A GUIDE TO THE BEST MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANTS IN LONDON

Out of all the activities that you can enjoy in England, eating out in London is always exciting. No matter what your budget, or which borough you visit, there’s always something to tantalize your taste buds in this cosmopolitan capital. A melting pot of cultures, with everything from street eats to fine dining, London is the epitome of perfection if you’re a foodie.

If you’re planning on heading to the city for a special occasion (and you have time to plan and book ahead), here are some of the top restaurants to check out. This is a list of some of the best Michelin Star restaurants in London:

As of 2017, there are currently two 3 star restaurants in the capital. Here is the up to date list according to the Michelin Guide.

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester (Mayfair)

In the heart of London’s most prestigious and stylish district, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester serves up a menu of imaginative French haute cuisine from Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet. And diners will be able to enjoy their meal with a stunning fiber optic backdrop, surrounded by chic and classy interiors. A La Carte and tasting menu available, and a special Lunch Hour set menu that changes every Wednesday.

Gordon Ramsay (Chelsea)

This eponymous Michelin star restaurant is renowned as the ultimate venue for eating out in London’s Chelsea area. Living up to its affluent postcode, the menu is both extravagant and elegant at the same time. Highlights include foie gras with smoked duck, scallops sourced from the Isle of Skye, and eel garnished with Oscietra caviar. Private dining, masterclasses and a carefully curated Menu Prestige for £145 per head also available.

With a total of nine 2 star restaurants, ranging from sushi and afternoon tea to molecular gastronomy, diners won’t be left wanting when it comes to variety and choice. There are also a number of well-known celebrity chefs who have made this list.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (Knightsbridge)

If you’re in town for a show-stopping, theatrical gastronomical experience, dining with Heston is a must. This wacky chef has made a name for himself over the years with his weird concoctions, including snail porridge and his Mad Hatter’s mock turtle soup. But with 2 Michelin stars to his Knightsbridge restaurant (plus 3 stars for The Fat Duck in Bray), it’s evident that his menu is never style over substance.

Dinner By Heston fuses together classic and crazy, traditional with experimental, bringing everything from frog’s legs to delicious chicken liver parfait to the table.

Hélène Darroze at the Connaught (Mayfair)

Enjoy haute cuisine in an elegant hotel setting, finished with wood panels, luxury fabrics and beautiful décor. Famous Chef Hélène Darroze creates a menu that celebrates both taste and texture for a sensory experience from start to finish. The restaurant shows her lifelong passion for the finest produce and incredible skill, and her dishes include everything from the finest caviar and the best lobster to Wagyu beef with black truffle.

Le Gavroche (Mayfair)

For foodies, Le Gavroche is almost a rite of passage, and a bucket list Michelin must for many who visit the UK from abroad. Owned by Michel Roux Jr, this famous fine-dining spot offers an elegant selection of luxe French food. The menu is bursting with passion and classic dishes that have been refined for an unforgettable upscale dining experience. But more notably, the restaurant is perhaps even more renowned for its impeccable service. Something that you won’t experience anywhere else you go.

Marcus (Knightsbridge)

The 2 Michelin starred restaurant by Marcus Wareing is one of London’s most acclaimed restaurants. But the restaurant itself promises a relaxed and contemporary dining atmosphere, set out in a stylishly modern space. Dining options include a la carte, classic and seasonal tasting menus, a spectacular Chef’s Table for up to 10 guests – as well as The Salon, which is a private dining room for groups of up to 16.

Sketch (Mayfair)

This one-of-a-kind venue is set within a quirky 18^th Century townhouse that acts as a tea room by day, and transforms into a cool cocktail lounge by night. The building itself is home to many rooms, including The Lecture Room & Library which holds 2 Michelin stars for its outstanding food and service. The tasting menu is £120 per person and highlights include the Aubergine Cannelloni and Pierre Gagnaire’s Grand Dessert (a combination of six miniature desserts in two servings).

The Araki (Mayfair)

This unique restaurant brings top-grade skill all the way from Tokyo to the UK through the creative vision of Chef Mitsuhiro Araki. In this simple space that seats only 10 people at a time – and serves only sushi – diners can experience the best sushi in the world. There is just one menu, the sushi ‘Omakase’ set menu as created by the one and only Mitsuhiro Araki and that is priced at £300 per person. For sushi fans, there is no other dining experience quite like this one.

The Greenhouse (Mayfair)

A fantastic French restaurant that appeals just as much to wine connoisseurs as it does to foodies. It’s one of only four restaurants in the world to win the Wine Spectator Grand Award, which is the highest award of its kind. This luxury restaurant is also known for its regular promotions, so booking a table here could be a great idea as a gift for someone you love.

The Ledbury (Notting Hill)

Notting Hill’s jewel headed up by Australian Chef Brett Graham. In addition to its 2 Michelin stars, The Ledbury has also been included in the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017’ list, as well as many other accolades and awards over the years. It’s open for lunch and dinner, and the menus showcase some of the best local ingredients with the most refined wine pairing.

Umu (Mayfair)

Mayfair’s stylish Umu attracts a young, vibrant and well-traveled crowd. If you’re looking for a hip destination with contemporary Japanese cookery, sake and impressive tasting menus to wow diners, this is the spot. And you can expect the best luxury ingredients: including wild Scottish lobster, wagyu beef (grade 9) and Irish abalone.

When it comes to finding 1 star restaurants in London, you will be seriously spoilt for choice. There are currently more than 50 establishments with a 1 star rating according to the Michelin Guide. Here we bring you just a few highlights, a handful of our favorite places to dine during a weekend break in the capital.

Barrafina (Soho)

Probably the only place in the UK where you’ll find Michelin quality tapas. If you’re a fan of Spanish food then this lively little place in Soho is a must. You can expect a typical tapas bar atmosphere with the most authentic dishes. Including delicious salt cod and cuttlefish, soft shell crab, stuffed courgette flowers, pork belly, braised ox tongue, Paletilla Ibérica, chorizo tortilla and more. Wine lovers will find some of the best Riojas and Tempranillo from the drinks selection, and private dining is also available for larger groups, celebrations or events.

Club Gascon

Still going strong since it opened in 1998, Club Gascon is a restaurant that inspired by everything from French food and French wine to the glamorous French lifestyle. Chef Pascal Aussignac shares his love of the delectable, moreish flavors of southwest France, and winos will be seriously impressed by the wine cellar.

Galvin at Windows (Mayfair)

The venue is just as impressive as the food at Galvin at Windows; a restaurant that offers spectacular views over the rest of the city. The trend of sky-scraping dining rooms is hardly surprising in a capital where space is hard to find, and Chef Patron Chris Galvin and his team promise the best of modern French haute cuisine with seasonal dishes created to inspire.

Hakkasan Hanway Place (Fitzrovia)

It’s unusual for chains to do so well in the higher end of the restaurant world. But the Hakkasan Group has been incredibly successful all over the world and the London branch is particularly special, as this was the first and original restaurant (opening in 2001). London’s Hakkasan Hanway Place is where Chef Tong Chee Hwee first realized his culinary vision, and has helped to retain Michelin stars since 2003.

HKK (Shoreditch)

Chinese restaurant HKK imparts a philosophy that tells the story of China to its guests. Through a special tasting menu, diners get to discover the true diversity of authentic and traditional Chinese cuisine. Taking you far beyond what you think you already know about Cantonese cooking. From imaginative takes on traditional ‘yum char’ dim sum that comes artistically presented in bamboo steamers to signature cherry wood Peking duck and Wagyu short ribs, every dish will be a surprise to the senses. Located in the super hip area of Shoreditch and just a short walk from Shoreditch High Street.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Covent Garden)

Covent Garden’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is an incredible 3-floor dining brasserie with stylish décor and a menu of the most inventive world-class French cuisine. If you love classic French flavors served up with a creative twist, this is the place to come for a celebratory dinner. And surrounded by bars, pubs and cool nightlife hangouts, it’s the perfect place to start your night at the weekend. Featuring open kitchens for that live cooking atmosphere that clued-up foodies crave these days, and a fabulous outdoor terrace.

Lima (Fitzrovia)

Contemporary Peruvian cuisine showcased in a compact but well-decorated space, complete with a show-stopping skylight. Chef Robert Ortiz is one of the most successful pioneers for Peruvian cooking and he aims to take his diners on a journey of unique flavors and beautiful ingredients, presented in a slick and stylish way.

Outlaw’s at The Capital (Knightsbridge)

Chef Nathan Outlaw brings his culinary delights to London, following on from the success of his first restaurant, The Black Pig, and his self-titled Cornwall restaurant, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. He is one of Britain’s most highly regarded chefs, having appeared on The BBC’s Great British Menu. The food he serves at The Capital boasts an ever-changing array of unique dishes, all created using British seafood caught predominantly around the coast of Cornwall and delivered fresh to Knightsbridge daily. This is an excellent restaurant choice for fish and seafood lovers!

Pidgin Hackney (London)

New for 2017, Pidgin in Hackney is a modern establishment which serves amazing food in a simple, comfortable space. The snug dining area finished with wooden floorboards has a casual and intimate feel, and the menu changes weekly to bring guests Asian-inspired flavors and exotic dishes served in the most honest way. Great food, great atmosphere and an unpretentious setting that will make everyone feel at ease.

Ritz Restaurant (St James’)

The Ritz London is one of the most iconic venues in London. A spectacular building that has attracted a never-ending list of famous guests (including important political figures and royalty alike), and has featured in many Hollywood movies and stories. From the Rolling Stones throwing parties in the hotel to Prince and Camilla Parker-Bowles making their first public appearance, The Ritz London has been an important part of modern history. And the dining room itself inside the Ritz Restaurant is considered by many to be the most beautiful dining space in the world.  Enjoy beautiful food made with fine British produce by Executive Chef John Williams MBE.

Tamarind (Mayfair)

Tamarind is the most famous Indian restaurant in London, and its unique and modern take on traditional North Indian cuisine makes it a front-runner in the world of Indian/British cookery. The chef’s menu continuously reflects the full diversity and vibrant flavors and colors of contemporary Indian cuisine, and he successfully translates tandoor traditions into multi-sensory dishes. A truly spell-binding menu from a very talented team.

If you would like to start planning your trip to London, get in touch with one of our experienced travel consultants today and have a look at some of our country houses near London.