowsfields, SE1 3SU | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: A la carte – mains from £48 | Dress Code: Casual | Book a table
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CHELSEA

Elystan Street | Good Value

Having reigned supreme for a quarter of a century at London’s fêted The Square, Phil Howard struck out alone and opened this sleeker, more temperate venue. Like loosening a tie on a hot day, Elystan Street retains its class, but allows you just enough room to breathe. The pastel-coloured palette lightens the mood and lets the food do the talking on a menu that’s predictably gourmet, but with strong Mediterranean influences that are “well-defined and eminently satisfying”. 

Address: 43 Elystan Street, SW3 3NT | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: A la carte – mains from £32, 3 course lunch £39.50, 6 course tasting menu £105, Sunday lunch £55 | Dress Code: Smart Casual | Book a table
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The Five Fields

They may not have five fields, but they do have their own kitchen garden in East Sussex which provides seasonal herbs, flowers, and vegetables for your plate throughout the year. The focus here is on British dishes and, as a native Londoner, chef Taylor Bonnyman’s menu attempts to capture London’s broad culinary culture. So yes, there’s banana with pecan and cardamom but there’s also smoked eel and deer. Everything is “attractively presented and packed with flavour” and sits inside an understated dining room that, with its earthen palette, nods to the (presumably five) green fields that once lay between Chelsea and Knightsbridge. 

Address: 8-9 Blacklands Terrace, SW3 2SP | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: Tasting menu £95 (lunch), £160 (dinner) | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Harwood Arms | Good Value

We all love the comforting embrace of a good pub lunch and, if it’s good enough, so does the Michelin man – which is exactly what happened in 2005 when he gave the Harwood Arms a star. Sixteen years on and it’s still the only Michelin starred pub in London; serving up traditional British fare with a focus on game and wild food, all accompanied by veg they harvest from their own rooftop garden. It remains “a proper, down-to-earth pub that just happens to serve really good food.” Cheers to that. 

Address: Walham Grove, SW6 1QP | Cuisine: British gastropub | Price: Menu £50 (2 courses) £65 (3 courses) | Dress Code: Casual, dogs welcome | Book a table
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Muse

Tom Aikens became the youngest chef to gain two Michelin stars when he won them for Pied à Terre at just 26. So it’s fair to say he’s an old hand at the whole fine dining thing. His newest restaurant, Muse, is set in a converted mews house that seats only 25 each night. The result is an intimate dining experience where each dish has been inspired by a muse of some kind – whether a close family member or friend of Aikens’, or a pivotal moment in his life. Contributing to that sense of misty nostalgia are the enigmatic tasting menus, which reveal only a glimpse of the ingredients in each course and instead tell the story of their inception.

Address: 38 Groom Place, SW1X 7BA | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: Lunch tasting menu £85/170, dinner tasting menu £170 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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CHISWICK

La Trompette | Good Value

Chez Bruce’s sister, which, to be fair, would have been an equally catching name, is as you’d expect, top drawer. The Michelin man approves of its laid-back, neighbourhood feel, which “never gives the impression it would prefer to be in Mayfair”. As such, you won’t find smoking cloches and overly dainty presentation here; instead La Trompette offers consistently satisfying and delicious menus that change twice daily.

Address: 5-7 Devonshire Road, W4 2EU | Cuisine: French, with Mediterranean influence | Price: Lunch £57.50, dinner £77.50 | Dress Code: Casual | Book a table
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The Dysart Petersham | Good Value

Once a boozer, now an upmarket family-run restaurant, The Dysart has made its home in a picturesque, mullion-windowed mock tudor building overlooking Richmond Park. Head chef (and Roux Scholarship winner) Kenneth Culhane has been quietly tinkering away here for the last decade, winning Michelin recognition for his elevated gastropub-style dishes layered with flavour.

Address: 135 Petersham Road, Surrey, TW10 7AA | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: 3-course lunch menu £55, 3-course dinner £70, 9 course tasting menu £110 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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The River Café | Good Value

Overlooking the Thames, this iconic restaurant has been a part of bankside life for 35 years. “Honest, hearty dishes” including their famous Chocolate Nemesis have helped this industrious Italian retain its star for so long. The restaurant itself is always a hive of activity, with the on-view kitchen and wood-fired oven stretching the length of the room – though you want to get a table out on the riverside terrace if you can. The impressive wine list takes you the length of Italy and no doubt you’d get the boot before being able to finish it.

Address: Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, W6 9HA | Cuisine: Italian | Price: Set lunch £55-70, à la carte mains start at £53 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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THE CITY & EAST LONDON

Angler | Good Value Lunch

Despite the geometric title it’s maritime, not mathematical, cuisine on offer at D&D’s rooftop restaurant at the South Place Hotel. Perched up in the eaves, the angled floor to ceiling windows and mirrored walls give the restaurant some pretty serious aquarium vibes – very fitting for the heavily fish-based menu. Current Executive Chef Gary Foulkes studied under Gary Rhodes, John Campbell, and Phil Howard, and for this Angler has proved quite the catch.

Address: 3 South Place, EC2M 2AF | Cuisine: Seafood | Price: Set lunch menu £55, dinner tasting menu £135 or à la carte with mains from £42 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Behind | Good Value

Intimate and theatrical, Behind is a teeny 18 seater restaurant perched on the edge of London Fields. There’s not a bad seat in the house – each will win you a view over the open kitchen where you’ll spot chef Andy Beynon putting together a fish-focussed tasting menu for your delectation. It’s his first solo spot, making it all the more impressive that it scored a Michelin star for itself 20 days after opening in late 2020. The dishes are suitably playful for the East London location – oyster tacos and lobster muffin make an appearance – and the wine pairings are some of the most reasonably priced you’ll find in a Michelin star eatery.

Address: 20 Sidworth Street, E8 3SD | Cuisine: British Seafood | Price: Lunch tasting menu £54, dinner tasting menu £98 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Brat | Good Value

Named in honour of the turbot (“the best fish in the world”), Brat is the debut solo restaurant from former Kitty Fisher’s head chef Tomos Parry. He’s combined his own Welsh heritage with the techniques he perfected while travelling through coastal towns of the Basque region to create what he describes as a more “instinctual and primal style” of cooking, slinging well-sourced ingredients onto a wood-fired grill. And the results are very good indeed.

NOTE: You can also check out Brat x Climpson’s Arch, a pop-up turned permanent sophomore branch in Hackney.

Address: First Floor, 4 Redchurch Street, E1 6JJ | Cuisine: Modern British/Basque | Price: Starters from £3.80, mains ~£20-35 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Casa Fofò | Good Value

Former Pidgin chef Adolfo De Cecco flew the nest to open this cosy East London restaurant in early 2019. And just like its alma mater, Casa Fofo serves up tasting menus only… which change every day. Across 8 (highly reasonably priced) dishes, you’ll be introduced to his uniquely creative understanding of ingredient pairings, from pollock with bergamot and chanterelles to umeboshi froyo (that’s made with Japanese pickled plums). And the little terrace out the back is the cherry on top.

Address: 158 Sandringham Road, E8 2HS | Cuisine: Globe-trotting | Price: Tasting menu £65 (8 courses) | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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City Social | Good Value

Like Gotham City, Jason Atherton’s dark, brooding art deco restaurant gives its visitors an impressive view of modern city living – on the 24th floor of Tower 42, the views truly are breathtaking. Thankfully there’s no need for utility belt-bearing vigilantes here, just an award-winning kitchen team fighting off the stuffy image of haute cuisine by serving up a “refined and robust” European menu. 

Address: Tower 42 (24th Floor), 25 Old Broad Street, EC2N 1HQ | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: A la carte – mains from £38 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Club Gascon

Club Gascon is French through and through. Cut it open and you’d probably find Camembert flowing through its veins. The focus is, predictably, on Gascony, but the gastronomy does venture a little into the mainland. The building itself is imposing and strong, much like the cheese cart, and the marbled counters and floral displays provide “suitably atmospheric surroundings.”

Address: 57 West Smithfield, EC1A 9DS | Cuisine: French | Price: Lunch £85/120, dinner £120/150, four courses & cocktail £85 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Cornerstone | Good Value

Michelin’s come a long way from the realms of crisp tablecloths and exclusively French fare. Case in point: Tom Brown’s Cornerstone, a restaurant based in Hackney Wick and named after an Arctic Monkeys track. As a protégé of the multiply-starred Nathan Outlaw, it was only a matter of time before he opened his own smash hit – and this is it. Focussing on seafood, the menu rotates regularly to reflect the catch of the day, alongside a couple of non-marine dishes like duck leg scrumpets. The drinks, too, are excellent, with a host of cocktails on offer specifically designed to pair with seafood.

Address: 3 Prince Edward Road, Hackney Wick, E9 5LX | Cuisine: British Seafood | Price: Chef’s tasting menu £75, or order à la carte (small plates at ~£20)| Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Galvin La Chapelle

The third venture for culinary siblings Chris and Jeff Galvin, La Chapelle sits inside a bit of Bishopsgate history. Originally a parish hall and gymnasium for the Central Foundation School for Girls, it was due for demolition in the 70s, till a group of local residents chained themselves to the front door and faced down the bulldozers. Then derelict for 17 years, the Galvin brothers moved in and designed their Michelin eatery around it. The arched windows, vaulted ceiling, and marble pillars blend with their modern furnishings to create something a little bit special, much like the food which has “a classic French foundation and a sophisticated modern edge.”

Address: 35 Spital Square, E1 6DY | Cuisine: French | Price: A la carte (mains from £42), lunch set menu £43-48, tasting menu £110/125 (V: £85/100), Sunday lunch £48 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Leroy | Good Value

The folks behind lauded restaurant Ellory surprised everyone when they closed up their (Michelin-starred) shop in London Fields to put down roots in Shoreditch instead. The remixed Leroy, however, is just as fantastic and soon earned a star of its own. Expect Parisian-heavy pan-European cuisine designed to share, served in a relaxed, vinyl-spinning environment.

Address: 18 Phipp Street, EC2A 4NU | Cuisine: French | Price: Small plates from £14-38 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Luca | NEW MICHELIN STAR FOR 2023

The exceptionally beautiful Luca in Clerkenwell has now been crowned with a Michelin Star, thanks to its buzzy atmosphere and assured service. That’s not to say the food isn’t utterly delicious, though – the fresh pasta and Italian dishes here are some of the finest you can find in the city; unsurprising, really, given that Luca is the second restaurant for from The Clove Club team.

Address: 88 St John St, London EC1M 4EH | Cuisine: Italian | Price: Chef’s menu £85, or à la carte – mains from £34 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Lyle’s

Chef James Lowe is an acolyte of Fergus Henderson and the similarities between Lyle’s and St. John are evident: whitewashed walls, simple furniture, and strong flavours from less traditional British ingredients. At lunch the choice is yours, but by night the kitchen decides your dining fate – not that anyone would complain, the “unadulterated flavours” are a welcome addition to the London culinary scene. 

Address: Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ | Cuisine: Creative | Price: Lunch dishes to share from £17-35, dinner tasting menu £95/85 vegetarian | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Cycene | NEW MICHELIN STAR FOR 2023

Shoreditch design hub Blue Mountain School seems to have a knack for Michelin Stars. When the doors to Mãos closed, the doors to a new venture, Cycene, opened a few months later, and Theo Clench’s warmly toned dining room has wasted no time in matching the prestigious accolade of its predecessor. Due to its dinky size, Cycene retains that intimate feel (only 16 diners are admitted each night), and you’ll be invited into the kitchen itself for some courses, where you can marvel at the huge glass dry-ageing cabinets whose contents go into elegant, Japanese-inflected dishes.

Address: 41 Redchurch Street, E2 7DJ | Cuisine: Mostly seafood with Japanese influences | Price: Tasting menus £125 (lunch), £175, £195 (private room) | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Restaurant St. Barts | NEW MICHELIN STAR FOR 2023

Restaurant St. Barts comes to us from a highly talented team, and it takes you on a literal journey around the restaurant (which overlooks the tranquil cloisters of London’s oldest church) and a slightly more figurative journey across your own palate.

It all starts in their cozy bar where the waiter will give you a small brown envelope containing the menu, leaving it to you as to whether you decide to look or not. Then, you’ll get the first few courses served up to you while you sip cocktails and wine, before they move you into their beautiful Nordic style dining room for at least half a dozen main courses, followed by a couple of desserts, and a lot more wine…

Address: 63 Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BG | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: Lunch £60, dinner £140 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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St. John | Good Value

There’s not much of an animal you can’t find, and eat, at this iconic Farringdon institution. Pioneering the ‘nose to tail’ eating movement, St. John serves up every inch of the animals that come through its kitchen. Bone marrow, testicles, cheeks, and ears, are all available – and it’s not offal, it’s actually “appealingly simple, full of flavour and very satisfying”. The refreshing lack of ceremony and ever-changing menu makes Michelin dining a relaxed and exploratory event. Their daily bakery, installed in a chimney, is also worthy of note, particularly for the doughnuts.

Address: 26 St John Street, EC1M 4AY | Cuisine: British meat | Price: A la carte, mains £21-27 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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CLAPHAM

Trinity

The holy trinity of haute cuisine would be beautiful surroundings, delicious dishes, and a Michelin star. Well, Trinity lives up to its name by having all three. It’s a sleek and fresh affair overlooking Clapham Common, giving it “a genuine neighbourhood feel”, and serves up clean, sophisticated, and modern cooking that leads Michelin to believe it’s “a kitchen at the top of its game.”

Address: 4 The Polygon, Clapham Common, SW4 0JG | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: Lunch set menu £70-120, dinner £90-120 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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COVENT GARDEN

The Frog By Adam Handling

You can tell Adam Handling takes his career extremely seriously by the fact that he puts his own name up with that of the restaurant he runs. It means that every dish at every dinner will be a fresh judgment on his own talents, but it’s a technique that apparently works: of the five Three Star restaurants in the city, four of them include the chef’s name in their own. And at The Frog, exquisitely presented dishes arrive in puffs of smoke; servers diligently pour on sauces that transfer the ingredients beneath; and millimetre-perfect droplets and dustings of garnishes adorn every plate. You’ll leave in no doubt that Adam Handling is the real deal.

Address: 35 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HE | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: £195 (£170 vegetarian) | Dress Code: Casual | Book a table
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FITZROVIA

Hakkasan Hanway Place | Good Value Lunch

The original Hakkasan, designed by Christian Liaigre, epitomises Chinoiserie decadence –  which will match your mood perfectly when you’re delving into Peking duck with caviar, or grilled wagyu beef with king soy sauce. The Guangzhou region is represented well with aromatic and sensuous editions of classic Cantonese dishes – which is why this place has been Michelin starred for two solid decades now. 

Address: 8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD | Cuisine: Cantonese | Price: Lunch menu £49, tasting menus £78-208, weekend brunch £80, à la carte also available | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Pied à Terre

Were you to get ‘gourmet restaurant’ as a clue in Pictionary, your creation may well resemble Pied à Terre. It’s smart, refined, and the dishes – a mix of caviar, smoked quail, and wagyu beef – tick almost every box in the Michelin Eye-Spy. Once the proud owner of two stars, it nevertheless continues to serve “creative, flavoursome cooking” with ingredients sourced exclusively from small independent suppliers.

Address: 34 Charlotte Street,W1T 2NH | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: Set menu £92.50 (2 courses)/£113 (3 courses), lunch tasting menu £65-140, dinner tasting menu £110-140 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Portland | Good Value

Portland is laid-back, relaxed, and cool. There’s nothing too fancy here, just a simple set up of hearty dishes that are “crisp and unfussy but with depth and real understanding” that won the place a star within a year of opening back in 2015. They’ve also curated a strong, and ever changing, wine list which includes a ‘single bottle list’ for rare and esoteric finds – but at £69pp the wine pairing is one of the best value offerings you’ll find at a Michelin star restaurant.

Address: 113 Great Portland Street, W1W 6QQ | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: 3 course prix fixe £49 (lunch), £75 (dinner), tasting menu £95 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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The Ninth | Good Value

Chef Jun Tanaka’s first restaurant (but his ninth place of employment) is a cosy and simple affair with exposed bricks, barely-glowing bulbs and intimate banquettes. The food does the work here, and Tanaka’s small plates of Mediterranean tapas, cooked with French techniques, will likely see you chomping through a ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth serving. 

Address: 22 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NB | Cuisine: Mediterranean | Price: A la carte mains from £27 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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KENSINGTON

Kitchen W8 | Good Value

Owners Rebecca Mascarenhas and Phil Howard wanted to create a neighbourhood restaurant in Kensington. A good start, then, was to install a Kitchen in W8. Next step was to build around it a simple, but inviting dining room, and finally serve into it English cooking with a French soul. The result: a Michelin star and rather contented locals.

Address: 11-13 Abingdon Road, W8 6AH | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: Set menu £34.50/39.50 for 2/3 courses, tasting menu £110, 3 course Sunday lunch £42.50, à la carte mains from £29 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Marcus

A famous protégé of Ramsay, Marcus Wareing’s flagship also takes the chef’s name as its own. The decor here, inside the luxe Berkeley hotel, is as old-school as it gets. Leather wingback sofas, wood-panelled walls, and an easy service allows a simple menu, “with a refreshing lack of complication”, to shine. Wareing judges the pros on Masterchef, so you’d expect his kitchen to deliver on technique – and the menu is awash with the cardinals of cookery executed to perfection.

Address: The Berkeley, Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: Lunch £60-75, tasting menu £130-175, à la carte mains from £42 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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MARYLEBONE

Locanda Locatelli

Headed by Italian culinary couple Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli, this airy and neutral restaurant has been serving up Michelin munch for over two decades. Their menu meanders through most of Italy; offering up staples from Naples and pasta from Parma. “Unfussy preparation and superb ingredients allows natural flavours to shine,” and a truly authentic experience through a nation of food await this happy couple’s guests.

Address: 8 Seymour Street, W1H 7JZ | Cuisine: Italian | Price: A la carte, mains ~£35 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Kol

You’ll find Kol just down the road from Locanda Locatelli, set over two storeys of gorgeous rustic-chic decor, with a tortilla factory and a Mezcaleria in the basement, serving rare agave spirits and cocktails. Chef Santiago Lastra (of Noma Mexico fame) cooks up Mexican dishes made with British ingredients, such as lobster and smoked chilli tacos, whole grilled octopus with bone marrow, and chalk stream trout tostada with berries and black garlic. But if you really want to take things up a notch? Book into the Kol chef’s table experience, in which a few lucky diners get seats overlooking the restaurant’s development kitchen, with a nine course tasting menu served up while you chat to the chefs…

Address: 9 Seymour Street, Marylebone, W1H 5BT | Cuisine: Mexican | Price: £135 tasting menu, or £120 for the Chef’s Table | Dress Code: Smart Casual | Book a table
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Trishna | Good Value

Not content with one frontage, Trishna opted for two, giving this specialist in Indian coastal cuisine a semi-al fresco feel all year round thanks to the fold-back doors. The Southwest coast gets the most attention in the Taste of Trishna menu, but all the dishes are “vibrant, satisfying and executed with care”. The pared back aesthetic and original wood panelling give off a relaxed, sociable vibe; which proves a great setting to explore their overflowing wine list featuring niche producers and boutique wineries. 

Address: 15-17 Blandford Street, W1U 3DG | Cuisine: Indian | Price: A la carte – mains from £18, lunch prix fixe £40 (3 courses)/£45 (4 courses), tasting menu £80 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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MAYFAIR

Amaya | Good Value

Amaya serves up the grilled cuisine of India from a kitchen that stands in full view of the customers, showcasing every step of the process from preparation to plate. Dishes are “visually appealing and very satisfying”. Made to share, this is a Michelin experience quite unlike other entries on the list, and remains a gourmet theatrical event that looks as good as it tastes.

Address: 19 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JT | Cuisine: Indian | Price: Weekend lunch £44, light tasting menu £55, à la carte also available | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Benares

The luxe Indian eatery Benares regained its Michelin star in 2021 after losing it back in 2018, thanks to the magic that new exec chef Sameer Taneja is working in the kitchens. Dishes flit gracefully across India, from moreish street snacks to hispi cabbage moilee curry, with inventive twists using local ingredients like the stilton tikka (it works). And while the location makes it a popular spot for work lunches, the moody lighting and intimate setting makes it a winning spot for date night, too.

Address: 12a Berkeley Square, W1J 6BS | Cuisine: Indian | Price: Set menu £35/42, lunch tasting menu £75, dinner tasting menu £128, or order à la carte | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Gymkhana | Good Value

Inspired by colonial India’s high society sports clubs, the decor at this modern London legend was recently given a stunning revamp. The dishes range from gently seasoned game to tandoori seafood and a strong selection of curries. Naturally punch adorns the bar, with an exceptional array of signature cocktails alongside the classics. 

Address: 42 Albemarle Street, W1S 4JH | Cuisine: Indian | Price: Lunch menu £44, tasting menu £90(V)/£100, or order à la carte | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Hakkasan Mayfair

Hakkasan’s second London outfit took less than a year to be awarded its Michelin star. Sticking to the intimate feel of its older sibling, expect wooden screens, geometric patterns, and edgy lighting. But while the mood is modern, the food is classic: Cantonese cuisine lines every menu and can be “delicate one minute; robust the next.” And while the restaurant’s now a global smash, there are even London-exclusive options.

Address: 17 Burton Street, W1J 6QB | Cuisine: Cantonese | Price: Lunch menu £34/39, tasting menus £78-258, or order à la carte | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Jamavar | Good Value Lunch

Awash with marble, oak, brass, and rich Indian textiles, Jamavar is a glamorous showcase of Mayfair’s high-end Indian scene. In fact the name Jamavar refers to an intricately woven shawl which traditionally used to take years to finish. Your meal here, however long you linger over it, will be done in a lot less time. Expect a pan-Indian array of classics, covering signatures like lobster neeruli, Old Delhi butter chicken, and Adraki lamb chops. They actually lost their Star after chef Rohit Ghai left in 2018, but his successor Surender Mohan sure as hell didn’t surrender, and in 2022 they won it back.

Address: 8 Mount Street, Mayfair, W1K 3NF | Cuisine: Indian | Price: A la carte – mains from £20, lunch set menu £47/52, tasting menu £105 | Dress Code: Smart Casual | Book a table
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Kai

Unashamedly glitzy, the furnishings at Kai are a playful blend of Chinese influences and modern art. Unsurprisingly, that statement is made in the cooking as well. Self-titled “Liberated Nanyang Cooking” is served up by Chef Alex Chow, which seeks to respect the legacy without being restricted to it. The philosophy’s worked, and Kai has received a slew of awards alongside its Michelin star.

Address: 65 South Audley Street, W1K 2QU | Cuisine: Chinese | Price: A la carte –  mains from £33/24 at lunchtime, afternoon tea £52 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Murano | Good Value

This modern Italian eatery is deliberately informal and in the chef’s own words, focuses on “fun” rather than “fine” dining. This gentle tone extends to the food which has “an appealing lightness of touch”. This is Michelin food without the fuss, a welcome addition to the list of more formal venues.

Address: 20 Queen Street, W1J 5PP | Cuisine: Italian | Price: Lunch menu £45/50, dinner menu £85-130 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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Pétrus

Pétrus serves, shock horror, French cuisine and has, shock horror, a claret motif running through its design. Despite the name, the Bordeaux winery are not involved in the running of the restaurant themselves – it was merely Ramsay and (then head chef) Marcus Wareing’s favourite plonk. Following some er, creative differences, the pair went on to have a rather public spat over custody of the venue. Ramsay won and, though oft criticised for trying to pander to the tyre manufacturer, his very obvious “Michelin” menu still continues to impress. Their infamous wine cellar makes a splash as well with Chateau Pétrus going back to 1928; including a 1961 magnum worth £39,000.

Address: 1 Kinnerton Street, SW1X 8EA | Cuisine: French | Price: Weekday lunch £65, prix fixe menu £110 (3 courses), tasting menus £140 and £185 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Pollen Street Social

Jason Atherton’s first solo venture still delivers on his promise of relaxed and informal fine dining. Set behind a stately Georgian frontage, the interior is cosy, clean and simple. The food… is anything but. The plates are small but extremely well put together, prioritising British ingredients and flavours, in his creative menu.

Address: 8-10 Pollen Street, W1S 1NQ | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: Set lunch menu £42/49.50, prix fixe £110 (3 courses), tasting menu £145 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Ritz Restaurant

“Nowhere is grander than The Ritz”. It’s hard to disagree, and its gilded Louis XVI decor is the perfect backdrop from which to enjoy its fancy French fare, made with the best of British ingredients. The dishes are classics, but the subtle contemporary elements have lifted this London landmark into the exclusive Michelin club.

Address: 150 Piccadilly Street, W1J 9BR | Cuisine: Classic French | Price: Epicurean tasting menu £175/195 (5/7 courses), à la carte mains from £59 | Dress Code: Smart (jacket & tie for men) | Book a table
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Sabor | Good Value

Coming to you from the formidable pairing of a former Barrafina chef and general manager, Sabor made it onto the 2019 Michelin Star list after only eight months. Located on Heddon Street, it’s a sizeable two-floor affair whose rough bare brick walls (sporadically garnished with genuinely beautiful mosaic tiles), unvarnished wooden floors, and cast iron fittings all contrive to create the impression that the place was plucked out of a small Spanish town and dropped neatly in the centre of Mayfair – as do the excellent regional dishes taken from across the country.

Address: 35 Heddon Street, W1B 4BR | Cuisine: Spanish | Price: Tapas dishes from £8.50 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table (counter & bar walk-in only)
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TAKU | NEW MICHELIN STAR FOR 2023

New addition TAKU is an elegant 16-seater Japanese restaurant specialising in the art of omakase, which translates as “I’ll leave it to you”. The ‘you’, of course, being the highly talented Takuya Watanabe who creates not just a menu that changes daily, but one which is even available in three forms – one for lunch, one for dinner, and a ‘prestige’ version which lavishes your palate with luxury ingredients including caviar and truffle.

Address: Ground Floor, 36 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JE | Cuisine: Japanese | Price: Lunch £130, signature £280, prestige £380 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Umu

When it comes to number of stars, hot on Tokyo’s heels is the old capital of Kyoto. No surprise then to see Kyoto-trained Yoshinori Ishii on London’s list. His restaurant Umu prides itself on the integrity of its Kyoto-inspired creations, and produce is brought in from Japan to ensure authenticity. Even local ingredients get the Japanese treatment – his Cornish and Scottish fish suppliers have all been taught the more humane 17th century Japanese method of slaughter (ike jime) which maintains the quality of the fish. It’s only to be expected from hands-on Ishii, who’s not just responsible for the food, but also flower arranging and tableware.

Address: 14-16 Bruton Place, W1J 6LX | Cuisine: Japanese | Price: Lunch bento from £45, dinner à la carte or seasonal tasting menu £250 (8 courses) | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Veeraswamy

The UK’s oldest Indian restaurant has been serving up scoff since before the country regained independence. Having opened in 1926, it was serving for an impressive 90 years before Michelin clocked what Londoners had been enjoying for decades. You can now enjoy its pan-Indian dishes in a richly decorated dining room knowing that the grub on your plate is the culmination of nearly a century’s worth of refinement.

Address: 99 Regent Street, W1B 4RS | Cuisine: Indian | Price: Minimum spend £40 (lunch)/ £55pp (dinner); average à la carte spend £90pp, weekend lunch menu £36/40 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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SHEPHERD’S BUSH

Endo at the Rotunda

Endo is the first solo venture from legendary chef Endo Kazutoshi, a third generation sushi master. Up on the 8th floor of the BBC Television Centre, with cloud-like paper installations suspended from the ceiling, you’ll join just 9 other diners in experiencing a stunning 20 course omakase menu, prepped by sushi chefs before your very eyes.

Address: White City House Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, W12 7FR | Cuisine: Japanese | Price: Omakase dinner £225 (20 courses) | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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SOHO

Evelyn’s Table

Evelyn’s Table really is just that: a single table, which takes the form of a single L-shaped marble bar seating up to dozen voyeurs around the bustling open kitchen. Its diminutive scale is necessitated by the fact that it’s crouched in the renovated wine cellar beneath 250 year old pub, The Blue Posts, and represents the final part of the inn’s restoration into a three storey palace of food and wine by the folks behind vaunted restaurants The Palomar and The Barbary. You’l have five seasonally changing dishes handed to you directly by Head Chef James Goodyear (previously of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons), and it’ll all be unfailingly delicious…

Address: Below The Blue Posts, 28 Rupert Street, W1D 6DJ | Cuisine: Modern European, with Japanese influences | Price: £120 (5 courses) | Dress Code: Casual | Book a table
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Barrafina

Small plates with big flavour are the order of the day at this cosy tapas joint on Dean Street. After the pandemic made reservations pretty much mandatory, the famous queues have thankfully gone – but the dishes here still “burst with flavour”. The menu, scrawled on a blackboard, changes daily but the flair and passion of the Iberian peninsula can be found whenever you visit. 

Address: 26-27 Dean Street, W1D 3LL | Cuisine: Spanish | Price: Tapas dishes from £4 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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SO|LA

Just down the road you’ll find the only Michelin starred restaurant in London serving Californian-inspired cuisine. It’s the latest in a string of successful spots from Victor Garvey (whose previous restaurants Encant and Sibarita were also highly acclaimed). Now he’s turning to LA for inspiration, where he moved at the tender age of 1 month old. While the dishes pay homage to the West Coast, many ingredients are sourced locally, with Scottish langoustine as well as wild Pacific salmon on the menu. And naturally, there’s a killer Californian wine list to boot.

Address: 64 Dean Street, W1D 4QQ | Cuisine: Californian | Price: Lunch menu £99, tasting menu £169 | Dress Code: Comfortable | Book a table
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ST JAMES’S

Hide

The hugely anticipated return of lauded chef Ollie Dabbous came in the form of this three-storeyed gastronomic behemoth in 2018. Decked out in elegant neutral tones, the top floor at Hide wins a Michelin Star for its breakfasts (feat. birch sap croissants), delicate à la carte dishes (like tartare of heritage beetroot with blueberry vinegar, rose petals, crushed pistachio, and horseradish raw cream) and its elaborate 5 and 7 course tasting menus…

Address: 85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 7NB | Cuisine: Modern European | Price: Set lunch £60, tasting menu £160/195 (5/7 courses), à la carte mains from £42 | Dress Code: Smart casual | Book a table
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Wild Honey | Good Value

Chef Anthony Demetre already won a Michelin Star for his excellent Soho restaurant Arbutus, and he chose to close it rather than raise prices after the landlord hiked up the rent. Such is his dedication to both good food and good value. And both are on all show at Wild Honey, which has claimed its first Star after relocating from Mayfair to St. James’s. The fresh digs are extremely handsome, matching pale blue banquettes with mocha brown leather seats and high ceilings, while the modern British menu boasts the likes of fallow venison with kumquat marmalade, grilled Galician octopus with monk’s beard tempura, and their classic wild honey ice cream.

Address: 8 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5NG | Cuisine: Modern British | Price: Lunch menu £40, à la carte mains £39, 3-course dinner £79 | Dress Code: Casual | Book a table
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WANDSWORTH

Chez Bruce

Despite sounding like a TV game show from the 90s, Chez Bruce is actually a very quaint and traditional diner. In fact, its head chef, Bruce Poole, has largely ignored the calling of the box in order to focus on keeping his restaurants at the top of their game – which he has done. Wholesome French cooking, with heavy influences from the Mediterranean, adorns the menu and is “prepared with innate skill” in “an easy-going atmosphere”. They also take their cheese board very seriously, which is grate news.

Address: 2 Bellevue Road, SW17 7EG | Cuisine: French | Price: Lunch £62.50-67.50 (3 courses), dinner £77.50 (3 courses) | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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WESTMINSTER

Dining Room at The Goring

It’s a jolly good show by the Dining Room at The Goring, which places old-fashioned British nosh front and centre of everything it does. “The perfect spot for those who like things done properly” sits within an elegant Regency-style chamber, and the service will make you feel like its neighbour – the King.

Address: 15 Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW | Cuisine: British | Price: A la carte – mains from £34 | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table
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Quilon

Quilon sits so close to Westminster, and is so popular with politicians, it has its own division bell to ensure that masala-munching MPs make it back in time to vote. The dining room features original watercolours from Indian artist Paresh Maity, and this artistic touch finds it way into the food as well. The focus is on India’s southwest, so seafood forms the core, but the meat and vegetable dishes are also pretty special.

Address: 41 Buckingham Gate, SW1E 6AF | Cuisine: Indian | Price: A la carte | Dress Code: Smart | Book a table

HOW DO MICHELIN STARS WORK?

THE PAST

In 1900, in a bid to drum up business, tyre manufacturer Michelin created a travel guide. It contained within a list of hotels and restaurants for drivers to visit – the hope being that Michelin’s tyres would take them there and need replacing soon after. Amazingly, it worked. By 1920 the dining section was so popular the company began to hire anonymous inspectors to visit, test, and rank the various restaurants in its guide. These inspectors were, and still are, trained in France and judge a restaurant on quality; chef’s skill and flavour expertise; personality and creativity; and consistency between visits. Taking these things into account they award either three, two, one, or no stars. Places that really bomb don’t even get a mention. One star means a “very good restaurant in its category”, two stars means “worth a detour” and the highly coveted three stars means “worth a special journey”. These anonymous secret agents, with a licence to eat, have been shaping the restaurant business ever since.

THE PRESENT

Like all organisations who appoint themselves judge, jury, and executioner, Michelin has come under its fair share of criticism. Lambasted for pandering to French cuisine, they have oft been accused of Gallic cultural imperialism. The abundance of stars showered on Japanese restaurants (of the top 5 most starred cities, 3 are in Japan) has also led people to accuse Michelin of buttering up the Japanese automobile industry in order to sell more tyres. Even if that were true, it’s prudent to remember that more sales was always the company’s aim, even in 1900. But cynical or not, the stars still carry an awful lot of weight and once they arrived in London, the restaurant scene was changed forever.

The first Michelin star came to London in 1977, by way of Michel and Albert Roux’s Le Gavroche. Since then, chefs have been falling over their feet to earn the recognition, and resultant rise in sales, that a Michelin star will afford them. Much like Oscar season, the run up to the Michelin Guide’s publication is a media frenzy of gastronomic proportions. The earning or losing of a star can make or break a business – and not always in the ways you might think. In 2011 chef Skye Gyngell attempted to remove the star bestowed upon Petersham Nurseries Café because customers complained in their droves after turning up expecting formal dining.

Whether a gift or a curse, one thing is clear – Michelin stars mean good food. And with our comprehensive guide you can soak up every single star in London’s glittering restaurant scene without having to fork out for new tyres, or watch your waistline expand to the size of the Michelin man’s…

Special occasion? Check out our guide to fancy restaurants in London