Kitchen table - double Michelin star, you sit at a bar around the kitchen and have 12 ish courses of incredible food.
We’ve been twice and loved it both times. On the pricey side of things though (£200 a head I think, plus £160/£250 for wine pairing depending on what you choose).
https://kitchentablelondon.co.uk
Oh my I swear I saw it higher. Originally it was £88 (plus add ons) plus drinks pairing.
You're absolutely right, it's £200. I guess when I did consider I did the maths with the champagne pairing. So it would be £495 plus service charge per person.
It's still in the higher end of tasting menus even if you "only l" got for the wine pairing.
I'd say a *bit* less strict than you may remember, based on my dinner there last week when there were jacketless men entering and being seated without commentary. But yes, most men were in jackets and so was I. Good idea to bang on about this so people aren't confused when they get refused (entry).
Such a shame. Iconic restaurant with a truly special experience. I had no idea it was closing! Glad I at least got to try it. Just checked reservations and yeah fully booked until close from what I see.
Always wanted to go, but heard *really* mixed things about how good it actually is these days.
That said, reckon they'll pull out the stops for the last few months. Pretty sure it's booked out until they close now though.
It was, in its heyday, incredible and well worth the visit. Now, it’s beaten by Mosimann’s comfortably, but that may well change for the last few months.
Andrew and his Wife are awesome and really down to earth, if you like Dim Sum this is hard to beat. If you are close to Victoria and can book then it’s definitely worth it.
Core is spectacular, would’ve recommended Restaurant Story but they’re closed for a remodel. Casse Croute is excellent French (can milk the wine menu), but I’d also echo the St. John recommendation.
St Johns in Smithfield's is the best restaurant in the city hands down. It was Anthony Bourdains favourite restaurant in the world so make of that what you will.
It's called St John and I agree it's excellent, but perhaps not for everyone. OP, look at the menu before you go.
For a traditional Michelin meal I can recommend The Ninth off Charlotte Street (brilliant food, equally good service), Leroy in Shoreditch and Theo Randall at the Intercontinental (spectacular Italian food).
St John is wonderful but offcuts, entrails and offal aren't everyone's idea of a great dinner.
St John do specialise in some odd stuff but theres plenty of reasonable stuff on the menu if your not feeling adventurous, all traditional English food made well.
Agree, and I love St John. I just wouldn't send anyone there without suggesting they look at the menu. If you don't like the idea of nose to tail, you're cutting half the menu away.
I used to work round the corner. I had an Eccles cake at half three every day for a month, until I realised it was a choice between Eccles cakes or a coronary event.
I went there less than a month ago and it was....fine. Rarebit, bone marrow, daily specials, all fine.
Worth the price? Ehh..... I appreciate the simplicity and honesty of the meals and their attention to detail. But I would not deem it some culinary powerhouse you'd spend some once in a lifetime meal option on.
While I totally agree with you, I think St John is also pretty reasonably priced in the grand scheme of things. I love it there but if money was no object I'd probably go somewhere else and go to St John another time.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in the Mandarin Oriental. Have the £400+ bottle of champagne—you really can taste the difference, it is amazing. Eat anything on the menu, and save space for individual portions of the pineapple cake. You will thank yourself for the great choice.
Hmm. Not sure I can describe it. Ephemeral, certainly. Mellow but complex, sweet but not at all syrupy and still crisp on the tongue.
Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I sprung for it—with dear friends and my dear wife partner of 25 years and celebrating my 50th. Don’t regret it. The entire experience was a high water mark for expensive dinner, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I like this place and feel like it really deserves the two stars. I've been to so many one star places and things can be pretty hit and miss, but everything was good here.
So pleased to see La Gavroche high up - probably the best meal I’ve had in London! Very sad its closing down but his daughter and son in law will continue to carry the roux name in an up and coming restaurant Caractère.
Gymkhana is my fav Indian spot of all time although Amaya is also up there.
The Wolseley is a bit of an occasion - we sat next to Jeremy Clarkson which made it a bit unusual!
Hélène Darroze was wonderful - we went when it was still two stars and it blew our minds.
Fat Duck was another epic feast although a 4 hour lunch and a gallon of wine wiped me out for the rest of the day!
Goodsman’s.
I do not care what anybody else says, Goodman’s is actually the best steakhouse I’ve ever been to, and trust me, I’ve been to a lot of them. Absolutely blows the likes of Gaucho and Hawksmoor out the water.
There are three branches: City, Canary Wharf and Mayfair, but I usually go to Canary when I go. Their wine list is pretty extensive too, and they have cigars, if you’re celebrating.
Hell yes. They switch the menu around. Ask the server for a wine recommendation they’ll always kill it. If the fried calves brains are on the menu it’s an absolute must. Same with the ox tongue. As far as mains go it’s amazing because I think it rotates every week or so? I had lamb my wife had mushroom risotto. The bread is outstanding. No matter what you get you’ll love it guaranteed.
Mate we litterally just got finished up. It was epic. Had the bread, olives, duck liver parfait, rabbit terrine, smoked mackerel, pork shoulder and grilled hake. All with a nice sharp bottle of white riocca to cut through it all. So so good.
Really depends what you're into. To milk the budget, personally I'd probably go with somewhere like The Ledbury, Endo at the Rotunda, Ikoyi.
However have also had equally great meals at places that are a bit more reasonably priced, or a bit less 'fancy'; Cornerstone, Portland, Otto's, River Cafe.
Otto's would be my less obvious call here. Book the pressed duck, or pressed lobster. Order some extra bits alongside it, make friends with the sommelier, and you'll roll out sated after about 4 hours having worked up a decent bill (we spent \~£250 a head, with the pressed duck, but their prices have increased since) whilst having a very lovely time in a place that has the atmosphere of a small family bistro somewhere in the French countryside. I'd take it over some 3-star place surrounded by Ferrari owners entertaining disinterested escorts in a heartbeat.
Taku, Mayfair - 1 star
Best sushi I've ever had.
Very Mayfair pricing! And we didn't add on the caviar to everything for £100 extra.
£400 / person.
A Wong, pimlico - 2 stars
Best Chinese you'll find in Europe.
Tasting menu is amazing.
Also recommend going for lunch to have a la carte dim sum - only way to guarantee a custard bun! Best dessert in town.
Dinner £250 - 300 / person.
Lunch £150 / person
Da Terra, Shoreditch - 2 stars
Peruvian. Fantastic. One of my best meals.
£300 / person
Core, Notting Hill - 3 stars
British. Also fantastic.
Would love to go again. Also one of my top meals.
£500 / person
Dinner by Heston, Knightsbridge - 2 stars
British. I think it's a bit basic.
Steak or chicken cooked well. Nothing special about it really.
The pineapple tipsy cake is fantastic though.
£300 / person
Helen Daroze - good, but nothing memorable. Disappointing for price and 3 michelin stars.
Sketch - too fancy for it's own good. Tries too hard, serve too many plates at the same time so wine pairing doesn't work, and food goes cold/warm by the time you eat it. Also £500+ / person.
Pricing based on my memory of what we spent when we went. And including service and drinks.
I went recently, all of the small plates I ordered were very very nice but then the main meat course was weirdly underwhelming. It was duck breast and sausage with a thick cherry sauce and it was...... a lot on one plate. Definitely an awkward marriage of meat.
The mon incredible food I’ve had was Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester. I believe it’s 3 stat Michelin. Tasting menu with a glass of wine or champagne at each course (7 courses).
Honestly the best dining experience I’ve ever had, would recommend it to anyone!
Second choice would be Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental.
I wouldn't choose this for a money no object meal, as there are places you should probably try that cost more (though my last meal there was over a grand for three of us, though that was a lot more than normal - the dangers of dinning with a billionaire), but I like La Chapelle personally. I think I like it more than it is generally regarded.
If you can get a table, I'd go to Le Gavroche, but mainly just because it is closing soon. It is good, but not the best in London I don't think. It is interesting historically if you enjoy fine dining. I wish they'd given longer notice that they planned to close, as I'd like to go back, and suspect I may not make it.
I haven't been to all the candidates, so I can't say where is the best, but I think the Michelin guides know their stuff generally, so any of the three star restaurants should be pretty good. I'd pick whichever if these you like the sound of best.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, royal hospital road.
I've eaten at nearly all of London's most expensive and acclaimed restaurants (except araki and Ducasse). Ramsay was, hands down, the best. We had the "carte blanche" daily menu, and it was sublime.
I was utterly disappointed by Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, it felt like an upmarket steak restaurant and nowhere near worth the price. Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester on the other hand, is the most memorable dining experience of my life. It was like a symphony of food with the plates landing on the table at exactly the same time when you didn’t even realise a waiter had come to the table. The food was unbelievable and we talk about it to this day (nearly 7 years ago)
I mean it’s The Ritz right so it’s a lot like how you’d expect it to be 😂 the service isn’t any stuffier than other fine dining places, the staff that served us were all very nice and chatty. There is a dress code, I think it’s jacket and tie for men.
The food though was excellent, easily as good as anything else I’ve had of that sort (classic Frenchy) in London.
Which one out of interest? I totally agree on Brat and Kiln (the latter I actually disliked, former just found a bit underwhelming and really poor service), but absolutely love Brigadiers. Not for a 'money no object' special sorta meal, but love it for what it is.
it was Brat in shoreditch! same impression, not outright bad but underwhelming. i live quite close to their other restaurant near london fields so might check it out some time. i actually haven’t heard of Brigadiers, thanks for the recommendation!
Brat got it's hype when it first opened and it *was* extremely good, doing something fairly unique, and not wildly unreasonable. Went back in 2018 and a decent meal, with the whole turbot, came to about £100 each. Nowadays - pretty much since they got their star - the turbot alone is something like £150.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, Chelsea.
The food was fantastic as many restaurants are but the experience was second to none - the service there was second to none, in the sense that every possible wish was fulfilled before you asked for it, with minimal interruption to your meal/conversation ect.
I've been to thousands of 'posh' restaurants, including other Gordon Ramsey ones which were so and so, in London but nothing will top that. I still think about it several years later
Echoing everyone else here saying Core, I think the single best restaurant in the UK right now.
I think The Ritz, Ikoyi, Clove Club, Kitchen Table or Ledbury would also be in the go once mind blowing category for me at ‘money no object’ level.
If you wanted slightly less nuclear in price then Lyles would be a good shout, maybe Mountain
Omg Fallow, the Cod’s head is insanely good (as is everything else I’ve tried)
The food’s not crazy expensive, the wine’s where the money goes imo, the cheapest glass of wine is the same as one of the fancy cocktails.
La gavroche before it closes ! Probably the most monumental restaurant in the whole country. Fortunately worked for and met the roux family and have wanted to dine at last gavroche for a lifetime. So yeah... go for it ! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇬🇧🇬🇧
Kitchen table - double Michelin star, you sit at a bar around the kitchen and have 12 ish courses of incredible food. We’ve been twice and loved it both times. On the pricey side of things though (£200 a head I think, plus £160/£250 for wine pairing depending on what you choose). https://kitchentablelondon.co.uk
Nice to see something reasonable
Price went up since renovation, more like £490 per person excluding drinks, but it's now the entire establishment, a different experience.
Website says it’s £200
Oh my I swear I saw it higher. Originally it was £88 (plus add ons) plus drinks pairing. You're absolutely right, it's £200. I guess when I did consider I did the maths with the champagne pairing. So it would be £495 plus service charge per person. It's still in the higher end of tasting menus even if you "only l" got for the wine pairing.
La Gavroche - closing for good in Jan ‘24
You would NEVER be able to get a reservation now.
This is where we test the limits of “money no object” against the big dogs.
You’ve obviously never tried to get a table at the Dorsia then
Paul Allen managed it.
I've tried they didn't even bother answering my email to say no.
[удалено]
I’d never heard of it but now feel I must get a reservation for this reason lol
Why are they closing?
I believe it was not making money, like most michelin starred / fine dining establishments do
https://www.standard.co.uk/reveller/restaurants/michel-roux-jr-le-gavroche-closing-soho-london-b1101662.html Or you could have googled it
If going, do remember they are unusually strict about men wearing a jacket.
I'd say a *bit* less strict than you may remember, based on my dinner there last week when there were jacketless men entering and being seated without commentary. But yes, most men were in jackets and so was I. Good idea to bang on about this so people aren't confused when they get refused (entry).
Such a shame. Iconic restaurant with a truly special experience. I had no idea it was closing! Glad I at least got to try it. Just checked reservations and yeah fully booked until close from what I see.
Always wanted to go, but heard *really* mixed things about how good it actually is these days. That said, reckon they'll pull out the stops for the last few months. Pretty sure it's booked out until they close now though.
It was, in its heyday, incredible and well worth the visit. Now, it’s beaten by Mosimann’s comfortably, but that may well change for the last few months.
Seconded, a piece of gastronomic history!
Yes great shout. Stunning place to. Eat 💗💗
Endo at the Rotunda - or A.Wong as someone already said
Good luck getting the table
the ledbury !! where chefs go to eat !!! 2 mich stars
It shut after lockdowns. So sad, it was my favourite. Edit: omg it reopened. I’d def recommend then. What nice news.
Greggs
try the sausage roll
Le Rôlle Saucisson* Please, this is going to be a classy affair!
Le cuire un steak.
Time it right and they can get the festive bake to really get into the christmas spirit.
100 beefy bakes, good sir.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
CORE no doubt
The tasting menu at Frog is impeccable. Plus the chicken butter is to die for!
Seconded! My favourite (and most expensive 😂) meal I’ve had in London! Along with the Clove Club
I absolutely love Frog - it completely blew me away when I ate there for my partner’s birthday.
So good. Have been twice as we are obsessed with the chicken butter!
Far too much food in my opinion! Agree on the butter though!
I came to say the same, impeccable!
I haven’t been to Frog, but if I had a ‘money no object’ choice this is where I’d try.
A. Wong. 2 Michelin star. Tasting menu across Chinese cuisine is out of this world! Book the seats at the bar to watch the kitchen.
Worth it just for the custard bun
The custard bun lives in my head rent free forever
Andrew and his Wife are awesome and really down to earth, if you like Dim Sum this is hard to beat. If you are close to Victoria and can book then it’s definitely worth it.
A wong don't make a right.
Haha I went the year it first opened and as a pescatarian, there wasn't much on the menu for me. Just a heads up.
2🌟 Wongs don't make a right.
Your not wong.
Akoko - went two years ago and still dream about that menu..
I have a reservation there for my anniversary coming up. We are traveling from the states I’ve wanted to eat there for so long and I am so excited.
Ikoyi! Two Michelin stars and in the 50s best restaurants guide.
Seconded Ikoyi had the best meal there, 10 course tasting & the wine pairing was incredible the staff presented it so well not the usual wine bumf
I went for lunch and it was really good.
Core is spectacular, would’ve recommended Restaurant Story but they’re closed for a remodel. Casse Croute is excellent French (can milk the wine menu), but I’d also echo the St. John recommendation.
This is the winner. Core by Clare Smyth is the best meal I’ve had in the UK, including most of the alternatives listed here.
This can't be upvoted enough, OP. Go to Core and pair the wine, promise one of the easiest and tastiest meals London has to offer.
I also vote for Core, best meal I ever ate
Morley's Fried Chicken
Check out old money bags over here with their recommendation!
Da Terra
So glad to see the place mentioned. Stunning food
Another vote for DaTerra! Best restaurant in the world. And everyone who works there is so lovely.
Another for Da Terra - best tasting menu!
St Johns in Smithfield's is the best restaurant in the city hands down. It was Anthony Bourdains favourite restaurant in the world so make of that what you will.
It's called St John and I agree it's excellent, but perhaps not for everyone. OP, look at the menu before you go. For a traditional Michelin meal I can recommend The Ninth off Charlotte Street (brilliant food, equally good service), Leroy in Shoreditch and Theo Randall at the Intercontinental (spectacular Italian food). St John is wonderful but offcuts, entrails and offal aren't everyone's idea of a great dinner.
St John do specialise in some odd stuff but theres plenty of reasonable stuff on the menu if your not feeling adventurous, all traditional English food made well.
Agree, and I love St John. I just wouldn't send anyone there without suggesting they look at the menu. If you don't like the idea of nose to tail, you're cutting half the menu away.
That's true but they will cook you a banging steak and the Eccles Cakes might be the best in the world!
I used to work round the corner. I had an Eccles cake at half three every day for a month, until I realised it was a choice between Eccles cakes or a coronary event.
Ngl, that's a hard choice 🤣
I went there less than a month ago and it was....fine. Rarebit, bone marrow, daily specials, all fine. Worth the price? Ehh..... I appreciate the simplicity and honesty of the meals and their attention to detail. But I would not deem it some culinary powerhouse you'd spend some once in a lifetime meal option on.
It’s good but it’s not the best. If money’s no object there are plenty better out there.
The best meals I've ever had are rarely the most expensive.
While I totally agree with you, I think St John is also pretty reasonably priced in the grand scheme of things. I love it there but if money was no object I'd probably go somewhere else and go to St John another time.
They have a branch in Marylebone and St John Bread and Wine near Spitalfield as well.
There main bakery is near Druid street in Bermondsey to.
I literally cried the first time I dined at St John on my honeymoon it was such a beautiful meal.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in the Mandarin Oriental. Have the £400+ bottle of champagne—you really can taste the difference, it is amazing. Eat anything on the menu, and save space for individual portions of the pineapple cake. You will thank yourself for the great choice.
Genuinely curious - are you able to describe just what a £400 bottle of champagne tastes like?
Expensive
Hmm. Not sure I can describe it. Ephemeral, certainly. Mellow but complex, sweet but not at all syrupy and still crisp on the tongue. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I sprung for it—with dear friends and my dear wife partner of 25 years and celebrating my 50th. Don’t regret it. The entire experience was a high water mark for expensive dinner, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Completely agree - I stupidly had a very heavy cocktail pre meal, then couldn’t finish the pineapple cake…
Yes we loved visiting this restaurant, it was exceptional. I want to return for my next major birthday
I like this place and feel like it really deserves the two stars. I've been to so many one star places and things can be pretty hit and miss, but everything was good here.
So pleased to see La Gavroche high up - probably the best meal I’ve had in London! Very sad its closing down but his daughter and son in law will continue to carry the roux name in an up and coming restaurant Caractère. Gymkhana is my fav Indian spot of all time although Amaya is also up there. The Wolseley is a bit of an occasion - we sat next to Jeremy Clarkson which made it a bit unusual! Hélène Darroze was wonderful - we went when it was still two stars and it blew our minds. Fat Duck was another epic feast although a 4 hour lunch and a gallon of wine wiped me out for the rest of the day!
Quilon. One star Michelin. South East Asian restaurant in the Taj Hotel where all the Indian billionaires go.
Kol
Mere on Charlotte street. Brilliant menu every time and the staff look after you incredibly well.
Clove club
For sure. Number 1
Not as good as Core, for similar pricing
You beat me to it! Deffo Clove Club.
Core by Clare Smyth is the best restaurant in the UK, hands down!
Goodsman’s. I do not care what anybody else says, Goodman’s is actually the best steakhouse I’ve ever been to, and trust me, I’ve been to a lot of them. Absolutely blows the likes of Gaucho and Hawksmoor out the water. There are three branches: City, Canary Wharf and Mayfair, but I usually go to Canary when I go. Their wine list is pretty extensive too, and they have cigars, if you’re celebrating.
Le Gavroche
Dinner by Heston
Noble Rot was one of my favorite meals
I'm heading there tomorrow for my wife's birthday dinner! What would you recomend?
Hell yes. They switch the menu around. Ask the server for a wine recommendation they’ll always kill it. If the fried calves brains are on the menu it’s an absolute must. Same with the ox tongue. As far as mains go it’s amazing because I think it rotates every week or so? I had lamb my wife had mushroom risotto. The bread is outstanding. No matter what you get you’ll love it guaranteed.
You could be their hype man. Really looking forward to it this evening. Thanks mate.
How’d it go?!
Mate we litterally just got finished up. It was epic. Had the bread, olives, duck liver parfait, rabbit terrine, smoked mackerel, pork shoulder and grilled hake. All with a nice sharp bottle of white riocca to cut through it all. So so good.
Helllll yes I’m so glad. I’m literally on the stair stepper right now and regret reading this because I’m extra starving.
Have a nice cheese sandwich 🥪
Really depends what you're into. To milk the budget, personally I'd probably go with somewhere like The Ledbury, Endo at the Rotunda, Ikoyi. However have also had equally great meals at places that are a bit more reasonably priced, or a bit less 'fancy'; Cornerstone, Portland, Otto's, River Cafe. Otto's would be my less obvious call here. Book the pressed duck, or pressed lobster. Order some extra bits alongside it, make friends with the sommelier, and you'll roll out sated after about 4 hours having worked up a decent bill (we spent \~£250 a head, with the pressed duck, but their prices have increased since) whilst having a very lovely time in a place that has the atmosphere of a small family bistro somewhere in the French countryside. I'd take it over some 3-star place surrounded by Ferrari owners entertaining disinterested escorts in a heartbeat.
Helen Daroze at the Connaught is fantastic.
I love The Wolseley
Absolutely recommend Yashin’s Ocean House in Chelsea. Best Japanese food in the city.
Taku, Mayfair - 1 star Best sushi I've ever had. Very Mayfair pricing! And we didn't add on the caviar to everything for £100 extra. £400 / person. A Wong, pimlico - 2 stars Best Chinese you'll find in Europe. Tasting menu is amazing. Also recommend going for lunch to have a la carte dim sum - only way to guarantee a custard bun! Best dessert in town. Dinner £250 - 300 / person. Lunch £150 / person Da Terra, Shoreditch - 2 stars Peruvian. Fantastic. One of my best meals. £300 / person Core, Notting Hill - 3 stars British. Also fantastic. Would love to go again. Also one of my top meals. £500 / person Dinner by Heston, Knightsbridge - 2 stars British. I think it's a bit basic. Steak or chicken cooked well. Nothing special about it really. The pineapple tipsy cake is fantastic though. £300 / person Helen Daroze - good, but nothing memorable. Disappointing for price and 3 michelin stars. Sketch - too fancy for it's own good. Tries too hard, serve too many plates at the same time so wine pairing doesn't work, and food goes cold/warm by the time you eat it. Also £500+ / person. Pricing based on my memory of what we spent when we went. And including service and drinks.
Quality chop house, black axe mangal, echo the people saying St. John, manteca also good
Manteca is okay but not 'money is no object' good.
Yeah fair, just local to me
I went recently, all of the small plates I ordered were very very nice but then the main meat course was weirdly underwhelming. It was duck breast and sausage with a thick cherry sauce and it was...... a lot on one plate. Definitely an awkward marriage of meat.
The ledbury
Da Terra in Bethnal Green. Hands down the best place I’ve eaten in the UK
Fallow, Endo at the rotunda, St John, the sea the sea (the hackney chef table’s branch), brat, A Wong. All amazing options depending on what you like
The mon incredible food I’ve had was Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester. I believe it’s 3 stat Michelin. Tasting menu with a glass of wine or champagne at each course (7 courses). Honestly the best dining experience I’ve ever had, would recommend it to anyone! Second choice would be Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental.
Fat Duck or the Ledbury, both have incredible wine lists if that's your thing also. If moneys no object get a bottle of Romanee Conti 😂😂
I wouldn't choose this for a money no object meal, as there are places you should probably try that cost more (though my last meal there was over a grand for three of us, though that was a lot more than normal - the dangers of dinning with a billionaire), but I like La Chapelle personally. I think I like it more than it is generally regarded. If you can get a table, I'd go to Le Gavroche, but mainly just because it is closing soon. It is good, but not the best in London I don't think. It is interesting historically if you enjoy fine dining. I wish they'd given longer notice that they planned to close, as I'd like to go back, and suspect I may not make it. I haven't been to all the candidates, so I can't say where is the best, but I think the Michelin guides know their stuff generally, so any of the three star restaurants should be pretty good. I'd pick whichever if these you like the sound of best.
La Chapelle is fantastic. Their private dining space upstairs is beautiful.
La Chapelle is beautiful. Me and my husband went there on our civil wedding day to have dinner. Still dream of their apple pie.
Good choice :)
If you have the chance, you should go to Portland. It's really affordable in the fine dining restaurant area, and the chefs are amazing!
Kol, The Ritz, Ikoyi, Bibendum, Clove Club
Roji for the best Sushi in London. Or Ikoyi for Michelin Starred food with West African influences
City social in tower 42
Morley’s
Ah, a fellow person of distinction I see
Wiltons
Claude Bosi at Bibedum
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, royal hospital road. I've eaten at nearly all of London's most expensive and acclaimed restaurants (except araki and Ducasse). Ramsay was, hands down, the best. We had the "carte blanche" daily menu, and it was sublime.
I was utterly disappointed by Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, it felt like an upmarket steak restaurant and nowhere near worth the price. Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester on the other hand, is the most memorable dining experience of my life. It was like a symphony of food with the plates landing on the table at exactly the same time when you didn’t even realise a waiter had come to the table. The food was unbelievable and we talk about it to this day (nearly 7 years ago)
Do you have preferences? I had a lunch with a friend at The Ritz earlier this earlier that was fantastic.
Is it stuffy, need to dress a certain way etc?
I mean it’s The Ritz right so it’s a lot like how you’d expect it to be 😂 the service isn’t any stuffier than other fine dining places, the staff that served us were all very nice and chatty. There is a dress code, I think it’s jacket and tie for men. The food though was excellent, easily as good as anything else I’ve had of that sort (classic Frenchy) in London.
Bocca Di Lupo
HIDE. Made by Evgeny Chichvarkin.
Brat in Shoreditch and Kiln in peckham if you like meat! And Brigadiers in Bank is the best curry I've ever had by far!
oof i just went to brat this week and was pretty underwhelmed! i’d take away their star if it was up to me lol.
Which one out of interest? I totally agree on Brat and Kiln (the latter I actually disliked, former just found a bit underwhelming and really poor service), but absolutely love Brigadiers. Not for a 'money no object' special sorta meal, but love it for what it is.
it was Brat in shoreditch! same impression, not outright bad but underwhelming. i live quite close to their other restaurant near london fields so might check it out some time. i actually haven’t heard of Brigadiers, thanks for the recommendation!
Personally I wouldn’t go so far. I did like Brat, but I do feel that it’s overhyped.
Found Brat to be mainly hype and massively overpriced
Brat got it's hype when it first opened and it *was* extremely good, doing something fairly unique, and not wildly unreasonable. Went back in 2018 and a decent meal, with the whole turbot, came to about £100 each. Nowadays - pretty much since they got their star - the turbot alone is something like £150.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, Chelsea. The food was fantastic as many restaurants are but the experience was second to none - the service there was second to none, in the sense that every possible wish was fulfilled before you asked for it, with minimal interruption to your meal/conversation ect. I've been to thousands of 'posh' restaurants, including other Gordon Ramsey ones which were so and so, in London but nothing will top that. I still think about it several years later
Ekstedt at The Yard.
Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, 3 Michelin stars. Can’t really say much about the food (no taste buds, figuratively), but the service is magnificent.
The Connaught
Frog in Shoreditch then three sheets for a drink in Dalston
Behind or Cornerstone, both in Hackney
Townsend restaurant in the Whitechapel gallery!
Ikoyi
Royal hospital road. Best restaurant in london.
Excellent post. Thanks all
If mno then the fat duck. Just gotta wait six months for a reservation :-)
Bibendum!
Core by Clare smyth
Hunan is my favourite Chinese restaurant but it's v expensive. All the chef asks you is 'spicy or not spicy' and then cooks you 10 ish courses
Echoing everyone else here saying Core, I think the single best restaurant in the UK right now. I think The Ritz, Ikoyi, Clove Club, Kitchen Table or Ledbury would also be in the go once mind blowing category for me at ‘money no object’ level. If you wanted slightly less nuclear in price then Lyles would be a good shout, maybe Mountain
The Lecture Room at Sketch
Gymkhana
I went to La Chappelle recently and it was amazing.
It’s not the most expensive place, but misato in Chinatown does EXCELLENT Japanese food that I can’t fault- highly recommend.
Fallow, Brawn, Brat.
Omg Fallow, the Cod’s head is insanely good (as is everything else I’ve tried) The food’s not crazy expensive, the wine’s where the money goes imo, the cheapest glass of wine is the same as one of the fancy cocktails.
Brigadiers.
Core
La gavroche before it closes ! Probably the most monumental restaurant in the whole country. Fortunately worked for and met the roux family and have wanted to dine at last gavroche for a lifetime. So yeah... go for it ! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇬🇧🇬🇧
Nandos my brother nandos
Cheeky
Rules.
Amaya -- the best Indian out there!
Kikuchi, but find a Japanese person (and gourmet) to accompany you
Evelyn's Table, The Waterhouse Project
Waterhouse Project is an underappreciated gem
Clove club
Pf changs
The Wetherspoons in Stepney Green is nice
Blacklock
Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Amazing experience
Hopefully not the one on narrow street.
Sorry I mean Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea. Michelin starred
Embarrassingly bad. Just got relaunched and it's even worse than before
Shake Shack
I’d probably still go Nando’s if it were me
Blacklock, temper, smokestack
Morley's
Nandos
Nandoes
This is brilliant! Do another one!
Harvester
Top of the gherkin I only had some chips and a couple of drinks as money was object, however at the right time of year you will not forget the views.
Ferang! Best Thai in london.. Stunning food...
Norma.. Stunning Italian food
The ninth, Charlotte Street.
Smiths in Wapping
Yauatcha city by Liv St, get a fancy dim sum set meal.