Read our guide to the best Michelin starred restaurants in London, with a selection of 1, 2 and 3 Michelin starred restaurants.

3 Michelin Stars

The Ledbury

The Ledbury in Notting Hill, is a bit of a place of pilgrimage for foodies.

Run by Australian chef Brett Graham, whose selection of dishes will delight and entertain with beautiful presentation.

The Ledbury had a complete revamp after a short closure, returning with a glammed-up redesign. Tables are hard to come by, but visit on a sunny day for a walk-in table on the terrace.

CORE by Clare Smyth

Core By Clare Smyth is an exceptional three Michelin starred restaurant in Notting Hill.

It’s not just the food that makes a restaurant and here at Core, Clare Smyth really focuses on the whole experience.

From the moment you arrive her superb team will put you at ease with their warm welcome and natural pride in providing some of the smoothest, most attentive service around.

Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

One of the UK’s few 3 Michelin starred restaurants from one of the world’s most celebrated chefs, Alain Ducasse. Our favourite table is the Table Lumiere semi private dining room which is perfect for up to six guests.

Cocooned by a luminescent oval curtain, the Table Lumiere surrounded by 4,500 shimmering fibre optics that drop dramatically from the ceiling – gorgeous!

This is one of the best Michelin star restaurants in London.

Helene Darroze at the Connaught

The Connaught Hotel has a prime Mayfair address and Helene Darroze at The Connaught lives up to the expectations of its location.

Helene Darroze serves delectable French cuisine inspired by authentic regional and seasonal flavours with influences from Helene’s native south-west France.

Helene Darroze at The Connaught is grand and elegant for a special dinner but equally accessible for a quick business lunch. The Connaught is one of our favourite luxury hotels in London.

2 Michelin Stars

Row on 5

A passion project for Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, with a 15-course tasting menu designed by Jason and celebrated chef Spencer Metzger (formerly of The Ritz), dining at Row on 5 feels as much like a performance as a meal.

Diners start on the ground floor open plan kitchen / living room space with open fires to have the first few courses, before moving upstairs to the main dining room, with the chefs working in front of you, for the main part of the spectacular tasting menu.

They even offer to dry clean your coat while you have dinner (they have a machine in the reception area)!

The Ritz Restaurant

Set within the opulent dining room of The Ritz London, The Ritz Restaurant is one of London’s most formal dining experiences. Executive chef John Williams delivers classic French cuisine with an emphasis on precision, seasonality and presentation.

Jackets and ties are required, service is traditional, and the setting remains one of the most recognisable in London fine dining.

Bonheur by Matt Abé

Bonheur by Matt Abé is the first solo restaurant from chef Matt Abé, formerly chef patron of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, in the former Le Gavroche site in Mayfair.

The restaurant offers modern French cooking with subtle Australian and Asian influences. Choose from tha a la carte or two tasting menus – the 5 course ‘Journey’ or the 7 course ‘Dream’.

Signature dishes include a modern interpretation of Quiche Lorraine and a 125-day aged Cumbrian Blue Grey sirloin. My favourite dish was the Herwick hogget from the Dream menu.

A wonderful modern take on fine dining with impeccable service.

Gymkhana

Gymkhana, on Albemarle Street in Mayfair, is one of the most celebrated Indian restaurants in London.

The restaurant is inspired by the Colonial Indian gymkhana clubs, and this is certainly reflected in the colonial style interiors of dark wood, marble, ceiling fans and black and white photographs.

If you’re visiting Gymkhana for dinner, ask to sit downstairs where the clubby, subdued lighting really comes into play. Pick a booth and look out onto the bar sending out beautifully coloured cocktails from a creative list on ornate silver trays.

The impressively large-scale menu allows for lots of ordering, and sharing is definitely the way to go here.

Highlights are plentiful, but a particular star was the Keralan Moilee Mussels served with Curry Leaf and Garlic Naan. Gymkhana is our pick for one of the best Indian restaurants in London.

1 Michelin Star

BRAT

The centre stage at Brat from chef Tomos Parry is the wood fire oven and the main event is the 1.2kg turbot to share, which arrives with a glistening char on the skin and is meaty yet wonderfully delicate to taste.

The joy of the food here is that Tomos takes excellent quality ingredients and lets them shine on their own.

Everything seems so simple, but tastes anything but. Brat feels homely and welcoming – somewhere you would want to linger long into the evening – and it gets the simple formula of good food with good fine and warm service just right.

LUCA

Luca, one of the best restaurants in Clerkenwell, combines Italian cooking with a British twist in a polished but relaxed dining room.

Robert Chambers, previously of The Square, Locanda Locatelli and The Ledbury, heads up the kitchen, bringing to LUCA his interpretation of modern Italian cuisine

Signature dishes include Parmesan fries, rigatoni with pork sausage ragù, tomato, anchovy and mint, and Amalfi lemon and bergamot tart with rosemary ice cream.

Dorian

Dorian is one of the most popular restaurants in Notting Hill, and deservedly so.

Head chef, Max Cohen, previously at Ikoyi and Kitchen Table, offers a seasonal British/European menu with a great wine list. A seat at the counter is perfect for solo dining.

Lita

Ex-Corrigan’s chef Luke Ahearne is at the helm at Lita, a fabulous open fire restaurant in Marylebone.

The vibe is cool, casual glamour with an excellent menu that has a focus on southern European/Mediterranean dishes – favourites include smoked Basque sardines, chopped Hereford beef with shoestring fries, whole Cornish trout and rib of Galician beef.

The Harwood Arms

The Harwood Arms in Fulham raised the bar by being the first pub in London to be awarded a Michelin star.

Its simple and rustic interior and distinctly British cooking, including favourites such as venison scotch egg, make The Harwood Arms every inch the modern pub, which features on our guide to London’s best gastropubs.

Mountain

The menu at Mountain is inspired by Spanish cuisine and the concept of ‘mar y montaña’ (sea and mountains), with a lot of the ingredients sourced from Wales and the rest of the UK.

Favourites on the menu include the fresh cheese and anchovies, spider crab omelette, Jersey beef sirloin and the smoked potatoes.

The restaurant has a large open kitchen with 60 covers upstairs with large windows the length of the building and a counter bar which is available for walk-ins.

The Ninth

Chef Jun Tanaka’s menu at The Ninth focuses on the finest seasonal ingredients and robust French dishes which have been given a fresh Mediterranean twist.

The restaurant is known for its relaxed approach to fine dining, with much of the menu designed for sharing, creating a more informal experience than many Michelin-starred counterparts.

Dishes range from elegant small plates to excellent pasta and charcoal-grilled meats. The dining room is understated and intimate, while service is polished without feeling formal.

Legado

Legado is the latest restaurant from chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho, following Sabor and her earlier work at Barrafina.

Located in Montacute Yards in Shoreditch, the space includes a walk-in bar, a fish counter, and a large open kitchen.

The menu draws from across Spain, with a particular focus on regional cooking and traditional techniques, with a section devoted to suckling pig and Iberico pork.

River Cafe

Set on the Thames in Hammersmith, The River Café is one of London’s most influential restaurants and widely regarded as one of London’s best Italian restaurants.

Founded in 1987 by Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray, it focuses on seasonal Italian cooking, with an emphasis on simplicity, ingredient quality and consistency.

Its minimalist, sleek design and light colour scheme that blend effortlessly with the riverside setting, creates an unforgettable dining experience.

The large terrace makes the River Cafe an excellent alfresco dining option in West London, and one of the best outdoor restaurants in London.

If you like this feature on the best Michelin starred restaurants in London, read our guide to the best venues in London for brunch or our guide to the best cocktail bars.