Michelin Star Restaurants in London: The 20 Best for Fine Dining (2026)

Three stars. The six restaurants the Michelin Guide rates highest in London, with dinner tasting menus from £225 before wine. The Ledbury is my first pick of them. Brett Graham's restaurant on a Notting Hill side street holds three stars in the 2026 Guide, and a lot of what reaches the table comes from his own farms: the restaurant rears Japanese sika deer, Jersey cows and Iberian pigs, and the deer is served as two courses. There's no dress code, and the tone is relaxed for a three-star.

Menu: £295 at dinner; at lunch (Friday and Saturday) £220 for six courses or £270 for eight. Pairing: Discovery £160 or Classic £295 at dinner. Booking: OpenTable; no release date is published, so book as early as you can. Dress: none. Dietary: the kitchen no longer takes vegan, dairy-free, egg-free or soy-free guests, or anyone at risk of anaphylaxis, which rules it out for a lot of people. Tube: Westbourne Park, about 8 minutes.

Core by Clare Smyth, ten minutes' walk from The Ledbury, is the one I'd pick for a proper celebration. Her menus are British produce treated with enormous care, and the room is built for an occasion. There are two tasting menus: Core Classics (£265) keeps her best-known dishes, including 'potato and roe', and Core Seasons (£275) follows what's in season. If it's your first visit, have Classics.

Pairing: £175 for either menu. Booking: OpenTable or by phone; the whole table eats the same format, and cancelling or dropping numbers inside 72 hours costs £175 a head, however good the reason. Dress: no sportswear or hoodies; smart trainers are fine. Dietary: no vegetarian menu is published, so raise any needs when you book. Tube: Ladbroke Grove, about 10 minutes, or Notting Hill Gate, about 12.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea is the flagship of the Ramsay empire. His is the name over the door, but the kitchen is run by chef de cuisine Kim Ratcharoen. The cooking is classic French, and the lobster ravioli is the signature. The £125 weekday lunch (Tuesday to Friday) is, for most of the year, the cheapest way into a three-star room in the city.

Menu: Menu Prestige £225 (a vegetarian Prestige costs the same); a bespoke Carte Blanche menu is also available. Pairing: £200, or £80 non-alcoholic; three glasses for £55 at lunch. Booking: online up to four months ahead for one to six guests, with a £150 deposit a head (£125 for lunch) that you lose if you cancel within seven days, the strictest terms among the three-stars. Dress: no shorts, tracksuits, hoodies or hats. Dietary: 72 hours' notice. Tube: Sloane Square, about 10 minutes.

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught is the most polished of the six: a dining room inside one of Mayfair's grandest hotels, and Darroze's refined modern French cooking. The autumn tasting menu is £255 for seven courses or £230 for five. Finish with the signature baba, soaked in Armagnac from the Darroze family's own house (a £25 supplement). The other supplements (caviar £75, wagyu £95) can push the bill up quickly.

Pairing: from £145 for five courses or £185 for seven, including a non-alcoholic pairing at the same prices; the top pairings run to £665. Booking: up to 90 days ahead; £230 a head if you cancel inside 48 hours. Service is 15%. Dress: no dress code, though most guests go smart casual. Dietary: tell them in advance; there's no fixed vegetarian tasting menu. At lunch (Tuesday to Saturday) there's also an à la carte, with dishes from £26. Tube: Bond Street, about 8 minutes.

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is the formal one: a hotel dining room on Park Lane where chef patron Jean-Philippe Blondet cooks Ducasse's refined French style. Harmonie is seven courses for £285 and Passion five for £250. Jardin, a vegetable tasting menu at £250, is one of the few full vegetarian menus at this level.

Pairing: from £160 (five courses) or £215 (seven); non-alcoholic £110 or £140. Booking: SevenRooms; £150 a head if you cancel inside 48 hours, and 15% service. It's dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday, except for a festive lunch from 19 November to 19 December 2026 (Thursday to Saturday, £125 for three courses). Dress: smart casual, jackets preferred, long trousers required for men. Dietary: 48 hours' notice. Tube: Hyde Park Corner, about 8 minutes.

The Lecture Room & Library at sketch is Pierre Gagnaire's London restaurant, on the first floor of sketch, the Mayfair townhouse better known for its afternoon tea. It's the most playful of the three-stars: a long parade of small dishes, and Gagnaire's Grand Dessert, which arrives as several plates at once. The £225 dinner tasting menu is the joint-cheapest among the three-stars, and there's a vegetarian version at £205.

Pairing: £165, or £395 for the Special Treat pairing. Lunch: four courses for £150, Friday and Saturday. Booking: three months ahead; card details are taken, and late cancellation costs £225 a head at dinner, £150 at lunch. Dress: 'well-dressed at all times', no sportswear. Access: two flights of steps up to the room. Tube: Oxford Circus, about 5 minutes.

Two stars. London has 15 two-star restaurants in the 2026 Guide; these are the six I'd book first. (A. Wong and Gymkhana also hold two stars, and both are on the best restaurants in London.) Ikoyi on the Strand is the most original cooking in the city: British produce at its exact moment in season, seasoned from a huge collection of spices gathered from around the world. At £395 it's also the most expensive menu here. There's a shorter tasting menu at £180.

Pairing: wine £190, sake £190, tea £100, or the £395 Cellar pairing. Booking: tables are released on the 1st of each month at 12:00 GMT, for up to two months ahead, and go quickly. It's open weekdays only (dinner Monday to Friday, lunch Wednesday to Friday). Dress: none. Dietary: limited; the kitchen can't cater for allergies to gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, mushrooms, alliums or chillies. Tube: Temple, about 5 minutes.

The Clove Club, Isaac McHale's restaurant in the old Shoreditch Town Hall, is where I'd send anyone who wants two-star cooking without the Mayfair formality. The trick is the day you go: the full dinner tasting menu is £285 Monday and Thursday to Saturday, but £185 on Tuesday and Wednesday. There's a vegetarian tasting menu at the same prices, and a three-course lunch at £95 (Wednesday to Saturday).

Pairing: wine £225, tea £115. Booking: OpenTable, three months ahead on a rolling basis for one to six guests; changes inside 72 hours cost £155 a head at dinner, and service is 15%. Length: allow three hours for the tasting menu, two for the short one (£225, Monday and Thursday). Dress: no strict code; most people wear smart casual. Dietary: most needs covered with notice. Tube: Old Street, about 5 minutes.

Kitchen Table is a horseshoe counter around an open kitchen on Charlotte Street, run by chef James Knappett, with Sandia Chang in charge of the wine. Each course is built around a single ingredient (oyster, scallop, lobster, duck), and the menu changes daily. It's the two-star I'd pick for someone who likes watching a kitchen work.

Menu: the price isn't listed online; you see it when you book. Pairing: wine £175, grower Champagne £250. Booking: a whole month of seats is released at once, three months ahead, with a waitlist when it's full; every booking is non-refundable. Dress: smart casual, no hats or flip-flops. Dietary: vegetarian menu available; no vegan, egg-free, dairy-free or gluten-free menus, and a week's notice for other allergies. Tube: Goodge Street, about 4 minutes.

Humble Chicken in Soho is Angelo Sato's 13-seat counter, serving one 16-course omakase that mixes Japanese cooking and European technique. It's £250 at lunch or dinner, and there's more energy in the room than in any of the hotel dining rooms. Two dinner sittings, 5.45pm and 9pm, Wednesday to Saturday, and one Saturday lunch at 1pm.

Booking: OpenTable, prepaid in full and non-refundable; you can reschedule once with a week's notice, or give the booking to a friend. Service is added on the night. Dress: smart casual, no sweatpants, hats or flip-flops. Dietary: none at all. The kitchen can't do vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, egg-free, dairy-free or gluten-free versions, so check before you book. Tube: Tottenham Court Road, about 4 minutes.

The Ritz Restaurant is the Ritz hotel's formal dining room on Piccadilly, with executive chef John Williams's cooking under two stars. It's the most old-school meal in London, and I mean that as praise: dishes finished at the table, and on Friday and Saturday nights a dinner-dance. It's open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Menu: Epicurean tasting menus from £215 for five courses or £235 for seven; the three-course lunch is £105. Pairing: Classic £125 (five) or £150 (seven). Booking: SevenRooms; cancel inside 48 hours and you pay at least £62 a head. On Friday and Saturday evenings there's a £58-a-head entertainment charge. Dress: jacket and tie for men, no jeans or sportswear for anyone. Dietary: vegetarian and vegan options on every menu, but the tasting menu can't handle every need. Tube: Green Park, 2 minutes.

Trivet, on a back street behind London Bridge station, is two stars without a tasting menu. Chef Jonny Lake cooks à la carte, co-owner and master sommelier Isa Bal runs the wine, and the list is arranged in the order wine spread around the world, starting in Georgia and Armenia. Order the Hokkaido Potato for dessert (£26): a baked-potato mille-feuille with sake gelato.

Menu: starters £36 to £45, mains £48 to £65, plus 15% service, so three courses land well above £100 a head before wine. Pairing: none; ask the sommelier. Booking: Resy, up to six guests online; £50 a head inside 48 hours. Lunch: Wednesday to Saturday, with a cheaper lunch menu (lobster roll £19). Dress: no stated code. Dietary: tell your waiter; there's a vegetarian main. Tube: London Bridge, about 7 minutes.

One star, worth the money. London has dozens of one-star restaurants; these four give the most for what you pay. Evelyn's Table is 12 seats at a counter in the cellar of the Blue Posts pub in Soho, with head chef Seamus Sam and two other chefs cooking five courses in front of you for £140. It's the most fun you can have for that price in a starred room. Lunch is four courses for £95 (Friday and Saturday, 1pm).

Pairing: several wine pairings from £65 to £150, or No & Low from £50. Booking: SevenRooms; tables are open to 30 November 2026 so far, and they go fast. Dress: no strict code. Dietary: vegetarian, pescatarian and vegan menus, but soy and gluten can't be taken out. Access: it's a cellar room and not wheelchair accessible; over-18s only. Tube: Piccadilly Circus, about 4 minutes.

Pied à Terre has been on Charlotte Street for 35 years, in a narrow townhouse that suits a quiet dinner for two, with Aggelos Kassais now head chef. It's my pick of the one-stars for plant-based eaters: full plant-based tasting menus at £125 for five courses or £145 for seven, next to the standard £135 and £155.

Pairing: wine flights £120 to £155. Lunch: the 35th Anniversary menu is £49.50 (amuse-bouche, starter and main), Wednesday to Saturday; mention it when you book. Booking: OpenTable or through the reservations team. Dietary: plant-based and omnivore guests can eat different menus at the same table; give advance notice. Tube: Goodge Street, 3 minutes.

Kitchen W8, on a side street off Kensington High Street, is the cheapest one-star tasting menu here: £120, or £185 with the wine pairing (the cheese course is a £10 supplement). It's a calm, grown-up neighbourhood room rather than an event, and it's about 15 minutes' walk from Kensington Palace. Look for the fallow deer on the autumn menu.

Lunch: £49.50 for three courses Monday to Saturday, or £70 with two glasses of wine. Booking: OpenTable. The 15% service and a £2 cover charge (you can decline it) go on top. Dietary: vegan options on request when you book. Tube: High Street Kensington, about 5 minutes.

The Kerfield Arms in Camberwell is the wildcard: a pub with a Michelin star, and one of the cheapest starred meals in London. There's no tasting menu, just a short à la carte with mains at £28 to £32, and the Highland sirloin for two (£78) is the order. Come here for starred cooking in a relaxed room at pub prices, not for a white-tablecloth night out.

Booking: SevenRooms. The kitchen is closed on Monday; Sunday is lunch only, 12pm to 4pm, with roasts at £25 to £28. Dietary: ask staff about allergens before ordering; there's a vegetarian main. Getting there: no Tube nearby. Denmark Hill station (Overground and National Rail) is about 6 minutes' walk.

Lunch deals. The cheapest way into a Michelin-starred dining room is lunch, and these four set menus run from £40.50 (two courses) to £60. Kitchen W8 and Pied à Terre (above) do lunch for £49.50 too. La Trompette in Chiswick is my pick for value: three courses for £45, Wednesday to Friday, with a wine of the day at £10 a glass. Chef Greg Wellman's cooking is seasonal and French-leaning.

Other menus: standard lunch £55 or £65, dinner £80 or £95. Booking: OpenTable for up to four, or by phone from 10am Wednesday to Sunday. It's now closed on Monday and Tuesday. Dietary: vegetarian dishes on the menu; no life-threatening allergies. Tube: Turnham Green, 350 yards. It's about 30 minutes from central London on the District line, easily combined with a morning at Kew Gardens.

Chez Bruce on the edge of Wandsworth Common is a long-standing south London favourite, and its weekday Brucie Bonus lunch is the offer to know about: £48.50 for three courses or £40.50 for two, Tuesday to Friday (not in December). The full set lunch, £68.50, runs every lunchtime including weekends. Chef Matt Christmas cooks confident French-leaning food, such as duck breast with foie gras and quince.

Dinner: £98.50 for three courses. Booking: OpenTable for up to six, or by phone; no email bookings. Length: tables are yours for 2 hours 15 minutes. Dietary: tell them in advance; no life-threatening allergies. Getting there: Wandsworth Common rail station is 200 yards away; Clapham South or Balham on the Northern line is about 15 minutes' walk.

Galvin La Chapelle is the grandest room for the money, in a Grade II-listed former school hall with a vaulted ceiling next to Spitalfields Market. The Chef's Set Menu lunch is £49 for two courses or £55 for three, Monday to Saturday, and Sunday lunch is the same price. The trade-off is the room: it's big and busy, with a lot of City business lunches.

Tasting menu: £155 for eight courses (not at Sunday lunch), with a Classic pairing at £80 or Sommelier at £130; service is 15%. Booking: OpenTable; £50 a head if you cancel inside 48 hours. Dress: smart casual, no flip-flops, tracksuits, hoodies or ripped jeans. Dietary: vegetarian and vegan tasting menus. Tube: Liverpool Street, 5 minutes.

Murano is Angela Hartnett's Italian restaurant in Mayfair, with Piero Tiddia running the kitchen, and its lunch menu is a gentle price for a starred room in that postcode: £55 for two courses or £60 for three, Monday to Saturday. The hand-rolled pappardelle with duck ragù is typical of the lunch menu. It's close to Green Park, so it fits well after a morning at Buckingham Palace.

Dinner: priced by the number of courses, £95 for three up to £155 for six. Booking: SevenRooms, card details needed; a fee may apply inside 48 hours. Dietary: a vegetarian and vegan menu at the same prices, and a vegan set lunch on request. Lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday. Tube: Green Park, about 5 minutes. For more Italian, see the best Italian restaurants in London.