The Table
It's my goal over the next few years to have visited all Michelin starred restaurants in London. This table is my personal ranking of those that I have visited - so far I've been to 41 out of 66.
Instead of ranking each restaurant individually I've grouped them into tiers of 5 restaurants, so tier I represents my top 5, tier II the next 5 and so on. There is no ranking within the tiers - restaurants are ordered alphabetically.
I brought my sister here for her birthday and we had the tasting menu. The view is obviously amazing, and it's a lot of fun having a meal overlooking the Gherkin. As usual for a Jason Atherton restaurant, the food has some massive flavours. The whole menu was delicious and we had a fabulous time. There is no risk of going hungry, that's for sure - we left stuffed! I think I will have a birthday party here at some point in the future as the bar area is nice also. I would say it could use a lick of paint here and there as some parts looked a little worn.
My friend brought me here for a birthday lunch and everything about it was exceptional. Every single dish was a wow moment and easily one of my top meals in London. It was also excellent value at around £75 for a 5 course lunch. I'll be back as soon as I can to try the full 10 course menu because if this is anything to go by, that will be an astonishing experience!
I regularly think of Murano as one of my favourite restaurants in London. I've only been once (and quite a while ago now), but the food was wonderful and the options were excellent. It's quite an unusual menu concept in that you can choose any number of courses that you like, in any order that you like (as opposed to having specific starters, mains and so on). I brought my boyfriend here for his birthday and I think we have 4 courses each so the cost of the meal was pretty decent.
I visited SO|LA with my boyfriend on a Saturday night and we had the tasting menu - Californian food and wine. It was the best meal we've had in London, possibly ever. Absolutely incredible food, frankly on another level. It doesn't come cheap, but it's worth it!
Stunning food for sure - especially the canapes actually. My boyfriend brought me here for my birthday and we had the tasting menu and paired wines. It was very (!) expensive, but half the bill was the wine I suppose! At least the food had been paid for in advance!
The first time I visited Angler was on a set menu deal which was nice enough, but more recently went with a few friends on my birthday. We had the tasting menu and the whole thing was exceptional. My third visit (which I have reviewed) was a very similar menu, but was pretty soon after my second visit. Another lovely meal, perhaps not quite as excellent as the second but probably because I had had the menu before.
I turned up on a weekday when it opened for lunch, so didn’t need to bother with waiting. It would be worth the wait though! I was by myself so didn’t get to try so many dishes (it's better to go with someone else so you can share) but what I had was lovely. In particular the fish I had was amazing, and very reasonably priced. I think it came out at around £40-50 including a glass of wine and I had plenty! I've also been to Barrafina in Coal Drops Yard and I don't think there's much difference given that one does not have a star. I only had the tortilla in the Coal Drops Yard branch and it was extraordinary - I assume the tortilla here is as well!
I brought a friend here for dinner and we had the standard menu (I can't remember if it was a tasting menu!). All of the food was super tasty and compared very well to much more expensive restaurants. Better than most in fact (which I suppose is evident given it's position in this list). This restaurant may be one of the best value places in London.
I came here with my boyfriend for an anniversary meal and what I recall most about it is the extraordinary service (but not overbearing). I once looked up for no particular reason and our main waitress rushed over. As with all of Jason Atherton's restaurants the food is packed with flavour. I recall having the best pork dish of my life here (now surpassed I believe by a meal in Italy), but any memory of a best every dish is a sign of a great restaurant. We had the full tasting menu and everything was lovely - except the oyster ice cream, which I suppose is not for everyone...
This was part of a sunny day trip to visit Kew Gardens with my boyfriend and I would recommend the combination. We had the lunch set menu so it was great value and all of the food was delicious. They had nice wine by the glass also, reasonably priced.
I've been to Céleste quite a few times for dinner on the Bookatable set menu which is/was great value (not sure if they do it any more). The dining room is beautiful and spaced out very nicely. It feels very fancy indeed! I think this probably deserves a second star as it is very fine dining (although I have not actually had the 'proper' menu so not best placed to determine this). The set menu food itself can be a bit restricted and basic (for example a simple fish dish with lentils or a faggot), but it's all very nicely made and presented.
My boyfriend brought me to Bibendum for a birthday dinner and we had the very expensive Tastes of Seasons menu at £175. There is also a Classics Menu at £195 which I would love to go back and try as it's very different to the Seasons menu. This was a unique meal for me due to the unusual flavours and textures on show, a modern interpretation of some very traditional dishes. The flavours were excellent throughout, although perhaps heavy on softer textures The service was generally good and the setting beautiful, with lots of little Michelin-themed touches which was fun.
Elevated pub food! Don’t come here thinking you'll be getting a tasting menu experience as it is a short menu of starters, mains and puds. There are no extras like canapes or an amuse bouche which is perhaps a bit odd for a 2 star restaurant. Actually all in all the cost of the food ends up being quite cheap given the smaller number of courses. Anyway, the food itself it delicious - especially the puddings. Try the tipsy cake!
I have conflicting feelings about Kitchen Table. The food is wonderful but the way they approach the menu is a bit strange. Everyone in the restaurant eats at the same time, so all courses are presented to all diners at the same time. This would be fine, but there is an option for a 'premium' menu with a couple of extra elements on dishes and extra courses. We went for the normal menu because my boyfriend doesn't like truffle (which as you can expect was all over the premium menu). However we felt a bit like second class citizens when other diners had additional courses and we sat twiddling our thumbs. This was especially annoying as one of the extra courses was a venison course and we thought that there weren't enough meat dishes on the menu - and too many pudding courses. They should just serve everyone the same thing (it's not like the standard menu is cheap!).
That said, the food was fabulous and so was the atmosphere around the kitchen so this gets a high ranking.
I visited Marcus for a solo lunch on a Tuesday, on their set lunch menu. This was a slightly more expensive lunch than I would usually have by myself but the quality was excellent and the portions generous. I look forward to trying their tasting menu at some point in the future!
I've been to Club Gascon more than any other restaurant on this list. Always on the Bookatable dinner set menu which is insane value at around £50 for champagne and a zillion courses. They are not super consistent to be honest, but when it's good it's really good! For example, a few times I've been given only 1 canape, but on other occasions it was an event of 8 or 9 canapes served on a fun assortment of rocks, sculptures and driftwood. The food is quite interesting as well; fermented things, marmite and all sorts. Get the soufflé for pudding!!
I visited CORE between lockdowns in 2020, before the restaurant was awarded its third star. I was super excited as it was much hyped, and we went for a celebratory tasting menu for no other reason than we actually managed to get an 8pm booking on a Saturday! The service was impeccable and it was quite fun seeing Clare and the team in the glass-walled kitchen. And they all welcome you as you arrive which is nice. I was a little disappointed with the food though - it just didn't pack as much flavour as I was hoping. I was with my boyfriend and we realised that we had barely discussed the food all night because it just didn't stand out enough for me.
My parents brought me here for dinner so I wasn't paying… I don’t think it was cheap but it was delicious. We actually visited before the Michelin star was awarded. I don’t normally go for chicken at a restaurant but I did here - it was the best chicken dish of my life! The only criticism I have for Elystan Street is that we were sat at a concrete table with flat bottomed plates, so the heat was sucked out of our meals pretty ruthlessly and efficiently! If they still have those tables, avoid!
La Dame de Pic was top of my list of restaurants to visit for ages, and I eventually visited on a Friday lunch for my birthday. I dined with a friend, who ordered better than I did. She had a remarkable chicken dish but everything I had was a little underwhelming on the flavour side. The value was excellent though, with the set menu, and the food was beautiful.
I brought my boyfriend here for his birthday and we had the tasting menu. The restaurant (and everywhere else in the building) is spectacular. To be honest I don't remember the food all that much (which is surprising really). I remember the service being excellent until we were ready to leave and then it took forever to get the bill - massive restaurant pet peeve when this happens! Come with an appetite as there is a lot of food - especially the puddings! I swear there must have been a tray with 10 different things ALL for us!
One negative to call out is not related to this restaurant necessarily but the overall business - I was told I couldn't reserve a table in the bar for a drink before dinner despite booking in for the main restaurant and letting them know it was my boyfriend's birthday! They eventually agreed but not without me letting them know how ridiculous the situation was.
I ate here a long time ago now, with family on a Sunday evening. I don't remember very much about this meal other than it was quite an elaborate set of ingredients on a single plate that didn't necessarily work amazingly well together. I did find a message in my phone where I was raving about the heritage carrots, which did remind me that their veg cooking was excellent. I must visit again some time.
I brought a friend here for a weeknight birthday dinner. We were dining on the set menu which was great value. The restaurant is beautiful and we also had a kitchen tour which was fun (or perhaps awkward). I don't remember much about the food hence the ranking is not so high.
My boyfriend and I were given a voucher for lunch (priced at £75 per person) which is quite pricey for a 3 course lunch, although perhaps not in a 3 star restaurant. However we found the meal quite underwhelming and lacking in flavour across most dishes. I'm sure I will be back one day for the full dinner experience but my lunch didn't leave me expecting great things to be honest - and it should be an opportunity to tempt diners back for more!
From time to time I take a day off work to go out for lunch by myself and try a new restaurant, which is what I did with Sabor. As with Barrafina, this restaurant would be better visited with someone else so you can share dishes and try more things. I was at the counter downstairs, having tapas. The format, food and pricing is very similar to Barrafina, and I would say the quality is about the same. The only direct comparison I had was the tortilla which was not quite as good as Barrafina's so I am ranking slightly lower than Barrafina. Just to add, the service was really nice here and they were extra attentive given I was by myself - and they gave me some free olives and free desert wine!
My friend and I had a weeknight a la carte meal. We were sat by the window, which is a particularly beautiful setting. The food was decent but my main of lamb had a few issues. The tarte tatin (which needs to be ordered in advance) was amazing - make sure you order it!
I came here pretty soon after it opened with a friend and was really impressed with the food. Everything was delicious! At the time they had meat, veg and pescatarian tasting menus but I think there was actually only one course that had a piece of meat in the meat menu. Everything else was very similar apart from the occasional chicken sauce or pork crackling. We had the paired wines and I wasn't very impressed - this is probably because there were a few skin contact type wines which is not really my cup of tea!
I had dinner at Gymkhana on a Saturday night. The restaurant is smaller than I was expecting and we had to wait by the bar for the table to be ready which was a bit of an awkward start to the meal. The restaurant is quite casual actually, and they did remind us that our 2 hour reservation was nearly up 20 mins beforehand which doesn't feel very fancy to me.
The food was lovely though, especially the lamb chops and the chicken tikka. We over ordered actually, so didn't quite finish the biryani! I actually prefer Kricket and Brigadiers to Gymkhana, neither of which have a star (although Brigadiers is part of the same group as Gymkhana, and several others actually). Gymkhana is better than Trishna and certainly better than Amaya, which both have stars.
I'm not sure if this fully counts as I have only eaten in the downstairs 'ground' restaurant and not the 'above' restaurant upstairs which serves the tasting menu. The food we did have wasn't particularly impressive and lacked flavour unfortunately. The restaurant is beautiful - clearly a lot of money has been spent here. I look forward to trying their upstairs restaurant.
I had lunch on a Saturday, and given how affordable the menu was I distinctly recall the food being delicious. It was quite a long time ago so I have no other particular memories.
The food was tasty but I don't remember much about it. Having said that, I do remember the pudding being delicious!
I can't remember a thing about the meal I had at The Goring, which isn't a good sign. It was on a Saturday night set menu though, so probably not their best cooking.
Leroy is a pretty casual restaurant, perhaps the most casual of the Michelin starred restaurants I've been to. The food is tasty and reasonably priced, but the presentation is quite basic and really nothing about the experience screams Michelin sta. That's not to say it's not a good restaurant, but this table is all about Michelin stars and Leroy is with some impressive company on this table.
I was massively looking forward to my meal at Story, but this ended up in massive disappointment. Having heard of the long, elaborate menu I frankly felt ripped off by the tiny canapes masquerading as individual courses on the menu, the at times lacklustre presentation and the imbalanced dishes on the menu - not enough meat dishes and too many puddings. At £185 each for food, I expected so much more. The meal was also over after only about 2 hours but to be honest It had already let me down long before this.
St John is quite a popular chain of restaurants and I am a fan of their Spitalfields restaurant where I regularly have breakfast (always the bacon sandwich!). Their Smithfield restaurant has one star and so I brought a friend here for a birthday meal. I get that the concept is quite different to other Michelin starred restaurants, being about simple, well cooked food and less common cuts of meat. I ended up having tongue for my main course but it really wasn't for me. Their Welsh rarebit starter was delicious as was their brownie for pudding. Overall it just wasn't my favourite type of food, which isn't to say others won't love it. the price is very reasonable - one of the best value starred restaurants in the capital.
The food at Trishna is very nice but the overall experience didn't feel particularly fine dining to me, but more casual. This is absolutely fine and I enjoyed my meal, but thought a Michelin Plate or Bib Gourmand award would be more appropriate (although I think too expensive for a Bib Gourmand, although not expensive at all by Michelin star standards).
I treated my friend to dinner at Cornerstone for her birthday in the year before it was awarded 1 Michelin star. It was expected to receive a star I think for the two years before this and there was some surprise at it being snubbed but after my meal I found myself in agreement with previous years' guides. Whilst the food was tasty I just didn't find the experience particularly worthy of a star - perhaps because of the sharing approach (with some quite small dishes). Sharing works well in Barrafina but I didn't live for it at Cornerstone. It was fairly priced though at £50 a head for food.
My boyfriend and I had dinner on a Sunday on a set menu. We found the portions to be small and the flavours and ingredients underwhelming. An example of a restaurant offering a cheaper menu that is probably not representative of their full menu - a pet peeve of mine given so many places manage to do excellent, good value set menus.
I love a good gastropub meal so was quite excited to try Michelin starred gastropub food. I had Sunday lunch and whilst the food was nice, the whole experience didn't feel any better than many other gastropub meals I've had that don't have a Michelin star. It was nowhere near as good as the local gastropub near my hometown which doesn't feature in the Michelin guide, but is quite excellent indeed.
My boyfriend and I had lunch here on a set lunch menu and I was very underwhelmed with my main which I think was beef cheek or something else served with mashed potato. Not the finest of dishes. Pudding was a roast banana with caramel and that was delicious though. I found a message to my friend about the restaurant and all I said about it at the time was "food nothing special, service was bad".
The Ninth is another restaurant which I don't remember very well. My boyfriend and I had lunch here on a Saturday and he doesn't remember going at all.
I went to Amaya by myself on a weekday lunchtime and had the set lunch platter for £29. The menu contained a few dishes from the a la carte in small bite sizes, but it was all quite underwhelming. The presentation was really lacklustre and I didn't think the food was Michelin star quality or worth £29.
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