In the culinary world, a MICHELIN star is a much-coveted award for any top chef. It’s basically the most prestigious award that any restaurant can earn. The anonymous critics travel the world and dine at some of the most talked-about eateries, finding the places that deliver the best experiences (in their admittedly subjective eyes). And last night, on February 9, MICHELIN announced the recipients of this year’s new MICHELIN stars for 2026.
While there weren’t any new restaurants rising to 3-star status this year, one London restaurant stormed its way straight to the 2-star rank. Across London’s restaurants, 11 venues received new MICHELIN stars. London is now home to a mind-boggling 88 MICHELIN-starred restaurants. The number just keeps on growing each year, even as venues close down or are removed from the list. There were 85 in 2025, 80 in 2024, and 70 back in 2023.
So, if you’re after the best of the best, here are all of London’s MICHELIN-starred restaurants.
⭑⭑⭑ Three-MICHELIN-Starred Restaurants in London ⭑⭑⭑
Just like last year, no new London restaurants joined the venerated club of the city’s 3-MICHELIN-starred restaurants in 2026. But London still boasts 6 restaurants with three MICHELIN stars. They may be pricy, but the MICHELIN Guide has deemed them all “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey!”
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Chelsea
The angriest chef on television really has something to shout about: his flagship restaurant in Chelsea, southwest London, has retained its three MICHELIN stars for 2026, twenty-eightyears after it first opened. It marks 25 years of holding the three-MICHELIN-star distinction.
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, Hyde Park
Is eating in hotels ever really that fun? The MICHELIN crew seem to think so, bestowing a full three stars on this posh-as-you-like West London restaurant that they praise for “adventurous, modern and contemporary style”.
The Lecture Room & Library at Sketch, Mayfair
There is definitely nothing sketchy about this place, which is one of the most gorgeous restaurants in London. Not to be confused with the dining rooms downstairs, which serve entirely different menus, the Library is the room to dine in if you want to ‘taste the stars’ and enjoy a menu of sophisticated French food. But be warned, there’s an eye-watering price tag to go along with it.
Core by Clare Smyth, Notting Hill
Image: @corebyclaresmyth & @chefclaresmyth
Clare Smyth left Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to do her own thing, and it’s gone rather well, to put it rather mildly. Her restaurant jumped straight into the big time by earning two MICHELIN stars in 2019, nary a year after opening. The MICHELIN Guide awarded the restaurant a third star shortly afterwards, which the venue has retained since. All this has earned Core a well-deserved place in the tippity top tier of London fine dining.
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, Mayfair
Connaught blimey! Darroze’s restaurant underwent a bit of a pastel transformation just ahead of the 2023 guide’s announcement – a risky move in the MICHELIN realm where highly awarded restaurants seldom tinker with their recipes for success. However, it paid off, and they have retained possession of their third star since, with the restaurant being praised for its “warm, relaxed feel” and “exceptional cooking”. Keep an eye out for their weekday lunch offering, which is comparatively affordable. (Emphasis on ‘comparatively‘.)
The Ledbury, Notting Hill
After netting two stars in 2023, The Ledbury immediately moved up to three-star status in 2024. It’s all the more impressive given they had only recently reopened after a two-year hiatus. The restaurant was praised for food that was better than ever before, and for truly incredible produce.
⭑⭑ Two-MICHELIN-Starred Restaurants in London ⭑⭑
This year, two London spots walked away from the MICHELIN ceremony with a new two-star award to their name. One sailed straight into two-star status and leapfrogged the usual progression from one star to two. The other got a quick upgrade from its first star last year to two stars this year.
The two-star club remains very special territory and a good marker of where to splash out.
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Bonheur by Matt Abé, Mayfair
Despite only just opening in the autumn of 2025, this London restaurant rocketed straight to two-MICHELIN-star status in 2026. Chef Matt Abé previously spent 18 years working with Gordon Ramsay, largely as chef at the 3-MICHELIN-Star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. For his first namesake restaurant, he took over the site of Le Gavroche and was praised by MICHELIN inspectors for the restaurant’s blend of classical dishes with well-judged modernity and the impressive command of flavour.
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Row on 5, Mayfair
Image: @rowon5london, @irhaatherton, & @spencermetzger, va IG
The hugely anticipated opening from Jason Atherton came after the closure of Pollen Street Social. Merging style and substance, the restaurant was recognised with its second star just one year after receiving its first.
Row on 5 was also recognised with a special award at the MICHELIN star ceremony. Roxane Dupuy, from Row on 5, was awarded the Sommelier Award. At the restaurant, she’s responsible for managing a list of over 2,400 wines from all over the world, and the MICHELIN guide was particularly impressed by the “superb selection of grower champagnes.”
Gymkhana, Mayfair
Gymkhana moved up from one star to two back in 2024, marking it for special status as London’s first Indian restaurant to receive the honour. The restaurant’s Siddharth Ahuja was praised by the MICHELIN team for “exceptional versions of time-honoured classics”.
Brooklands, Belgravia
Image: @brooklands.london, via IG
Brooklands blew everyone away in 2024, leapfrogging the usual process of going from one star to two, by jumping straight into two-MICHELIN-star territory. Housed inside the luxurious Peninsula Hotel and overseen by Claude Bosi, the restaurant received the stars off the back of their “finely detailed, exquisite cooking” and “the excellent quality of the ingredients”. Don’t miss a chance to sit on the terrace if you can!
Trivet, Southwark
There honestly can’t be higher praise from MICHELIN than “a restaurant that just seems to get everything right”. And that’s just how Trivet was described in the wake of earning its second star back in 2024. With words like ‘fuss-free’, ‘personable’, and ‘charming’ being used to describe the food and service, they clearly proved a hit! Try it out (without the price tag) by going for the more affordable lunchtime menu, served between 12-2pm, from Wednesday to Saturday.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Knightsbridge
Clever-clogs cooking from the wickedly inventive Heston Blumenthal rocked the MICHELIN folks’ world. The famed mandarin-resembling ‘Meat Fruit’ above, for instance, actually contains a chicken liver and foie gras parfait. Dinner at ‘Dinner…’ borders on an educational experience, with a historically-inspired tasting menu – each dish is given a rough time period from whence it dates back.
Ikoyi, St James’s
Head chef Jeremy Chan presents a stunning menu that centers itself around a spice-based cuisine. There’s a focus on micro-seasonality and only using produce at its very optimal state. It’s inarguably one of London’s most unique restaurants and is rightly revered throughout the capital – and, indeed, the world.
Kitchen Table, Goodge Street
Kitchen Table is where you go for a proper sit-down-and-don’t-move tasting menu. Dinner starts at 6pm, and it won’t finish until well over four hours later. It’s a proper experience, with attentive service, stunning food and drink, and a menu that is a surprise each night.
A. Wong, Victoria
Chef Andrew Wong made an immediate splash with his immaculate Chinese cooking, and in 2021, his eponymous restaurant made the jump from one star to two. They’re still going strong with food that celebrates China’s 14 international borders, and “3000 years of culinary history.” For lunch, it’s all about the traditional a la carte dim sum, but dinner offers the chance to try the three-hour ‘The Collections of China’ menu.
Da Terra, Bethnal Green
Da Terra translates to ‘on the ground’, a reflection of chef duo Paulo Airaudo and Rafael Cagali’s Latin American and Italian roots. Guests aren’t given a menu upon arrival, as there is no choice – you’ll eat what you’re given! But fret not, you’re sure to be blown away by it all.
Story, London Bridge
Every meal is a story, and that’s especially true here. Chef Tom Sellers uses seasonal British produce to create his intricately linked tasting menus and originally netted his second star just shy of eight years after opening the doors to this excellent spot. Recent redevelopment and expansion of the restaurant haven’t seen them falter, either, with the team retaining both stars. As with Da Terra, there’s no menu – you have to trust the chef.
The Clove Club, Shoreditch
Image: @thecloveclub, via IG
This famed Old Street restaurant sits within the Grade II-listed Shoreditch Town Hall. Chef Patron Isaac McHale runs a seasonal tasting menu of modern and elegant produce. If you’re lucky enough to afford a meal here, be sure not to miss a house martini to sip at alongside the snacks that precede the set menu.
Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, Piccadilly
Chef Alex Dilling’s love affair with gorgeous produce shines through in his dishes at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal. Having only just opened in September of 2022, the MICHELIN Guide promptly awarded the restaurant two stars and venerated status. And they’re holding strong with that status.
⭑ One-MICHELIN-Starred Restaurants in London ⭑
Here is where you’ll find world-class cuisine at a fraction of the prices above. Typically… There are still plenty of expensive restaurants in this list, but many hide great deals for those after incredible dining experiences.
Central London MICHELIN star restaurants
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Ambassadors Clubhouse, Mayfair: this luxurious restaurant serves up some of the best Indian food in London, with punchy Punjabi flavours, stunning interiors, and Desi-inspired cocktails.
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Labombe by Trivet, Mayfair: wine bar and restaurant from the Trivet team, with an eclectic menu of sharing dishes and food cooked over an open fire.
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Michael Caines at The Stafford, St James’s: a classically fancy MICHELIN spot, Michael Caines at The Stafford brings “a little part of Devon into St James’s”.
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High, Bishopsgate: it’s the highest restaurant in Europe, and now it’s also the highest MICHELIN-starred restaurant in Europe.
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Somssi by Jihun Kim, Mayfair: tucked away below the stairs of the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair hotel is this now MICHELIN-starred Korean counter menu. The Korean dishes have French touches, “while also celebrating excellent British produce”.
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Tom Brown at The Capital, Knightsbridge: Tom Brown has a homecoming of sorts at The Capital, where he “first forged his reputation… while working for Nathan Outlaw.” Expect stunning seafood and the very best of prime ingredients.
Cornus, Belgravia: former Angler chef Gary Foulkes brings a star to the new Cornus – showing he can do more than just seafood.
64 Goodge Street, Fitzrovia: a straightforward restaurant devoid of fuss – just “refined bistro-style dishes [cooked] with great skill”.
AngloThai, Marylebone: Thai food gets its moment in the spotlight where British ingredients meet Thai techniques and recipes.
DOSA, Mayfair: a luxurious Korean eatery housed inside the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair hotel.
Lita, Marylebone: a self-styled bistro serving up food well beyond the typical bounds of the word; expect big, bold, and unfussy cooking.
Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO, Whitehall: a produce-led spot that prizes the fruit and vegetables as much as the meat and fish, from Mauro Colagreco (of the three-MICHELIN-starred Mirazur in France).
Luca, Farringdon: expertly rendered Italian food that makes all the more sense when you find out it’s from the team behind The Clove Club.
Chishuru, Marylebone: modern West-African cooking that started as a supper club in Brixton. Chef Adejoké Bakare is the first black female MICHELIN-starred chef in the UK, and only the second in the whole world.
Akoko, Marylebone: live-fire cooking, exotic spices, and intense umami coalesce to explore founder Aji Akokomi’s West African heritage. The jollof rice was singled out for particular praise.
The Ninth, Fitzrovia: romantic, Mediterranean restaurant with an informal character.
Sushi Kanesaka, Mayfair: dedicated to “the art of perfection”, Sushi Kanesaka presents a 9-seat, 18-course omakase menu in a hidden-away venue within the 42 Park Lane Hotel.
Pied à Terre, Goodge Street: modern, gourmet food accented by foraged ingredients and adornments.
Humble Chicken, Soho: originally a yakitori-inspired eatery, transitioning to an ever-evolving tasting menu earned this Japanese restaurant their first star.
Dining Room at the Goring, Victoria: exemplary British cuisine in a luxury hotel.
Mountain, Soho: a joyful split-level venture from the team behind Brat, where open-flame cooking and wood-fired ovens impart a smokey flavour to almost every dish.
SO|LA, Soho: The Golden State on a plate at Victor Garvey’s Cali-inspired restaurant.
Wild Honey St James, St James’s: following 12 successful years in Mayfair, the restaurant moved to St James’s and garnered a MICHELIN star in 2022, which it has since held on to.
Aulis, Soho: a tiny, but hugely impressive, 12-seat chef’s table experience hidden away down a random Soho alleyway.
Quilon, St. James’s Park: seafood dishes in a Southeast Indian style – they’ve had their MICHELIN star since 2008!
Pavyllon, Mayfair: Head to the Four Seasons in Mayfair to experience Yannick Alléno modern French cuisine with international influences.
St. Barts, Barbican: comfort and homeliness infuse each delicate-looking morsel that is surprisingly packed with flavour. Also the recipient of a MICHELIN Green Star for Gastronomy & Sustainability.
1890 by Gordon Ramsay, Covent Garden: the chef with the temper serves reimagined French Escoffier classics in an intimate space with just 10 tables.
HIDE, Piccadilly: Ollie Dabbous’ spot boasts a fairytale staircase and a near 7000-strong wine list.
Ormer Mayfair, Mayfair: Elegant tasting menus in the basement of the Flemings Mayfair Hotel.
The Ritz Restaurant, Green Park: classic seasonal cooking in a wow-inducing dining room. A properly ritz-y affair.
KOL, Marylebone: Delightful Mexican-British fusion food with a stunning interior.
Jamavar, Mayfair: Botanical-themed cocktails are served alongside some truly cracking Indian street food-inspired dishes. A 3-course lunch can be had for just £49.
Amaya, Knightsbridge: modern and sophisticated Indian food, a 7-item lunch platter is just £35 per person.
Muse, Belgravia: showing a great meal can be had anywhere, even a 23-cover converted mews house.
Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay, Knightsbridge: the wine selection is so good they built the dining room around the floor-to-ceiling wine cellar.
Sabor, Mayfair: Nieves Barragan and José Etura explore the sabor, or flavour, of northern Spanish cuisine with aplomb.
Frog by Adam Handling, Covent Garden: British food, with a theatrical flair at Adam Handling’s flagship restaurant – perched above his sinfully good Eve Bar.
Umu, Mayfair: Japanese restaurant serving a ‘kaiseki tasting menu’ of eight ‘exquisite’ courses.
Taku, Mayfair: a 16-seater omakase experience from Chef Takuya Watanabe, following a decade running Jin restaurant in Paris.
Veeraswamy, Mayfair: claims to be the oldest Indian restaurant in the country, spicing up London since 1926.
Murano, Mayfair: Angela Hartnett’s European restaurant gained its original MICHELIN star within just four months of opening!
Benares, Mayfair: modern Indian cuisine from British ingredients to challenge pre-conceptions of Indian food.
Evelyn’s Table, Soho: An intimate dining experience in an 18th-century pub beer cellar, serving up modern European dishes.
Portland, Marylebone: elegant meals that focus on ingredients, not starched tablecloths – and very good wine. Opt for the 3-course lunch and you’ll spend just £49.
Trishna, Marylebone: colourful, convivial Indian dishes with an emphasis on coastal cuisine.
St. John, Clerkenwell: nose-to-tail eating loved by foodies and other carnivores.
Angler, Liverpool Street: fancy, fishy food and a stunning rooftop terrace.
East London MICHELIN star restaurants
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Legado, Shoreditch: the latest opening from Sabor’s Nieves Barragán Mohacho is bigger and bolder than its sibling restaurant, serving Spanish fare that encompasses all regions of the country.
Plates London, Shoreditch: the first plant-based restaurant in the UK to receive a MICHELIN star.
Cycene, Shoreditch: a roving experience of a meal that has you dining in various intimate rooms around the restaurant – including in the kitchen itself.
Brat, Shoreditch: Tomos Parry’s Welsh-Basque spot has won near-universal praise. Don’t miss the Basque cheesecake!
Galvin La Chapelle, Spitalfields: fine French food in a dramatic, high-ceilinged setting.
Behind, Hackney: a fish-focused tasting menu restaurant that originally earned its star after just 20 days of service.
Casa Fofō, Hackney: Asian and Mediterranean flavours mingle at this no-frills, passion-fuelled restaurant.
West London MICHELIN star restaurants
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Corenucopia by Clare Smyth, Chelsea: a luxury bistro from the culinary force behind the 3-MICHELIN-starred Core by Clare Smyth, with bougie fish and chips and an entire menu of potato dishes.
Caractère, Notting Hill: a chef from Le Gavroche and a unique menu where dishes are grouped by ‘character’ adds to Notting Hill’s culinary scene.
Elystan St, Chelsea: “pure, seasonal, ingredient-led, gimmick-free dishes”, they say. A four-course set-price lunch is £49.50.
Dorian, North Kensington: a self-described ‘bistro for locals’ where excellent ingredients and a wood-fired grill are the focus.
Harwood Arms, Fulham: gastropub that serves up an infamous Sunday roast.
River Café, Hammersmith: esteemed, genre-defining Italian restaurant down by the Thames.
La Trompette, Chiswick: head west for modern French cooking.
Kitchen W8, Kensington: neighbourhood restaurant puts out ‘modern English with a French soul.’
Endo at the Rotunda, White City: a 16-seater sushi counter made of two-hundred-year-old wood, located at the top of the landmark BBC Television Centre, where you can enjoy ‘sushi in the clouds, where the sea meets the sky’.
South London MICHELIN star restaurants
⭐ NEW ENTRY ⭐ Kerfield Arms, Camberwell: London’s second MICHELIN-starred pub brings a touch of opulence and elegance to the pub scene in Camberwell.
OMA, Borough: the first Greek restaurant in the UK to receive a MICHELIN star.
Trinity, Clapham: this neighbourhood restaurant blends classic and modern fare in a setting you’ll fall in love with.
Sollip, Southwark: A Korean-inspired fine-dining spot with influence from European and French style.
Chez Bruce, Wandsworth Common: a local favourite, with a focus on Mediterranean cuisine.
Dysart Petersham, Richmond: a gastropub inspired by the beautiful countryside surroundings of Richmond Park and Petersham Woods.