The Results Are In: London’s Newest Michelin Star Restaurants

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.

New Michelin one-starred restaurants

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 reigns with their special chef’s menu option, priced at £85pp.

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.

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.

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.

New Green Stars

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.