11 London Restaurants Were Just Awarded Michelin Stars

In the food world, there are secret agents quietly slipping in and out of restaurants, eating undercover, taking notes and ultimately holding the power to shape a restaurant’s fate. Michelin critics roam cities and countryside alike, anointing stars and granting a coveted place in the Michelin Guide. Originally created to help motorists decide which stops were worth a detour, the Guide has evolved into one of the world’s most influential restaurant barometers.

Last night, the annual Michelin Star Awards took place, resulting in a new group of 11 London restaurants to welcome a red star on their door. Here’s the recap.

London Michelin Star Additions

Bonheur by Matt Abé

Matt Abé’s Mayfair debut opened with well-heeled expectations — and promptly lived up to them. Bonheur enters the Michelin Guide at two stars, its precise cooking and classical technique immediately recognised by inspectors. Housed on the former site of Le Gavroche, this is a restaurant that honours tradition while staking its own claim on London’s fine-dining scene.

Matt Abé’s Mayfair debut opened with well-heeled expectations — and promptly lived up to them.

WHERE: 43 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7QR
WEBSITE: www.bonheurbymattabe.com

Row on 5

Jason Atherton and Spencer Metzger’s Savile Row restaurant has rocketed from one star to two in just over a year. Contemporary, elegant and technically assured, Row on 5 pairs impeccably sourced ingredients with cooking that balances classic technique with innovation — Michelin’s way of signalling it’s worth a detour.

WHERE: 5 Savile Row, London W1S 3PB
WEBSITE: www.rowon5london.com

Legado

Legado, from chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho, marks a significant new Spanish voice in the capital’s star roster. Michelin’s first nod here recognises bold regional flavours and exacting technique — food that is rooted and confident in equal measure. Seems that all the hype surrounding Legado this year has truly amounted to something special for the young restaurant.

Seems that all the hype surrounding Legado this year has truly amounted to something special for the young restaurant.

WHERE: Yards, Unit 1C Montacute, London E1 6HU
WEBSITE: www.legadorestaurants.com

Tom Brown at The Capital

Tom Brown’s namesake outpost at The Capital in Knightsbridge earns its first Michelin star. Brown’s cooking, grounded in seasonal British produce with precise execution, has clearly resonated with inspectors and stands as one of the year’s most talked-about new stars.

WHERE: 22-24 Basil St, London SW3 1AT
WEBSITE: www.tombrownatthecapital.com

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High

Gordon Ramsay, at the very least, is a force to be reckoned with year after year at the Michelin awards. In the heart of the City, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High has joined the Michelin fold with its first star. The menu here channels classic technique through contemporary British cooking, extending the Ramsay group’s footprint in London’s fine-dining map and earning him a total of 8 stars in his collection.

Gordon Ramsay, at the very least, is a force to be reckoned with year after year at the Michelin awards.

WHERE: 22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ
WEBSITE: www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com

Ambassadors Clubhouse

Elevating Indian cuisine with poise and clarity, Ambassadors Clubhouse earns its first Michelin star — a signal of inspectors’ appreciation for bold flavours handled with balance and control. Firmly grounded at the top of my list for wanted reservations this year, the award solidifies Ambassadors Clubhouse as one of the most coveted tabletops in London.

WHERE: 25 Heddon St, London W1B 4BH
WEBSITE: www.ambassadorsclubhouse.com

Somssi by Jihun Kim

At Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, Somssi by Jihun Kim enters the Michelin Guide with a star for its refined take on Korean-inspired fine dining. The dishes are precise, textured and pitched at the intersection of tradition and ambition within the UK’s dining scene.

Pitched at the intersection of tradition and ambition within the UK’s dining scene.

WHERE: 22 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JP
WEBSITE: www.mandarinoriental.com

Corenucopia by Clare Smyth

Not to many’s surprise, Clare Smyth’s new flagship joins the Michelin group with a star. Corenucopia adds another layer to her London portfolio. Here, classical British dishes are elevated with exacting technique and thoughtfulness — a Michelin nod that underscores Smyth’s continued influence on the capital’s culinary scene.

WHERE: 18-22 Holbein Pl, London SW1W 8NL
WEBSITE: www.corenucopia.com

The Kerfield Arms

Pubs continue to earn respect in the Michelin Guide, and The Kerfield Arms is this year’s standout among them. Simple dishes, clarity of flavour and a convivial atmosphere have earned it a star — proof that fine cooking doesn’t only belong behind linen tablecloths, the city’s pubs are worthy of just as much respect.

Fine cooking doesn’t only belong behind linen tablecloths, the city’s pubs are worthy of just as much respect.

WHERE: 16 Grove Ln, London SE5 8SY
WEBSITE: www.thekerfieldarms.co.uk

Michael Caines at The Stafford

Michael Caines’s return to London with The Stafford earns its first Michelin star. His focus on refined technique and thoughtful ingredient combinations has clearly impressed inspectors, positioning this Mayfair stalwart among the capital’s most assured new one-star tables.

WHERE: 16-18 St James’s Pl, London SW1A 1NJ
WEBSITE: www.thestaffordlondon.com

Labombe by Trivet

Labombe, from the team behind Trivet, joins the guide with its first star. The kitchen’s elegant, modern approach to seasonal cooking has been recognised for its clarity and refinement, adding another voice to London’s steadily diversifying Michelin scene.

The kitchen’s elegant, modern approach to seasonal cooking has been recognised for its clarity and refinement.

WHERE: 19 Old Park Ln, London W1K 1LB
WEBSITE: www.labombe.co.uk

UK and Ireland Michelin Awards Recap