
From Michelin-starred menus and five -star hotel haunts, to omakase and kaiseki, these first class restaurants offer up the best tasting menus in London – with a price tag to match.
While London offers plenty of cheap eats, expect to pay a pretty penny if you’re looking for something more refined. And if you want the best of the best, look no further than the capital’s finest tasting menus, showcasing the truest talents of the city’s finest chefs.
Ikoyi – £300
There’s no à la carte menu at Ikoyi, nor does there need to be, as this two-Michelin star restaurant serves up the tasting menu of culinary dreams, oozing with innovation and rich in West African influence.
The menu is ever-changing, but expect to enjoy dishes like mussel and saffron crème caramel; smoked jollof rice with grilled lobster and lobster custard; and husk cherry and run cake, With punchy, explosive flavours and stunning presentation, it’s a dining experience you won’t forget.
WHERE: 180 STRAND, TEMPLE, LONDON WC2R 1EA
WEBSITE: WWW.IKOYILONDON.COM
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught – £215
Enjoy an elegant, intimate dining experience and Michelin-starred cuisine at Hélène Darroze at The Connaught. Enter the artfully designed dining room and you’ll be treated to the ultimate culinary craftsmanship through dishes that are truly works of art. The ‘Taste of Winter’ menu includes dishes like pigeon with parsnip, medjool date and ras el hanout; lobster with tandoori spices, carrot, citrus and coriander; and turbot with calcot, ‘baeri’ caviar and dill.
Coming in at £215 for the food alone, it’s one of London’s best (and certainly most beautiful) tasting menus.
WHERE: THE CONNAUGHT, 16 CARLOS PL, LONDON W1K 2AL
WEBSITE: WWW.THE-CONNAUGHT.CO.UK
Above at HIDE – £195
Get your tasting menu fix courtesy of HIDE with their seven-course tasting menu, served in a light and airy dining room that boasts views over leafy Green Park. The Mayfair favourite is renowned for its innovative and theatrical dishes (think glazed barbecued Chilean seabass with pear and toasted wild rice) in a relaxed, yet stunning, atmosphere.
Two seasonally changing menus are available – a five-course and a seven-course option – featuring beautifully presented dishes like tender veal with pearl barley, celeriac and maitake; turnip with pine nuts, honey and eucalyptus; and blood orange sorbet with olive oil and marjoram.
WHERE: 85 PICCADILLY, LONDON W1J 7NB
WEBSITE: WWW.HIDE.CO.UK
Sketch – £190
One of London’s most iconic restaurants, Sketch offers a tasting menu of signature dishes that are just as visually stunning as the restaurant’s famous interiors.
Embark on a culinary journey consisting of nine courses including Ostra Regal oyster with mango and puntarella; Scottish trout with caviar and sweet and sour onion; and white asparagus with black truffle, spinach and parmesan ice cream. You’ll also get to indulge in Pierre Gagnaire’s Grand Dessert to finish.
WHERE: 9 CONDUIT ST, LONDON W1S 2XG
WEBSITE: WWW.SKETCH.LONDON
The Araki – £310
Feast in style at The Araki as the Japanese restaurant has an incredible menu with a sky-high price point.
Guests have a choice of one menu only, the ‘omakase’ (Japanese for ‘I leave it up to you’) menu consisting of only sushi, prepared and served by Mitsuhiro Araki according to the tradition of ‘sado’ (a Japanese tea ceremony). His restaurant in Ginza held three Michelin stars, so with a £310 per head price tag you’re in for some of the best sushi of your life.
WHERE: UNIT 4, 12 NEW BURLINGTON ST, LONDON W1S 3BF
WEBSITE: WWW.THE-ARAKI.CO.
Hakkasan – £258
Unsurprisingly, this luxurious Mayfair hideaway (and respite of the rich and famous), holds one of the most expensive tasting menus in London. £258 at Hakkasan will see you indulge in their ‘Silk’ menu, and sink you a feast of the finest Cantonese cooking there is.
Delve into a curated menu of the restaurant’s signature dishes, beginning with a selection of dim sum and Hakkasan signature Peking duck with Heritage caviar; before moving on to Charcoal grilled Japanese Wagyu beef fillet with sake and black truffle honey sauce; Lobster two ways stir-fried with XO sauce and breadcrumbed lobster claw; and a second course of Peking Duck . Finish with a signature dessert.
WHERE: 17 BRUTON ST, LONDON W1J 6QB
WEBSITE: WWW.HAKKASAN.COM
Umu – £250
Umu, the Korean-inspired Mayfair restaurant, truly spoils us with their signature eight-course ‘Kaiseki’ menu. And for £250, we would hope to be!
Expect delicious dishes like ‘Hashiyasume’ – cornish squid, sea urchin, udo and kinome; ‘Atsumono’ – Hirosu, winter vegetables and black truffle; and ‘Tsukuri’ – Chef’s selection of sashimi. If you have and additional £240 to spare, add a prestige wine or Sake pairing for the full experience.
WHERE: 14-16 BRUTON PL, LONDON W1J 6LX
WEBSITE: WWW.UMURESTAURANT.COM
Alain Ducasse At The Dorchester – £210
Alain Ducasse’s three-Michelin star restaurant at The Dorchester is legendary, so it’s not surprising that it offers a first class tasting menu to match. Here, Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet interprets Alain Ducasse’s contemporary and refined cuisine using seasonal produce from both British and French suppliers.
Except classic and original dishes, including hand-dived scallop with citrus beurre blanc and Kristal caviar; lobster medallion with chicken quenelles, Périgord truffle and homemade semolina pasta; and Cornish turbot with Jerusalem artichoke, watercress, black truffle and hazelnut.
WHERE: 53 PARK LN, LONDON W1K 1QA
WEBSITE: WWW.ALAINDUCASSE-DORCHESTER.COM
Pollen Street Social – £190
Jason Atherton’s Mayfair spot is the perfect place to enjoy contemporary fine dining with a focus on the best of British produce. The restaurant boasts multiple tasting menus, but the ultimate one to book is the exclusive Chef’s Experience, where for £190 you’ll dine at the beautiful chef’s counter and watch the chefs prepare your premium tasting menu.
Highlights include Brixham crab and Ajo blanco; foie gras sandwich; roasted Looe turbot with white asparagus and warm roe sauce; and the ‘golden nut’ dessert. Delightfully playful, using a selection of the world’s finest ingredients, the menu makes for a delicious evening out in Mayfair.
WHERE: 8-10 POLLEN ST, LONDON W1S 1NQ
WEBSITE: WWW.POLLENSTREETSOCIAL.COM
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – £250
A tasting menu that’s’ created just for you? It doesn’t get much better than that, and the Carte Blanche menu at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay truly delivers, focusing on discovery and the element of surprise. This experience is all about a moment of ‘letting go’; giving Chef Patron Matt Abé the opportunity to create an entirely bespoke tasting menu just for you, drawing from inspiration, creativity, and seasonality, and working with the best ingredients from around the world.
Want to go the extra mile? Book the Inspiration Table that seats just four guests, where the team like to ‘challenge people’s perceptions of food’, whether that’s serving a plethora of canapés, bringing out a tin of caviar instead of a spoonful, carving a whole rack of venison at the table or trying out a new dessert concept. You’ll be treated to a bespoke menu of seasonal ingredients, dishes in development, and classic Restaurant Gordon Ramsay signatures, with a minimum spend of £1000.
WHERE: 68 ROYAL HOSPITAL RD, LONDON SW3 4HP
WEBSITE: WWW.GORDONRAMSAYRESTAURANTS.COM
By The Handbook