Last night saw the Michelin Guide unveil its latest iteration of high-end restaurants worth reaching for. The 2023 awards saw four new London restaurants make it onto the list, gaining a Michelin star, two London restaurants had the honour of taking back two stars and a new Green Star London arrival.
Read on to find out the new Michelin star restaurants in London to book – providing you can get a table!
The Ledbury
Following a brief closure after the 2020 lockdowns, The Ledbury announced its reopening in 2021 and it returned in full force. The restaurant, famed for its exclusivity and zero social media presence, is the result of Brett Graham’s expertise.
No matter what season, the restaurant’s tasting menu is always sublime, priced at £195 per person with the option to add on matching wines for £130 per person. Opt for a lunchtime visit (if you can even nab yourself a table that is) and you can enjoy a six-course tasting menu at £165 (matching wines +£100).
127 LEDBURY ROAD, W11 2AQ
WWW.THELEDBURY.COM
New Michelin two-starred restaurants
Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
Dilling’s famed modern twist on traditional French cuisine saw the chef take things up a notch last night, with his latest Hotel Café Royal gaining two stars last night, just six months after opening.
The intimate space, with curved banquette seating and neutral tones, serves up one of London’s best tasting menus. Priced at £175 per person, it’s on the pricier side but well worth it to try Dilling’s intricate creations – think wild turbot with cuttlefish jus and basque chorizo; Wagyu sirloin gunma prefecture with green asparagus, pomee soufflé and Amalfi lemon; and mille-feuille with black winter truffle and a smoked whisky caramel.
68 REGENT STREET, W1B 4DY
WWW.HOTELCAFEROYAL.COM
Luca
A Handbook favourite, Clerkenwell’s Luca is always a good idea. The restaurant focuses on Italian dishes where British seasonal ingredients are championed. The stylish dining room is perfect for those weekend date nights, while the covered outdoor dining terrace is great for group celebrations.
The now-Michelin-starred restaurant’s menu features everything from roast Orkney scallops with Jerusalem artichoke and ‘nduja to agnolotti cacio e pepe; Hereford beef fillet with braised short rib, roasted onions, cavolo nero and smoked potato to Scottish halibut with celeriac, slow roasted garlic and smoked eel in a red wine sauce. If you can’t decide, let the chefs take the reins with their special chef’s menu option, priced at £85pp.
88 ST JOHN STREET, CLERKENWELL, EC1M 4EH
WWW.LUCA.RESTAURANT
Cycene
Being awarded a Michelin star in your first year of opening is a big deal and Cycene has been awarded one just since months after opening! The Shoreditch restaurant comes from chef Theo Clench in collaboration with the Blue Mountain School founders James and Christie Brown.
Home to just 16 covers, this intimate space’s menu is inspired by Theo’s travels around the world with Asian and Australasian influences. Begin the night at the ground-floor bar for a course of broth and bread before heading upstairs for the main event.
9 CHANCE STREET, E2 7JB
WWW.BLUEMOUNTAIN.SCHOOL
Taku
Taku may have only just opened in November 2022 but it’s quickly become one of the fastest restaurants to gain Michelin star status, no doubt thanks to the fact it’s headed up by Michelin-starred chef Takuya Watanabe.
Despite only being a 16-cover space, this experience-led restaurant is full of theatrics, offering a traditional omakase setting with a modern twist.
GROUND FLOOR, 36 ALBEMARLE STREET, W1S 4JE
WWW.TAKUMAYFAIR.COM
Restaurant St Barts
Championing the best of British cuisine, Restaurant St Barts is one of the capital’s hidden gems – not so much now, thanks to its shiny new Michelin star.
From the team behind Hackney’s NEST and Fulham’s FENN, the kitchen is headed up by executive head chef Johnnie Crowe. With views overlooking London’s oldest church, dinner here is filled with seasonal produce championed throughout.
63 BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE, EC1A 7BG
WWW.RESTAURANT-STBARTS.CO.UK
Apricity
Back in 2021, the Michelin Guide introduced the Green Star awards, a celebration of the restaurants at the forefront of the industry, doing their utmost for the environment. This year saw just one London restaurant join the list, Apricity.
Set up by award-winning chef Chantelle Nicholson, sustainability really is at the heart of this restaurant, with the team working to find new environmental practices that they can pass on to other budding foodies. The restaurant works with small-scale farmers, as well as foraging local ingredients to create a low-waste approach to dining.
Regularly changing, the restaurant boasts tasting menus championing British vegetables, regeneratively farmed meat and sustainably caught fish from the British Isles.
68 DUKE STREET, MAYFAIR, W1K 6JU
WWW.APRICITYRESTAURANT.COM
BECOME A PARTNER</strong
By The Handbook
The Ledbury
Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
Luca
Cycene
Taku
Restaurant St Barts
Apricity
